Elizabeth Hurley isn’t only Damian Hurley’s mother—she’s his best friend, number one supporter, and a lead in his directorial debut titled Strictly Confidential. The English model and actor is best known for her roles in the Austin Powers franchise and for launching her own beachwear collection, but she stepped out of her comfort zone while filming her son’s racy thriller in the Caribbean last summer.
During a recent appearance on Access Hollywood, the mother-son duo revealed the origin of the film’s premise and how Damian swindled his famous mom into portraying one of the main characters—a role that included several sex scenes.
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“As a kid, he was making short movies the entire time,” Elizabeth said of her son’s passion for filmmaking. She joked that Damian would “bully” her into appearing in “his baby films,” with the added promise that once he made it, she would star in his first “real” movie.
Fast-forward many years later, and Elizabeth is keeping her promise.
“We went out to the Caribbean and we made it in 18 days. It was terrifying,” Damian said of the experience.
Strictly Confidential follows a young, grieving woman named Mia, who attends a reunion to commemorate the anniversary of her best friend's death. “Once on the island, Mia is plagued by suspicions that there’s more to Rebecca’s death than meets the eye; gradually, she learns that both Rebecca’s family and each of the guests are harboring a deadly secret, all with direct ties to Rebecca,” reads a synopsis posted on the movie’s website.
Characters are “drawn into a world of sex, duplicity and betrayal,” as is evident in the film’s trailer, which features clips of Elizabeth undressing and getting intimate with several of her co-stars.
While the idea of a 21-year-old son directing his mother in various sex scenes has raised a few eyebrows, the pair argued it wasn’t awkward at all. Elizabeth even went so far as to call it a “liberating” experience.
"It's relaxing knowing someone's behind the camera who looks out for you…because you know the things that his script needed me to do in this weren't necessarily things I had always done in movies many times before, but having him there meant that I felt safe and looked after,” she explained on TV.
Elizabeth said it was a relief to know her son “would look after" her during both filming and post-production.
“It's kind of liberating to work with your family. I may do it again,” she quipped.
Damian explained that he was unfazed by the whole arrangement having grown up in show business. Access Hollywood host Kit Hoover then pointed out that Damian is also the photographer behind Elizabeth’s bikini photoshoots, so the pair are rather comfortable around each other in scenarios that others may deem awkward.
"People find this really controversial," Damian said of the bikini photos. "We're in the business. Show business has been a fundamental part of my entire life, so for us, it's just not a thing. It's just part of business. She takes my photos, I take her photos.”
Elizabeth countered that she’d rather be photographed by someone close to her than a stranger.
“I’m relaxed in front of him, too. He looks out for me,” she said of her son.
