Omar Apollo decided he needed a physical transformation before taking on his sex scene in the film "Queer".
In a recent interview with "Interview Magazine", the 27-year-old singer-songwriter spoke with his co-star, Drew Starkey, about his role in the film, which features a sex scene with Daniel Craig. Apollo shared that, although director Luca Guadagnino never asked him to lose weight, he felt compelled to slim down for the role.
"I had to go on a soup diet," he explained. "Luca never told me to lose weight, but when you’re about to have a sex scene with Daniel Craig, you think, 'Oh, man, I can't look out of shape.'"
At the time, Apollo weighed around 200 pounds, which he considered appropriate for his 6'5" height. However, he decided to drop down to 181 pounds. "I lost 20 pounds because the script mentioned that my character had a flat, brown stomach. I realized I wasn't quite there yet, so I had to make some changes, even while I was on tour with SZA. Thankfully, I didn't have too many lines to worry about," he added.
Starkey praised the scene between Apollo and Craig, describing it as "so good" and "very sensual." Apollo went on to talk about his experience working with the James Bond star. "He definitely has this presence that you can feel from a distance," Apollo said. "I remember asking him how he feels when the camera's on him, and he said, 'Honestly, every time the camera’s on me, I’m terrified.' I thought that was such a beautiful and honest answer."
"You have to be vulnerable and open to these emotions," Apollo continued. "It was such an authentic response."
Starkey also revealed that he made some physical changes for his role in the historical romantic drama. "I dropped about 30 pounds," he told Apollo. "But I got a little too thin, and Luca was like, 'Hey, gain a bit of weight back.'"
"Queer", adapted from the novel by William S. Burroughs, follows the story of William Lee (played by Craig), a self-conscious and insecure man recounting his life in Mexico City, where he befriends and pursues Eugene Allerton (Starkey), a recently discharged Navy serviceman from Florida.
The film also features Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville, Andra Ursuta, Michael Borremans, and David Lowery.
The Quran - Chapter Al-Haqqah : 36 - 38
nor any food except ˹oozing˺ pus,
which none will eat except the evildoers.”
Now, I do swear by whatever you see,
