Alexander Skarsgård and Olivia Colman wasted little time getting physical on the set of Wicker, but their steamy scenes came with an unexpected twist. The co-stars filmed a bed-breaking encounter early in production, turning an intimate moment into a hilarious behind-the-scenes memory.
The romantic fantasy pairs Colman’s lonely villager with a husband made entirely from wicker, played by Skarsgård. Their unconventional marriage brings plenty of passion, practical costume challenges and one particularly memorable piece of broken furniture.
Alexander Skarsgård describes filming a bed-breaking sex scene with Olivia Colman in Wicker
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Skarsgård revealed that they filmed the scene around the second or third day of production. The 50-year-old actor described the anticipation surrounding the Wicker s*x scene as an experience unlike any other.
“It was like a rollercoaster,” Skarsgård said. “We’re anticipating it like, ‘It’s coming.’ So, that was fun.”
The bed eventually broke during the couple’s enthusiastic performance, sending Colman into “proper full on” laughter, she recalled. The 52-year-old actress explained that humor helped both performers navigate the unusually intimate material.
“It’s less awkward when it’s funny and more like real life, I think,” Colman said. “Rather than doing really serious lovemaking, [that] would be so cripplingly embarrassing.”
However, Skarsgård faced another obstacle beyond keeping a straight face. His character wore a practical wicker costume, forcing the actor to figure out its limitations while filming the intimate scenes.
“Those early days was also us figuring out how to deal with this costume I was in because, again, it was all practical. There was no CGI, really. Or very little CGI,” he explained.
Skarsgård added that the scenes felt “literally hot” and required him to learn how much movement the costume allowed.
Colman admired how little her co-star complained throughout the process. Skarsgård jokingly confessed that he was “secretly crying on the mat” in response.
The film also stars Peter Dinklage as the Basket Weaver and Elizabeth Debicki as the Tailor’s Wife, the Fisherwoman’s antagonist. Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson wrote the screenplay, adapting the short story The Wicker Husband.
Skarsgård called the story “incredibly romantic,” praising its tenderness, humor and nuanced characters. Wicker is playing in limited theaters ahead of its wide release on October 30.
