Latest news with #TheSaltPath
Gulf Today
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
For Gillan Anderson, intimate scenes are never a joy
Hollywood actress Gillian Anderson has shared that intimate scenes are a tricky territory to walk through during the process of acting. For her, such scenes are "never a joy". The 56-year-old actress shares an intimate scene in a tent with co-star Jason Isaacs in her new movie 'The Salt Path', reports 'Female First UK'. The film is based on the true story of couple Raynor and Moth Winn who embark on an epic walk in the UK after a bad health diagnosis and homelessness. As per 'Female First UK', the actress said that such things are part and parcel of acting. As she said, "That is something you just expect as an actor'. The actress told 'The Sun', "That's part of what one does. I had an experience for many, many years working with the same actor every day. I've also done sex scenes on the very first day of working, which is never a joy at any time during filming. "So you're thrown stuff all the time and just show whatever you're given'. 'The X-Files' star added that it was straightforward to film the raunchy scenes with her "amenable" co-star Isaacs. She said, "Jason makes it very easy. He's very amenable, he's very likeable. And certainly physically, we feel like we're the same language, certainly by the end. We feel like our journey is baked into us, and we feel like we're part of the same conversation'. Gillian explained that she became desperate to play Raynor after reading her book of the same name and being "profoundly affected" by the story. "I read the book and I couldn't speak for days. I was really profoundly affected by it. I think I might have threatened them with an inch of their lives to hire me', she added. Indo-Asian News Service
Perth Now
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Gillan Anderson: Sex scenes are never a joy
Gillian Anderson had admitted that sex scenes are "never a joy". The 56-year-old actress shares an intimate scene in a tent with co-star Jason Isaacs in her new movie 'The Salt Path' - based on the true story of couple Raynor and Moth Winn who embark on an epic walk in the UK after a bad health diagnosis and homelessness - and says such things are part and parcel of acting. Gillian told The Sun: "That is something you just expect as an actor. "That's part of what one does. I had an experience for many, many years working with the same actor every day. "I've also done sex scenes on the very first day of working, which is never a joy at any time during filming. "So you're thrown stuff all the time and just show whatever you're given." 'The X-Files' star added that it was straightforward to film the raunchy scenes with her "amenable" co-star Isaacs. She said: "Jason makes it very easy. He's very amenable, he's very likeable. "And certainly physically, we feel like we're the same language - certainly by the end. "We feel like our journey is baked into us, and we feel like we're part of the same conversation." Gillian explained that she became desperate to play Raynor after reading her book of the same name and being "profoundly affected" by the story. She recalled: "I read the book and I couldn't speak for days. I was really profoundly affected by it. I think I might have threatened them with an inch of their lives to hire me!" Gillian explained that starring in the movie has changed her thoughts on homelessness. The 'Sex Education' actress told the i paper: "It haunted me in a way that I think was good. "In America, you would stop at a light, and two or three people might surround the car and wash your windscreen and then ask for money, which I'd never seen happen here (in the UK) before. Post Covid, suddenly that was happening. "It was an opportunity to change how I thought about it, period. And to have more compassion and understanding. It's fascinating to observe in oneself the different emotions that come up as a result of being face-to-face with it."
The Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Inspired to walk the ‘Salt Path'? These are the best bits of the 660-mile coastal route
Raynor Winn's debut novel, The Salt Path, first captured the hearts of readers when it was published back in 2018 and quickly became a Sunday Times bestseller. The memoir, which has been turned into a film now in cinemas, tells the story of everyone's worst nightmare. Not only did she and her husband, Moth, lose their home and B&B business at their Welsh farm after an investment went wrong, but they truly hit rock bottom when Moth was diagnosed with a rare neurodegenerative disease, corticobasal degeneration. Without any other options, they came up with the idea of embarking on an adventure, by walking the 630 miles of the South West Coast Path and seeing where it took them, figuratively and physically. With almost 300 miles of it in Cornwall, it begins in Minehead in Somerset, traverses along the north Devonshire and Cornish rugged coasts, and heads back along the south coast of the counties into Dorset, finishing at South Haven Point in Poole. It's a mammoth walk that initially seems almost totally unachievable for them, considering Moth's ill health, along with having such little money that they have to live off packet noodles, and wild camp. In the film, locations aren't given, and instead, geography is only marked by the number of miles walked, focusing on the idea of the gravity of the challenge, and how location doesn't matter to them. Instead, it's all about keeping moving. As one of the UK' s best coastal hiking routes, the South West Coast Path can be taken at a much slower pace, and walkers usually complete it in sections over many years. So if you're inspired to pull on your walking boots, here are some of the best sections along the famous route to stomp along, as well as places to rest your weary head, that don't include the need for a tent. 1. Clovelly to Hartland, North Devon Some of the most memorable – and instantly recognisable – scenery in the film comes from the little 14th-century village of Clovelly perched 400ft up on the north Devon coast. Clovelly isn't actually on the coast path itself, it's just off it, as one of the UK's only privately owned villages. It's been privately owned by the Hamlyn family and their descendants since Elizabethan times, which means you have to pay to enter (£9.90 for adults). The current owner is John Rous, and it's this entrance fee that's allowed it to become a maintained relic of a time gone by that's still inhabited and thriving and, most importantly for Cornwall, hasn't been taken over by holiday lets as second homes aren't allowed. The walk down to the harbour isn't the easiest, as not only is it very steep, but it's entirely cobbled too. Too steep even for cars, years ago villagers came up with the idea of using sledges to transport goods up and down the slope. Years ago, donkeys were used, but now you'll find them in the stables at the top of the village. Back on the path, this section that's part of the Hartland Heritage coast is truly spectacular with soaring ascents, making it renowned as one of the hardest parts, but the views make it well worth it. Stay at: The Collective, Woolsery In the little village of Woolfardisworthy, locally known as Woolsery, is the Collective, a complex made up of a pub, fish and chip shop, local shop, farm and accommodation. The area has been given a new lease of life thanks to Michael and Xochi Birch. Millennial readers will remember their social media platform Bebo, which they sold. They then swapped Silicon Valley for north Devon, as Michael's family had lived here for 600 years. The Farmers Arms pub has excellent food, including hogget from their own farm too. There are rooms, suites and cottages over the road. Doubles from £275 night; 2. Boscastle to Tintagel, north Cornwall Perhaps the most ethereal villages on the entire coast path are Boscastle and Tintagel, which are only about 3.5 miles apart and will likely take about five hours to walk between. The fishing village of Boscastle sits in a deep rugged valley that's incredibly dramatic and has an air of mysticism to it. Its windswept landscapes inspired poet and author Thomas Hardy, while it's also home to the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, with thousands of witchy books, spells and paraphernalia. Walking out from Boscastle's pretty harbour, pick up the coast path along the clifftops where the white watchtower is perched. Just under a mile from Tintagel, if it's a sunny day, drop down to Bossiney beach, a fabulous little sandy cove, for a swim. The section is another fairly challenging part of the path, but you'll see Tintagel Castle in the distance before descending into the village. It's regarded as the birthplace of King Arthur and is steeped in myth and legend. From the heart of the village, it's another steep walk down to the ruins of the castle (there are Land Rovers for those who prefer a quick ride) which is owned by English Heritage and costs £16.80 for adults. The reward is worth it, thanks to the views walking over the footbridge, suspended 58 metres above the sea, over to the medieval ruin. Look out below at the craggy inlets, and Merlin's Cave, a blowhole that makes a loud whooshing sound as the waves wash in as the tide comes in. On the other side, don't miss Gallos (which translates to 'power' in Cornish) the life-size bronze statue that's been inspired by King Arthur. Stay at: Kudhva Just two miles from Tintagel is Kudhva (Cornish for 'hideout'), a glamping site with futuristic-looking angular treehouse pods that sit among the treetops, with ladders up to the entrances. The whole site, which is set in a disused quarry, is about connecting with nature, from swimming in the lake to stargazing. In the film, one of