“You want to show you can do it,” she said.
Despite ongoing disclosures and adjustments within the industry, Wendy van Dijk says she hasn’t noticed significant changes. “I don’t actually think much has changed,” she stated. However, during filming of Medisch Centrum West, she observed something new on set: “There was actually an intimacy coordinator there.”
An intimacy coordinator supports actors during the performance of intimate scenes. “So, if you have a scene where you’re kissing someone, there’s just someone sitting next to the camera watching,” van Dijk explained. This role is becoming increasingly common as the entertainment industry addresses concerns around on-set safety and consent.
She believes the presence of such a coordinator is a valuable development. When asked if she would have benefited from one in the past, she responded, “I think so.” As a young actress, van Dijk recalled a scene that left a lasting impression. “I once had a scene in Spangen, Linda de Mol’s series, when I was in my early twenties, and it involved a pretty intense kiss,” she said. “I found it really intense.”
The scene involved a passionate kiss that she later reflected on with mixed feelings. “You’re incredibly young and it’s actually the first time you’re on set. You want to show you can do it, but you’re also a little bit in that role…” During filming, van Dijk fully immersed herself in her character and considered the scene part of her work. “But when I drove home, I thought for a moment: wow. What actually happened?”
Although she emphasized she didn’t experience any trauma from the experience, van Dijk looks back on it with mixed emotions. This is precisely why she believes it’s a good thing that intimacy coordinators are now more often standard on set, especially for young actors. “In the Netherlands, there are also quite a few scenes with nudity and sex. In that case, I don’t think it can hurt to have someone keeping an eye on things.”
So You Think You Can Dance is returning to television after eleven years. Wendy is hosting the program and shares in the video here what the new season has in store.
