Michael Angarano, who stars alongside Elle Fanning in the upcoming series Margo’s Got Money Troubles, has revealed that filming their sex scenes for the OnlyFans-themed comedy-drama was approached more like stunt work — and left him feeling “sore”.
Angarano, 38, appears with Fanning in the storyline turning point that sets her character, Margo Millet, on a difficult new course. After a life-altering encounter, Margo ends up creating explicit content on an adult subscription platform — including dressing up as an alien — as she tries to make ends meet.
In the show, Angarano plays Mark, Margo’s married English professor. Their encounter results in Margo becoming pregnant, and while those around her encourage her to have an abortion, she chooses to continue the pregnancy — a decision that quickly becomes financially destabilising.
Before the series lands on Apple TV on Wednesday, April 15, the Oppenheimer actor spoke about what it was like filming intimate scenes with his 28-year-old co-star, particularly with Fanning’s older sister — and fellow producer — Dakota Fanning present during production.
Speaking in an exclusive chat with People, Angarano described the process behind filming the sex scenes and said the production treated them with the same planning and precision as physical action beats: “We had rehearsals that were for our sex scenes, but they called it stunt rehearsals, and it was actually kind of fun thinking of it like stunt work.”
He added that the work was physically taxing, noting he felt “sore after”, though he also said the experience helped strengthen his rapport with Fanning, whom he described as “really fun” to collaborate with.
Angarano also explained that having a pre-existing friendship with his co-star brought an extra layer to shooting intimate material, saying: “We’ve known each other as friends, and, you know … I was really excited to do it with her because it’s such a complicated relationship.
“It’s so dimensional and heavy, and … I think the show does a really good job of this in general, where it presents very dysfunctional, flawed people, but doesn’t really judge them.”
He went on to say he enjoyed portraying a character who complicates the story and invites strong opinions from the audience: “I think a lot of people would cast aspersions about their relationship. It’s inappropriate, it’s many things, and he does not treat it well, but it was really fun. It was just a really fun thing to explore,”
Margo’s Got Money Troubles is based on the novel by Rufi Thorpe and examines how modern ideas about femininity, feminism, and sex work collide in an age of adult creators, viral fame, and the possibility of huge earnings — while still focusing on the harsher realities many face. Early screenings have reportedly drawn strong reactions, with positive reviews praising its sharp tone and layered storytelling.
The show’s early buzz is also fuelled by its high-profile cast. Nick Offerman plays Margo’s estranged father — a former wrestler dealing with addiction — while Michelle Pfeiffer stars as her mother, an ex-Hooters server navigating her own complicated relationship with Margo.
Fanning has also spoken about what led her to the role, explaining that her sister Dakota helped bring the project to her attention and remained a steady presence during filming.
“She absolutely loved the book and was really taken with it as well, and she was on set a lot, and she’s kind of my interpreter, you know?” the A Complete Unknown actor explained to People.
“Sometimes I can get a little heady and I have all these big ideas, and then she kind of makes it happen and grounds me a little bit, and we balance each other out in a business sense in a really nice way.”