North Cornwall's biggest towns, Newquay, is portrayed as a rather down-and-out place full of delinquents. It did have a reputation as the place to celebrate finishing school exams, and being full of stag and hen dos – but now this is firmly behind it. It's always had some of the UK's best beaches and has been the home of British surfing since the Sixties, hosting the championships at Watergate Bay. From Watergate Bay, walk about an hour north to the beautiful small town of Mawgan Porth. Once it was only locals who knew about this wide open beach and great waves, but now it has been found by celebrities and it's changing quickly. Or for a longer hike, head south along the coast to Perranporth, which is about 4.5 hours of walking. Cornwall's first aparthotel, SeaSpace bridges the best bits of a hotel and an apartment. It's right on the clifftops above Watergate Bay in Newquay and has one- to three-bedroom apartments. For the best views, book a room at the front of the building which looks over the sea. Families will love the Miami-inspired 19-metre pool, and you can also hire a surfboard and hit the waves that are just a hop, skip and jump away. 4. Pendeen lighthouse to St Just, West Cornwall At the southern tip of Cornwall on Land's End peninsula are some of Cornwall's best preserved tin mines. The industry was the beating heart of the county in the 18th and 19th centuries, when it was the world's biggest tin exporter, making the county extremely wealthy. Unsurprisingly, it's now designated a world heritage site. Starting from Pendeen lighthouse, heading south will take you past the Geevor tin mine museum (one of the last mines to close in 1990), the Levant mine, Crown's Engine House and Botallack mine (which features in both the 2015 Poldark series and the Rick Stein's Cornwall series), as well as the Wheal Edward Engine House. The rolling cliffs here are full of drama, and some headlands have very narrow paths, which almost feels like walking on a tightrope; they're so narrow that they likely won't be there for too much longer, so tread with care. Stay at: Gurnard's Head hotel Slightly further back up the coast is Gurnard's Head hotel, an unmissable landmark thanks to its bright gorse-yellow painted exterior that's right on the clifftop. The former coaching inn is still a traditional cosy pub (refreshingly, there are no TVs in the rooms), and it's just a short walk to the coast path. 6. Branscombe to Beer, east Devon Along this little stretch of east Devon's coastline, there are two of the county's most picturesque beaches. Starting in the twee 14th-century village of Branscombe, where the local thatched pub has taken over much of the village, it doesn't get much more bucolic than this. From the beach at Branscombe, with its dark reddish cliffs and beach huts, it's about 4.5 miles to Beer. At Beer, the pebbled beach is flanked on either side by the south coast's chalky cliffs. At the end of each day, the fishing fleet is hauled up out of the water onto the pebbles waiting to return again the following day. At the top of the beach, near the sloped entrance, and just 100 metres from the water, is a hole-in-the-wall fish market selling the day's catch. Stay at: Glebe House Slightly inland, near the village of Southleigh, is Glebe House. Run by Hugo and Olive, they're paying homage to the Italian agriturismo model of B&Bs. Plenty of the food they serve comes from their smallholding, they organise food experiences with nearby producers, and Olive's eye for colourful, vintage-inspired artsy interiors is infectious. Doubles from £159 night; 7. Kimmeridge Bay to Swanage, Dorset This final walk comes in right near the end of the South West Coast Path, which officially ends at Shell Bay on South Haven Point in Poole, just opposite Sandbanks and Brownsea Island in prime Enid Blyton territory. Part of the Jurassic Coast world heritage site, it's far quieter here than the much shorter Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door section further east. This is the longest section featured here, covering just over nine miles, from Kimmeridge Bay to Swanage. Walking along the chalk ridge, this section is one for budding archaeologists which keen fossil hunters will also love as it's an area people have lived and hunted in since the Mesolithic period, about 6,000 years ago. Views from the aptly named 'Heaven's Gate' are some of the best – inland looks to the Purbeck Hills, and over to Corfe Castle, and it offers excellent views back over the coastline. A fitting view to end on. Looking a little like The Pig hotels, The Canford is on the other side of the English Channel and is just a short ferry ride over. It has chic countryside-inspired rooms in heritage colours that sit above the pub.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gillian Anderson admits doing sex scenes are 'never a joy' but is what is 'expected' as an actor as she spills the beans on getting intimate for film roles
