Jon Bernthal (We Own This City, The Punisher) takes on the lead role in Showtime’s American Gigolo, a dramatic series that’s a reimagining of the R-rated film released in 1980 and starring Richard Gere. The new series moves the story forward to the present day but the show’s official trailer pays homage to the original movie with the inclusion of “Call Me” by Blondie from the film’s soundtrack.
Season one also stars Gretchen Mol (Boardwalk Empire), Rosie O’Donnell (The L Word), Lizzie Brocheré (Falling Water), Gabriel LaBelle (Dead Shack), and Leland Orser (Ray Donovan). Wayne Brady (The Wayne Brady Show), Alex Fernandez (Runaways), Sandrine Holt (House of Cards), Yolonda Ross (The Chi) and Melora Walters (Pen15) guest star.
Season one premieres on Sunday, September 11, 2022 at 9pm ET/PT, with an early release on Friday, Sept. 9th on streaming and on demand. New episodes of the eight-episode first season will follow the same pattern – streaming and on demand on Fridays and then on the network on Sundays.
Nikki Toscano is the first season’s showrunner and serves as an executive producer. Jonathan Littman, KristieAnne Reed, Russell Rothberg, and the film’s producer Jerry Bruckheimer also executive produce. The film’s writer/director Paul Schrader is not involved in the television adaptation.
The Plot, Courtesy of Showtime:
American Gigolo follows Julian Kaye (Bernthal) after his wrongful conviction release from 15 years in prison as he navigates his complicated relationships with his former lover Michelle (Mol), his troubled mother, and the people who betrayed him. While Julian struggles to reconcile the escort he was in the past and the man he is today, Detective Sunday (O’Donnell) seeks the truth about the murder that sent Julian to prison all those years ago, unearthing a much larger conspiracy along the way.
Brocheré plays Isabelle, the heiress to a ring of sex workers; LaBelle is Johnny, a younger version of Julian; Orser is Richard Stratton, a self-made tech billionaire; and Brady is Julian’s best friend and mentor, Lorenzo.
