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Steven Soderbergh’s biographical romance dramaBehind the Candelabrahas been a critical success. TheAnt-Manfranchise actor Michael Douglas starred in the movie opposite Matt Damon.
Adapted from Alex Thorleifson and Scott Thorson’s memoirBehind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace,the movie goes deep into the relationship of a gay couple in the $2.5 million movie. But there are a lot of things that happened during the production process of the movie.
Also read:“I want somebody of equal stature”: Michael Douglas Didn’t Want Sharon Stone for His $352M Erotic Thriller Despite Being Paid $13.5M More Than Her
Michael Douglas Refused an Intense Gay Scene inBehind the Candelabra
Michael Douglasplayed Liberace, a renowned pianist who fell in love with a much younger Scott Thorson played byMatt Damon. The chronicle of the tempestuous relationship continued for six years and the movie orbits around that. Douglas agreed toSteven Soderbergh’smovie when he was approached when he was doing the director’s previous filmTraffic.“I was cast in Traffic as a government drug-enforcement czar in a gray suit and tie. And Steven came up to me and wanted to know if I ever thought about playing Liberace,”Douglas once told Vulture.
“I thought he was playing a game with me—like it was some mind-f*** trick to get me into the character. But I played along—I imitated Lee’s [as Liberace was known] voice briefly for him, and we went on with making Traffic.”
After the development of the film when theAnt-Manactor got the script, he found a scene that goes beyond his interest. Of course, he was perfectly okay with playing a gay lover but he asked Soderbergh to remove one specific scene which was, according to the actor, quite similar to gay p*rno.
“Liberace loved sx, and I didn’t have a problem with that. But, at one point, Steven Soderbergh wanted to show [Liberace] watching a gay prno. I said, ‘I’d like my kids to see this R-rated movie, but I don’t want to show them a 14-inch dck! It was the only thing I objected to, so we cut to different parts of the apartment during the prno.”
The actor certainly hoped that in the near future, he would show his films to his kids and that was the scene he would never let his children watch that was supposed to feature the actor’s p*nis.
Also read:“He’s been made an example”: Michael Douglas Believes Justice System Made His Son a Scapegoat Despite Pleading Guilty of Selling Hard Drugs
Michael Douglas Would Never Play A Gay Role in His Early Career
By the time the Oscar winner featured inBehind the Candelabra,he was already 69. Douglas who has been in the industry since the 1960s has made a glorious decade-spanning career. But the actor revealed that he would not be so comfortable playing a gay character in his early career. Of course, it was easier later as the actor met Liberace in real time and felt his life could be transformed on screen quite delicately.“I met him once en passant in Palm Springs at a corner,”Douglas toldThe Irish Times.
“The nice thing about this part is that I am playing a nice guy. I don’t get to play nice guys that often. He was so generous. He was such a nice fellow.”
Reportedly, many major studios have turned downBehind the Candelabrabecause the content of the movie was‘too gay’and later HBO picked it up but only for cable. When asked if the actor would have done such roles in his previous career he said, no.“No, not in the prime of my career,”he told the outlet.
“I wouldn’t have taken this role. I would have been scared in terms of where everything was at in the gay situation 20 years ago. We’ve come a long way. I don’t know. Matt is in the prime of his career and he didn’t even think about it. But there are not a lot of guys who, in Matt’s position, wouldn’t blink when offered that part even now.”
The reason? Douglas said that he would be nervous about his identity playing a gay character in his early days.
Also read:“It all went downhill from there”: Sharon Stone’s $352M Movie Co-Star Michael Douglas Blamed Oral S*x With Catherine Zeta-Jones Gave Him Cancer That Nearly Broke Their Marriage
Source:Showbiz CheatSheet.
Lachit Roy
Articles Published :1031
Lachit Roy is a seasoned writer specializing in science and entertainment news. Armed with a postgraduate degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Tezpur University, he brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to his craft.Lachit is particularly passionate about crafting engaging content on entertainment news and trends. A dedicated movie enthusiast, he possesses an in-depth understanding of the cinematic world and takes joy in disseminating the latest updates to the global fandom. When not immersed in writing, Lachit can be found indulging in his love for movies and series, occasionally tending to his garden, but predominantly expanding his expertise in the realms of his interests.
