Russell Tovey ran the gamut of our emotions as Kevin Matheson on HBO’s Looking –– from getting us hot and heavy, to pissing us TF off.
But things could have gone very differently for the 42-year-old actor.
At a recent Q&A following a screening of Looking director Andrew Haigh‘s new film All of Us Strangers, Tovey revealed he originally auditioned for Jonathan Groff‘s character Patrick.
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It all started with a discussion around selecting All of Us Strangers‘ leads, with Haigh admitting he’s never had a “bad experience” casting a project.
For his part, Tovey recalled there was a bit of vacillation after his first audition for Looking.
“I remember there was two days where I knew it was between me and Jonathan Groff,” he explained. “And I would go in with a Ritchie or I’d go in with a Dom or whatever and then he’d go in with all the others and it’d be back and forth.”
The worst part? Tovey learned he ultimately lost out on the part alongside everyone else.
“I found out via Twitter that I hadn’t got the role because they put it out online and I was having a wee in the middle of the night,” he confessed. Awkward!
Still, Haigh made it clear that he wanted Tovey to be a part of the project, even if it wasn’t as the show’s sensitive (and emotionally complicated) lead.
“I remember [Andrew] saying to me ‘If it goes to series [after the pilot] we’ll write you in,'” he said.
Thankfully, it seems like the show turned out the way it was supposed to. And we can’t imagine anyone else portraying video-game genius (and on-again, off-again boyfriend) Patrick.
Furthermore, it seems like Tovey looks back fondly on his time with Looking, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.
As he recently told W Magazine, he thought Haigh’s All of Us Strangers was “f*cking powerful.”
“He’s able to show intimacy in such a way that you don’t see anything but everything’s happening,” he added. “It makes it so universal.”
The HBO gay dramedy is having a viral renaissance.
Tovey isn’t the only one reminiscing on Looking either.
Daniel Franzese, who portrayed Eddie in the second season, recently told Attitude that the entire cast is “pushing” for a reboot.
“If they ever wanted to do another movie, I’m pretty sure all of us would be down,” he said, adding that “it’s a great time to get us all together,” considering Murray Bartlett‘s meteoric rise post-White Lotus.
Additionally, the show continues to have a loyal following on social media where fans have been honoring its decade of influence –– and lamenting its short, two-season run.
We just hit the 10 year anniversary of Looking. One of the most significant television shows of my lifetime. Deserved way more appreciation than it received, but I’m so grateful for the brief time it existed. And, yes, I still haven’t gotten over falling in love with Richie. pic.twitter.com/hp7MQTzXN3
And despite the casting faux pas, Tovey is ready to help lead the charge.
As he told Attitude last year, “I was begging [Andrew Haigh], saying, ‘Come on, let’s just have a special and come back,’ and he didn’t seem completely closed off to it. So who knows?”
Fingers crossed! But until then, at least we’ve got the first two seasons to binge.
Check out more posts celebrating the legacy of Looking below.
I’ve never been more devastated by a series being canceled. Still haven’t recovered — though I love seeing the cast and creatives continuing to thrive with other projects. And yes, Team Richie for life.
Looking will absolutely go down in history as one of the best gay TV shows. Wonderful, subtle storytelling that touched on so many aspects of gay life that we never see depicted in media. Its frankness opened a lot of doors for subsequent shows and films. https://t.co/R9oGaESEEJ
— Dancin' Dan in Birthday Land (@dancindanonfilm) January 20, 2024
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I loved Looking and thought it was very well done. I remember at the time many gay men did not care for it and they were concerned about representation. Many thought the characters were too promiscuous. To me it was a story that centered around a group gay men who lived in the Bay Area. Their lives were not neat or tidy. I think we have moved beyond representation concerns.
Yes they screamed their dislike ad nauseam and drowned out anyone like myself and friends that actually liked the show. Representation was the biggest one. Then the producers started messing with the characters to appease them which only made it worse.
