At least that’s the way writers Luke Albright, Joe Wanjai Ross, and Greg Boaldin see it. And in the creative hands of Director Rose Troche, we’re given a broad comedy with some heart as we watch Andrew (Keiynan Lonsdale) try to rekindle his toxic relationship with ex-boyfriend/actor (Marcus Rosner). Meddling pals Jake and Kelly (Dylan Sprouse and Sarah Hyland) barge in to help Andrew. The result is a social media concoction known as “Cristiano,” the perfect fake boyfriend. Surely that should win the hunk back.
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“As soon as I read the script, it got me from the get-go,” says Keiynan Lonsdale. “It was so refreshing to read something that absolutely lifted my spirits and made me chuckle. And I could relate to this with today’s social media and having to navigate the gay dating realm. Much like the character of Andrew, I often sought out the funny advice of my straight best friends when it comes to dating men. But I was excited to explore what it is to be insecure in the dating world in this film, and the decisions we make about the partners we choose.”
Evolving Into The Role
My Fake Boyfriend is a creative evolution of sorts for Lonsdale. The Australian actor, who’s also a talented singer and dancer (check out his Insta) is best known for the role of Wally West/Kid Flash in CW’s double whammy The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow. He played Uriah in the Divergent film and won audiences over as Bram in the film Love, Simon. As Andrew in My Fake Boyfriend, Lonsdale offers an intriguing take on a character scrambling to find his center as things around him spiral out of control. As the Cristiano concoction blows up on social media — that fake boyfriend becomes a worldwide sensation, in fact — somewhere in the mix, Andrew meets his “real” dream guy, Rafi (Samer Salema), a charismatic yet grounded restaurant owner. It forces Andrew to decide whether to keep the sham going or nix it entirely, all the while suddenly having to deal with his jealous ex.
“The story excited me and I was eager to work with a female director of color,” Lonsdale shares. “I knew we were both going to put our all into it, and we just kept it real with each other. I also liked the idea of a young, black, gay man trying to find validation, and why he would stay in some situations that are clearly unhealthy. I wanted to be part of that journey.”
In conversation, Lonsdale isn’t afraid to wax philosophical. Hailing from Australia, he says his first major inspiration was Michael Jackson, and music, in general. Awestruck by Jackson’s music videos, which he often felt were “short films with a message,” he began wanting to inspire others. “I liked watching actors like Will Smith and Eddie Murphy, and all those romcom actors that could also take on dramatic roles,” he says. “But I was never looking at movies, thinking I’m going to be an actor.”
In his late teens, he wrote some scripts with a friend. “We said to each other, ‘You know, we probably would never actually get cast in a movie, so maybe we just start writing them and we can cast ourselves.” The acting bug bit in an improv class while he was in dance school. “I recognized that I always loved interesting people,” he recalls. “And that I always loved caring about people in their stories. I wasn’t just the ‘observer.’”
That kind of depth followed him onto the set of My Fake Boyfriend. In just a short amount of time, under Troche’s direction, he realized he was required to deliver a brutally honest portrayal of a guy caught in a madcap situation. “Rose [the director] really pushed me to think a lot deeper than I was and to explore the relationships Andrew had with his friends and potential love interests even more deeply,” he notes. “In that respect, we challenged each other, and I think that shows up in the story. I hope people walk away with a better sense of what they deserve and realize they can have more strength in their decision-making when it comes to love and relationships.”
The LGBTQ Landscape On Screen
Are we in an LGBTQ romcom and dramedy heyday? Between the recent Hulu hits, Love, Victor and Fire Island, along with the indie film Go Fish and Prom, LGBTQ characters are more visible than never before in lead roles. All of this excites Lonsdale. “I’m stuck with how far we’ve come,” he says, “and I’m honored to be a part of it in this moment of time. I’m also blown away that we’re getting to tell these stories.”
The tales, in fact, are creating a sea change. Twenty years ago, LGBTQ characters — except for in breakout shows like Will & Grace and Queer as Folk — were often subjected to the sidelines. The witty neighbor. The bestie. Somebody’s gay uncle. That sort of thing. Today, they’ve been plucked off the bench and placed directly under the spotlight.
“I felt like there was a gap that that wasn’t being targeted,” Lonsdale says. “For me, as a storyteller, I was excited to play this guy who doesn’t fit in a box in any way. And going forward, I want even more depth. I want to take even more risks. Being able to have all-lead queer films and to drive the stories from queer perspectives, especially when it comes to love and especially when it comes to comedy, is fascinating. This is a great time for queer storytellers. It’s exciting — for me and I think for everybody — because I really believe this is just the beginning.”
