Joely Richardson's lesbian affair on FX's Nip/Tuck has been getting a lot of media attention, and this has come as a surprise to the English actress, especially since this isn't exactly the first time that she has had a same sex experience on screen.

"I have filmed lesbian scenes before with [openly gay actress] Saffron Burrows, so it wasn't exactly new for me,” Richardson is quoted as saying.  “It's hard to say whether I enjoyed it or not.  I don't know if you can enjoy filming an intimate scene with so many people around."

On Nip/Tuck, Joely Richardson plays Julia McNamara, Dr. Sean McNamara's (Dylan Walsh) ex-wife.  Her character's current love interest, Olivia Lord, is being played by Portia De Rossi (Ally McBeal), an openly gay actress who is romantically involved with daytime talk show host and comedienne, Ellen DeGeneres.

Nip/Tuck has always been known to test the limits of sexuality on television.  When news of Richardson and de Rossi's onscreen affair first surfaced, it was accompanied by reports that claimed the actresses' love scenes were so raunchy that even crew members who have grown accustomed to the show's liberated take on sexuality were shocked.

There were also rumors that DeGeneres was not too happy with the extent of de Rossi's onscreen intimacy with Richardson, although the Nip/Tuck star has insisted otherwise.

"Ellen came on set to watch us film it, so it was all fine.  We all get along,” Richardson said.

Ironically, this is the first time that de Rossi has played a lesbian character onscreen. The 34-year-old actress told TV Guide recently that she came to realize that she had spent several years “downplaying” her homosexuality in order to further her career, and in the process, felt dishonest “as an actor because I wasn't honest in my personal life.”

Nip/Tuck airs Tuesday nights at 10pm on FX.


-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: World News Entertainment Network, TV Guide
(Image Courtesy of FX)