the gay julia roberts?

Gus Kenworthy wants to star in gay rom-coms, so here are 4 classic remakes we’d pay to see him in

Image Credit: Getty Images

Looks like somebody’s got the acting bug!

After making a cameo in the star-studded “old ladies gone wild” comedy 80 For Brady, former Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy is eager to star in a movie of his own.

In a new interview with People, Kenworthy gushed over the “surreal” experience working with legends Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field. Collectively, the ladies have racked up enough major awards to fill an Olympic-sized pool or two, and it seems their commitment to the craft has inspired Kenworthy to double-down on his acting ambitions.

So, what types of movies does the athlete see himself in?

“It would be something similar to Bros,” Kenworthy shares, “which we just saw, but like my dream as a kid was to be the lead in a rom-com. I loved romantic comedies—to this day, they’re still like my favorite movies.”

The Olympic silver medalist said he loves the “formula” of a rom-com, and that his dream would be to “play gay” in one.

So, with that in mind, we decided to pitch a few gay remakes of classic romantic comedies that Kenworthy could star in. (Gus, if you’re interested, give us a call!)

Pretty Guy

One of rom-com queen Julia Roberts’ most iconic roles is Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman, the sex worker with a heart of gold who ends up falling for the wealthy businessman (Richard Gere) who pays her to pretend to be his girlfriend.

Could Kenworthy bring the same sharp-tongued wit to the role as Roberts? TBD. Honestly, we just like the image of him traipsing around Hollywood in thigh-high leather boots. And it’d be cute to see him go toe-to-toe with a slightly older suitor—perhaps played by the impossibly handsome Matt Bomer?

Fifty First Skates

The high-concept rom-com Fifty First Dates found Adam Sandler playing a man who tries to woo a woman (Drew Barrymore) with anterograde amnesia again and again and again. (The early 2000s were a wild time!)

Instead of Hawaii, the remake would take us to a luxury ski resort where Kenworthy’s characters suffers the same affliction after a skiing accident. Along comes Keiynan Lonsdale’s hopeless romantic who attempts to charm him, day after day, with skates around the ice rink, hot cocoa around the fireplace, and sing-alongs to Kylie Minogue deep cuts at ski lodge karaoke nights.

When Harry Met Larry

We’re hesitant to endorse a remake of the classic rom-com—why mess with a good thing?—but When Harry Met Sally does feel ripe for a queer update, especially since the movie’s central hook is whether its titular characters can remain “just friends” or become something more. Having a friendship that could, against your better judgment, lead to a hook-up? That’s called being gay!

Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan have a timeless chemistry, so Kenworthy’s version would similarly need to pair him with someone on his level—why not Adam Rippon? Like his Olympics teammate, Rippon’s got plenty of TV appearances under his belt, and the two are old friends, so the chemistry should be there. We just imagine they’ll be fighting over which one of them gets to re-enact Ryan’s famous “I’ll have what she’s having” restaurant scene.

Bros 2: The Third

Kenworthy said he wanted to do something “similar to Bros,” so why not let him star in the sequel?

In this follow-up, Bobby (Billy Eichner) and Aaron (Luke Macfarlane) are still happily together, but decide they’ve let monogamy run its course, and once again open up their relationship after Aaron catches the eye of a stud at the gym—played by Kenworthy, of course. It turns out, their third works for a gay media publication and is just as knowledgeable about queer history and pop culture ephemera as Bobby, flaring up both guys’ insecurities all over again.

Oh, also, Debra Messing’s back for some reason, because she was a fun surprise in the first one!

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