Actress Helen Hunt boldly goes fully nude for her newest film The Sessions (which is already earning her some Oscar-buzz) and admitted in a recent interview that baring it all was a pretty overwhelming feat.
The Oscar-winning actress has worked in Hollywood since the 1970s, earning fame fast and keeping it on the back-burner throughout her career to pull it out, dust it off, and make it work for her all over again whenever she sees fit. Her upcoming film The Sessions pairs her with John Hawkes and tells the true story of a handicapped poet (played by Hawkes) hiring a sex surrogate (played by Hunt) to help him lose his virginity after seeking the blessing of a Catholic priest (played by William H. Macy).
There has been a bit of media buzz surrounding Helen Hunt’s full-nude appearance in the film, with some applauding the 49-year-old actress for the bold move. Still, Hunt says that it wasn’t an easy choice to go nude for the film:
“Being naked was challenging, but even more than that was the vulnerability. I felt vulnerable because I was naked,” Hunt told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “I felt vulnerable because we were having such a vulnerable moment in this character’s life. This was a real journey that someone had gone on, and I wanted to do right by that.”
Hunt wasn’t alone, either. Hawkes also felt an awkwardness and a vulnerability from the material the two were working with:
“I was pretty much naked too, but they didn’t show that on camera which was another issue,” Hawkes explained. “But if there was awkwardness between us, and I think there was, Helen and I took pains not to get to know each other. We knew we were going to shoot these scenes chronologically, so it was a great opportunity to let film do what it does best and capture those first and unfamiliar moments.”
Still, The Sessions proved too sweet a role to pass up for Hunt:
“(Good roles) are hard to get and it is hard to write them, having tried for a little bit. People say it is hard for women, and it is hard, but it is hard for men too. Great parts don’t grow on trees,” she said. “They are hard to craft, so when you find one like this you have to grab it. For the last twenty years or so I have been doing a good amount of (my own writing). When I don’t get a job, I am forced to face the blank page.”
The Sessions opens on Friday, and the trailer is below. Are you a fan of Helen Hunt?
