The entertainment industry has undergone many changes to incorporate not just family entertainment but also shows that are only fit for adult audiences. One such series is “The Affair,” which has aired from October 12, 2014, to November 3, 2019, for five seasons. For ardent fans of the show, one person they must have noticed was missing in the fifth season is Ruth Wilson; thus, many speculated the underlying reasons for her exit. However, the actress has set the record straight as to what made her leave the series abruptly.
It is not the pay disparity
Women keep fighting for equal rights as men, but Hollywood is yet to make any efforts in closing the gap between the salaries of the male and female actors. Patricia Arquette once said it is time to have wage equality, but that has not happened. Therefore as actresses like Jenifer Lawrence blame themselves for not getting as big a paycheck as their male counterparts, Ruth was not bothered by the difference in the wages.
According to Guardian, the actress said although she was paid much less than Dominic West, she never raised the debate on set. She added that she did not want more money; she wanted equal pay, which meant West would have to take less. Therefore even in her interview, when she was asked why she left, Ruth said it is not due to pay parity issues or taking up other jobs. Instead, it was a much bigger story which she was not allowed to talk about due to a non-disclosure agreement.
So what is the bigger story?
Well, nothing stays hidden forever, even when an NDA is signed, so we now have the real reason why Ruth decided to just up and leave one day. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ruth had been ready to leave the show due to a hostile working environment, friction with Sarah Treem and the constant nude sex scenes which made her uncomfortable. Although she knew what she was getting herself into the minute she agreed to be on the set of an adult show, the frequency of the nude scenes is what bothered Ruth. She noticed that even when there was no reason to disrobe, she still was required to undress, which Ruth took offense resulting in her being told she was difficult.
Sarah Treem has been accused of pressuring actors to be naked by telling them how beautiful they looked, or that they were holding up the scene. However, Sarah has defended herself, saying she accommodated all of Ruth’sRuth’s insecurities. She cites one instance in which Ruth said she was not comfortable with the scene on the hood of a car, and Sarah changed it. In other episodes, the show’s creator cut out scenes and used doubles for rehearsals. Sarah added that as the writer of the script, she had strayed so far from the original script due to Ruth’s insecurities, and at the end of the third season, Showtime executives asked Sarah to write Ruth Wilson out of the series. Therefore even if Ruth felt that Sarah was promoting a hostile environment, Sarah insists she was always looking out for the actress, although they did not see eye to eye.
Still, even if Sarah paints a picture of herself as a feminist, other people involved in the production of the series have proven that they are not interested in a pristine image of Ruth Wilson. Jeff Reiner, who directed five episodes of “The Affair,” showed how far producers and directors are willing to go just to create a masterpiece. Jeff praised Lena Dunham for how comfortable she is with nude scenes adding that she would show any part of her body without a problem. He consequently asked her to have dinner with Ruth to convince her to show her breasts for the next episode’s filming. Jeff went ahead to show Lena a photo of Maura Tierney with a nude actor, which stamps Ruth’s accusations of a toxic work environment.
Is she the only actress who is uncomfortable with nude scenes?
Many actors are uncomfortable with nude scenes and use doubles instead. Sarah Jessica Parker always includes no-nudity clauses in her deals, so it is no surprise that of the four “Sex and The City” ladies, she is the only one who never was naked on the series. Others like Hillary Duff and Anna Kendrick said they would never do any nude scenes. While these actresses have not gotten into trouble for it, some have been sued for failing to do nude scenes.
In 2014, producers sued Anna Greene for objecting to doing a lovemaking scene and were seeking $85,000 in damages. Just like Ruth, Anna filed a complaint saying she was in a dangerous work environment and was being bullied into performing sex scenes. According to the producers, Greene knew what was expected of her and only raised concerns when filming started, which led to the production company incurring editing expenses and looking for a body double. They added that had she voiced her issues before shooting began, they would have searched for another actress.
In a similar incident, Amber Heard was also sued for failing to film sex scenes. The producers accused the actress of conspiring with directors to edit the sex scenes and sued her for refusal to act the provocative scenes in the pre-approved script. The amount in damages they were seeking was $10 million, according to Mirror.
If an actress wants to appear nude or not, she has to decide without being pushed into it. As for Ruth Wilson, she might not have known how far the sex scenes would go despite agreeing to be in adult drama. Or maybe she realized that she would be pigeonholed for the rest of her career and was looking for a way out. Whatever the case, she will have to consider a no-nudity clause in her future contracts since some producers will use every loophole to tie someone down.
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