Omar Apollo talks filming sex scenes with Daniel Craig for new film Queer: ‘It was a vibe’
The film, directed by Luca Guadagnino, is based on the William Burroughs book of the same name
By Alim Kheraj
The more we hear about Luca Guadagnino‘s upcoming film Queer, the more excited we get.
Adding to this anticipation is Omar Apollo. The singer – who appears on the cover of Attitude’s September/October issue which is out now – recently opened up about his role in the film, sharing that he filmed sex scenes with his co-star Daniel Craig for the movie.
Speaking to his co-star Drew Starkey for Interview magazine, Apollo said that he felt pressure to look trim for the scenes.
“You have to be vulnerable” – Omar Apollo
“I had to get on the soup diet,” he said. “Luca [Guadagnino] did not tell me to lose weight, but when you’re about to have a sex scene with Daniel Craig, you’re like, ‘Oh, dude, I can’t be looking off.'”
In response, Starkey said that the scenes between Apollo and Craig were “so good” and “very sensual”.
Apollo said that ahead of filming his scene with Craig, the pair were drinking gin and tonics to prepare.
“It was a vibe,” he added. “I had a really cool experience with him. He definitely has this presence to him that is felt from far away. I remember asking him, ‘How do you feel when the camera’s on?’ And he said, ‘To be honest, every time the camera’s on me, I’m terrified.’ I thought that was beautiful. You have to be vulnerable. You have to be open to these emotions. It was such an honest answer.”
In Apollo’s cover interview with Attitude, the singer said it was “my dream” to act in a film.
“There are always other goals,” he added. “But the goals, they’re more internal. They’re not accolades.”
Meanwhile, it was recently announced that A24 had picked up the distribution rights to Guadagnino’s Queer.
Based on the 1985 novel by William S. Burroughs, the film follows William Lee (Craig), an American expat and World War II veteran living in 1950s Mexico City who begins a romance with a younger man and drug user named Eugene Allerton (Starkey).
The film, which will premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival, is set to release in the US later this year. A UK release date is yet to be confirmed.