Damian Hurley directed his mother in thriller Strictly Confidential and the movie includes a sex scene between her and a female co-star.
What did you miss?
Elizabeth Hurley has said she doesn’t understand the fuss over her son directing her in a sex scene for their new film.
Damian Hurley makes his feature directorial debut with thriller Strictly Confidential, starring his mother and the movie includes a sex scene between her and a female co-star. The mother-son duo appeared on The One Show to discuss the new movie. And Elizabeth, 58, insisted being filmed by her son had felt nothing but natural. Meanwhile, Damian also revealed one of his godfathers had helped to smuggle bikinis through customs for the film’s costume department.
What, how, and why?
Damian Hurley directed his mother Elizabeth Hurley in debut film Strictly Confidential. (Getty Images for Lionsgate and Grindstone)
Hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp asked Austin Powers star Elizabeth how it felt to be filmed by her son for such an intimate scene. The Royals star said: “I think people have made a fuss. It’s not like he sneaked into my bedroom with a camcorder. It’s on set, there were 100 other people on the set. And everyone knows they’re not actually sexy to shoot, any kind of intimate scene. It’s just technical. And we’d rehearsed it, Damian had made everyone feel so comfortable It was fine, it was nothing.”
She added: “I gave him first camera when he was about 10 and he’s been filming me ever since. And I always said I would be in his first film. And because he has filmed me so much and because I often force him to take photographs of me all the time, for my beachwear company and stuff, it just seemed like nothing, we didn’t even think about it. It was very low budget, we had to shoot so fast, Damian had about six or seven scenes to film that day it was just knock it out and get through it. We didn’t have time to be anguished.”
Meanwhile, Damian revealed that the film was so low budget they had to smuggle bikinis into the Caribbean where they shot on location.
He explained: “A week before we were meant to be shooting 80 per cent of our costumes got denied entry at the boarder and were shipped back to the US. There aren’t really any costume shops out there. So I persuaded my male godfather to fly about 100 costumes in, smuggle them in in his suitcase, and of course nearly all of them are bikinis for the beach. So my very straight-laced godfather had to stand there going ‘Of course these 80 bikinis are mine, what are you talking about?’ when he was stopped at customs. But they made it!”
Elizabeth Hurley’s ex Hugh Grant supported godson Damian at the film’s UK premiere. (Getty Images)
Kemp pointed out that one of Damian’s godfathers is Elizabeth Hurley’s ex Hugh Grant. But Damian insisted “He’s not the bikini smuggler”.
Damian’s father was Hollywood producer Steve Bing, who died by suicide aged 55 in 2020. Hurley dated Bing in 2001. The pair did not always sail on smooth waters, with the American businessman originally denying paternity, claiming he and Hurley did not have an exclusive relationship. A DNA test later proved he was Damian’s father.
What else happened on The One Show?
The Responder stars Adelayo Adedayo and Martin Freeman (Getty Images)
Martin Freeman paid tribute to the late Bernard Hill and said how “lucky” The Responder was to have been the vehicle for his last performance.
The actor — known for Lord of The Rings, Titanic and Boys From The Black Stuff — died at the age of 79 on Sunday morning 5 May. One of Hill’s final performances was in the BBC police drama, which premiered on the day of his death. Hill played the father of Freeman’s character, police officer Chris Carson, in the TV series set in Liverpool.
Bernard Hill appeared in series 2 of The Responder which aired the day his death was announced. (BBC)
Freeman said: “It was delightful [working with him.] He was from Manchester but he was Liverpool royalty, because he played Yosser Hughes in Boys From The Black Stuff. He was loved in that city. And for us and the cast and crew he was really gentle, kind, playful man with a twinkle in his eye. And I loved working with him.
“Now of course it’s his last performance so for us it’s devastating that he;s not here to reap the rewards of what he did, because what he did is so good, but I’m glad that what he did was something that he cared so much about. And loved s much. We were lucky to have him.”
The Responder also stars Adelayo Adedayo as Chris Carson’s police officer crewmate Rachel Hargreaves
