Keira Knightley: I downed vodka to get through S&M sex scenes

 

The 26-year-old was so nervous about the spanking scenes in A Dangerous Method she also swigged beer and wine in order to get through them.

Keira plays Sabina Spielrein, a beautiful but disturbed young woman who has a passionate affair with her psychoanalyst Carl Jung, played by Michael Fassbender.

The film is directed by David Cronenberg and also stars Viggo Mortensen as Sigmund Freud, Jung's contemporary.

One scene portrays an intense spanking session between Jung and his patient.
Keira initially turned down the role and then only agreed to do it as long as the scenes weren't sexy or voyeuristic.

But she still needed a little Dutch courage to get through the filming.
She said: 'I did a couple of shots of vodka beforehand, and then a couple of glasses of champagne as a celebration of never having to do that again.'

'When we shot them I said to Michael, "If you touch me I'm going to kill you".
'He said, "Keira, you're tied to the bed at the moment. I don't think you're in any position to say that".
'I said, "Yeah, you're right".'

In the past, Keira has also stripped for Silk, Atonement, and The Edge of Love.