Kate Winslet stepped in to be young co-star's intimacy co-ordinator on 'Mare of Easttown'

Kate Winslet has said that she stepped in to be an ad-hoc 'intimacy co-ordinator' for a young co-star, after 'sensing' she was nervous about an upcoming love scene.

Intimacy co-ordinators are increasingly used on film and movie sets to ensure that sensitive scenes are correctly handled.

Read more: Winslet 'felt good' with Ammonite love scenes

The Titanic star moved to take on the role for 20-year-old Australian actor Angourie Rice, who's starring alongside her in the upcoming show Mare of Easttown.

Speaking on the How I Found My Voice podcast, Winslet said: “Because there were no clothes that come off in the scene, they didn’t consider bringing in an intimacy coordinator, but I just got the sense that she was nervous. I said to her, 'I'm going to be around for this, I'm going to stay, I won't leave the set'. She said, 'Thank God Kate, thank you so much'.

“And I ended up being in the car. I ended up being in the boot of the car. I knew it would make them feel better to have that one person, who would be able to put their hand up and say, 'Actually we need to cut now. Is everyone feeling OK?'

“I definitely wish I had them in the past, I definitely do. I just could have done with that friend really. Just having a friend to say, 'Can you ask him just to not put his hands there?' So it’s not you having to say it, which can be pretty awkward.”

Read more: UK film organisation reveals sex scene guidelines

The series is set to air on HBO next month, and finds Winslet playing small town detective Mare Sheehan, who is investigating a local murder while her own life starts to fall apart.

Watchmen star Jean Smart and American Horror Story regular Evans Peters also star.

Watch: Winslet hopes Ammonite will help normalise LGBTQ love stories