Although Jon Bernthal wasn’t feeling so confident about having sex appeal, it seems like he got the hang of it for American Gigolo. The highly-anticipated Showtime series is a modern take on the classic ’80s film, with Bernthal playing the iconic gigolo Julian Kaye, who was originally portrayed by Richard Gere.
The most recent trailer for the series shows a quick glimpse into Kaye’s life as an escort while grappling with his troubled past and investigating the murder that he was wrongfully convicted of. According to the official synopsis:
American Gigolo, a present-day reimagining of the iconic 1980 film, follows Julian Kaye after his wrongful conviction release from 15 years in prison as he navigates his complicated relationships with his former lover Michelle (Gretchen 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 (Rosie 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. Starring Jon Bernthal. Stream the premiere on September 9 on SHOWTIME.
Bernthal, who is known for his role as the Punisher, originally thought he was the “wrong guy” for the show, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. There are already a bunch of Twitter fan-cams made in his honor, which is the first step to becoming a sought-after leading man, after all. The second step is to randomly show up on a fan-favorite tv show, such as The Bear, which he already did earlier this month, so he’s doing great!
American Gigolo premieres on September 9th on Showtime.