Olivia Munn has shared that filming intimate scenes for her latest project, Your Friends and Neighbors, pushed her out of her comfort zone, especially after undergoing major surgeries following a breast cancer diagnosis.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Munn said she initially felt anxious about the nudity involved in her role opposite Jon Hamm due to both visible and hidden scars from her treatment.
Munn, 44, said, “I was really nervous about doing any sex scenes because I have a lot of scars. Scars that can be seen in clothing and scars that you wouldn’t know unless I was completely nude.”
In 2023, Munn was diagnosed with Luminal B breast cancer, a fast-growing form of the disease. Since then, she’s undergone extensive procedures, including a double mastectomy, reconstructive surgeries, an oophorectomy and partial hysterectomy.
Despite her reservations, Munn said the intimate moments between her character and Hamm’s were vital to the story.
She explained, “She wants something so much more from him than he’s willing to give, and their only connection is through sex.”
“I wanted the sex scenes to feel visceral and intense and not hold back at all.”
The Apple TV+ series, which debuted on Friday, follows Jon Hamm’s Andrew Cooper, a disgraced hedge fund manager who begins stealing from his wealthy neighbours.
Munn plays Samantha “Sam” Levitt, a recently separated mother secretly entangled in an affair with Andrew behind his ex-wife’s back.
The show also stars Amanda Peet, Mark Tallman, Hoon Lee, Lena Hall, Aimee Carrero and Donovan Colan.
Munn admitted she had previously stepped away from acting altogether.
“I called my agents and my manager, and I said, ‘I’m done being in front of the camera. Don’t put me up for anything,'” she said.
But the role drew her back in.
She added, “There’s a carelessness with which they live their life.”
“They feel impervious to the world, and it’s so fascinating to watch these people crumble.”
Of her own character, she shared, “She’s a survivor… she’s going to do anything to maintain her place and take care of her children.”
Thanks to guidance from an intimacy coordinator and “a lot of soul searching,” Munn was able to get through the experience.
“I did feel insecure, but each time I did it, I felt better,” she said.
“I felt grateful for my body because it got me through this.”
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