Although A24‘s Queer marks Omar Apollo‘s acting debut, he’s used to performing for the camera.
At the movie’s Los Angeles premiere, the Grammy nominee explained how he approached his steamy scene with co-star Daniel Craig in the Luca Guadagnino-helmed adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ 1985 book.
“Well, I’ve shot music videos before for my music, so I just tried to emulate that feeling,” he told People.
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Queer follows Lee (Craig) after fleeing from a drug bust in New Orleans to 1940s Mexico City, where he becomes infatuated with Allerton (Drew Starkey), a young discharged American Navy serviceman. The movie also stars Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville, Henry Zaga, Drew Droege and Ariel Schulman.
Apollo’s brief appearance features very little dialogue, but includes a very revealing sex scene with Craig. The God Said No artist noted that the experience wasn’t as daunting as it sounds.
“There wasn’t really much nerves, it was a very calm set. Everyone is super talented,” added Apollo. “I trusted everyone around me so that really eased all of my anxieties around shooting.”
In a recent conversation with Starkey for Interview, Apollo revealed that he went on a “soup diet” for the scene, recounting his behind-the-scenes experience with Craig.
“I don’t know if I could say this, but we were drinking gin and tonics before our scene. It was a vibe,” he said. “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.”
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