While seeing a scene in a movie or TV show where the characters get naked isn’t that shocking anymore, some of the biggest names in the industry have taken a stance against it. That’s right, while many of this past year’s movies had some major full-frontal scenes, like Poor Things or Oppenheimer, other stars have put their foot down against going naked onscreen.
As for the reasons why they’ve taken the stance, the reasons really vary. Megan Fox, who’s known as quite a sex symbol, decided to never do nude scenes for the sake of her kids. “I don’t think my boys could handle that,” she told The Sun. Other stars, for example, feel like fully undressing blurs the line between their character and themselves. “[Sex scenes] feel like it’s about the character, whereas I only get one body, so nudity is more about me,” fellow actress Anna Kendrick once told The Sydney Morning Herald.
In the years since the #MeToo movement began, stars have become increasingly vocal about feeling pressured to be nude on camera, including some harrowing accounts of when the blurred lines between acting and reality caused real-life trauma. Stars like Salma Hayek and Léa Seydoux have spoken out about their experiences with feeling forced into appearing nude on camera. And while many Hollywood stars still accept the occasional nude scene, which we totally admire, we also want to give props to those who communicate their boundaries and stay fully clothed on camera.
To check out more stars who you’ll never see strip down to their birthday suit, and their personal reasons as to why, scroll below!
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts had quite a convincing argument as to why she’d never go fully nude onscreen.
“I wouldn’t do nudity in a film,” she told Marie Claire. “To act with my clothes on is a performance. To act with my clothes off is a documentary.”
Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick has also been open about not going fully naked for a movie.
For her movie Love Life, for example, she was comfortable with sex scenes, but not nudity. “My personal feelings on nudity – that I’m not really interested in nudity for me – stayed the same,” she told The Sydney Morning Herald. “I’ve never had a problem with simulated sex scenes – that feels like it’s about the character, whereas I only get one body, so nudity is more about me.”
Sarah Jessica Parker
Despite starring in Sex and the City for many years, Sarah Jessica Parker has always steered clear from full nudity.
“I don’t have any judgment about anyone who chooses to do it,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “I think it’s fantastic that people feel comfortable doing it. It’s not some kind of principled position or religious or ideological on my part.”
“I’ve always had one, and it’s apropos of absolutely nothing,” Parker admitted. “Some people have a perks list and they are legendary. They have to have white candles in their room. I don’t have a crazy list like that. I’ve just always had [a no-nudity clause].” Fair enough!
Kristen Bell
Fans Kristen Bell shouldn’t expect her to be showing too much skin either!
“I kicked my buns and abs sets into high gear when I knew I’d have to be in my bra and underwear on House of Lies,” she told Women’s Health. “But I don’t show my crack! All the Mr. Skins of the world are like, ‘Ooh, Kristen gets naked!’ I’m like, ‘Dream on!'”
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais kept it funny when asked if he’d ever go naked for a role. “I don’t want to see this body,” the British comedian told The Sun, per Irish Independent. “Nobody does!”
Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba has a totally understandable reason why she wouldn’t go naked onscreen: her family. “I don’t want my grandparents to see my boobs,” Alba once told Glamour. “That’s it. It would be weird at Christmas. And, I mean, really, if you look at the movies I have done, getting naked would never ‘elevate’ the picture.”
Samuel L. Jackson
During an appearance at Sirius XM’s The Howard Stern Show, legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson said he wouldn’t be comfortable baring it all for the camera.
“I might ask for a d— double,” Jackson said if he ever had to do a naked scene, per Entertainment Tonight.
“I don’t know if it’s formidable enough,” he continued. “My aura’s so big, I don’t know if my d— is big enough to fill my aura.”
Megan Fox
Megan Fox has quite an honorable reason for never going naked onscreen.
“There are just certain things boys should never see their mothers do,” Fox, who’s a mom to three kids with ex Brian Austin Green, told The Sun.
“There are some good projects I’ve read that are with talented people, talented directors, but the things the women are required to do in the movie are things I can’t have my sons ever know or see,” Fox explained. “It’s up to the mother to determine what she thinks her children can handle seeing or not. I don’t think my children should ever see me doing some of that stuff. I don’t think my boys could handle that.”
Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis has agreed to do partial nudity in the past, but will never be okay with more than that.
“I showed side boob. I don’t need to show ass,” she told Allure, per Fox News. “You get one or the other. You don’t get both.”
Allison Williams
While Girls was quite an R-rated TV show, one of the show’s stars Allison Williams managed to never go naked for the screen.
“I just wanted to give Marnie almost all of myself. But there were things that felt like they should be mine and felt like they should always be mine,” Williams said during her appearance in ABC’s Popcorn with Peter Travers.
Williams, who is the daughter of former TV anchor Brian Williams, also thought about the future. “Maybe part of it, too, was growing up with a parent in the public eye and being aware of the fact that … I didn’t want to give my future hypothetical children another avenue by which to be made fun of,” Williams said. “I just didn’t want to give them another thing to have to deal with. Are people showing up to school with old Google images of their naked mom? It just didn’t feel like me.”
In 2022, she welcome her first son, Arlo, with fiancé Alexander Dreymon.
Jennifer Garner
When asked if she’d ever go naked for a role in 2009, Garner had a straight-to-the-point answer. “Zero percent,” Garner told MTV. “No, thank you. The world deserves better. Not interested.”
Rebel Wilson
Rebel Wilson, who recently opened up about her terrible experience co-starring with Sacha Baron Cohen in The Brother Grimsby, has long been open about her no-nudity rule.
“[Filming Grimsby] They wanted full-frontal nudity. We write in the contract, specifically, ‘No nudity,'” Wilson told Marie Claire. As a result, the movie hired a body double for the racier scenes.
“They got in another girl – this larger burlesque dancer from South Africa – to be a nude double,” she remembered. “And they got her to do all this stuff. Sacha would go, ‘See, she looks good.’ I’m like, ‘I’m not doing it. I don’t care what you say.'”
Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore also has a totally understandable, albeit slightly funny, reason not to take her clothes off for the camera.
“It would be completely uncomfortable to walk down the street and know that the person passing by had seen me without my clothes on,” Moore told USA Today, per Nicki Swift. “I’ve turned down several roles where the producers or directors or writers wouldn’t budge on that point.”
“I feel oftentimes I’ve been attached to a film and then, at the last second, someone has said, like, ‘OK, well this is an absolute necessity — this scene requires nudity and there’s no two ways around it,'” she continued. “I’m like, ‘I really believe there’s so much of that which could be implied and it’s just gratuitous.'”
Blake Lively
Blake Lively had a refreshingly honest answer when asked if she’d be willing to go naked for a role. “When I see nudity in movies, I am always distracted by it,” she told Daily Mail in 2012.
“I know that if I am watching a scene and someone has their boobs out, then that’s all I’m looking at – I can’t help it,” she continued. “I just don’t think that will ever be right for me.”
Ashley Benson
Ashley Benson has very specific rules when it comes to undressing for the camera.
“I never want to do nudity that’s gratuitous,” the Pretty Little Liars alum told Cosmopolitan. “Girls look so much better in lingerie or a tee shirt and leave the rest up to the imagination.”
“I remember we were filming Spring Breakers with this girl who was topless, and I tried to have a serious conversation with her,” she remembered. “Why would you want to go topless for a film that you may not even be paid for? But some people will do anything to get out there.”
Rachel Bilson
Rachel Bilson is very much against nudity, even if it means turning down some opportunities. “Movies can be sexy or sexual without showing things,” Bilson told Playboy, per People. “It’s almost a deal breaker. [The Last Kiss] was rated R, and they like to put in nudity wherever they can, but I’m pretty strong-willed and believe it can be avoided.”
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson has also been crystal clear about never wearing her birthday suit onscreen.
“I will never do nudity,” she told Allure. “I don’t care how dark and intellectual the role could be, you know? I don’t care if I frickin’ get an Oscar for it, I’m not going to do it. Those accolades mean nothing to me….I don’t think people deserve to see what’s underneath my clothing. That’s only for my next husband.”
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