Jenna Ortega Addresses ‘Gross’ Age Gap with Martin Freeman in “Miller’s Girl”

Jenna Ortega has finally broken her silence about her role in Miller’s Girl alongside Martin Freeman.

The ‘erotic thriller’ follows a teacher-student dynamic that leads to a complicated relationship. One particular scene sparked backlash among social media users with some slamming it as “gross”. The scene in question shows a steamy encounter between the pair that was recited from a fictional creative writing piece.

The 30-year age gap between Ortega and Freeman didn’t sit well with some. That said, many jumped in to defend the film, reminding people it is entirely fictional and that cinema is an art form.

“The point of portraying a relationship like that is to make people uncomfortable. The power dynamic, the age gap,” one wrote, while another highlighted: “It’s just acting!”

Now, the 21-year-old actress has opened up about her role during an interview with Vanity Fair.

“It’s not supposed to be a comfortable movie,” Ortega told the outlet. “It’s supposed to be awful at times.”

“Art isn’t always meant to be pleasant or happy, [where] everyone skips off into the sunset at the end,” she continued. “We all have f–ked up experiences at one point or another.”

Freeman previously hit back at the criticism saying: “[It’s] grown-up and nuanced. It’s not saying, ‘Isn’t this great?'”

Intimacy coordinator Kristina Arjona also offered her take to the Daily Mail.

“There was many, many people throughout this process, engaging with [Jenna] to make sure that it was consistent with what she was comfortable with, and she was very determined and very sure of what she wanted to do,” she told the publication.

“Part of my job too is supporting her decisions. I adapt to whatever is the comfort level of my actors, especially on a production like this where there is a large age gap between the actors.”

Source: Vanity Fair, Daily Mail