Did Queer’s Drew Starkey wear a prosthetic penis for nude scenes?

The conversation around Queer finally got to the important question: did Drew Starkey wear a prosthetic penis while filming his full frontal sex scenes?

In Luca Guadagnino’s film, an adaptation of the 1985 short story by William S. Burroughs, Drew Starkey plays discharged US Navy officer Eugene Allerton, who is the object of affection for William Lee (Daniel Craig), an outcast American expatriate and troubled alcoholic and drug addict . abuser in Mexico City.

Despite an age difference, alongside Allerton’s sexual ambiguity and initial lack of interest, Lee’s advances eventually break through and the pair end up venturing into the South American jungle in search of a telepathy-inducing psychedelic.

The film features a number of steamy sex scenes in which Starkey and Craig fully invest, the details of which were discussed in a recent interview.

speaks to TIME Magazine on screen nudity, Starkey and Craig confirmed that they chose not to be completely nude in the film.

Both of Craig’s on-screen sex partners, Drew Starkey and singer-songwriter Omar Apollowho makes his film debut in queer, has nude scenes in the film. Starkey confirmed to TIME that he wore a prosthetic; Apollo neither confirmed nor denied whether he used prosthetics in his full frontal scenes.

When asked about his reasoning for not appearing completely naked, like his co-stars, Craig said: “They’re young. They’re young and beautiful.”

Prosthetics are often used in film production to ensure that an actor does not have to expose himself. The technique also preserves the performers’ dignity and privacy during sex scenes, which are often supervised by an intimacy coordinator.

Speaking about shooting the sex scenes, Starkey noted that movement practice was essential for the actors to get comfortable together and break the ice prior to filming.

He explained: “We got to embarrass ourselves with each other – and have little performances in the choreography with each other. It’s permeated everything.”

With similar praise for Queer‘s intimate scenes, Craig noted, “Sex is wonderful and messy and complicated, and hopefully we’ve managed to put that on screen, because that’s what happens in the bedroom.

“We’ve gone for that kind of vulnerability and kept it as real as it possibly can be.”

The pair have also both entered into the dialogue surrounding straight actors playing gay roles, with Starkey exclusively revealing to PinkNews that he had “no hesitation” about playing a queer character.

Rather, he saw the role – and the opportunity to work with Craig – as a “blessing”.

Meanwhile, Craig said he doesn’t feel it was his “responsibility” to represent the LGBTQ+ community.

He told the Associated Press: “I’m not sure I can take the fight, I don’t think it’s my place. It’s too big a thing for anybody to take on.”