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Fans of the 1980 neo-noir, American Gigolo, have something to look forward to over the coming weeks. A Showtime series of the same name recently premiered and even though it was advertised as a remake, it revives and continues the movie’s events. A year ago, making a sequel four decades later might have seemed like a misguided move but the recent success of Top Gun: Maverick proved that audiences are still keen on the continuation of old tales.
Unlike the Tom Cruise flick, the Showtime series doesn’t mark the return of lead actor Richard Gere. The role is taken over by Jon Bernthal. Alongside him are a number of established cast members as well as newcomers to the TV and movie industries. So, which other projects have the actors been a part of?
10/10 Jon Bernthal – The Punisher (2017 – 2019)
Bernthal plays Julian Kaye, a former escort who gets released after serving a sentence for a murder he didn’t commit. On the outside, Julian tries to find work again while also helping a detective find the real culprit.
A few years ago, Bernthal made a case for himself as one of the overlooked action stars by playing the Force Recon Marine turned bone-breaking vigilante, Frank Castle, aka, The Punisher. Well, Julian doesn’t clench his fists as much as Frank, but fans will be quick to notice that the two characters aren’t that different from each other. Both not only lose things they hold deer but also get locked up. For Julian, it’s the loss of his career and for Frank, it’s his family. Additionally, they are both keen on uncovering conspiracies and getting revenge against people that wronged them.
9/10 Sandrine Holt – Better Call Saul (2015 – 2022)
A young Julian is sold by his mother to a woman named Olga, aka, The Queen (played by Sandrine Holt). While under her care, he gets groomed for sex work.
After one of the smartest Better Call Saul lawyers, Howard Hamlin, gets killed, Sandrine makes her first appearance as his widow, Cheryl. While Olga is depicted as an evil woman who doesn’t mind indoctrinating young boys, Cheryl is a nice person, who goes from a period of marital instability to a lengthy period of grief. Which character a viewer would like solely depends on their personality. Nonetheless, Olga is a more solid character, thanks to the layers of stories that surround her.
8/10 Gretchen Mol – Boardwalk Empire (2010 – 2014)
Mol plays Michelle in the Showtime series. She forms a relationship with Julian after meeting him in a bar then reconnects with him years later when her son goes missing.
Mol’s most notable role is that of the brothel owner, Gillian Darmody in Boardwalk Empire. It’s perhaps a mere coincidence that Mol finds herself having two roles that both revolve around sex work. Given her large body of work, that was guaranteed to happen at some point. But unlike Bernthal’s case, her two characters don’t seem like clones of each other. While Gillian is an escort in the 1920s, Michelle is a client in modern times.
7/10 Gabriel LaBelle – Predator (2018)
LaBelle plays a younger Julian, who is more than happy to sleep with married women. However, he soon sees the darker side of fate when he gets convicted for a murder he didn’t commit.
The actor is best known as EJ from the Predator reboot though some will agree that the role pales in comparison to the one in the Showtime series. EJ is only the stereotypical horror movie teenager who has to frantically find a way to survivor whereas Young Julian is a charming and fashion-savvy lothario who flirts with danger at will. As an actor, LaBelle is only getting started, so fans can expect a lot more from him.
6/10 Rosie O’Donnell – The View (2006 – 2015)
O’Donnell is Detective Sunday, the law enforcement officer who originally sent Julian behind bars for a murder he never committed. When he gets freed, she works with him to solve the actual murder.
Though O’Donnell has starred in a number of movies and TV shows, she is best known as a host of the daytime talk show, The View. Away from her hosting job, most of O’Donnel’s other roles are comedic ones. It’s thus refreshing watching her play a stern, remorseless, and resilient law enforcement officer.
5/10 Leland Orser – Ray Donovan (2013 – 2022)
In the series, Michelle’s husband, a tech billionaire, is portrayed by Orser. At one point, he gets singled out as s suspect for the murder that was pinned on Julian.
Orser’s other notable role is that of Father Romero on Ray Donovan. Playing two characters that are on different sides of the morality coin takes skill and Orser proves that he has it. Father Romero is a dedicated priest who is keen on making the titular character seek forgiveness for murder whereas Michelle might actually be the one keen on committing murder. Still, both characters are fascinating in their own unique ways.
4/10 Wayne Brady – Black Lightning (2020)
Brady’s role is that of Julian’s long-time friend, Lorenzo. Though he appears decent on the outside, it’s constantly hinted that he has something to hide.
Brady is best known for playing one of the most powerful metahumans in Black Lightning, Tyson Sykes, aka, Gravedigger. With the new role, Brady once again confirms that few performers have better range than him. Apart from playing a scheming friend and a badass villain, Brady has also hosted Whose Line Is It Anyway? and The Wayne Brady Show, and it’s these projects that have earned him Emmys.
3/10 Lizzie Brochere – American Horror Story
Brochere is Isabelle, the woman that ushered Julia into the life of sex work. After briefly knowing Julian, she forms a special connection with him.
One of the bravest American Horror Story characters, the asylum patient Grace Bertrand, is also played by Brochere. Though Grace is more likable than Isabelle, both characters are equally fascinating. And fans can look forward to more incredible performances from Brochere as she is one of the actors who’ve managed to break into Hollywood after being famous in their home countries for a long time. So far, her resume mostly consists of French movies and TV shows.
2/10 Harlow Happy Hexum – Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013 – 2020)
Hexum plays a young Isabelle. Through her childhood experience, viewers get to witness her mother’s unconventional parenting methods.
The young actress became popular thanks to her role as Alya Fitz, the daughter of one of the best MCU couples, Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons. Ordinarily, child actors below the age of 10 tend to be judged more by their adorableness than their performances but Hexum scores highly in birth. Both Alya and Isabelle juggle between mischief and good behavior, making fans eager to see more of them.
1/10 Francois Chau – The Expanse
Chau is part of the supporting cast, assigned to the role of the crime boss, Don Clyborne. He and Julian get into a feud that almost costs the escort his life.
At this point, Chau can be categorized among the frequently typecast actors since he normally lands villainous roles. Sci-fi fans know him as the industrialist Jules-Pierre Mao. Like Don Clyborne, he is always up to no good, with his companies being implicated in corruption and unethical research. And one major trait they share is their unrivaled intelligence.
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