Former Playschool star Noni Hazlehurst has revealed how tricky it can be to shoot a sex scene for a film.
While she is perhaps best known for her role on Playschool, where she appeared as a host on the show from 1978 to 2001, Noni, 71, has also enjoyed a legendary film and television acting career.
One of her most beloved big-screen roles is in the 1982 film Monkey Grip, in which she stars alongside Colin Friels, 72.
The film, based on a novel by acclaimed Australian author Helen Garner, features some rather racy scenes between the actors and now Noni has revealed what exactly goes on behind the scenes.
In an exclusive excerpt from her memoir Dropping the Mask, published on news.com.au, Noni revealed that although she and Colin fogged up the screen in the film, all was not as it seemed.
Noni recalled a steamy scene in which Colin had to kiss her “up and down my upper body” and while the end result was “sensual and tenderly romantic,” the piping told a different story.
‘With no music to enhance the scene, all we could hear was the strange slurping sound [director] Ken Cameron’s voice carries us through the action,” she said.
“Slower Colin, hang there for a while, don’t eat her, be gentle, put that thing in your mouth again with your fingers Noni, slower Colin, go up, go down, too rough, move to the side, slower Colin” and so forth.”
Former Playschool star Noni Hazlehurst has revealed how tricky it can be to shoot a sex scene for a film
‘It was very funny.’
She added that all of the film’s sex scenes were shot on the same day, adding to the awkwardness, although a crew member offered a new solution.
“The first assistant offered a closed set and the crew could be naked too, but the thought of about forty dicks waving in my eyeline was enough to put me off sex for life,” she admitted.
The awkwardness didn’t stop there either: Noni shared how director Ken Cameron instructed her on-screen love interest on how to perform on camera.
While she is perhaps best known for her role in Playschool, where she appeared as a presenter on the show from 1978 to 2001, Noni, 71, has also enjoyed a legendary film and television acting career, including the film Monkey Grip alongside Colin Friels.
Noni recalled a steamy scene in which Colin had to kiss her “up and down my upper body” and while the end result was “sensual and tenderly romantic,” the piping told a different story.
Released in 1982, Monkey Grip is based on the 1977 novel by author Helen Garner.
It tells the story of Nora, a single mother who is involved in an on-again, off-again relationship with heroin addict Javo.
The veteran film star used her Logies Hall Of Fame acceptance speech in 2016 to take aim at the snail-like pace of change within the Australian TV industry.
Noni said the industry was slow to accept women and non-Anglo Saxon Logie nominees Waleed Aly and Lee Lin Chin.
“The fact that I am only the second woman to receive this honor is merely a reflection of the ruling party,” she said at the time.
‘Things are changing. They change slowly. The great thing about glaciers is that if you’re not on them, you’re going under. I’ve been riding on that glacier for 40 years. And I’ll stay on top of it.’
Noni’s list of TV credits includes Division 4, The Sullivans, The Shiralee, City Homicide and A Place to Call Home.
While she may be best known for her role on Playschool, where she appeared as a presenter on the show from 1978 to 2001, Noni, 71, has also enjoyed a legendary film and television acting career.