Gillian Anderson has admitted that taking part in sex scenes are 'never a joy' but is what is expected in her job as an actor. The Hollywood icon, 56, stars alongside Jason Issacs in Marianne Elliot's big-screen adaptation of Raynor Winn's 2018 memoir, The Salt Path, in which one scene sees their characters get intimate in a tent. But while getting frisky with someone you barely know for a role can come with awkwardness, Gillian insists that she used to the unexpected demands when it comes to filming intimate scenes. The X Files star, whose career had spanned over 30 years, told The Sun: 'That is something you just expect as an actor. That's part of what one does. I had an experience for many, many years working with the same actor every day. 'I've also done sex scenes on the first day of working, which is never a joy at any time during filming.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. However, Gillian went on to say that when it come to filming romantic scenes with co-star Jason, 61, things were rather smooth sailing thanks to his 'amenable' personality, with the pair physically on the same page. She added: 'You're thrown stuff all the time and just show whatever you're given. And Jason makes it very easy. He's very amenable, he's very likeable. And certainly physically, we feel like we're the same language — certainly by the end.' She went on to say that their journey felt like it was 'baked into us', adding they felt they were 'part of the same conversation'. It comes after Gillian took a leaf out of her Sex Education character, Jean Milburn's book, as she c onfessed to enjoying having sex in 'uncomfortable tight quarters'. The actress has become a notable supporter of female sexual empowerment, after her lauded role playing a sex therapist on the hit Netflix show. And in a new interview, she cheekily admitted to being up for getting frisky in a tent or a car, when 'needs must'. Gillian's latest role in The Salt Path sees her playing Raynor Winn opposite Jason as her husband Moth, in the real-life story of the couple who became homeless after a business deal with a friend went wrong. After Moth was then diagnosed with a rare and incurable degenerative brain disease, the couple decided to make a 630-mile trek along the Cornish, Devon and Dorset coastline armed with only a tent and limited supplies. 'Jason makes it very easy. He's very amenable, he's very likeable. And certainly physically, we feel like we're the same language — certainly by the end' [Pictured with Jason in May] In response to one scene in the film that sees Gillian and Isaac's characters get intimate inside their small tent, The Sunday Times probed the X-Files star on whether she would recommend the location for an amorous encounter. A grinning Gillian affirmed: 'Well, sex in the back of a car, sex anywhere, I mean, yeah, why not? Uncomfortable, tight quarters, but needs must.' The Scoop actress also admitted that she doesn't feel any shame in discussing sex and even released a book about women's sexual fantasies in September. She explained that it was through doing Sex Education, filming scenes speaking openly about topics like sexual pleasure, genitalia and sexual orientation, that she first realised how comfortable she felt and how vital the conversations were. She said: 'In playing Jean, having [sex] become a regular topic, I realised that I didn't have shame around it. 'Also, I suddenly realised the degree to which there still was so much shame around it and the degree to which the show helped many demographics blast through some of that.' Gillian lamented that having frank conversations about sex, was still regarded as tabboo and shameful, with even couples struggling to be open with each other about their desires. She said: 'In 2025 some of us seem to struggle to have that conversation with our partners. The conversation about "I prefer it like this" or "Can we take ten more minutes so I can actually get more pleasure out of this exchange?". 'Some of it is the fear that the partner might feel judged that they're doing something wrong, when actually that's not what you're saying.' Gillian's book, Want, was inspired by Nancy Friday's 1973 classic My Secret Garden and compiles anonymous letters from women around the world revealing their deepest fantasies - including her own. She previously explained that both women and men have been getting their hands on it in an effort to understand how women feel about sex when they have the freedom of being totally anonymous. And she admitted that she had included one of her own fantasies into the book, but remained tight-lipped on which it was.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
It's part of what actors do but it's never a joy, says Gillian Anderson as she reveals all about filming sex scenes
A TWO-MAN tent on the windy south-west coast of England might not be everyone's ideal spot for a steamy encounter. But that is where former X-Files actress film The Salt Path, about a homeless couple embarking on a 630-mile trek. 8 Gillian Anderson filmed a sex scene in a tent on the windy south-west coast of England Credit: Getty 8 Gillian was filming with White Lotus star Jason Isaacs for upcoming film The Salt Path Credit: Black Bear 8 Gillian says she has become used to unexpected demands when it comes to filming sex scenes Credit: Getty She was even asked to Mum-of-three Gillian, 56, said: 'That is something you just expect as an actor. "That's part of what one does. I had an experience for many, many years working with the same actor every day. 'I've also done READ MORE GILLIAN ANDERSON "So you're thrown stuff all the time and just show whatever you're given. 'And Jason makes it very easy. He's very amenable, he's very likeable. 'And certainly physically, we feel like we're the same language — certainly by the end. 'We feel like our journey is baked into us, and we feel like we're part of the same conversation.' Most read in Celebrity So is sex in a tent ever a good idea? Gillian said: 'Well, sex in the back of a car, sex anywhere, I mean, yeah, why not? 'Uncomfortable, tight quarters, but needs must . . .' Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher in the The Crown season 4 trailer The star became an international sex symbol playing FBI special agent Secret desires Since then she has enjoyed a distinguished three-decade career that has seen her take on a variety of roles, from Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Crown to therapist Jean Milburn in Netflix's racy series Sex Education. She has also found time to become a real-life crusader for female sexual empowerment and is currently working on a follow-up to her hugely successful 2024 book, Want. The collection of anonymous female sexual fantasies included one from a woman who wanted to be intimate with an office doorknob. I read the book and I couldn't speak for days. I was really profoundly affected by it. I think I might have threatened them within an inch of their lives to hire me! Gillian even hid one of her own fantasies in the mix — although she has not revealed which one — and has hinted that she may put more of her own secret desires in book two. The Salt Path is based on the book of the same name by long-distance walker and writer Raynor Winn. It tells her real-life tale of walking from Minehead in Somerset to Poole, Dorset, with her husband Moth after he is diagnosed with an incurable neuro-degenerative disease called corticobasal degeneration, or CBD. The couple had also become homeless in 2013, so they decided to set out on the 630-mile South West Coast Path with nothing but a tent bought on eBay, £115 in cash and a paycard to withdraw £48 a week in tax credits. 8 Gillian became famous for her role as FBI agent Dana Scully in The X Files television series Credit: Fox TV 8 Gillian has become an outspoken advocate for women's empowerment when it comes to sex Credit: PA:Press Association The heartwarming book went on to sell more than a million copies and, at this week's Hay Literary Festival, Raynor described the moment she found out that Gillian was going to play her in the film. She said: 'I thought, 'How is that ever going to work? She's so perfect, so glamorous, so beautiful. How is she going to capture me at such a raw moment in my life?' ' The tent sex scene with White Lotus star Jason did not feature in the book, but was added by writers for the movie adaptation, which was released on Friday. Raynor added: 'There's only one particularly hot scene in that book — I gave them big waves. I got back a sweaty scene in a tent.' For Gillian, playing Raynor became one of her most challenging roles, but one that she was desperate to play. She said: 'I read the book and I couldn't speak for days. I was really profoundly affected by it. I think I might have threatened them within an inch of their lives to hire me!' Gillian has always been drawn to playing strong women and found that becoming those characters on screen instilled a new-found confidence. Rebellious teenager She said on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast: 'I think it awakened in me a kind of stirring in my own sense of my sexual self and sensual self. 'I don't know whether it had always been asleep or whether it was awake when I was younger and then was asleep. 'But the fact that so much of my career as an actor — starting as Scully in my 20s, where suddenly I was consistently called on to be the smartest in the room — I was asked to show up and believe that I could do those things. "It showed that I had it somewhere in me to look that smart, to be that powerful, to be that confident, to walk that way.' Gillian was born in Chicago but raised in London during her early years. Most of the time when I show up to work, particularly at the beginning of a job, I think I am going to be fired. Every single job, the first two days are hell. Then the family moved back to the US when she was 11 and she later became a rebellious teenager. She went through a lesbian phase, was arrested and dabbled in punk — getting into what she called 'dangerous things'. By the time she was 14 she was in therapy . Ten years later, while living on benefits in Michigan, she landed the X-Files job — and found overnight global fame. But Gillian admits she still struggles to conform. She told the We Can Do Hard Things podcast: 'I always have been a bit of an outsider. I didn't really make a lot of friends in high school. 'My hair was always not unlike it is right now — ratty and not curled. 'Then I started wearing oversized thrift clothes, cinching it with a belt, pointy black boots with buckles, and I started to shave my head and have a Mohawk. Also, by then I'd had a lesbian relationship that they all knew about and teased me about. 'I was kind of on the outside. Then true to form, on graduation night, I was actually arrested, because I tried to break into the high school with my then boyfriend to glue the locks shut.' 8 Gillian has been in a long-term relationship with The Crown writer Peter Morgan Credit: Getty 8 Gillian's daughter Piper is one of her three children, she also has two teenage boys Credit: Getty 'I started panicking' Gillian, who has been married twice, currently lives in London where she has been in a long-term relationship with The Crown writer Mum to daughter Piper, 30, and sons Oscar , 18, and 16-year-old Felix, she juggles acting with running the soft drinks company she founded with Peter's son, Robin. And despite being at the top of her game for more than 30 years, she admits she still feels insecure at times. On "She is a big deal in the UK. And she's a very divisive character and however people feel about her, there's no middle ground — they either absolutely hate her or they love her. "So I knew people felt very strongly, and obviously I wanted to do a good job. So I felt quite a lot of pressure.' She added: 'Most of the time when I show up to work, particularly at the beginning of a job, I think I am going to be fired. 'Every single job, the first two days are hell. Literally I think that I'm going to be fired and that the producers are huddling around the monitor. I'm literally going, 'Oh my God, what have I done?' 'And so the point is that I can do that and act as if I am this confident person, despite having panic attacks. 'If I can do those things, then as far as I'm concerned, anybody can.' 8 Gillian says she was profoundly affected by The Salt Path story and was excited to film the movie Credit: Kevin Baker/Black Bear
