Linda Cardellini Opens Up About ‘Weird’ And ‘Scary’ Experience Filming Intimate Scene With Jason Bateman

Linda Cardellini revealed that the first scene she filmed with co-star Jason Bateman was a “weird” bedroom scene.

The actors star in the dark comedy series DTF St. Louis, which centers on a love triangle between three individuals experiencing a midlife crisis.

Speaking on TODAY With Jenna & Sheinelle, Linda said the first scene she filmed with Jason required her to be “intimate” with the actor.

Linda Cardellini admitted that her very first scene with Jason Bateman was a “weird” intimate scene

Image credits: Getty/Frazer Harrison

The 50-year-old was then asked whether the love scene was a “weird” way to break the ice.

“Oh, yes. It was weird. It was scary coming up to it because it’s something I’ve never really done. He and I talk about how we’ve never really done many totally intimate scenes in our career, even though we’ve been working forever,” she said.

Image credits: Getty/Matt Winkelmeyer

“It’s kind of what they do, these two characters together. She lets him live out his dreams, and he has this one thing where she has to sit in a certain place.

“It was supposed to be toward the end of the schedule and it wound up being toward the beginning of the schedule…but once you do that, it’s really free after that.”

Linda explained that she and Jason worked with an intimacy coordinator and handled the scene “so easily and scientifically.”

Linda revealed that she hasn’t told her dad the real title of the show because she’s embarrassed about the DTF acronym

Image credits: Getty/JC Olivera/GA

The actress also shared that she hasn’t told her father the truth about the HBO series’ suggestive title.

“I kept telling him it was untitled,” she joked.

“For all the things that you’ve done, is he just watching Scooby-Doo and Freaks and Geeks?” asked TODAY guest co-host Darren Criss.

Image credits: Tina Rowden/HBO

“Well, he’s going to watch now!” host Sheinelle Jones said.

In the show, Linda’s character, an accounting clerk named Carol, is married to David Harbour’s character, American Sign Language interpreter Floyd.

Jason stars as Clark, a weatherman who is close friends with Floyd.

The actor joined the show after Pedro Pascal stepped down from the project.

The dark comedy centers on the love triangle between Linda and Jason’s characters with David Harbour’s

Image credits: HBO

DTF St. Louis has received generally positive reviews since it premiered on March 1. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned it a score of 70 out of 100 based on 19 critics.

On IMDb, a movie database where anyone can leave a review, the HBO show currently has a rating of 6.9/10.

Jason, known for his roles in Ozark and Arrested Development, told Gold Derby that the intimate scenes serve a deeper purpose for the characters rather than simply being provocative.

Image credits: HBO

“It’s not about passion or titillation,” he said. “It’s more about vulnerability and questions. In many ways, these characters are almost like virgins in the areas they’re navigating. There’s something kind of sweet about it.”

The bedroom scenes are not the only aspect that distinguishes his character from his previous roles.

“I’ve played a lot of jerks — sarcastic, acerbic characters who might have flashes of doubt or contrition,” Jason told the outlet.

Jason called the bedroom scenes “awkward” but also “charming” and human

Image credits: Tina Rowden/HBO

@deciderdotcom The “sex robot” might be Jason Bateman’s and Linda Cardellini’s favorite role play scenario of their #DTFStLouis characters. #lindacardellini#jasonbateman#davidharbour♬ original sound – Decider

“But this guy is full-bore sweet and simple, and he’s eager to be a bit more sophisticated, to have a little more edge. He wants to try that on, and that was really interesting to me. I was excited to play that.”

The 57-year-old actor told the LA Times that the “awkward” bedroom scenes are “uncomfortable” to watch due to the characters’ storylines.

“But they’re charming and maybe even funny. Everything’s just so raw and human in this thing,” Jason added.

The HBO show also features elements of a whodunit

Image credits: Getty/Jamie McCarthy

DTF St. Louis also features elements of a whodunit, as one of the main characters is found lifeless in the first episode.

In addition to Linda, Jason, and David, the limited series features Peter Sarsgaard as an unlikely hookup, Richard Jenkins as a detective, and Joy Sunday as a special crimes officer.

“There’s a lot of mysteries, like the story about what happened to Floyd with the Peyronie’s [disease]. There’s smaller mysteries, bigger mysteries, and they’re all put together so well that it becomes like a tapestry. And at the end, that is really rewarding,” Lisa told the LA Times.

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