Sarah Shahi is calling out “Sex/Life” Season 2.
On the heels of Jenna Ortega speaking out about changing lines during a tense “Wednesday” production, fellow Netflix star Shahi admitted that she felt the second installment of the steamy viral series was more “gimmicky” than the first, in part due to a change in attitude from the filmmakers.
“I definitely did not have the support that I did in the first season from the people involved in the show,” Shahi said during the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast. “It became a much different thing for me — and I’m not afraid to say that.”
Shahi added, “That’s part of what I do. I’m not always going to get along or agree with a filmmaker. I’m not always going to like what I have to do or say. But that’s my job, to make it believable.”
IndieWire has reached out to Netflix for comment.
Shahi admitted that she “struggled with the material” for Season 2, especially “more moments that felt very gimmicky” that involved her male co-stars. She noted that she “couldn’t get behind” the direction of the show itself.
“I’m never going to work for Netflix again now after saying all this,” Shahi said. “But I can’t lie.”
One note Shahi shared was that she hoped to work more closely with co-star Adam Demos, whom her character ends up with in the Season 1 finale.
“I really liked our stories and I like working with him,” Shahi said. “He was a brilliant scene partner. [In Season 2,] I was working so much and he was working so little. He’s, like, in 60 seconds of the entire thing. I never saw him.”
Shahi and Demos were involved in multiple sex scenes that required Season 1 intimacy coordinator Casey Hudecki to choreograph.
“We were really lucky on ‘Sex/Life’ because we got a lot of rehearsals, and those help the actors get out of their heads and just perform because they already know what to expect, what their modesty garments are going to be,” Hudecki told E! Online in July 2021. “I think that goes a long way to protecting our performers’ mental health in this industry.”
On the heels of Jenna Ortega speaking out about changing lines during a tense “Wednesday” production, fellow Netflix star Shahi admitted that she felt the second installment of the steamy viral series was more “gimmicky” than the first, in part due to a change in attitude from the filmmakers.
“I definitely did not have the support that I did in the first season from the people involved in the show,” Shahi said during the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast. “It became a much different thing for me — and I’m not afraid to say that.”
Shahi added, “That’s part of what I do. I’m not always going to get along or agree with a filmmaker. I’m not always going to like what I have to do or say. But that’s my job, to make it believable.”
IndieWire has reached out to Netflix for comment.
Shahi admitted that she “struggled with the material” for Season 2, especially “more moments that felt very gimmicky” that involved her male co-stars. She noted that she “couldn’t get behind” the direction of the show itself.
“I’m never going to work for Netflix again now after saying all this,” Shahi said. “But I can’t lie.”
One note Shahi shared was that she hoped to work more closely with co-star Adam Demos, whom her character ends up with in the Season 1 finale.
“I really liked our stories and I like working with him,” Shahi said. “He was a brilliant scene partner. [In Season 2,] I was working so much and he was working so little. He’s, like, in 60 seconds of the entire thing. I never saw him.”
Shahi and Demos were involved in multiple sex scenes that required Season 1 intimacy coordinator Casey Hudecki to choreograph.
“We were really lucky on ‘Sex/Life’ because we got a lot of rehearsals, and those help the actors get out of their heads and just perform because they already know what to expect, what their modesty garments are going to be,” Hudecki told E! Online in July 2021. “I think that goes a long way to protecting our performers’ mental health in this industry.”