Skins star April Pearson reveals she was once fired from a feature film ‘on the spot’ for refusing to do a nude scene with her role given to a supporting actress
- April Pearson has revealed she was once fired ‘on the spot’ from an acting job after refusing to strip off during a sex scene despite having a no nudity clause
- Said her part was given to a supporting actress willing to expose their breasts
- Star has previously spoken about her ‘f***ed up’ experience filming Skins saying she ‘didn’t feel protected’ filming sex scenes because she was ‘too young’
Skins star April Pearson has revealed she was once fired ‘on the spot’ from an acting job after refusing to strip off during a sex scene.
The Bristol-born actress, 32, revealed in a TikTok video that she was set to star in feature film but was replaced by a supporting actor when she refused expose her breasts during the scene.
Speaking in a clip she explained: ‘I’ve never talked publicly about this, but I was once fired on the spot during a sex scene from a feature film because I wouldn’t renege on my nudity clause, which was that I wouldn’t get my breasts out, for the scene.
‘It’s a funny one because I, to this day, think “Did I do the right thing? Would my career be better off now?”
‘But I think it’s interesting because they didn’t shut production down, they just gave my part to a supporting artist who was there on the day, who was happy to be completely nude for the scene.
‘And I think that’s a real problem that we have in the industry – that that scene was more about a female body than it was about a female character.’
The star, who is best known for playing Michelle Richardson in the first two seasons of cult noughties show Skins, said that she’s confident that change is happening within the industry.
Skins star April Pearson has revealed she was once fired ‘on the spot’ from an acting job after refusing to strip off during a sex scene.
April, who went on to star in Tormented alongside Alex Pettyfer, and a number of independent films after leaving Skins, has previously spoken about her ‘f***ed up’ experience filming the E4 show, saying she ‘didn’t feel protected’ filming sex scenes because she was ‘too young’.
Speaking on her podcast Are You Michelle From Skins? in May, April said of the show’s sex scenes: ‘At the time you’re young and you don’t know any better.
‘You don’t really know what to say, to speak out, is this okay… And as with a lot of victims of trauma, you look back at it and think: ‘Yeah, that was f***ed up.”
She went on: ‘There’s a difference between being officially old enough and mentally old enough. I was having this conversation with my husband and I was saying I do feel like I was too young, I feel like I wasn’t protected.’
The actress, 32, revealed in a TikTok video that she was set to star in feature film but was replaced by a supporting actor when she refused expose her breasts during the scene.
She was joined by Laya Lewis, 29, who played Liv Malone in seasons five and six, of the teen drama which ran from 2007 to 2013
Laya was 18 when she first starred in the show, and claimed this meant she had more sex scenes than her other cast members.
She reflected: ‘I do think fair enough, we are actors and we are acting, but I think if you want to pluck children out of the street, which is essentially what they were doing to have this authentic onscreen thing going on, there needs to be a bit more help.
‘Talk through things, it was just a bit much to be bang, day one, here you are.’
The two actresses continued to claim that other cast members have ‘felt the same’ following the show ending and said that things have changed since Skins aired.
April told her fellow Skins alum: ‘Laya, you’re not the first person to have said you’ve carried some negativity from that experience
On screen: April, now 32, claimed she ‘didn’t feel protected’ when she filmed raunchy sex scenes in her role as Michelle (pictured) in the teen drama, which ran from 2007 and 2013
Skins was created by father and son Bryan Elsley, 60, and Jamie Brittain, 35.
Bryan’s representative said at the time: ‘We’re deeply and unambiguously sorry that any cast member was made to feel uncomfortable or inadequately respected in their work during their time on Skins.
‘We’re committed to continually evolving safe, trustworthy and enjoyable working conditions for everyone who works in the TV industry.’
A Channel 4 spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘It is very concerning to hear of the comments made.
‘There needs to be a bit more help’: Laya was 18 when she first starred in the show, and claimed this meant she had more sex scenes than her other cast members
‘We now have a confidential ‘Speak Up’ facility available and widely publicised on our production call sheets for current productions, however, we take all allegations of inappropriate behaviour very seriously and encourage anyone with concerns to come forward.’
It comes after fellow Skins alum Kaya Scodelario disclosed in April that she was asked to audition naked for a ‘big opportunity’ by a famous director, while feeling ‘scared’ for publicly sharing her experience.
In light of recent allegations that Noel Clarke sexually harassed multiple women – including one lady who claimed he asked her to perform a naked audition – the actress, 29, took to Twitter to reveal her own ‘terrifying’ request from an unnamed individual.
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