When Love and Other Drugs hit theaters in 2010, the conversation wasn't just about the pharmaceutical industry or the heartbreaking reality of early-onset Parkinson’s. It was about the skin. Specifically, it was about Anne Hathaway in Love and Other Drugs and the surprisingly bold, raw way the film handled physical intimacy.
People expected a standard rom-com. What they got was a lot more vulnerable.
Honestly, at the time, seeing an A-list star like Hathaway—who was still shaking off her Princess Diaries image—go that far was a shock to the system. But if you look at the actual production, it wasn't about being provocative for the sake of a higher rating. It was a conscious choice by the director, Edward Zwick, and the actors to show what a "real" relationship looks like when it's built on a foundation of lust before it ever reaches love.
The Rehearsal Incident Nobody Lets Her Forget
One of the funniest, and kinda cringey, stories from the set involves a massive misunderstanding during a rehearsal. Hathaway has mentioned this in a few interviews over the years, usually with a self-deprecating laugh.
💡 You might also like: Charlize Theron Sweet November: Why This Panned Rom-Com Became a Cult Favorite
There’s a scene where her character, Maggie, shows up at Jamie’s (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) house wearing nothing but a trench coat. During what she thought was a live take, Hathaway dropped the coat and stood there completely exposed.
The problem? They weren't filming.
It was just a rehearsal. She basically got "unnecessarily naked" in front of the entire crew while the cameras were cold. She later admitted that she was trying to play it cool and act like it didn't bother her, but internally, she was a nervous wreck. It's those human moments that remind you that even Oscar winners find these scenes incredibly daunting.
📖 Related: Charlie Charlie Are You Here: Why the Viral Demon Myth Still Creeps Us Out
Why the Nudity Actually Mattered
Most movies use sex as a montage or a "fade to black" moment. In Love and Other Drugs, the physical stuff is the plot.
Maggie Murdock is a woman who uses her body as a shield. Because she’s terrified of the future—specifically how Parkinson's will eventually take away her autonomy—she keeps things strictly physical. She thinks that if she stays "just a body" to Jamie, he can't get close enough to be hurt when her health declines.
A Few Facts About the Production:
- Final Cut Rights: Both Hathaway and Gyllenhaal actually had "final cut" authority over their nude scenes. Hathaway reportedly used this to trim about five seconds from a scene where she felt the camera lingered just a bit too long without adding anything to the story.
- The Preparation: To get comfortable, the duo spent two weeks in a room with Zwick, watching racy European films like 9 Songs and Last Tango in Paris. They wanted to understand how to make the camera feel like an observer of intimacy rather than a voyeur.
- Body Makeup Woes: Keeping things professional on set is harder than it looks. Hathaway found that every time she put her robe back on between takes to stay warm, it rubbed off her body makeup. This would add 20 minutes of reapplying time to the schedule, so eventually, she just stopped wearing the robe as often to keep the momentum going.
Breaking the "Good Girl" Typecast
Before this role, Hathaway was largely seen as the "America's Sweetheart" type. Brokeback Mountain (where she also worked with Gyllenhaal) started to shift that, but Love and Other Drugs shattered it. She wasn't just doing a "brave" role; she was leaning into the messy, unglamorous side of chronic illness and sexual desperation.
👉 See also: Cast of Troubled Youth Television Show: Where They Are in 2026
The chemistry between the two leads is what made it work. They were already friends, which meant they could bypass that awkward "nice to meet you, let's take our clothes off" phase. Gyllenhaal has joked that he and Zwick spent a lot of time "wooing" Anne to make sure she felt safe and supported before she signed on.
The Technical Side of Being "Naked"
Director Ed Zwick has been pretty open about the "tools of the trade" used in these scenes. While the actors were very exposed, Hollywood has its tricks. They used things like "merkins" (pubic hair wigs) and flesh-colored patches to keep things within legal and comfort boundaries.
Interestingly, Zwick once told a story about how he tried to lighten the mood by jumping into bed with the actors for a photo—while secretly taking his own pants off under the covers to show them he was "in it" with them. It sounds wild, but it apparently worked to break the tension.
How to Watch it Today
If you’re revisiting the film now, it’s worth looking past the headlines. The nudity in Love and Other Drugs serves a specific purpose: it shows two people who are literally and figuratively "exposed" to one another. It's about the fear of being seen for who you really are—shaky hands and all.
Next Steps for Film Buffs:
- Watch the "Un-Convention" Scene: This is the emotional heart of the movie where the physical intimacy finally translates into emotional vulnerability.
- Compare the Source Material: Read Jamie Reidy’s memoir, Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman. You’ll see that the movie added the entire Maggie storyline to give the pharmaceutical satire some actual soul.
- Check the Deleted Scenes: Many DVD and Blu-ray versions include bits that were trimmed to keep the R-rating from sliding into NC-17 territory.