Naomie Harris and Black Bag costar Regé-Jean Page became acquainted quickly while filming director Steven Soderbergh’s new spy thriller.

“My first scene with Regé was actually a love scene,” recalls Harris. “So it was literally like, ‘Hi. Okay, we’re going to get into bed together.’ ”

“With anybody else, it would’ve been so awkward, but he is so generous as a performer,” Harris, 48, continues of Page, 37. “He has a great sense of humor as well, actually. He’s really sensitive and considerate and just a kind person. So it was no problem.”

“He called me and he was like, ‘Do you want an intimacy coordinator? And anytime you don’t feel comfortable, just let me know.’ I was like, ‘No, I don’t need an intimacy coordinator. I feel totally comfortable with you. It’s really fine,’ ” she recalled.

“It’s always a little scary, like meeting someone and then simulating a sex scene — but then that was removed from the movie,” she adds, recalling how Soderbergh switched gears.

“Steven was like, ‘No, no, no, you’re going to be clothed and you’re just going to be talking.’ I was like, ‘Oh, okay. Great.’ ”

In the film, Harris and former Bridgerton star Page play lovers as well as coworkers at a British spy agency. Their colleague (Michael Fassbender) is tasked with finding out if his wife and fellow spy (Cate Blanchett) is the traitor guilty of a security breach. The movie costars Pierce Brosnan, Marisa Abela and Tom Burke.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“I was completely blindsided by the script,” Harris says of first reading the twisty story.

“I loved the idea of an ensemble piece where everybody has fully rounded, fully fleshed characters with their own secret agendas,” adds the Moonlight Oscar nominee. 

“And I loved the fact that I couldn’t work out until the very end what was going on, who was against who. I loved the intrigue of all that,” says Harris.

“I think there are very few really sexy, adult movies that also manage to tell a great story in 90 minutes as well. You don’t have to sit there for 230 minutes or whatever — which I appreciate!” 

Black Bag is in theaters March 14.