Aidan Turner: We need to talk about sex scenes more to make them less 'awkward'

Watch: Aidan Turner on tackling 'awkward' sex scenes

Aidan Turner wants to talk more openly about sex scenes in order to help prevent them becoming "tricky" and "awkward".

The Poldark heartthrob — who is involved in intimate scenes with a male co-star in new TV series Leonardo — admitted discussing sex scenes before they are filmed is often shied away from to avoid embarrassment. But, he adds, this only makes them more uncomfortable for the actors involved.

Turner, 37, told the Radio Times: "Discussions don’t always happen. Some directors don’t know what to say. There can be an awkward atmosphere. No one wants to say or do the wrong thing. Sometimes that means things don’t get discussed properly. It gets avoided and then the situation spirals.

Read more: 'Poldark' star Aidan Turner reveals he is often groped by women

"You want everyone to feel comfortable. If they’re not, sometimes they won’t speak and then things won’t get heard. Those scenes can be tricky. You just question why has it taken so long [to have these experts on set]."

He added: "Everyone has their own experiences with such things and in their own personal lives.

"You don’t know what someone is coming into the scene with. It’s not always the best approach to assume your own history is the same as everyone else’s. I think having somebody to anchor that situation is brilliant."

The Irish actor is perhaps best known for starring as the brooding Poldark in the BBC drama of the same name - which involved many steamy scenes with co-star Eleanor Tomlinson.

In new Amazon Prime show Leonardo he plays Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci.

Though it is not known if the painter, designer and scientist ever had a relationship with a man or a woman, the new six-part series explores the theory that Da Vinci was in a same-sex relationship with his apprentice, Gian Giacomo Caprotti.

Eleanor Tomlinson, 28, who played Poldark's wife Demelza over the five series of the hit show has since called the sex scenes "laughable".

Read more: Poldark actress Eleanor Tomlinson is 'pretty upset' by show's gender pay gap

She revealed: "'There is nothing more strange and terrifying but also in terms of creating a relationship with another actor. Someone that you have never met, or only met a couple of days ago.

"It's hilarious. The sex scenes in Poldark are laughable. What you don't see is that we are both wearing tracksuits under the duvet covers and it is the most unromantic thing imaginable."

Leonardo launches on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, 16 April, 2021.

Watch: Aidan Turner is rumoured to have tied the knot this year