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Downton Star Opens Up About OCD Fears That Almost Ruined Her Kissing Scenes!

BBG News

Actress Tuppence Middleton, best known for her role in Downton Abbey, has disclosed that her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) led to intense, unfounded worries about filming kissing scenes with fellow actors.

As I shared the stage with Johnny Flynn portraying Richard Burton while I played Elizabeth Taylor, I found myself gripped by fear that his children might pass on norovirus to him. In turn, I was concerned he’d transmit it to me amidst our close, intimate scenes.

In her memoir, “Scorpions,” Ms. Middleton narrates her struggle with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a condition which causes her to repetitively open and close a door up to eight times before she leaves a room.

Additionally, she revealed that OCD functions like a persistent hum in the backdrop of her existence, severely impacting her professional journey.

In fact, it led to her not wanting to do kissing scenes.

In an interview with Bryony Gordon for her “Life of Bryony” podcast airing on Monday, the 38-year-old celebrity shared that she needed to work closely with Johnny Flynn in rehearsals, requiring frequent physical contact and even kisses.

At that moment, one concern I had was openly shared with him, and he was quite forthcoming about it.

I can’t help but express my concerns, fearing that perhaps your little ones might catch the norovirus. If that happens, I imagine you’d be up all night tending to them.

‘And then you’ll have it before I even know that you have it, while it’s incubating in your system.

In the realm of shared experiences, when we’re practicing together, you’ll hand it over to me. A few days down the line, you might start experiencing symptoms, but here’s the twist – by then, I would have already figured out that I’ve contracted it. It’s a bit like a dance of sorts, where unknowingly we’re both stepping into the same circle.

If you speak in tongues, it increases the likelihood of contamination… that region is particularly risky for someone suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), she noted.

In 2023, they both appeared in a play named “The Motive and the Cue” at the National Theatre, directed by Sam Mendes.

Ms. Middleton shared that at times, the condition can be so intense that she requests her partner to verify if the stair gate is closed for their child, even though she’s aware she has already taken care of it herself.

She mentioned that Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can lead to a stage in one’s life where she believes some individuals may have fully overcome it. However, she feels that for her, it seems more like something she learns to manage and live with, experiencing different intensities at various points.

‘The problem is that there’s always something new, always a new environment.. 

Each task I undertake presents a fresh group of individuals, a different environment, and novel habits I must develop. For me, this equates to adapting my check-up methods anew.

‘Then, having a child became a new thing to fixate on. Is she getting ill? Is the stair gate shut?

I’ll look at something for such a prolonged period that I become doubtful about what I’m seeing, despite knowing I’ve closed my eyes. I start to think I haven’t actually shut them, which leads to increasing uncertainty.

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2025-02-24 01:50

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