Over the years, we’ve heard some candid stories about what it’s like to film a scene involving nudity. However, I can safely say I had never heard one that involved a butt sunburn. That all changed, though, when Rudy Pankow explained how he got a very unfortunate sunburn while preparing to film a naked scene in the book-to-screen adaptation of Reminders of Him.
How Rudy Pankow Ended Up With A Sunburn On His Butt
As reviews for Reminders of Him come out, and the cast promotes the release of the Colleen Hoover adaptation on the 2026 movie schedule, Rudy Pankow dropped by Today to talk about his experience working on this romantic drama. He also shared the story of how he wound up sunburning his butt, and he started by explaining:
It’s a nude scene, and when I read it on the page, I was like, ‘Yeah, you know, I want to do this right. I want to get everything the same color, you know?’
So, what did he do to get “everything the same color?” He went outside to tan. Although, before he did that, his girlfriend warned him about what could happen if he stayed in the sun for too long, as he recalled:
And so, I was like, ‘No, I’m going to get everything close.’ And so I told my girlfriend, ‘I’m going to go out and lie in the backyard.’ And she was like, ‘OK, just don’t be out there for too long.’ And I was like, ‘OK.’
Well, he ended up being outside for “two and a half hours,” and tragically, he was not wearing sunscreen. In Pankow’s words, he “wanted to commit.” However, he committed too hard, because when his girlfriend returned, he was significantly redder than he was when she left:
I was face down. She got back, and she was like, ‘I thought I saw two red floaties in the pool or something!’ And I ran inside. I looked like a baboon. I, like, didn’t pull my pants down all the way…And, so I tried to fix that. That didn’t work.
So, with a new sunburn on his cheeks, Pankow had to pack up and go to Calgary to film Reminders of Him. And sadly, as he traveled, he “got more red,” and on the day they were set to film, things got worse as he “started to peel.” Thankfully, the hair and makeup department knew how to fix this.
How The Makeup And Hair Department Fixed His Butt Sunburn
You know, considering Rudy Pankow’s time in the Outer Banks cast (you can stream the North Carolina-set show with a Netflix subscription), you'd think that the former JJ actor would know exactly how to get tan, stay tan and avoid sunburn. However, sometimes, the sun just gets you. I know I’ve been there. So, the actor had to fess up to his unfortunate burn once he got to the Reminders of You set, as he explained:
My girlfriend is like, ‘You need to tell hair and makeup now.’ So, I was like, ‘OK.’ I walked into hair and makeup like dog with its tail between its legs, and I was like ‘Guys, I did something. And with your consent, can I show you my butt?’
After explaining what had happened to the makeup and hair team, he noted that they knew what to do immediately and fixed the problem swiftly and professionally. Explaining how the crew helped him cover up his sunburnt butt, the actor said:
And immediately, everyone knew exactly [what happened], and they were so professional. And they were like, ‘How bad, Rudy?’ And I was like, ‘I’ll just show you.’ And they were like, ‘That’s bad.’ They took the tanner and sprayed me down like a car. And then my cheeks never looked better on screen.
Well, it sounds like it all worked out in the end. However, while he says his butt looks great in the movie, I’d wager it really hurt to sit for quite a while. But, all is well now, and he’s lived to tell the tale, which was one the Today anchors and I were very entertained by.
Now, to see the movie that this whole situation is related to, you can catch Reminders of Him in theaters starting March 13. In it, Pankow plays Scotty, the late love of Maika Monroe’s Kenna. The story is a dramatic romance about loss and second chances, as Kenna returns to her hometown to meet her young daughter after spending years in prison over an accident that led to Scotty’s death. While there, she develops a relationship with Tyriq Withers’ character Ledger.
Our review gave Reminders of Him three out of five stars, calling it “the best Colleen Hoover movie.” So, it sounds like it will be a good watch in theaters, and as you take in this emotional story, you’ll also get to see the scene that features a very sunburnt Rudy Pankow.
