Maggie Gyllenhaal on Directing Husbands Intimate Scenes

 has voiced her discomfort at watching and directing her husband 's intimate movie scenes with co-star Jessie Buckley.

The actress, 48, made her directorial debut with the 2021 film The Lost Daughter, in which a character played by her husband, 55, has a steamy love affair.

Peter plays the professor with whom a young Leda (played by Jessie, 36) has an affair in flashback scenes.

Maggie initially gave the role to someone else, explaining her husband was 'hurt' because she was worried about how his raunchy scenes with another woman would make her feel and think.

Yet with the right boundaries and professionalism, Maggie said she was able to direct her husband and Jessie from an emotionally unconnected place. 

'It is complicated working with my husband, we've done it in all sorts of ways', Maggie, whom wed Peter in 2009, told The New York Times. 'We did The Lost Daughter, where he has a really hot love affair with .'

Maggie admitted the thought of watching her husband have to do racy scenes with her co-star was 'complicated'.

'I remember speaking to both my best girlfriend and to this teacher, and both of them were like: "You can’t manage this? Can you really not?" And I was like, "I think I can, and I really want Peter to play this part."'

Explaining how she found directing her husband's raunchy scenes with another woman, Maggie said she felt a mixture of feelings.

'He was so good, and so was Jessie. And watching them together and egging them each on from a very unconnected, emotionally, place and pushing them and watching them create the love, as real actors have to — I watched them do that', she added.

'When I get a second to stop, it’s a little hard, but we have to keep going. Then we get to the sexy stuff. We shoot the scene on the steps where they’re kissing, and I was just looking at it like: Is the light on her leg in the right way? And maybe if we just pan this way, very removed, and we got it. 

'Then my cinematographer, Hélène, says: "Oh, no, this will not do. There is a wine glass on the steps. We have to do it again." And I was like, "We do?" So it was a little hard. It was also so full of life.'

Maggie herself has starred in a mixture of raunchy movies, most famously playing submissive Lee Holloway in the Secretary. 

After a video circulated of Maggie's interview, fans jumped to her defense and praised the star for speaking out about her agony. 

A fan wrote: 'Just because you can manage something doesn’t mean you should. I wish her friends had been more supportive of her discomfort rather than minimized it. 

'Maggie is a brilliant artist and storyteller and I have no doubt this project is beautiful. I do think it’s ok and healthy to be protective of one’s heart and love in an industry that asks so much of you.'

Another added: 'No this should not be normalized. She herself didn't want to do it and she let other people convince her by belittling her saying "oh so you can't handle this?". Look how uncomfortable she is *still*, talking about it. Big nope.' 

'She certainly doesn’t owe the public this degree of vulnerability and authenticity, but is lovely for sharing it', another praised. 

Maggie wrote and directed new movie The Bride! starring Jessie and Christian Bale, alongside her husband Peter and her brother Jake Gyllenhaal. 

The couple tied the knot in 2009 after meeting eight years earlier. They then welcomed their two daughters, Ramona, 19, and Gloria, 13. 

Candidly discussing what keeps the Hollywood pair still so fond of each other, Maggie said she feels lucky to live with an artist she truly respects.

'I love talking to him about what he's thinking about and what he's up against,' she told the Sunday Times in an interview.

'We've been together a long time and I can feel when he has had enough of talking to me about whatever I'm talking about that day.

'I think we can feel each other out, like don't talk about work right now, he doesn't care, he just wants to have dinner,' she unveiled.

Earlier in December, Flightplan legend Peter also opened up about his long marriage to Maggie while chatting to PEOPLE.

'We take turns in terms of our work. I think that's one of the things that you just sort of have to do is let someone have their dance and then you take your dance.

'There is great value in that,' he told the publication.