Adam Lambert shares unimpressed reaction to Theo James wanting to play George Michael
James said he’d ‘love’ to play the ‘Careless Whisper’ vocalist on screen if the opportunity came up
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Adam Lambert has shared an unenthusiastic response to the suggestion that Theo James should play George Michael in a future biopic.
James, who starred in the most recent season of The White Lotus, appeared on the Bravo talk show Watch What Happens Live last week.
Sat next to co-star Meghann Fahy, James responded to a question about whether he’d be interested in playing the pop star in a possible movie about his life.
“Oh yeah, I would love that, he’s an icon,” he replied. “He’s a lot of Greek, and I’m a lot of Greek. Put that Greek together, and you get falafel.”
However, when the online publication The Advocate shared the story on social media, frequent Queen collaborator Lambert didn’t hesitate to share his feelings about the possible casting.
“Yay another straight man playing a gay icon,” he commented on Tuesday (17 January), adding an eye-roll emoji to further express his distaste.
Elsewhere in the comments, some George Michael fans expressed similar hesitations about the possibility of the actor portraying the former Wham! star, with one stating: “There are more than enough deserving queer actors that could get this role!”
Meanwhile, others argued that, as a performer, James should be able to play who he wants, regardless of his real-life sexuality. One commenter responded to Lambert with: “Ummm, sir, he’s ACTING. That’s kind of the point. It’s not a documentary!”
In recent years, this conversation has gained traction after prominent gay figures Elton John and Freddie Mercury were portrayed by non-gay actors (Taron Egerton and Rami Malek respectively).
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members)
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members)
However, George Michael’s estate later released a statement that denies the existence of any current plans to release a film on his life.
“To all of George’s Lovelies, fans and lovers of his music, a story has been published stating that George Michael’s family has endorsed a so-called ‘biopic’ about his life,” it said.
“On behalf of George’s family and [George Michael Entertainment] we want to make it clear that there is no truth whatsoever in this story, we know nothing about this project and will not be endorsing it in any way.”
Michael died on Christmas Day in 2016.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments