Rivals star reveals she insisted on 'no nudity' clause in contract - The Independent

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Bella Maclean insisted on a no-nudity clause in her contract before appearing in the Disney+ drama Rivals, the actor has said.

The show is set in the world of independent television in 1986, and centres on a rivalry between TV mogul Lord Tony Baddingham, played by David Tennant, and Irish journalist Declan O’Hara, played by Aidan Turner.

Maclean, 28, plays Declan’s daughter, Taggie.

Explaining why she added the clause, she told Harper’s Bazaar: “It was important because of how pure Taggie’s character was. I didn’t want to sexually exploit her, and I didn’t want to do that to myself either.

“That was really important to me, and I think it will stay important to me. There are some things I just want to keep to myself.

“I don’t judge anyone who does it. Sometimes it’s so beautiful. If I had Victoria Smurfit’s body, I’d probably be walking around naked.

“But in that sense, we’re all lucky because there are amazing intimacy coordinators on our job. I know that’s not the case for other people. We’re all good friends who can just say no to the directors and they’ll listen.”

Rivals is adapted from the Rutshire Chronicles novels by Dame Jilly Cooper, who died in October last year at the age of 88.

The show’s new series will return to the streaming platform on November 11, and Maclean said it would carry Cooper’s spirit.

She added: “Jilly is the heart of everything we do, and I feel her naughtiness a lot in the second half of the new season. This series is so juicy, it gets so intense. That’s all Jillyness. She pushed things.”

Away from Rivals, Maclean’s credits include the fourth season of Netflix’s Sex Education and the BBC crime drama Silent Witness.

The full interview with Maclean can be read in the December/January issue of Harper’s Bazaar, on sale from November 6.

In another recent interview, Rivals’ Alex Hassell, who plays Rupert Campbell-Black, discussed his numerous nude scenes on the show, which he admitted were difficult for him.

“I have to take my clothes off on a massive TV show, so that’s complicated,” he said. “I used to hate looking at photos of myself. I do think it’s important to say that I had a personal trainer, and I didn’t do any crazy diets. It’s not that people are just supposed to look like that – it took a lot of work.”

Rivals season two returns to Disney+ on 11 November.