Should you do nudity?
The answer actually lies in the quality and intention of the project and one cannot always tell what that is based on the budget or even the ‘style’ of the project and by style I mean, whether it’s an exploitation film or something intended to be more serious. The lines are so blurred today – a so-called exploitation film, even a low budget one, can be a brilliant piece that 20 years from now you will be proud to have your body seen in. And the reality is, that well-intentioned serious drama could be boring or overwrought and something you may not be proud of, but even if you are quite exposed in it, it’s probably not going to hurt your reputation as an actor very much. What could hurt you a bit, is doing nudity in an out and out exploitation film or TV show that is not high quality, and in these times, even that is not going to hurt you very much unless you do it excessively.
Kay Lenz just did the Blu Ray commentary for my first film Stripped To Kill (1988) in which she did some very well shot nudity and I think she’s very proud and happy she did it. Christina Applegate also did a beautiful performance in a film called Streets for me and her brief nudity was never an issue. They were both low budget films and considered to be in the exploitation genre, they just happened to also be very high quality – an unusual blend to be sure, but it does still exist.
Today there is less of a stigma about doing nudity than even before. So much of the reaction you will get to doing it will be based on your attitude. If you genuinely feel okay about it, that’s the kind of response you will get. To make the decision I would advise you to follow your heart. If the script is good, if the director is someone you trust, then go for it full out. If the script doesn’t move you, if you feel in any way ashamed about it, if there’s simulated sex required that you can’t stomach, just pass, no regrets – if you were offered this role as an actor, other roles are likely to come.