It could’ve matured and gotten better like most series and been great.
As I’ve said before, Jonathan Groff’s poorly written main character and his bizarre performance is what killed the show. Maybe Russell could have done more with the character. It still sucks that HBO pulled the show prematurely while they drive hetero shows like Sex in the City into the ground forever.
I know messy hypocritical, wishy washy, self-conscious people like Patrick though, so the characterization and Groff’s acting never fazed me. None of them are as handsome as Groff (or Tovey, for that matter), that is the one thing which actually did nag at me. If they’d played up his being on edge about STDs and being bullied as a kid more then I could have bought his particular mix of insecurity and inexperience better, but every 30 year old I knew in 2014 who looked as good as Jonathan Groff did not have his kind of hangups.
The writing, the story, the characters, everything about it was subpar. I watched all of it b/c at the time there was so little “good” mainstream gay drama on TV but I never felt like I ever cared about what happened between any of them. If anything, watching Looking only made me frustrated, particularly with Groff’s character. But I guess he did the best he could do since it seems like the director told him to play a man with the ability to walk upright without a spine.
I think SIx Feet Under was playing at the same time??? And that’s where we got our Gay. Looking was not memorable but it wasn’t unwatchable. Plus, the SF setting. Had this been in Oshkosh, then def a no.
It sounds like they’re talking about a sequel, not a reboot.
The Tales of the City series that started on PBS back in the ’90s are really good with a really good cast. The recent Netflix sequel to those is not as good and completely abandoned the books.
Oh I didn’t know they made show of the series in the 90’s! Good to know, I’ll do some digging. Thank you for the suggestion.
That said, and it sounds like you liked Looking, I’m good without a reboot/sequel. The show just fell flat to me and as I live in the Bay area, I remember at the time being like “oh there’s so much they could touch on and do!” But then I was like how could you make SF seem like the most boring self-loathing place ever?
The only thing I think they did get right in the show is the obnoxious behavior of tech bros who move here from their small mid-western hamlets, sampling their first forays into multi-culturalism.
I liked “Looking” quite a lot. I thought the characters were very real and it captured a melancholia that I certainly felt when I was in my 20s, out “looking” for love and relating to my friends. It was a time I had very little money but had a good social life. I found it not boring, but soulful. I thought the slow pace very much related to the isolation that I felt even while surrounded by friends. I think the Jonathan Groff character keeps trying, often failing, often making bad choices, making a fool of himself and that’s really true in my experience. I didn’t find it self-loathing, but I think some of the characters are self-loathing and a lot of gay people nowadays still experience that self-loathing (as, really, do many straight people as well). In my opinion it’s good to explore those things and Haigh did so with real sensitivity.
People were talking about it as though it was a new “Queer as Folk” but it wasn’t. It was far more realistic and far less sensational. Haigh’s work, in general, is slow paced and reflective, and I really love him for that.
San Francisco now is a very different place than San Francisco in the ’70s, or even ’80s & ’90s. Most of the young people I know who live in San Francisco have to live with multiple roommates or they have to live in Oakland.
I love the Tales of the City books and re-read them pretty much every few years. I would love it if there was a reboot, or at least picking up where the ’90s series ended. I think if the Netflix series had more closely followed Maupin’s more recent books the show would have been better. It fell into some really cliched story telling, but the episode that focused on the young Mrs. Madrigal is really good.
I adored the show and would like to see them bring back the series. Couldn’t stand Jonathan Groff’s previously smarmy characters til I saw his performance on Looking, which made me a fan. Had no problem with the “messiness” of the story line – what is youth without the mess? Developed a killer crush on Russell Tovey, who looks like my Dad at that age. I also admire his love of art, which I share.
I’m free as a bird, Tove darling, in case you’re wondering…
It ended on a good note; perhaps they should leave it at that. I feel like it would only end up going the way of other reboot flops like “Queer as Folk”, where they tried to shoehorn in every trendy identity label under the sun.
