Ethan Coen and his wife Tricia Cooke are talking about having sex while other people are in the room. Not now, in their marriage, you understand – Total Film is not in the habit of prying into the intimate details of its interviewees’ relationships. But back in the day, in their youth.
‘Yes, I’ve certainly lived through something like that,’ says Cooke with an expression that falls somewhere between a grin and a grimace. ‘I had a roommate in college who liked to bring men home. We shared a room. You have to zone out and find a different place to be, intellectually.’ Coen is smirking. ‘I’m not gonna make it personal and tell you about… But yes, it’s everyone’s nightmare,’ he nods. ‘You don’t want to hear other people’s sex: “Oh my god. Let me crawl into a hole. Let me not be here.”’