LGBTQ news and entertainment
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Jake Borelli (photo: SharpShooter/Depositphotos)
L-R Jake Borelli, Niko Terho (images via Freeform)
L-R Niko Terho and Jake Borelli (screen captures)
Also featured in the film are Queer Eye star Karamo Brown as Paul, described as an “overbearing and pretentious gay man,” so there’s type-casting involved. Britt Baron (of GLOW fame) plays Stasia, Sam’s best friend. And Paige will appear as Sam’s roommate Casey. “It’s been an honor to partner with Freeform in making great television with LGBTQ+ characters as leads. True equality can only be achieved when you see yourself reflected in the movies, music and stories that paint our culture,” said executive producers Paige, Greg Gugliotta and F.J. Denny in a joint statement. “As young gay men in the ’90s, whenever a rom-com opened, we would watch the leading lady fall in love, and imagine what it would be like if the boy was saying all those things to another boy,” they added. “We’ve always wanted to make a movie — an unabashedly romantic comedy — that queer boys wouldn’t have to translate. It’s rewarding to take the genre to a new, all-inclusive level.”
I just got to watch a cut of #TheThingAboutHarry & I’m FREAKING OUT about how good this movie is gonna be! @ThePeterPaige you’ve changed the way I view myself as a member of the queer community & I can’t tell you what a gift this film is to me & everyone who’ll get to watch it.
— Jake Borelli (@JakeBorelli) January 13, 2020
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| Jake Borelli for Gay Times Magazine (all photos – Gray Hamner) |
Actor Jake Borelli, who recently came out as gay on social media moments after his character on Grey’s Anatomy, Dr. Levi “Glasses” Schmitt, experienced his first same-sex kiss, graces the cover the newest issue of Gay Times Magazine.
The totally adorable actor shares with Gay Times that since the airing of the now-famous ‘elevator kiss’ between Schmitt and hunky Dr. Nico Kim (played by Alex Landi), he’s “received so many messages” he can barely keep up.
“I sat there for like four hours and some of them were heartbreaking, and some of them were filled with joy and excitement,” Borelli shares with Gay Times. “It was beautiful to see how brave all of the fans were being with sharing their story. It truly felt like we were doing this together.”
The TV relationship is the latest in a long run of LGBT diverse representation on Grey’s Anatomy, now in its 15th season.
Borelli shares that he, like the rest of the audience, assumed Schmitt was straight during his first season with the show last year. With this new development in Schmitt’s storyline, Borelli thinks there’s an important lesson to be learned.
“You probably shouldn’t assume anything about anybody’s sexuality because I assumed he was straight,” says Borelli. “I would say he doesn’t even know yet at this point. He’s still learning, he’s still grappling with his own sexuality.”
In fact, Borelli admits he’s had to step back and adjust the backstory he’d created for the character now that this new dynamic has come into play.
“I think we came up with something really beautiful and really exciting, and it’s a story I would’ve loved to have seen when I was younger,” says the 27-year-old actor. “It’s a story that fits right into my own history, and it’s very close to me in some ways.”
And while he acknowledges the role and storyline may be “way bigger than me and my own coming out,” he hopes the Hollywood ‘powers that be’ take note of how the TV audience is embracing the Schmitt/Kim romance.
“I can’t imagine other tastemakers in the industry aren’t seeing this and aren’t getting super excited about it,” clearly enjoying the positive reactions he’s seeing. “We’re craving diversity and representation and different stories – stories that weren’t at the forefront of the narrative.”
Grey’s Anatomy airs on ABC at 8/7c on Thursdays.
Click here to order Borelli’s issue of Gay Times Magazine.
(Photo credit: Gray Hamner/courtesy Gay Times Magazine, styling by Tyler Cunningham)
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| Alex Landi & Jake Borelli in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ |
I’ve been loving the new season of Grey’s Anatomy, especially with the arrival of Alex Landi as the show’s first openly gay surgeon, “Dr. Nico Kim.”
As previously noted, in it’s 15 seasons on the air, the series has featured multiple LGBTQ characters. This includes bisexual Dr. Callie Torres, openly lesbian Dr. Arizona Robbins, and transgender intern Dr. Casey Parker.
The first few episodes of this season have introduced a flirtatious storyline between Kim and nerdy-but-totes-adorable “Dr. Levi ‘Glasses’ Schmitt,” played by Jake Borelli, who joined the cast last season.
Schmitt, who hasn’t identified as anything but straight before now, gasped the first time he saw Kim. And in an operating room scene, he almost fainted when Kim winked at him.
After weeks of awkward chats and missed connections, this all came to a head during last night’s episode as Kim made his move and kissed Schmitt in an elevator.
The kiss, and the moment after, are very touching. Check out this recap of the ‘Kim/Glasses’ TV relationship so far below.
The moment was so impactful, in fact, that Borelli took to his Instagram shortly after the episode aired and came out as gay.
“As a gay guy myself, tonight’s episode was so special to me,” he began. “This is exactly the kind of story I craved as a young gay kid growing up in Ohio, and it blows my mind that I’m able to bring life to Dr. Levi Schmitt as he begins to grapple with his own sexuality this season on Grey’s Anatomy.”
“His vulnerability and courage inspire me every day, and I hope he can do the same for you,” he continued. “To all of you who feel like little Levis out there, know that I do too, that you are seen, and that we’re all in this together. And to everyone who has supported me over the years, I can’t thank you enough, and I love you more than all the stars…”
Showrunner Krista Vernoff told Entertainment Weekly that the inspiration for Borelli’s character and budding romance was a friend in college “who was sort of a clumsy, fumfering type who would trip over his own feet and would stutter, and then he came out toward the end of our freshman year and emerged as a completely different human being because he was living in his truth. Living in his truth seemed to set something free in him where he was no longer tripping over his own feet.”
“I wanted to tell that story with Jake because it felt like a really beautiful way to evolve his character,” she added. “Then we realized we’d never done it! It was a hugely exciting thing.”
I don’t know about you, but we’re totally smitten with Mr. Borelli.
If you haven’t followed Grey’s Anatomy in a while, this is a great time to check back with the folks at Seattle’s Grace Mercy West Hospital.
While we’re here, let’s peruse some of Borelli’s Instagram, shall we?