From Daniel Radcliffe to Bradley Cooper to Alexandra Daddario to Olivia Wilde these stars open up about going totally nude.
It’s pretty common for actors to be asked to strip down in their films — but it’s not always the most comfortable thing to do.
Getting nude in front of the camera can be a pretty vulnerable moment, especially in a room full of cast and crew. And while it can be a little awkward at first, many actors just chalk it up to being part of the job. In fact, there’s actually a handful of actors who say they’re completely comfortable with on screen nudity, especially if it’s what’s right for the project.
Here’s how these stars feel about stripping down…
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1. Barry Keoghan
Barry Keoghan stripped down for a dance scene in his recent film Saltburn and while he admits the whole thing was a little awkward at first, he got comfortable pretty quickly. By the second take, he was ready to keep going until he got the scene perfect.
“The initial thing was about me having no clothes on. I’m a bit, ehhh. But after take one, I was ready to go. I was like, ‘Let’s go again. Let’s go again.’ You kind of forget, because there’s such a comfortable environment created, and it gives you that license to go, ‘All right, this is about the story now,’” Keoghan told Entertainment Weekly in November 2023. “
2. Jesse Williams
Jesse Williams appeared completely naked in his Broadway play Take Me Out but stripping down in front of an audience wasn’t a big deal to him. Once he got the first performance out of the way, he joked that he wouldn’t be scared of anything again.
“It’s a body, once you see it, you realize it’s whatever, it’s a body! I just have to make it not that big of a deal. I’ve learned in my minutes of theater, don’t try to read into it because it just creates more insecurity. I’m told it’s quite insane. It’s the first [time], so I’ve got nothing to compare it to and I won’t be scared of anything after this,” he shared on Watch What Happens Live.
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3. Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor is completely comfortable getting fully naked on screen and has stripped down for several movies including Trainspotting, Young Adam, Velvet Goldmine, The Ghostwriter, and The Pillow Book.
“Being naked is something that happens in either end of the day for me, and if you’re lucky, somewhere in the middle as well. And I don’t understand why it’s an issue,” he told CBS Sunday Morning. “I don’t take my clothes off in movies because I want to flash my body around. I took my clothes off for movies because I’m an actor.”
4. Daniel Radcliffe
When Daniel Radcliffe starred in Equus on Broadway, he had to appear full-frontally nude for an extended period of time. He’s also stripped down for several movies including Horns, The F Word and Kill Your Darlings. When he was asked about his many roles with nudity, Daniel noted that he’s okay with it but doesn’t seek it out when looking for parts — and hopes that no one thinks he’s a “exhibitionist.”
“I’m comfortable with it, but I do like to point out, I don’t request it. I was having a conversation with another friend of mine who’s an actress who has done quite a few nude scenes and I was just saying we’re going to start getting called exhibitionists…” Daniel said on The Ellen Show.
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5. Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde stripped down for her role in the 2013 flick Third Person and at the time, she admitted that she didn’t like to think too much about it while on set. When it came time to film the scene, Olivia says she just pretended she was skinny dipping
“You know, the funny thing is, I’m nude in this film, but you don’t see all the goods and it’s a silly scene. It’s not even a sexy scene. You pretend like you are skinny-dipping. You know you just shut your eyes and run,” Olivia told E! News.
6. James McAvoy
James McAvoy doesn’t mind getting naked for his projects, whether it’s in a film or in a play. The actor noted that he actually prefers stripping down on stage — unless he notices a family member in the audience.
“Yeah, I like to get naked. I like being naked. I like being naked on stage more than I like being naked on film. Naked on film is not that fun, but naked on stage is really quite freeing. On stage there’s nowhere to hide, you’re completely vulnerable. When you’re completely vulnerable, it can’t get any worse, can it?” he said in an interview with the Daily Record in 2006.
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7. Rooney Mara
Rooney Mara has appeared nude in several films, including the 2013 flick Side Effects. While discussing the movie, Rooney said that she has no problem stripping down on camera if it’s right for the role — although she draws the line for anything she deems gratuitous.
“I just do what I’m told, when I’m told … If the character should be nude in the scene and it makes sense and I trust the person making the film … then I don’t see a problem with it,” she told Interview Magazine. “I certainly don’t want to be involved in anything that is gratuitous, but I don’t think the human body is something to be ashamed of. Every other person on the planet has the same parts as I do. So seeing them shouldn’t be a huge shock to most people.”
8. Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper went full-frontal nude for his film Nightmare Alley and it was his first time doing so on set, which he said was a “big deal” for him. While he noted that being naked made sense for the film, it was still an intense experience, especially because he ended up being nude for six hours.
“I remember reading the script and thinking, ‘he’s a pickled punk in that bathtub… You have to do it,’” he said on The Business with Kim Masters podcast. “I can still remember that day — just to be naked in front of the crew for six hours — and it was Toni Collette’s first day. It was just like, ‘Whoa.’ It was pretty heavy.”
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9. Alexandra Daddario
Alexandra Daddario says she tries not to take nudity in her films “too seriously.” Looking back on the first time she stripped down for True Detective, Alexandra says she wasn’t expecting the response she got from the public but tried to take it all in stride.
“When True Detective came out and I was naked on the show, and it was huge for my career and the phone was ringing and I got some work off of it, I think that I hadn’t been that aware of my sex appeal prior to that,” Alexandra told Men’s Journal.
She continued, “I tried not to take it too seriously. I really love acting, in my heart I’m just a theater nerd, and I sort of took that and said, ‘This is good for my career’ and embraced it.”
10. Dakota Johnson
There were a lot of NSFW moments in the 50 Shades movies but star Dakota Johnson says she was made to feel very comfortable any time she had to film stripped down scenes. While she was given the option to use a body double, she says she wanted to be true to the role.
“If I was going to do this job, I was going to do it 100 percent and give it everything. I wanted to be true and honest to the role, and the character. I don’t have a problem with nudity. I think it is beautiful and so I was OK with that,” she told The Mirror.
11. Lukas Gage
Lukas Gage says he’s pretty comfortable stripping down on camera. While he noted that he doesn’t seek out roles with on screen nudity, he doesn’t mind doing it if it’s what’s right for the character.
“I guess I’m a little more European in my thoughts on nudity right now. I’m not begging to take my clothes off, but I’m comfortable with it,” Lukas told The Hollywood Reporter. “I want to keep a sense of truthfulness, too. If there’s a scene where I’m having sex with my boss, it’s gonna be pretty f—ing weird if I have clothes on. Those scenes are so mechanical in their filming anyways. There’s nothing sexy about a director telling you you’re thrusting weird.”
12. Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Skarsgård is completely comfortable getting naked on screen. In fact, he says he actually really enjoys filming weird and wild scenes, even if that includes stripping down.
“I spent seven years on True Blood, and there was a lot of graphic nudity on that show. The crazier, the better. I loved it. I really embraced it. It was a lot of fun,” he shared with People.
