Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge reflect on the real love story behind ‘Spoiler Beware’

After appearing in the original queer dramas “Normal Heart” and “Boys in the Band” Jim Parsons really wanted to play a character who didn’t “suffer from his homosexuality”.

The Big Bang Theory star found the role he was looking for in “Beware, spoilers”, an adaptation of the novel by Michael Osiello. 2017 memoir. The romantic drama opened in select cities on Friday ahead of a nationwide release next week.

“I play a guy who – in a rush of love, excitement and romance – is on an incredible journey that he can’t believe he’s there, and then, with tragedy, embarks on an incredible journey again,” Parsons told HuffPost. . “This is a deep journey that these two souls are taking together. I was very hungry to be able to portray it the best I could.”

Watch the “Spoiler Beware” trailer above.

Jim Parsons (left) and Ben Aldridge "Beware, spoilers."
Jim Parsons (left) and Ben Aldridge in Spoiler Warning.

Linda Callerus/Focus Features

Directed by Michael Showalter, “Spoiler Beware” follows Osiello (played by Parsons), a charmingly nerdy journalist who falls for aspiring photographer Keith Cowan (Ben Aldridge), after the dance floor to meet, nice. Soon, the two men are living together and hosting dinner parties in their posh New York apartment. However, their 13-year relationship is put to the test when Cowen is diagnosed with a rare form of neuroendocrine cancer.

The real Cowan is dead in 2015 at the age of 43, and as a love story, “Spoiler Beware” brings tears first and foremost. However, there is a lot of humor and heart in the film, especially in scenes that are reminiscent of the early days of Osiello and Cowen’s romance. It also boasts a stellar supporting cast including Sally Field and Bill Irwin as Cowan’s parents, Bob and Marilyn.

Osiello, founder and editor-in-chief of the entertainment portal. TVLinebegan writing “Spoiler Warning” at the suggestion of book publisher Simon & Schuster, who drew attention to his Facebook status throughout Cowan’s illness.

Writer Michael Osiello (left) with Parsons and Aldridge.
Writer Michael Osiello (left) with Parsons and Aldridge.

Kimberley White via Getty Images

A week after the book was published in 2017, he was approached by Parsons and his husband, Todd Spivak. at Q&A in San Francisco tell him that they wanted to adapt the book as a movie.

When it came to translating his story, the writer had only one stipulation for screenwriters David Marshall Grant and Dan Savage.

“I didn’t want Keith to be portrayed as a victim in the film,” said Osiello, also the film’s executive producer. “He was not a victim, he did not consider himself a victim and he never behaved like a victim. I also wanted to portray the fact that his parents came for their son when he got sick. They didn’t shy away from difficult things. They were there for their son.”

Following Osiello’s advice, Aldridge uses Keith’s cheerful charm even as his body dies of cancer. Actor, whose merits include “Rubbish” as well as “pennyworth,described the experience as “very uplifting and exhilarating”.

“It’s important to risk rejection and risk heartbreak to live life to the fullest,” said Parsons (right, with co-star Sally Field).

Linda Callerus/Focus Features

Although “Spoiler Beware” is not an overtly political film, its stars are aware of the fact that it is coming to the screens. in difficult times for the queer community. Extremely conservative Supreme Court rulings on abortion and gun control have recently sparked an uproar. reasonable fear many Americans believe that LGBTQ rights, including same-sex marriage, may soon be rollback at the federal level.

“If he changed his mind, it would be incredible – I couldn’t ask for more,” Aldridge said. “But we just saw a chance to tell a story that felt real to us. Love is love, and this film is the real proof of that.”

As for Parsons, his biggest takeaway from Spoiler Warning is personal.

“While filming, I realized that one of the most painful things in my life is what I do with myself, which is not telling other people when I love them or when I care about them out of fear of rejection or for fear of looking sentimental or caring more than it can be cool,” he said. “It’s important to risk rejection and risk grief in order to live life to the fullest.”