Rob Lowe Reflects on Changing Attitudes Toward Intimate Scenes in Hollywood
Rob Lowe recently shared his thoughts on how romantic scenes in movies have evolved over time, contrasting today’s Hollywood with the era in which he started his career.
During an episode of his Literally! podcast, Lowe and Sex and the City star Kristin Davis took a nostalgic trip back to a time when explicit intimate scenes were a staple in films.
“Hardly anyone includes s*x scenes in movies anymore,” Lowe remarked before quickly adding, “Well, A24’s Babygirl just premiered, and it was fantastic.”
The film, directed by Halina Reijn and featuring Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, has gained attention for its bold and passionate storytelling. Kidman portrays a high-powered CEO whose life is upended by an affair with her young intern, a performance that earned her the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival.
Lowe found the audience’s reaction to the film particularly intriguing.
“They’re calling it ‘brave,’ saying, ‘She’s so brave,’” he observed. “Brave? Because she filmed a s*x scene? Back in the day, it was just part of the job.”
He went on to reveal an old industry secret he referred to as the “Page 73 rule.”
“In the past, you could always expect a s*x scene around page 73 of a script,” he recalled. “If you got a script and wondered, ‘Will I have to be naked in this?’ you didn’t need to read the whole thing—you just flipped to page 73. That’s where it usually was, especially in the middle of a story when things slow down.”
Despite these shifts, Lowe believes that change presents new opportunities.
“I always say that disruption creates room for new possibilities,” he explained. “If you’re adaptable, forward-thinking, and not stuck in the past, these transitions can work in your favor.”
As Hollywood moves into a new era where intimate scenes are less common and perceptions of “bravery” are evolving, Lowe suggests that the industry may be entering an entirely different storytelling phase—one where the biggest surprise might just be the absence of steam.
