About Us
FAKING IT was conceived by Ariel Leigh Cohen and Morgan Smith while nerding out about spicy scenes over cocktails at a dive bar in Los Angeles, when the “we should make a podcast” virus finally caught them.
Join them as they explore intimate scenes from film and TV - the good, the bad, and the cringe!
Meet Ariel
Ariel Leigh Cohen is a podcast host, certified Intimacy Coordinator (IDC), and an Intimacy Director based in Los Angeles, known for her collaborative spirit and nuanced approach to choreographing vulnerability. Since relocating to LA in 2019, she’s found her true calling as an Intimacy Professional, committed to fostering creative environments where every intimate scene is handled with care, clarity, and cultural competence. Before stepping into intimacy work, Ariel spent seven years in New York City writing, directing, and producing original plays, and worked in Props for several Broadway shows in 2019. She made her film directorial debut in 2024 with Exhibition, a bold meditation on desire and disclosure.
Her specialties include period pieces, queer intimacy, kink, DV/Non-Consensual dynamics, and comedy (because awkward, tender, and sexy often go hand in hand). Ariel offers professional, compassionate, and culturally sensitive guidance to ensure every moment of intimacy is safe, intentional, and unforgettable.
Morgan Smith is a podcast host, Intimacy Coordinator, Intimacy Choreographer, and Intimacy Consultant based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in features, pilots, new media, student films, and plays.
Select film work includes the features Find Your Friends, directed by Izabel Pakzad (Industry Select TIFF 2025, Official Selection of Fantasia Film Festival 2025), and Nobody Moves ‘Til Jesus Comes (Official Dances with Films Selection 2024).
Select theater work includes the world premiere of Junk Girls at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2021.
By combining consent-based practices with choreography, she creates environments where artists feel empowered to take bold risks and do their best work. She stays flexible in her approach to support the team in whatever way is the most helpful to them.
Morgan’s specialties include queer intimacy, comedy, drama, as well as consent, complicated consent, and non-consent. She supports productions with inclusive, thoughtful, professional, trauma-informed, and culturally competent choreography.
