'I'd just rather not stand in front of a group of men naked,' the actress shares.
Keira Knightley is opening up about why she won't film nude scenes with male directors.
The 35-year-old actress was recently a guest on the Chanel Connects podcast with filmmaker Lulu Wang and writer Diane Solway. Throughout the episode, titled "The New Heroines," they discussed the film industry and its need for strong women on both sides of the camera.
"If I was making a story that was about that journey of motherhood and body acceptance, I feel like, I'm sorry, but that would have to be with a female filmmaker," Knightley explained from her home in London. "I don't have an absolute ban [on filming nude], but I kind of do with men."
"It's partly vanity and also it's the male gaze," she added. "I don't want it to be those horrible sex scenes where you're all greased up and everybody is grunting. I'm not interested in doing that."
Knightley -- who shares two children, daughters Evie, 5, and Delilah, 1, with husband James Righton -- added a "no nudity clause" to her film contracts after becoming a mother in 2015. The Misbehaviour star explained on the podcast that while she still understands the need for some sex scenes in films, she would prefer a different actress to take it on.
"There's times where I go, 'Yeah, I completely see where this sex would be really good in this film and you basically just need somebody to look hot,' so therefore you can use somebody else," she said. "Because I'm too vain, and the body has had two children now, and I'd just rather not stand in front of a group of men naked."
Back in March 2019, Knightley opened up to ET about how motherhood helped her shine in The Aftermath.
"The weird thing with acting is that sleep deprivation basically makes your emotions very close to the surface," she said of preparing for her role in the post-World War II film, directed by James Kent. "It's much easier to cry. You feel like crying all the time, so I can turn that on like that, so this is great. Thanks, kid."
The interview came shortly after Knightley called motherhood "f**king difficult."
"I don't think we give women enough credit for the physical and emotional marathon they go through when becoming a mother," she told Balance magazine. "I come from a place of amazing privilege. I have an incredible support system; I’ve been unbelievably lucky in my career; I can afford good childcare, and yet I still find it really f**king difficult."
Hear more in the video below.
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