Omar Apollo is set to make his acting debut in the upcoming Luca Guadagnino-directed film Queer.
The singer will star alongside James Bond actor Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey in the adaptation of William S. Burrough’s 1985 semi-autobiographical novel. The film will make its premiere at the Venice Film Festival this September.
Queer will be set in Mexico City in 1940s; Craig will play the author’s ego – an outcast American expat who now lives in the city whilst battling a heroin addition.
Starkey will appear as a younger man in the film with whom Craig’s character becomes infatuated with (as per Variety), while Apollo’s role in the film is as yet under wraps.
In a Venice Film Festival press conference, the festival’s artistic director Alberto Barbera said Craig’s “unusual” turn in the film was “the performance of his life.” Check out the first look at the film down below:
#BiennaleCinema2024 #Venezia81 #Concorso #Competition pic.twitter.com/fKOd4EOwUq
— La Biennale di Venezia (@la_Biennale) July 23, 2024
Apollo recently shared his second album ‘God Said No‘, which NME gave four out of five stars: “‘Glow’, then, is a fitting finale, with Apollo begging, “Before you leave, give me one more dance,” though he finally lets go. The track ends with a faded anecdote from his mother, recalling making gorditas with her father as a child in Mexico. It’s a voice memo Apollo recorded on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, on a holiday paid for by his music career; Apollo has spoken in the past about working at McDonalds to save for the laptop and microphone he would use to compose his early SoundCloud releases.
“It’s a poignant ending to an album that sees Apollo tackle insecurity and uncertainty in love, and ultimately find comfort in his successes, his friends and his family – and firmly grounded in his heritage.”
In other news, you can watch Apollo, Stormzy, Clairo and more perform at the New Jersey Palestine and Sudan benefit gig.