Kate Winslet scheduled sex scene with Saoirse Ronan to coincide with her birthday

Intimate scenes can be an uncomfortable experience for actors, but Kate Winslet had an idea in mind to make it memorable.

During the filming of romantic drama Ammonite, the actor requested to reschedule her sex scene to coincide with co-star Saoirse Ronan’s birthday. As far as birthday presents go, it’s certainly unique.

The Francis Lee-directed film is a fictional take on the life of 19th century paleontologist Mary Anning, and her romance with the young woman she's been entrusted with, Charlotte Murchison.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Winslet explained the curious decision:

I just wanted her to have, frankly, a great memory in her film life, regardless of how the scene played out or the movie turned out. I knew that it would be [great] just because of the experience that we would share together. I knew that it would be very equal.

For their climactic sex scene, the two chose to not rehearse or block beforehand and choreographed the sequence themselves. Only female crew members were allowed on set during filming.

Regardless, it seems like the scene turned out well in the end according to Winslet. "I just could feel that Saoirse and I had the same ideas in terms of what we wanted to express in the scene," she said. “We were on the same page in terms of that."

As one fan also pointed out, the sex scenes in Todd Haynes’ acclaimed film Carol were filmed on Rooney Mara’s birthday.

The actor described the day as “a birthday I will not soon forget.” So it's practically a tradition at this point.

Well, that’s one way to celebrate a birthday.