Although Young Sheldon did not feature any intimate scenes, Emily Osment, who portrayed Mandy McAllister, still requested an intimacy coordinator.
In a newly released book detailing the making of the Big Bang Theory prequel, the actress has opened up about what prompted her to make the request.
Surprisingly, her decision was not just about her own comfort but also about looking out for her co-star, Montana Jordan, who played Georgie Cooper.
Highlights
- Emily Osment requested an intimacy coordinator while filming kissing scenes with her much younger co-star Montana Jordan.
- Director Alex Reid admitted the actors felt uncomfortable filming one of their kissing scenes together.
- Netizens backed Osment’s decision, with some bringing up the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni controversy.
Young Sheldon star Emily Osment opens up about her discomfort with kissing her co-star
In the show, Mandy sleeps with Georgie under the impression that he was older than his 17 years of age.
The storyline reveals that Mandy lies about her age, claiming to be 25 when she is actually 29, while Georgie says he is 21 despite being a minor.
The age gap between the characters was also reflected in real life, as Jordan was 18 at the time while Osment was 30.
Given the significant difference in their ages and the romantic nature of their roles, Osment requested an on-set intimacy coordinator for their kissing scenes, according to American entertainment journalist Jessica Radloff’s new book, Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw’s-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy.
“That made me uncomfortable. He was a baby! A baby with a mullet. So I spoke to [producer] Tim Marx, and obviously they were not able to get one that late in the day, but for the rest of the next few episodes, they had one there, since the relationship between them escalates,” Osment said.
“It made everything easier, having one there. I think it’s something that’s really important.”
Osment added that she was unsure “if Montana even knew if he could ask for that.”
“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,” the actress noted.
Director Alex Reid admitted he noticed Osment and Montana feeling uncomfortable during a kissing scene
Alex Reid told Radloff that because the CBS show did not feature intimate scenes, the production team “totally dropped the ball” when filming the kissing scenes between Osment and Jordan.
“I have a photo between takes of them sitting in that car when we shot that, and they’re looking off in other directions.
I showed it to Emily, and she said, ‘Yeah, that was so uncomfortable for both of us, because we didn’t know each other,’” he recalled
Reid added that their uneasiness was not just about the absence of an intimacy coordinator but also stemmed from “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,” he said.
Co-creator Steve Molaro, meanwhile, said Osment had “every right to ask” for an intimacy coordinator.
He added that filming eventually reached a point where “she was comfortable without one.”
The actors now lead their own show, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
As the title suggests, the series follows Georgie Cooper and Mandy McAllister as they navigate married life while raising their baby daughter, CeeCee, in Texas.
In The Big Bang Theory, an older Georgie is revealed to have gone through multiple marriages and divorces, with Mandy established as his first and third wife.
This leaves room for a potential future installment titled Georgie & Mandy’s Second Marriage, although no such project has been confirmed.
The show moved forward despite the network’s initial concerns about exploring a romance involving such a significant age disparity, another subject examined in Radloff’s book.
Netizens praised Emily Osment’s request for an intimacy coordinator, citing the Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively case
“After Blake and Justin. I would be terrified to do any scene without a coordinator of some sort. You can easily be accused, and you can easily be misconstrued. Feels like the intimacy from a movie almost ruined Justin’s life. Emily is not wrong for this,” one person wrote.
The commenter was referring to the controversy surrounding It Ends With Us, the 2024 film starring the two actors.
Lively alleged that Baldoni had “discreetly bit and sucked” on her lower lip during filming, an action she claimed had not been rehearsed.
She also alleged that he insisted on reshooting the scene multiple times without an intimacy coordinator present.
In another scene involving slow dancing, Lively’s legal team alleged that Baldoni repeatedly attempted to kiss her forehead, rubbed his face against her neck, and flicked her lower lip with his thumb.
The complaint further alleged that he leaned in out of character and whispered, “It smells so good,” which Lively felt was an inappropriate gesture unrelated to their roles.
In early 2025, Baldoni’s legal team publicly released a 10-minute, unedited behind-the-scenes clip of the slow-dancing scene, arguing that Lively had participated willingly and could be seen laughing throughout the interaction.
"She is 100% class act," a netizen said about Emily Osment
