“Tell Me Lies” Stars Tom Ellis and Catherine Missal on Steamy Scenes, Intimacy Coordinators, and the Power Imbalance

The Forbidden Romance Heats Up in Season 2

Season 2 of Hulu’s Tell Me Lies is serving up some of the most electric, nerve-wracking television of the year—and at the center of it all is the sizzling, taboo romance between Oliver (Tom Ellis) and Bree (Catherine Missal). As the story unfolds, viewers watch Bree break free from her boyfriend Evan, only to fall into the arms of her professor’s husband. It’s messy, dangerous, and absolutely captivating.

In a recent exclusive conversation detailed in Screenshot (550).png, Ellis and Missal peeled back the curtain on what it really took to bring those steamy sex scenes to life. From intensive rehearsals with an intimacy coordinator to navigating the awkwardness of simulated passion, the duo shared how they kept the authenticity high and the discomfort low.

Bringing Intimacy to Life with an Intimacy Coordinator

“With the delicate nature of this storyline in particular, it was really about just taking our time and being very careful around all of the intimate scenes,” Missal explained. “And just trying to make it feel as real as possible for the viewers to really cling onto this idea of hope for Bree.”

The sex scene that aired on September 11—the first consummation of Oliver and Bree’s relationship—required meticulous choreography. Missal emphasized that having an intimacy coordinator on set was a game-changer. “It’s very technical. So you rehearse and having the intimacy coordinator is amazing. I’m so grateful that we have that person in place now. [We were] just being really careful, delicate and approaching it with a lot of care.”

For Tom Ellis, best known for his iconic role as Lucifer Morningstar, this marked his first experience working with an intimacy coordinator. “It was my first time working with an intimacy coordinator and as Cat said, I was really appreciative of having that as a facility now,” the actor told Us. “Because these are uncomfortable scenes to shoot as a performer.”

The role of an intimacy coordinator has become a standard safety net in post-#MeToo Hollywood. These professionals act as advocates and liaisons between actors and production, choreographing every touch, breath, and movement. For a show like Tell Me Lies, where sex is never gratuitous but always part of the conversation, that expertise is invaluable.

Navigating the Age Gap and Power Imbalance

Beyond the logistics of filming, Ellis and Missal had to tackle a deeper, more uncomfortable truth: the 20-plus-year age difference between their characters. Oliver is a seasoned professor’s husband; Bree is a college student navigating heartbreak. The power imbalance is baked into the script, yet the actors had to find a way to make the connection feel genuine—without ignoring the obvious red flags.

“Our job was to kind of connect and our job was to make it like we had to forget about the power imbalance and the age difference. We just played it out as two people connecting because the rest of it takes care of itself,” Ellis shared. “It was weird for me watching it back because I had to have that mindset doing it. And you watch it back and it becomes very obvious how wrong it is. But I couldn’t play how wrong it was. I had to play how it felt in a weird sort of way.”

That fine line is the very essence of Tell Me Lies—a show that revels in the tension between what feels good and what is right. Ellis noted, “The weird thing about this one is that we want the audience to root for this relationship in a weird way. You want it for Bree in the same way that Bree wants it—even though you know that it’s wrong. But again, that’s pretty much what Tell Me Lies is about. It’s about ignoring those red flags.”

The Art of Making the Audience Root for the Wrong Relationship

Missal, for her part, focused on channeling Bree’s perspective—a young woman fascinated by Oliver’s maturity and attention. “We both approached the material with a lot of care. We both wanted to make sure that it felt really genuine of a connection so that the viewers are right along with us on our journey,” she detailed. “The way that we approached the material was taking it step by step as actors playing these characters. We were going through the stages of their dynamic just as we were filming rather than getting ahead of ourselves. That was really helpful.”

The chemistry between Ellis and Missal is undeniable, but it was also carefully fostered off-screen. Ellis prioritized making Missal feel as safe as possible. “My feeling, as Tom, is I always wanted Cat to feel as safe as possible,” he said.

Adding an extra layer of intrigue: Ellis is married to the show’s creator and showrunner, Meaghan Oppenheimer. That real-life dynamic could have made the intimate scenes even trickier, but the actor explained that open communication was key. He pointed out that the sex in the show is never gratuitous. “The sex in this show is not meant to be gratuitous. It’s not meant to be there just for the sake of ‘And now [the characters] have sex.’ It’s part of the conversation.”

Before filming, the cast and crew had frank discussions about the tone of each scene. “Even talking about awkward things about what type of sex is this and all that sort of stuff, it was really important that we got that right. And [it was about] having consent and for it to feel delicate and sensual,” Ellis continued. “These are conversations that you have, and having an intimacy coordinator in place really helps have that conversation for something that is innately going to be a weird experience. It always is when you do these things, but to make it as safe as possible and have boundaries.”

Key Takeaways from the Exclusive Chat

• Intimacy coordinators are essential: Both actors praised the role of the intimacy coordinator in making steamy scenes comfortable and safe.
• Power imbalance is acknowledged: The actors played the connection authentically, trusting the audience to see the wrongness without overplaying it.
• No gratuitous sex: Every intimate moment serves the story, not just shock value.
• Real-life marriage to showrunner: Tom Ellis’ relationship with Meaghan Oppenheimer adds a unique dynamic but didn’t hinder the process.

New episodes of Tell Me Lies drop Wednesdays on Hulu, and if the heat between Oliver and Bree continues to rise, viewers are in for a wild, uncomfortable, and utterly addictive ride.

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