'American Gigolo' TV series cast: Jon Bernthal stars in remake of iconic Richard Gere hit from 1980
Revamped from the old movie 'American Gigolo', the new series of the same name is a present-day reimagining of the iconic 1980s film. It follows Julian Kaye (Jon Bernthal) after his wrongful conviction release from 15 years in prison as he navigates his complicated relationships with his former lover Michelle (Gretchen Mol), his troubled mother, and the people who betrayed him. While Julian struggles to harmonize the escort he was in the past and the man he is today, Detective Sunday (Rosie O'Donnell) seeks the truth about the murder that sent Julian to prison all those years ago, unearthing a much larger conspiracy along the way. The series will premiere on Friday, September 9, 2022, on Showtime.
The movie is iconic and was scandalous when it was first released. It tells the story of a high-priced escort in Los Angeles who becomes romantically involved with a prominent politician's wife, while simultaneously becoming the prime suspect in a murder case. It is also notable for its Golden Globe Award-nominated musical score, composed by Giorgio Moroder, and number-one single 'Call Me' by Blondie.
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In the OG movie viewers saw Richard Gere as Julian Kay, Lauren Hutton as Michelle Stratton, Bill Duke as Leon James, Hector Elizondo as Detective Joe Sunday, Frances Bergen as Mrs Laudner, Carol Bruce as Mrs Sloan, K Callan as Lisa Williams, Carole Cook as Mrs Dobrun, Cindy Morgan as Jillian Summerset, David Cryer as Lieutenant Curtis, Richard Derr as Mr Williams, Nina van Pallandt as Anne, and Robert Wightman as Floyd Wicker.
The film is notable for establishing Gere as a leading man and was one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to include frontal male nudity by its main star. The film is widely credited with having established the Giorgio Armani brand in Hollywood because the Italian designer's clothes are featured prominently in Julian Kay's wardrobe. When Gere replaced Travolta as Julian, the designer's team had to make new clothing for him as Travolta is 6 ft 2 tall, a few inches taller than Gere.
In October 2014, Jerry Bruckheimer announced plans to adapt the film into a television series. In October 2016, it was announced that Neil Labute will write the series for Showtime. On June 15, 2021, Showtime greenlighted a production series consisting of 10 episodes. David Hollander will be writing, directing, and running the series. He is also expected to executive produce alongside Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, and KristieAnne Reed. Jon Bernthal, Rosie O’Donnell, Lizzie Brocheré, and Leland Orser were cast in starring roles, while Wayne Brady was cast to guest star.
Jon Bernthal, who also starred in 'Ford vs Ferrari', recently wrapped production on features 'King Richard' and 'The Many Saints of Newark'. On television, he’s known for his starring role as Frank Castle on 'The Punisher' and Shane Walsh on 'The Walking Dead'.
