Elaine retrained last year and is now a fully accredited intimacy coordinator for film and television. In the role, she provides support to cast and crew during pre-production, rehearsals and on-set filming of intimate scenes.
An actor has told how she vowed to follow her onscreen dreams and retrained as an intimacy coordinator to honour a promise made to a dying friend.
Elaine McKergow is best known for her role in the 2018 Netflix feature film Outlaw King, as well as for her extensive 16-year career in UK theatre.
Alongside acting, Elaine has worked in directing and drama teaching, and has appeared in BBC’s River City.
She also worked in hospitality to support herself.
However, Elaine retrained last year and is now a fully accredited intimacy coordinator for film and television. In the role, she provides support to cast and crew during pre-production, rehearsals and on-set filming of intimate scenes.
Elaine, 49, from Glasgow, said she decided to pursue her dream of working on screen as a final promise to her best friend, Lucie Randal, who died following a battle with cancer in June.
Elaine said: “Last year, one of my oldest and dearest friends, Lucie, passed away at the age of 47 from an aggressive cancer.
“I spent two weeks with her in hospice care. She made me promise that I would make a change because she knew I wasn’t fulfilled working in hospitality.
“She knew the path my life had taken and had seen the highs and lows. She reminded me that we don’t know what’s around the corner. We only get one life, and she encouraged me to stop waiting and pursue what really mattered to me.
“I thought, ‘Life is short.’ Intimacy coordination had been on my radar for a while. Hospitality paid the bills, but it wasn’t fulfilling me, and Lucie encouraged me to take the leap.
“I’ve absolutely no regrets. Every morning I wake up excited about what might happen next.”
Elaine studied acting and performance at Langside College before later landing a role in Outlaw King, which was filmed in Scotland.
However, the offer of a regular stint on River City was later shelved due to the pandemic.
Last year, Elaine applied for a course run by the Intimacy Professionals Association, founded by Amanda Blumenthal, one of the world’s leading intimacy coordinators.
Most recently, she worked as an intimacy coordinator on the new short-form horror drama Loch nam Madadh/Wolf Bay.
Filming wrapped earlier this month and the series is set to debut later this year on BBC iPlayer and the BBC ALBA YouTube channel.
She said: “The role feels like a privilege. People are trained to ride horses safely, use weapons safely and perform stunts safely.
“Yet for years there was no specialist support for actors performing intimate scenes, despite those often being the most vulnerable situations they face.
“For me, intimacy coordination is about creating an environment where actors feel safe enough to do their best work. When boundaries and consent are clearly discussed and agreed, creativity can flourish.
“The best performances happen when people feel secure. These conversations can be awkward for everyone, and having someone trained to facilitate them makes a huge difference.”
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