Did Daniel Craig and Ana de Armas need help with Bond’s steamy scenes? (Photo Credit – Twitter)
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While No Time to Die packed the usual spy thrills and sleek explosions, what really turned heads behind the scenes was a quiet addition to the crew. Daniel Craig and Ana de Armas reportedly worked with an intimacy coordinator for their bedroom scenes, making the 25th Bond film a rare step forward for the franchise’s long-standing (and often criticized) approach to sensuality.
This decision wasn’t just about modern protocol, it came from a place of trust. Craig had already teamed up with de Armas in Knives Out, and he wanted her in the Bond universe because, as he put it in the Los Angeles Times, “She’s got the chops. She can do it all. And it’s about time people sat up and noticed.” Their on-screen chemistry carried over into No Time to Die, but for the scenes that turned up the heat, they didn’t rely on improvisation or old-school direction.
Instead, they brought in a pro.
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The move came as the industry evolved in the wake of the #MeToo movement, which shed a harsh spotlight on the uncomfortable, often unsafe situations actors, especially women, had faced during filming intimate scenes. Bond girls of the past were left to fend for themselves. Not anymore.
The intimacy coordinator’s job was to set boundaries, choreograph moments, and keep everything professional. According to The Hollywood Reporter, SAG-AFTRA described the role as “an advocate, a liaison between actors and production … in regard to nudity and simulated sex.” Craig and de Armas used this to their full advantage, ensuring their scenes felt authentic while respecting each other’s comfort zones.
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This wasn’t just progressive for Bond, it was overdue. For a franchise that had leaned heavily on seduction and sex appeal for decades, No Time to Die marked a subtle but meaningful shift.
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Ana de Armas, for her part, brought her own story of hustle and evolution to the screen. She left Cuba for Spain at 18, made her film debut in Virgin Rose (Una rosa de Francia) the same year Craig debuted as Bond in Casino Royale, and clawed her way into Hollywood without knowing English. Her breakthrough came in Knock Knock (2015), followed by Blade Runner 2049, and then Knives Out, where she and Craig first clicked. By the time she joined No Time to Die, she had transformed into a global star.
Production on the film itself wasn’t smooth sailing either. The original director Danny Boyle and screenwriter John Hodge left due to creative clashes. Then the pandemic hit. The release date shuffled multiple times, before finally landing on September 28, 2021, for its Royal Albert Hall premiere and rolling out to the world in early October.
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Craig bowed out of the Bond role after 15 years, making him the longest-serving 007 in the franchise’s history. But even as he wrapped up the role, he helped push it forward – one boundary-respecting bedroom scene at a time.
