‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Jake Borelli cast in gay-themed Valentine’s Day rom-com
'The Thing About Harry' will air on Freeform in February
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Jake Borelli has been cast in a gay-themed Valentine’s Day rom-com.
The actor came out as gay after his Grey’s Anatomy character, Levi Schmitt, was part of the first ever male-on-male romance in the long running TV series.
And now, the actor has landed a new role in a gay-themed Valentine’s Day romance directed by The Fosters creator Peter Paige – which will appear on Freeform next February, according to the Advocate.
The Thing About Harry stars Borelli as Sam, a gay man who travels from Chicago to attend an engagement party in his hometown in Missouri, where he faced ongoing bullying after coming out during high school.
Sam ends up having to take the trip with the high school bully Harry – played by Niko Terho – who is also on the road of self-discovery.
During their trip and a night in a roadside motel, the men develop a bond that has the promise of becoming something else.
The Thing About Harry also stars Queer Eye’s Karamo Brown and Britt Baron from GLOW.
Executive producers Paige, Greg Guliotta and F.J Penny said in a statement: “It’s been an honor to partner with Freeform in making great television with LGBTQ+ characters as leads.
“True equality can only be achieved when you see yourself reflected in the movies, music and stories that paint our culture.
“As young gay men in the ’90s, whenever a rom-com opened, we would watch the leading lady fall in love, and imagine what it would be like if the boy was saying all those things to another boy.
“We’ve always wanted to make a movie — an unabashedly romantic comedy — that queer boys wouldn’t have to translate. It’s rewarding to take the genre to a new, all-inclusive level.”