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The Crown star Lesley Manville has opened up about her experience of filming sex scenes earlier in her career.
The actress, 68, who played Princess Margaret in the later series of the Netflix hit, revealed she felt ‘exposed and vulnerable’ when filming for her 1981 comedy play Rita, Sue And Bob Too.
The story sees teenage babysitters Rita and Sue embarking on an affair with Bob, their employer and was later adapted into a film in 1987.
Speaking to The Mirror about staging sex scenes, she admitted her concerns weren’t taken into account when filming the intimate scenes.
She said: ‘We were very exposed. Our modesty was kind of intact but vulnerable. It should have been different but it wasn’t unusual for that time.’
![Lesley Manville, 68, Felt Exposed During Sex Scenes Lesley Manville, 68, Felt Exposed During Sex Scenes](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/10/08/88377543-13730129-image-a-1_1723275934278.jpg)
The Crown star Lesley Manville, 68, has revealed she felt ‘exposed and vulnerable’ while staging sex scenes in her career as she admits she is still ‘sexually active’
![Lesley Manville, 68, Felt Exposed During Sex Scenes 3 The actress confessed her concerns weren't taken into account when filming the intimate scenes as she explained: 'We were very exposed. Our modesty was kind of intact but vulnerable' (pictured in 1986 with her then husband Gary Oldman)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/10/08/88377671-13730129-image-a-3_1723275960936.jpg)
The actress confessed her concerns weren’t taken into account when filming the intimate scenes as she explained: ‘We were very exposed. Our modesty was kind of intact but vulnerable’ (pictured in 1986 with her then husband Gary Oldman)
Lesley also admitted there would be a lot of fear about making a film about a man having an affair with two underage girls in today’s society.
Reflecting on her 50-year-long career, Lesley also opened about being an older woman in the industry who is still able to express her sexuality.
She continued: ‘Women are seeing actresses of an age being fabulous… ‘I don’t dress inappropriately but I want the freedom to dress how I’d like.
‘Fortunately, some parts that I now play represent women who are able to say “I am this age, yes I’m still sexually active, yes I want to dress how I want, yes I want to be thought of bold and brave and outrageous if we want to be.”
‘It’s so boring otherwise.’
Lesley’s career began after she landed a job on Emmerdale at just 18-years-old after studying at the famous Italia Conti performing school.
She then want on to appear at the Royal Court Theatre where she met renowned writer and director Mike Leigh.
The pair worked together on films Another Year and All Or Nothing and Lesley described how he pushed her to try roles outside of her comfort zone.
![Lesley Manville, 68, Felt Exposed During Sex Scenes 5 Lesley played Princess Margaret in the later series of Netflix's The Crown and has enjoyed a successful 50-year-long career](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/10/09/88377851-13730129-image-a-20_1723276920762.jpg)
Lesley played Princess Margaret in the later series of Netflix’s The Crown and has enjoyed a successful 50-year-long career
![Lesley Manville, 68, Felt Exposed During Sex Scenes 7 Lesley recently starred Amy Winehouse's Aunt Cynthia in this year's biographical drama Back To Black (pictured with Marisa Abela)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/10/09/88377839-13730129-image-a-21_1723276924112.jpg)
Lesley recently starred Amy Winehouse’s Aunt Cynthia in this year’s biographical drama Back To Black (pictured with Marisa Abela)
![Lesley Manville, 68, Felt Exposed During Sex Scenes 9 Lesley pictured as Susan Ryeland in BBC drama series Magpie Murders](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/10/09/88377885-13730129-image-a-22_1723277127936.jpg)
Lesley pictured as Susan Ryeland in BBC drama series Magpie Murders
More recently Lesley, who was married to actor Gary Oldman from 1987 to 1990, played cleaning lady turned fashionista Mrs Harris in the 2022 film Mrs Harris Goes to Paris.
In the last year she appeared in Apple series Disclaimer, as well as the film Queer, a Magpie Murder sequel and series two of the BBC ‘s Sherwood.
She also starred as Amy Winehouse’s Aunt Cynthia in this year’s biographical drama Back To Black.
In October she begins a run in the West End starring in Greek tragedy Oedipus alongside Sherlock Holmes star Mark Strong.