LOL…”feeling like the interplanetary bar on Star Wars”! I went back to re-watch the original Tales of the City and my memory of it is fonder than the re-watch. I did love it when it was new, but it hasn’t aged well. The new Tales of the City was a crime against humanity.
For me, it was a just an exasperating depiction of gay life. The character of Patrick pretty much ruined it. The whole man-child can’t make up his mind scenario a downer. I kept hoping Patrick would get run over by a cable car, but he didn’t, so I stopped watching before the series ended.
I loved Looking. I question how to revive these characters after the dust settled. Let’s not have Patrick break Ritchie’s heart again. But yes, I love these characters, especially Ritchie/Raul Castillo.
I loved Looking! Richie was adorable, hot, and my everything. I liked Patrick being a mess. His portrayal was great. The Halloween episode brings out all of my emotions. I’ve been where Patrick was and can relate.
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dbmcvey
I really liked Looking and would love another movie. I’ve loved all of Haigh’s work.
Miles
I loved Looking and thought it was very well done. I remember at the time many gay men did not care for it and they were concerned about representation. Many thought the characters were too promiscuous. To me it was a story that centered around a group gay men who lived in the Bay Area. Their lives were not neat or tidy. I think we have moved beyond representation concerns.
Chrisk
Yes they screamed their dislike ad nauseam and drowned out anyone like myself and friends that actually liked the show. Representation was the biggest one. Then the producers started messing with the characters to appease them which only made it worse.
It could’ve matured and gotten better like most series and been great.
SFMike
As I’ve said before, Jonathan Groff’s poorly written main character and his bizarre performance is what killed the show. Maybe Russell could have done more with the character. It still sucks that HBO pulled the show prematurely while they drive hetero shows like Sex in the City into the ground forever.
still_onthemark
The Queerty writer says Groff’s character was “emotionally complicated”! Mm, no.
smittoons
I know messy hypocritical, wishy washy, self-conscious people like Patrick though, so the characterization and Groff’s acting never fazed me. None of them are as handsome as Groff (or Tovey, for that matter), that is the one thing which actually did nag at me. If they’d played up his being on edge about STDs and being bullied as a kid more then I could have bought his particular mix of insecurity and inexperience better, but every 30 year old I knew in 2014 who looked as good as Jonathan Groff did not have his kind of hangups.
ZzBomb
The writing, the story, the characters, everything about it was subpar. I watched all of it b/c at the time there was so little “good” mainstream gay drama on TV but I never felt like I ever cared about what happened between any of them. If anything, watching Looking only made me frustrated, particularly with Groff’s character. But I guess he did the best he could do since it seems like the director told him to play a man with the ability to walk upright without a spine.
abfab
I think SIx Feet Under was playing at the same time??? And that’s where we got our Gay. Looking was not memorable but it wasn’t unwatchable. Plus, the SF setting. Had this been in Oshkosh, then def a no.
ZzBomb
I like Tovey and Groff but no thank you on a Looking reboot.
If they want to do a queer show based in SF/Bay Area they should do it of the books “Tales of the City” by Armistead Maupin.
dbmcvey
It sounds like they’re talking about a sequel, not a reboot.
The Tales of the City series that started on PBS back in the ’90s are really good with a really good cast. The recent Netflix sequel to those is not as good and completely abandoned the books.
ZzBomb
Oh I didn’t know they made show of the series in the 90’s! Good to know, I’ll do some digging. Thank you for the suggestion.
That said, and it sounds like you liked Looking, I’m good without a reboot/sequel. The show just fell flat to me and as I live in the Bay area, I remember at the time being like “oh there’s so much they could touch on and do!” But then I was like how could you make SF seem like the most boring self-loathing place ever?
