Jacob Scipio and Madelaine Petsch’s new romantic comedy, Maintenance Required, doesn’t hold back on the heat — but bringing a sexy scene to life is a lot more technical than it looks.
“We did have an intimacy coordinator for [that scene], which was great because a lot of these things, it looks quite hot and sexy, but there’s nothing less sexy than, like, planning a makeout and doing it in front of 100 crew,” Scipio, 32, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the film’s release. “And the first time you do it, it’s exciting and it’s titillating and all that kind of stuff. But it is a job. By take 15 you’re like, ‘All right, come on, let’s do this dance.’”
He noted that ultimately, being intimate on screen is more akin to delicate “choreography” than anything else, adding that it’s important to draw boundaries. “You have to make sure that everybody’s feeling safe and everybody’s happy,” he explained. “You create parameters, and then you work within those parameters.”
Maintenance Required, which hit Prime Video on Monday, October 6, follows Charlie (Petsch), a mechanic trying to hold on to her all-female run shop after a big name garage moves in nearby. She confides in a stranger named Beau (Scipio) via an online message board about her problem, and the two form a connection.Things then take a turn when her new pen pal turns out to be her real-life business rival.
Scipio told Us it was “so much fun to play against” Petsch in the film, which sees the pair’s characters go from lovers to enemies and back again. He also praised the Riverdale alum for both starring in the project while simultaneously holding down the title of executive producer.
“She brings so much heart and humor and fire to Charlie, [which] she mirrors a lot in real life, because she’s tough and she’s a passionate entrepreneur, and she navigates the setbacks and the challenges of leading an all female crew,” he explained. “But on top of that, Mads was also an executive producer, so some of those battles in real life with her. I was just inspired by how she carried herself on set as a producer and as a costar.”
“Her fingerprints are all over this,” he added with a laugh. “Her greasy, oil-stained fingerprints are all over this, and then they end up all over me.”
Beau and Charlie’s connection on screen is undeniable, which Scipio said was aided by the time he was able to spend with Petsch off screen in the “in between” moments. Still, the actors were careful not to use up all their chemistry before action.
“I feel like we saved a lot of it for on screen, so you get to see all of that passion and drama on the camera,” he added.
Maintenance Required has drawn a lot of comparisons to another famous ‘90s romantic comedy, You’ve Got Mail, starring Meg Ryan as a small business owner who finds her bookstore in jeopardy when Tom Hanks’ corporate book chain moves in across the street. Like in Maintenance Required, neither character realizes their professional competitor is also the anonymous stranger they’ve sparked a romance with via email.
For Scipio, being compared to such an iconic movie — with two unforgettable leads — is nothing but a compliment.
“We’re in good company. This film is part of a long tradition. I mean, our film, for sure, is inspired [by] You’ve Got Mail,” he said. “But that film was based on In the Good Old Summertime in 1949, which was based on The Shop Around the Corner in 1940, which was based on the Hungarian play Parfumerie in 1937. So again, we’re in really good company.”
He continued, “But each version updates the medium. You’ve got letters and shop clerks and email and now with our movie, it’s the digital weight and the world of cars. But the heartbeat doesn’t change. Two people clash in real life, and unknowingly, there’s a deeper connection.”
As a self-proclaimed “hopeless romantic,” Scipio was eager to be a part of that story. “I was really looking forward to stepping into those shoes,” he said. “I’ve never been in a rom-com before. Usually my wheelhouse is big action, explosion, gun shooting. And I’m either playing a bad guy going good or a good guy going bad. Cartel guys and U.S. Marshalls and Army soldiers. So I was really looking forward to playing an every man, and a guy with a big heart.”
Scipio, who looked toward ‘90s R&B to help bring Beau to life, argued that films need to bring back the “yearner”-like characters who risk it all for love. “Standing outside of your crushes house in the rain with a boombox in a silk shirt, like, on your knees,” he said with a smile.
He added that now is also the right time to celebrate the recent rom-com Renaissance, as the world needs a reminder that “there’s love out there,” even in the “unexpected places.”
“I don’t expect this film to change the world, but [rom-coms] can change an opinion, and they can make you smile, and they can make you happy, and perhaps look at life a little bit differently,” he told Us. “I just want people to be uplifted and inspired and seen when the credits roll. And if you’ve risked your heart or chased a big dream or struggled with your identity, this movie is about those universal moments that shape us all.”
Maintenance Required is streaming on Prime Video now.
