Actress who stars as sex addict took parents to see film

The actress who plays the lead role of a sex addict in controversial new film Nymphomaniac, featuring real sex scenes, has revealed she took her parents along to a screening.

Stacy Martin, a 22-year-old former model who makes her acting debut in the role of Joe in Lars Von Trier’s new film, said she sat with them to help put them at ease.

Martin stars with Shia LaBeouf, Uma Thurman, Christian Slater and Jamie Bell in the Danish director’s four-hour epic — which has been divided into two parts for cinematic release — although porn actor body doubles are used for scenes featuring real sex.

Charlotte Gainsbourg plays an older Joe who recounts her life story to an old man she meets, played by Stellan Skarsgard.

Martin said of her parents: “They had to see it, because it’s been everywhere, I think they would have been quite confused and scared.

“So I just mentioned, ’I’m doing the new Lars Von Trier film... it’s called Nymphomaniac.’ ’Oh what are you going to be playing?’. ’The nymphomaniac.’ Oh OK ... OK, good...’

“But they were really supportive, thank God,” she said in an interview with the Press Association.

Martin, who began working as a model aged 18, admitted it was a strange experience having her body matched up with a porn actor double.

“I met my porn double, I didn’t discuss the scenes with them,” she said.

Martin thinks audiences will be surprised by the film.