Queer Actors Drew Starkey & Omar Apollo On Luca Guadagnino's Vision And Daniel Craig's Energy (2024)

Luca Guadagnino's latest movie, Queer, has been earning high acclaim since premiering at the Venice Film Festival — especially for Daniel Craig's raw and vulnerable performance. Based on William S. Burroughs' unfinished novel of the same name, Queer features many tropes emblematic of the iconic Beat Generation and specific details from the author's life. The end result is a surreal journey through Mexico and South America in the 1950s, and Guadagnino's vision is aided by a smart script penned by Justin Kuritzkes (who also worked with him on Challengers).

Queer centers on Craig's William Lee, often seen as an avatar for the author himself, who lives in an American expat community in Mexico City. He spends his time stumbling from one physical connection to the next, but things change when he meets Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey, best known for Netflix's Outer Banks). Their tentative romance is the heart of the story, but lest credit not be given where it is due, Queer also owes much of its success to the talented supporting cast, which includes Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville, and newcomer Omar Apollo (who also performs the song "The Maldigo" for the movie).

ScreenRant interviewed Starkey and Apollo about their initial thoughts when it came to Queer, which could be overwhelming for any actor at first glance. The duo also praised Daniel Craig's onscreen magnetism and generosity as a scene partner, which elevated so many of Queer's best moments.

Queer Stars Explain How They Reacted To The Surreal Script & Luca Guadagnino’s Vision

“Justin wrote an incredible script that didn't change much from my first read.”

Screen Rant: I watched Queer a few days ago and still have so many questions rattling around in my brain, How did you each react when you read the script? Were there moments that had you calling up Luca and going, "Explanation, please?"

Drew Starkey: I had met Luca before I'd read the script, so he presented it as kind of a unique experience. He gave his pitch for it and the reasons why he was making it in our first meeting, so I had all this subtext [about] the intention that he wanted to make it with, and how he wanted to shoot it, and what he wanted the world to feel like.

But I thought the script was beautifully done, and Justin wrote an incredible script that didn't change much from my first read to when we were shooting. It was pretty much all there. I just really wanted to do it. I read it, and I was like, "I want to do this."

Screen Rant: Omar, I believe this is your first film acting role, and you get to work alongside Daniel Craig. What was it like acting out such intense moments with him?

Omar Apollo: Which was incredible. I couldn't believe it. Like, "Wow, really?" I'm happy my first moment was gay! [Laughs] That was important to me right out of the gate.

But Luca reached out to me — well, not him directly, but someone on his side of things hit me up on Instagram via DM. I just happened to check it that day, and they were like, "Luca wants you to be in the movie." I was like, "Is this for real or is it a joke?" But then we were on FaceTime a few days later, and he also sent me the script that Justin wrote and told me what part I would play and everything. I was like, "Yeah, it's cool." It seemed pretty easy for my first thing, so I was like, "Okay, cool."

Having Daniel Craig As A Scene Partner Lightens The Load Of Bringing Queer’s Characters To Life

“It's like going your whole life and never seeing your own reflection, and then all of a sudden you pass a mirror.”

Screen Rant: Drew, Allerton is almost an unknowable character at times. He keeps so much of himself hidden from Lee, even as they engage in this romance. Can you talk about balancing those sides of him?

Drew Starkey: Yeah, he was unknowable to me for a lot of it too. It felt like he was hiding from me in a way, but he also felt very close to home with myself. He's unknowable, but I think it's partly intentional on his part. That's what he's putting out to Lee, who may be the first person in his life that's made him feel as vulnerable as he does ever.

It's like going your whole life and never seeing your own reflection, and then all of a sudden you pass a mirror, or someone presents a mirror to you, and you see yourself for the first time. That would be jarring and hard to grapple with, so I think Lee in a way is serving as a mirror for himself, and that's a scary thing. it's just a matter of if he wants to keep looking, but, but it was challenging.

There are not a lot of words on the page, but working with Daniel and just playing off of him? He does all the work.

Omar Apollo: Yeah, his performance gets you. It's like an energy exchange. He starts it for you, and you're just bouncing off the energy. He's incredible.

Read More About Queer (2024)

1950. William Lee, an American expat in Mexico City, spends his days almost entirely alone, except for a few contacts with other members of the small American community. His encounter with Eugene Allerton, an expat former soldier, new to the city, shows him, for the first time, that it might be finally possible to establish an intimate connection with somebody.

Check back soon for our other Queer interview here:

• Justin Kuritzkes

Source: Screen Rant Plus

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Queer

Drama

Biography

History

An American expat in 1950s Mexico City, struggling with isolation and the remnants of his past, becomes infatuated with a younger man, sparking an intense and obsessive relationship.

Director

Luca Guadagnino

Release Date

October 6, 2024

Writers

William S. Burroughs , Justin Kuritzkes

Cast

Daniel Craig , Jason Schwartzman , Lesley Manville , Drew Starkey , David Lowery , Henrique Zaga , Ariel Schulman , Colin Bates

Runtime

135 Minutes

Main Genre

Drama