Emily Osment Reveals Why She Requested an Intimacy Coordinator for Kissing Scenes With Montana Jordan.
On the Young Sheldon set, Emily Osment ensured that she and Montana Jordan upheld the highest standards of professionalism. The Hannah Montana alum, who was 30 when she started filming the show, revealed in her new book Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw's-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy that she asked for an intimacy coordinator for her and Jordan's kissing scenes because of their 12-year age difference.
“That made me uncomfortable. He was a baby! A baby with a mullet,” according to Variety, Osment stated in the book. “Obviously they were not able to get one that late in the day, but for the next few episodes they had one there, since the relationship between them escalates.”
As was to be expected, having an expert on set to mentor the performers made a huge difference.
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“It made everything easier having one there,” Osment went on. “I think it’s something that’s really important.”
Up until the 2024 series finale, Jordan, 23, and Osment, 34, portrayed George Cooper and Mandy McAllister, respectively, in the CBS series for three seasons.
Even though they have now perfected their on-screen chemistry, Osment was aware that it would be her responsibility to set the tone during production when they were first starting out.
“I don’t know if Montana even knew if he could ask for that,” she mentioned hiring a coordinator for sensuality. “Like, let’s give him the option, too. Make him comfortable. And he’s such a sweet kid, I think he would just eat his discomfort. But I love those guys, and I’m really happy it got to the point where they were able to do that [for us].”
Actually, director Alex Reid admitted that the crew "totally dropped the ball" when filming kissing scenes between Osment and Jordan because the two did not have sex scenes on the show, which also featured Iain Armitage, Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, and Raegan Revord.
“I have a photo between takes of them sitting in that car when we shot that, and they’re looking off in other directions,” Reid stated in the book. “I showed it to Emily and she said, ‘Yeah, that was so uncomfortable for both of us, because we didn’t know each other.’”
“It wasn’t even about the lack of an intimacy coordinator,” he continued. “It’s just you’re having to make out with somebody you just kind of met. Obviously, they worked that out, and they have a great chemistry now, but that was kind of embarrassing.”
However, things have undoubtedly improved because Jordan and Osment are now co-starring in the show's spinoff series, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage.
Additionally, Osment had "every right to ask" for an intimacy coordinator, according to co-creator Steve Molaro, which is why the former Disney Channel star eventually came to the conclusion that "she was comfortable without one."
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