Michelle Williams Not Ashamed for Her Kids to See Dying for Sex: ‘They Can Learn What I Was Doing When I Wasn’t with Them’

Michelle Williams is fine with her four children someday watching her new FX on Hulu series Dying for Sex — which has a TV-MA rating and is intended for “mature audiences only” — whenever they’re ready.

During a virtual critics press conference ahead of sexual self-discovery dramady Dying for Sex’s April 4 premiere, the actress, 44, answered a critic who had asked if she had any reservations and how it felt “acting out all these very different and very impressive variations of orgasms.”

In Dying for Sex, the five-time Oscar nominee plays Molly, who goes on a post-divorce sexual exploration determined to have her first orgasm following her terminal diagnosis of stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. 

“Somewhere maybe like in the way, way, way back of my head, I hear somebody saying to me, ‘don’t do something that your grandmother couldn’t see,’ but also in the forefront of my mind, what I hear is like, ‘do make things that you would want your children to see, age-appropriate,’ but I want to leave a record of who I was,” Williams said.

“And if my children are interested in it, they can pick that up and they can learn what I was doing when I wasn’t with them,” she continued.

Williams also said she stands by taking the role.

“I’ve always wanted to make something that I would feel proud of and that even [my kids] as they grew up could feel a deeper understanding of who I was and what I was interested in,” she emphasized. “And, so, I stand behind this, and went wholeheartedly into the experience.”

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.

The Brokeback Mountain star previously told PEOPLE about working with a “wonderful intimacy coordinator” while filming Dying for Sex, which also stars Jenny Slate, Rob Delaney, Jay Duplass and Sissy Spacek.

“Not just making sure that every actor felt safe and like their boundaries were respected, but that they were also allowed to have private conversations,” Williams recalled. “I think that’s actually what’s so important about an intimacy coordinator, is that you’re allowed to have a private conversation ahead of time.”

The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more!

“You know that your scene partner feels safe, feels understood, and whatever trauma or past they bring inherently as a human being who’s walked a long road to get here,” she explained. “They’re going to be safe and that’s going to be protected and taken care of, and they don’t have to explain that to a million people or ask for permission.”

All eight episodes of Dying for Sex are now streaming on Hulu.