The only thing I think they did get right in the show is the obnoxious behavior of tech bros who move here from their small mid-western hamlets, sampling their first forays into multi-culturalism.
abfab
PBS Tales of The City in the 90s. THE BEST!!!!!!! Of course Jesse Helmes and the other derganged republicans screamed bloody murder about it.
Mouse and Mrs Madrigal, etc, the entire cast was superb.
xo RIP OLYMPIA DUKAKIS
dbmcvey
I liked “Looking” quite a lot. I thought the characters were very real and it captured a melancholia that I certainly felt when I was in my 20s, out “looking” for love and relating to my friends. It was a time I had very little money but had a good social life. I found it not boring, but soulful. I thought the slow pace very much related to the isolation that I felt even while surrounded by friends. I think the Jonathan Groff character keeps trying, often failing, often making bad choices, making a fool of himself and that’s really true in my experience. I didn’t find it self-loathing, but I think some of the characters are self-loathing and a lot of gay people nowadays still experience that self-loathing (as, really, do many straight people as well). In my opinion it’s good to explore those things and Haigh did so with real sensitivity.
People were talking about it as though it was a new “Queer as Folk” but it wasn’t. It was far more realistic and far less sensational. Haigh’s work, in general, is slow paced and reflective, and I really love him for that.
San Francisco now is a very different place than San Francisco in the ’70s, or even ’80s & ’90s. Most of the young people I know who live in San Francisco have to live with multiple roommates or they have to live in Oakland.
I love the Tales of the City books and re-read them pretty much every few years. I would love it if there was a reboot, or at least picking up where the ’90s series ended. I think if the Netflix series had more closely followed Maupin’s more recent books the show would have been better. It fell into some really cliched story telling, but the episode that focused on the young Mrs. Madrigal is really good.
abfab
I had to wrip apart my favorite director’s name…..I suppose Q needs to protect the ears of the conservatives. Now that’s for The Birds!
abfab
As I was saying…………….Tales from the 90s had a very Hitch c o c k vibe to it. Intentionally.
phillycap
You won’t have to look fat because I think the original is also on Netflix.
dbmcvey
It doesn’t sound like they’re doing a “reboot” but more a sequel.
bachy
I adored the show and would like to see them bring back the series. Couldn’t stand Jonathan Groff’s previously smarmy characters til I saw his performance on Looking, which made me a fan. Had no problem with the “messiness” of the story line – what is youth without the mess? Developed a killer crush on Russell Tovey, who looks like my Dad at that age. I also admire his love of art, which I share.
I’m free as a bird, Tove darling, in case you’re wondering…
monty clift
It ended on a good note; perhaps they should leave it at that. I feel like it would only end up going the way of other reboot flops like “Queer as Folk”, where they tried to shoehorn in every trendy identity label under the sun.
bachy
Oh yes, they did the same thing to Tales of the City. The reboot ended up feeling like the interplanetary bar on Star Wars.
LumpyPillows
LOL…”feeling like the interplanetary bar on Star Wars”! I went back to re-watch the original Tales of the City and my memory of it is fonder than the re-watch. I did love it when it was new, but it hasn’t aged well. The new Tales of the City was a crime against humanity.
Yooper
For me, it was a just an exasperating depiction of gay life. The character of Patrick pretty much ruined it. The whole man-child can’t make up his mind scenario a downer. I kept hoping Patrick would get run over by a cable car, but he didn’t, so I stopped watching before the series ended.
abfab
Most movies are nothing more than an exasperating depiction of life.
Herman75
I loved Looking. I question how to revive these characters after the dust settled. Let’s not have Patrick break Ritchie’s heart again. But yes, I love these characters, especially Ritchie/Raul Castillo.
Zambos271
I loved Looking! Richie was adorable, hot, and my everything. I liked Patrick being a mess. His portrayal was great. The Halloween episode brings out all of my emotions. I’ve been where Patrick was and can relate.
Morg
please dont dig up this moldy corpse, let it be in the dirt where it belongs.