Rob Lowe Reflects on Hollywood’s Changing Attitudes Towards Sex Scenes

Despite the fallout, he’s seemingly nostalgic for the very thing that almost ended his career.

Speaking about Hollywood’s changing attitudes toward on-screen intimacy, Lowe reminisced about his 1988 erotic thriller Masquerade, claiming the studio distanced itself from the film because it was “too sexy”.

He said, seemingly baffled by how much the industry has changed: “They’re like, ‘It’s so brave. She’s so brave.’ (This actress is) brave because she has a sex scene? Like, that’s brave now. In our day, it was required.”

Lowe did acknowledge one recent exception – A24’s Babygirl, which features steamy, no-holds-barred sex scenes and stars Nicole Kidman, 56, as a CEO embarking on a submissive affair with her 27-year-old intern, played by Harris Dickinson.

Calling the film’s intimate moments “great”, Lowe suggested it’s a rare throwback to a bygone era.