- Jon Bernthal reportedly unhappy with ‘American Gigolo’ show
- Rosie O’Donnell confirms that the lead actor was displeased with his role
- Showtime’s crime drama now-cancelled after one series
Rosie O’Donnell, co-star of the recently-cancelled Showtime series ‘American Gigolo,’ has revealed that lead actor Jon Bernthal was not happy with the show. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, O’Donnell said, “Jon Bernthal was not happy with the show, and it was very clear. It’s difficult to work that way on a set. He was never happy that he was playing a gigolo. And I’m like, ‘Well, it’s called American Gigolo.'”
O’Donnell portrayed Detective Sunday in the show, which was a present-day reinterpretation of the 1980 film starring Richard Gere. She expressed her own dissatisfaction with the show, questioning the decision to remake the movie without incorporating the significant cultural changes that have taken place since the original’s release. O’Donnell recalled a review that said she appeared to be in a different show and explained that the series was “heavy on the gigolo.”
TVLine attempted to contact Bernthal’s representatives for a response to O’Donnell’s comments. The series, which aired its finale on October 30, 2022, focused on Julian “Johnny” Kaye (dawplayed by Bernthal) after he spent 15 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. As Johnny, a former high-end escort, tries to rediscover his identity and reconnect with his old flame Michelle (played by Gretchen Mol), Detective Sunday (O’Donnell) investigates the crime that landed him behind bars, eventually uncovering a widespread conspiracy.
The show co-starred Leland Orser (Ray Donovan), Lizzie Brocheré (American Horror Story), and Gabriel LaBelle (iZombie), with guest appearances by Wayne Brady (Whose Line Is it Anyway?), Yolanda Ross (The Chi), Sandrine Holt (House of Cards), and Melora Walters (Pen15).