During a recent appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, actress Jean Smart spoke candidly about her experience with nudity on the set of the upcoming film “Babylon”, which is set to hit theaters on December 23rd. Smart, who stars in the film alongside Margot Robbie, revealed that she had no problem with the nudity and was fully dressed throughout the entire shoot.
“Babylon” is set in the 1920s and explores the transition in Hollywood from silent films to talkies. According to Robbie, the film showcases a side of Hollywood that is often overlooked, highlighting the debauchery, decadence, and recklessness of the era. Robbie commended director Damien Chazelle for his exceptional filmmaking skills and described “Babylon” as a beautifully crafted cinematic masterpiece.
However, it’s worth noting that “Babylon” features a significant amount of nudity. Smart shared that while she was fully dressed on set, there were several nude scenes, particularly during the party scenes. She admitted that it was a unique experience being surrounded by naked individuals, with people snorting substances off each other’s bodies. Smart also revealed an amusing anecdote of shooting a scene where she was seated near four completely naked football players, not realizing their state of undress until after the scene was finished.
Both Smart and Robbie acknowledged that the level of debauchery portrayed in “Babylon” was quite extreme. However, they noted that after seeing films like “The Wolf of Wall Street”, they have become somewhat desensitized to such explicit content. Robbie joked that during the early takes, everyone on set rushed to put on robes, but by the third or fourth take, the nudity no longer fazed them.
Moving on to another aspect of the film, Corden asked Smart about her character’s attempts to teach Robbie’s character how to be a lady and speak properly. When asked if she received any similar lessons in her own life, Smart reminisced about her grandmother, who was quite Victorian in her manners. Smart admitted that she had always been a bit of a goody two shoes, but her mother did emphasize the importance of wearing slips, as that was considered proper for young women at the time.
Robbie, on the other hand, shared her experience during filming for the Australian TV show “Neighbors”. She mentioned that a dialect coach was brought in to help her with her Australian accent, as it wasn’t “Australian” enough for her character. Robbie jokingly imitated the coach instructing her to round out her vowels and exclaimed how truly Australian the coaching had been.
Wrapping up their discussion, Corden amusedly asked Robbie to deliver a line in her most distinct Australian accent. Robbie gladly obliged and playfully read the prompt, “We’ll be right back,” directly to the camera.
It’s clear from their conversation that “Babylon” promises to be a visually stunning and boundary-pushing film. With its exploration of the wild and debaucherous side of Hollywood in the 1920s, and the exceptional performances from the talented cast, it’s no wonder that audiences are eagerly anticipating its release. “Babylon” is set to be a must-see film that takes viewers on a captivating journey back in time.
