TV & Movies
Laura Dern Praised Her Lonely Planet Sex Scene With Liam Hemsworth
The pair forged a strong friendship while filming in Morocco.
Summer may be over, but the spirit of vacation romance lives on in Netflix’s Lonely Planet. The new movie, which premiered on Oct. 11, stars Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth as strangers who forge an unexpected connection while at a writers retreat in Morocco.
It isn’t too much of a spoiler to say that passion ensues between the pair, and when it came time to film an intimate bedroom scene, they were prepared.
They Made A Good Team
Dern plays Katherine, a writer who heads to Morocco in search of inspiration. Hemsworth’s Owen originally accompanies his girlfriend, a writer herself, but as that relationship falters, he finds solace in someone new.
In filming a pivotal love scene, Dern recently told People that she was “so lucky” to have Hemsworth as a scene partner in addition to working with an intimacy coordinator on set.
“[He is] literally the safest person I could ever talk through everything in my life with,” she said.
The Big Little Lies star added that the pair had “a lot of support” in discussing their characters’ most personal moments. “By the time we were doing those scenes, there was nothing we couldn’t talk about together and work out creatively, professionally, all of that,” she said.
For his part, Hemsworth agreed, likening the process of making the movie to “hanging out as Laura and Liam, and someone was filming it somewhere.”
It’s no surprise, then, that the pair told People they’re game for a sequel.
Continuing A Romance Trend
Lonely Planet is the latest film to feature a romance between a woman and a younger man, flipping the script on pop culture norms, and following swoon-worthy 2024 titles such as The Idea of You and A Family Affair.
In a chat with Netflix, Dern touched on what makes Katherine and Owen’s pairing special.
“The dynamic between the younger man and the older, established writer intrigued me because it’s not just about romance — it’s about finding someone who truly sees and understands you, which is something deeply human and relatable,” she said.
Hemsworth echoed his co-star’s comments about being seen in an interview with FOX 13 Seattle, adding that “the age thing isn’t talked about,” really.
“This is a love story between two people who find each other, that help each other move forward into the next chapter of life — whether it be career, or finding themselves,” he said.
