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Guess which gay pop star ‘White Lotus’ stud Theo James might play … – Queerty

Kim Martel
Image Credits: Theo James (left), George Michael (right) | Getty Images

HBO’s buzzy satire The White Lotus has been nothing but a boon to its stars, elevating their careers to new heights with plenty of awards, stans, and juicy roles heading their way.

The next due for their big follow-up is dreamy English actor Theo James, who memorably bared all (or at least a prosthetic, depending on who you ask) as wealthy vacationer Cameron Sullivan—and he made for a pretty convincing rich twat, we might add!

Related: ‘The White Lotus: Sicily’ welcomes viewers to a room with a view… of Theo James completely naked

Now it’s being reported that James is the top choice to play the one and only George Michael in an upcoming biopic about the iconic gay pop star, best known as one half of Wham!, and the artist behind hits like “Faith,” “Careless Whisper,” and seasonal favorite “Last Christmas.”

Big flashy music biopics have been all the rage, with queer stars like Freddie Mercury (Bohemian Rhapsody), Elton John (Rocketman), and Whitney Houston (I Wanna Dance With Somebody) getting the movie treatment of late—to varying degrees of success.

So it’s no surprise that a studio would want to tap into Michael’s life, from the highs of his chart-topping success to the lows of his legal troubles and health complications. In the years since the musician’s 2016 death, an excellent documentary, George Michael: Freedom (and updated Freedom Uncut in ’22), has already hit theaters, but the biopic aims to tell the story “warts and all,” with a heaping dose of star power.

The Daily Mail initially reported that George Michael’s estate had endorsed the project, but a representative for the estate just released a statement saying that was not true: “We know nothing about this project and will not be endorsing it in any way.”

Related: Lights, camera, action! Six queer musical bio pics we’re dying to see made

Still, it sure sounds like Theo James is on board!

Last week, the actor stopped by Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen alongside White Lotus co-star Meghann Fahy (and Drag Race‘s Luxx Noir London behind the bar). When asked by a viewer about the George Michael rumors, James kept it coy, but did note he has at least one thing in common with the singer, which would make him great for the part:

“Oh yeah, I would love that,” James responded. “He’s a lot of Greek, and I’m a lot of Greek—put that Greek together, and you get falafel!”

(Also, if you’re curious, both James and Michael are 6’0″.)

Now that George Michael’s estate has cast some doubt over the production, it’s hard to see the Theo James rumors as anything other than just that, rumors. Still, we can’t help but get excited at the thought of the actor in the queer role, especially after The White Lotus: Sicily denied us the chance to see his character really lean into the homoerotic tension between him and vacation-mate Ethan (Will Sharpe).

Though James is married to fellow actor Ruth Kearney, he continues to keep his gay fans fed. In that same episode of Watch What Happens Live, during a segment called “Pillow Talk,” Cohen asked the star how he’d describe himself as a lover in three words.

James response? “Hungry, explosive, and… fluid.” Fluid? Fluid! *screams in queer* Maybe James is even more like George Michael than we realized!

Even if it’s just a bit of dream-casting for now, fans are really clamoring to see James as the legendary pop star after that Watch What Happens Live appearance. Here are just a few of our favorite reactions from Twitter:

Related: 6 music videos by queer icons that were “too hot” 20+ years ago but seem tame today