In her professional life, Naomie Harris has shined with roles in films such as 28 Days Later and the first two sequels to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. But, of course, one of her latest claims to fame is the fact that she’s the modern face of Moneypenny in the Daniel Craig era of the James Bond film series. But a noble real life cause is the latest thing to be keeping Harris busy, as she’s part of a coalition that’s been calling for new guidelines pertaining to sex scenes on movie sets.
Naomie Harris is one of several talent ambassadors for Time’s Up UK that have given their personal stamp of approval to the organization’s five new sets of crucial guidelines. Designed to “cover specific circumstances where people have historically been preyed upon,” these new rules of the road were devised by both the US and UK halves of Time’s Up, with the unified purpose of combating and preventing workplace harassment. In response to those guidelines, Harris made the following statement:
I absolutely welcome these guides, which have been created by my sisters at TIME’S UP. They demonstrate that no matter your situation, you have options. These guides help arm people with the resources and information needed to determine the best path forward.
These new guidelines from Time’s Up cover everything from the audition process to reporting incidents that may have occurred on the set. In an era where the evolution of simulating sex on screen has created new resources, as well as professional responsibilities such as “Intimacy Coordinators,” this is a diligent move to make. With more comprehensive guidelines of conduct and reporting, all involved in a major production are gradually being better protected from the future potential of misconduct that has been more widely reported in recent years.
Naomie Harris isn’t the only actor to lend her support to Time’s Up UK’s new guidelines, as His Dark Materials star Ruth Wilson has also come out in favor of these efforts. In the past, Ms. Wilson had previously spoken out on her own set of issues that eventually led to her departure from the Showtime drama The Affair, which makes her part in this campaign mean even more when it comes to the matter at hand. The workplace is evolving in showbusiness, and this new round of information, used properly, should mean an even better working experience for actors all over.
Of course, this is just the beginning, as actors like Naomie Harris and Ruth Wilson, as well as the rest of their Time’s Up UK collaborators, are just beginning to inspire much needed change in the entertainment industry. Issuing guidelines is a starting point for actions and conversations that will need to happen on every level in order to make these rules truly mean something. Hopefully these new suggestions will lead to firm actions towards better filmmaking practices that lead to, as Harris herself put it, the best path forward.
