Peacock's Queer As Folk Reboot Adds Juliette Lewis And Ed Begley Jr.
"Queer as Folk" is being reimagined once more, this time for an entirely new generation. The groundbreaking '90s series from Russell T. Davies was a landmark change in LGBTQ+ representation, following the lives of three gay men (played by Aidan Gillen, Craig Kelly, and Charlie Hunnam) living in Manchester, England. Not even a year into its run, "Queer as Folk" inspired a US adaptation that aired on Showtime from 2000 to 2005, starring Gale Harold, Randy Harrison, and Hal Sparks. Now, over 20 years later, the series is being rebooted with a new set of characters.
Peacock's "Queer As Folk" reboot is expected to follow an ensemble cast of queer characters navigating love and life. Plot details have been relatively quiet, but the original announcement promised a show that revolves around "a diverse group of friends in New Orleans, whose lives are transformed in the aftermath of a tragedy." According to Variety, production in New Orleans is currently underway and as filming begins, the series has finally rounded out its cast with some pretty big additions.
Prolific TV and film star Ed Begley Jr. is set to join the cast in a recurring role, along with Academy Award and Emmy-nominated actress Juliette Lewis. Begley Jr. will play an emotionally distant father, and Lewis a "single mom who is more of a friend than a parent to her teenage son." They'll also be joined by Armand Fields ("The Chi") as "the reigning drag queen and matriarch of the local scene;" Chris Renfro ("Ultra Mechatron Team Go") as a fun-loving life of the party type; Eric Graise ("Locke & Key") as "a jaded barfly;" Sachin Bhatt ("DC's Legends of Tomorrow") as a "charming and empathetic sex worker;" and Benito Skinner as a "self-aggrandizing influencer."
Queer As Folk Reimagined
Though the latest "Queer as Folk" casting announcement introduces a whopping 7 new characters, that's just the beginning of the ensemble cast that the show has in store. The upcoming series, which hails from writer-director Stephen Dunn ("Closet Monster," "Little America"), follows in the footsteps of its predecessors with a sizable cast. TV legend Kim Cattrall, best known for the role of Samantha on "Sex and the City," was another recent addition to the series. Few details have been revealed about her character, but she's been described as a "martini-soaked, high society southern debutante with trailer park roots." No additional details needed — just knowing that a Cattrall character will be gulping alcohol onscreen is more than enough.
Jesse James Keitel was one of the first cast members announced for the reboot. Keitel recently became the first nonbinary actor to play a nonbinary series regular on primetime television, with their main role in the ABC drama, "Big Sky." Newcomer Candace Grace is also set to star as a nonbinary professor "navigating the rocky transition from punk to parenthood."
John Sibilly made waves as Costas Perez in "Pose," and most recently starred in the HBO Max comedy "Hacks." Now he joins the "Queer as Folk" cast as "a successful lawyer who is not as put together as he seems." Devin Way ("Grey's Anatomy," "Station 19)" will play a "charming and sometimes chaotic commitment-phobe who finds a reason to stay in New Orleans after tragedy rocks his community." Fin Argus, who recently starred in the Disney biopic "Clouds" and appeared in two episodes of "Agents of Shield," plays "a cocky high schooler whose confidence belies his lack of real world experience."
Ryan O' Connell, creator and star of the Netflix series 'Special," plays a "pop culture nerd with cerebral palsy who is more than ready for some independence." O'Connell also doubles as writer and executive producer on the series Behind the scenes, Dunn and O'Connell are joined by Jaclyn Moore, known for her work on "Dear White People" and the first season of HBO's "Love Life." Moore will serve as executive producer and writer, alongside Dunn. Additional EP's include Lee Eisenberg, Emily Brecht, Davies, Nicola Shindler, and Louise Pederson.
The "Queer as Folk" reboot will premiere on Peacock, but doesn't yet have a release date.