If any of the major studios had the brass balls to take on “Behind The Candelabra,” we think Michael Douglas probably would’ve been a no brainer as an Oscar contender, particularly judging by this new trailer unveiled over at The Guardian. It’s a totally transformative performance and it looks like a total blast. While Douglas stuck with the project — put on hold as he battled cancer and revived once he recovered — and was open to all challenges the script brought with it, he did have his limits.
“Liberace loved sex and I didn’t have a problem with that. But, at one point, Steven Soderbergh wanted to show Lee [as Liberace was known] watching a gay porno,” Douglas told Vulture. “I said, ‘Steven—you can’t do this!’ He said, ‘It’s HBO—it’s all right!’ I said, ‘It’s not that: I’d like my kids to see this R-rated movie, but I don’t want to show them a fourteen-inch dick!’ It was the only thing I objected to, so we cut to different parts of the apartment during the porno.”
That one objection aside, Douglas looks to have thrown himself wholly into the movie, but Matt Damon is no slouch either, going from wide-eyed to coddled, manipulated lover, and his co-star applauds his bravery for taking the part. “When Soderbergh said that Matt wanted to play Scott, I was impressed,” Douglas said. “In the prime of my career, I don’t think I’d be choosing to play Scott. I mean, he has to wear a white sequined thong! That takes real guts.”
Co-starring Rob Lowe, Dan Aykroyd, Debbie Reynolds and more, “Behind The Candelabra” premieres on May 21st in Cannes and airs on HBO on May 26th. Watch the new UK trailer below.
I think it is great that Matt Damon took this role it shows he's not afraid to take on a role that most male actors around his age would not do. It seems to me most the guys who take on gay roles tend to be younger maybe it is a generational thing. The younger guys don't seem to have a problem playing gay in a movie. However, I recall Mark Wahlberg was offered the role in Brokeback Mountain but he turned it down because he was scared of the gay sex scenes. But Matt Damon has played gay before in the Talented Mr. Ripley so this is good on this part to take on another gay role.
The straight artist exploring gay themes seems to be part of the evolution of a heterosexual worldview; in a way it has little to do with gay people except as the subject matter of the moment. I'm thinking of a development beginning with Brokeback Mountain, in which the director, stars, and screenwriters were all straight, but because of theme it was still considered to be a gay movie. I think it's a good thing, but I think it's wrong to think of it as a gay thing. It's more like gay-adjacent.
and the golden globe
best actor TV movie goes to.. Michael Douglas
Jason Bourne meets glitter encrusted white speedo! How can you say no? Irresistible!