If the rumours are to be believed, Challengers star Josh O’Connor is in talks to star in Luca Guadagnino’s subsequent homosexual romance movie, Separate Rooms.
Selection has reported that the 33-year-old actor will tackle the lead position within the newest queer movie from the Name Me By Your Identify director, which is customized from the eponymous novel by late Italian author Pier Vittorio Tondelli.
Separate Rooms follows Leo, an Italian author who meets pianist Thomas whereas travelling via Paris. The pair begin a love affair that lasts a number of years, and whereas they proceed their separate lives in several international locations, they meet incessantly in cities throughout Europe.
Ultimately, tragedy strikes and Leo is left mourning the lack of his real love. O’Connor is reportedly in ultimate talks to tackle the position of Leo, whereas it’s not identified who will star as Thomas.
If O’Connor’s position in Separate Rooms does come to fruition, it will likely be one in every of a number of LGBTQ+ roles taken on by the The Crown actor, regardless of publicly figuring out as straight.
Manner again in 2019, he addressed the age-old query of whether or not straight actors ought to play homosexual roles, merely saying: “I don’t know.”
“I’ve been requested, just a few instances, ought to a straight actor play a homosexual half?” he instructed GQ. “And each time I’ve been trustworthy and stated… I don’t know.
“I’d all the time be actually open about it. Sexuality… is extra difficult than we realise. Simply as [The Descent of Man author] Grayson [Perry] talks about masculinity not being this metal rod, it’s true of queerness, too; it’s fluid and elastic, however we regularly don’t actually have the instruments to articulate that in our tradition.”
Listed here are all of the LGBTQ+ roles Josh O’Connor has performed to date, and people he’s taking up in future.
Cover & Search (2014)
One in every of Josh O’Connor’s earliest roles was within the not-so-critically-acclaimed romantic drama Cover & Search, during which O’Connor performs Max, one in every of 4 associates who transfer from London to the countryside to eschew all social conventions round being in a relationship.
The movie follows {couples} Max and Charlotte (Hannah Arterton), and Leah (Rea Mole) and Jack (Daniel Metz) as they have interaction in scheduled partner-swapping – and sure, that features Leah getting with Charlotte, and Max and Jack being intimate, too.
Cover & Search is accessible to lease or purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV.
Peaky Blinders (2014)
One in every of Josh O’Connor’s earlier TV roles was in Cillian Murphy’s famed interval crime drama Peaky Blinders. He performed the small position of James, buddy and housemate of Ada Thorne (Sophie Rundle) in season two.
When Murphy’s character Tommy Shelby confronts James, suspecting him of being Ada’s new boyfriend, Ada confirms that James is definitely homosexual – regardless of it being unlawful through the early twentieth Century, when Peaky Blinders is about.
Peaky Blinders is accessible to stream on BBC iPlayer.
God’s Personal Nation (2017)
For the queer group, God’s Personal Nation was the movie that put Josh O’Connor on the map. Francis Lee’s multi-award-nominated romantic drama noticed O’Connor play Johnny Saxby, a younger, lonely, and struggling farmer who slowly falls for Gheorghe (Alec Secăreanu), a migrant employee employed to assist out with lambing season on the farm.
Their relationship begins precariously, however earlier than lengthy, they’re having secret intercourse within the farm’s muddy fields.
O’Connor beforehand instructed Perspective journal that he had “dated the Johnny kind prior to now – emotionally inarticulate, unable to like and be liked,” sorts.
God’s Personal Nation was critically-acclaimed upon its launch, and led to O’Connor being nominated for a BAFTA Rising Star award.
God’s Personal Nation is accessible to lease on Prime Video, YouTube, and Apple TV.
The Color of His Hair (2017)
In 2017, Josh O’Connor starred in a little-know quick movie entitled The Color of His Hair, which merged documentary and drama to replicate on what life was like for queer males earlier than and after the partial legalisation of homosexuality in 1967.
The Color of His Hair, which gained the Greatest Documentary Quick award on the London Quick Movie Competition in 2018, is predicated on a script written approach again in 1964 for the Gay Legislation Reform Society, a gaggle of British campaigners who fought for the decriminalisation of gay relationships.
O’Connor performs Peter within the 20-minute movie, who’s in a relationship with John (Sean Coronary heart), and is making an attempt to keep away from being reported to the police.
The Color of His Hair is at the moment out there to stream on Vimeo.
Bonus Monitor (2023)
In a barely totally different feat, Josh O’Connor co-authored the story behind this candy, coming-of-age musical rom com that debuted on the BFI London Movie Competition final yr.
Set in Britain in 2006, Bonus Monitor is about shy 16-year-old George (Joe Anders), who desires of changing into a pop singer. He meets super-cool, super-handsome Max (Samuel Small), who’s the son of a well-known pop duo, who for some motive takes an curiosity in being George’s buddy. From there, their friendship grows nearer than the 2 of them ever anticipated.
O’Connor even has a cameo within the movie, as a masked graffiti artist. So whereas Bonus Monitor isn’t a homosexual position he’s performed, it’s actually a narrative he’s thrown himself into.
Bonus Monitor is at the moment not out there to observe on streaming platforms.
Challengers (2024)
Now, there’s a massive query mark hanging over this Luca Guadagnino-directed movie: Josh O’Connor will play Patrick, a tennis star who goes head-to-head along with his rival, Artwork (Mike Faist) – who simply so occurs to be the husband of his ex-lover, Tashi Duncan (Zendaya).
Within the trailer, we see Tashi encourage the 2 males to battle for her affection, and primarily, it finally ends up being a steamy, sporty, threesome movie. Primarily based on what’s been shared in regards to the movie to date, followers are completely satisfied that Patrick and Artwork gained’t simply be toying round with Tashi, however with one another too.
Look, in case you learn the above plot for Cover & Search, you’ll know that O’Connor is aware of a factor or two about unconventional but extraordinarily thrilling sexual dynamics.
Challengers will land in cinemas on 26 April 2024.
The Historical past of Sound (TBC)
If taking part in homosexual was a enterprise, Josh O’Connor can be a CEO of types (presumably alongside Mary & George‘s Nicholas Galitzine). But on this upcoming historic romantic drama, he’ll be teaming up with a senior associate at Taking part in Homosexual Inc, All of Us Strangers star Paul Mescal.
Primarily based on the eponymous quick story by Ben Shattuck, The Historical past of Sound follows O’Connor as David, a person who will probably be “deeply modified” when he meets Lionel (Mescal). Set through the First World Struggle, the movie sees the younger males “got down to document the lives, voices and music of their countrymen” and fall in love alongside the best way.
No launch date for The Historical past of Sound has been introduced.
Separate Rooms (TBC)
As talked about, that is nonetheless very tentative, however Selection has reported that O’Connor has already began studying Italian for the position of homosexual author Leo in Separate Rooms. Within the movie, Leo falls in love with a pianist, Thomas, in Paris.
Contemplating roles are but to be finalised, it’s unlikely we’ll be seeing this movie earlier than the tip of 2025/early 2026.