Paul Schrader: Jacob Elordi ‘Is the Guy I Would Have Cast’ in ‘American Gigolo’ 40 Years Ago

Paul Schrader may think that Glen Powell is the next Paul Newman, but the “Oh, Canada” filmmaker is making it clear that Jacob Elordi could follow in Richard Gere’s filmic footsteps.

Schrader cast Elordi as the younger version of Gere’s lead character in “Oh, Canada,” which premiered in competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and went on to screen at TIFF.

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However, Schrader is now suggesting that Elordi might have even beat out Gere for “American Gigolo” if they had been contemporaries.

“I saw his performance on Zoom and, if this was 40 years ago, this is the guy I would have cast for ‘American Gigolo,'” Schrader told The Hollywood Reporter of Elordi’s audition for “Oh, Canada.”

“American Gigolo” was led by Gere and released in 1980. The film later received a short-lived TV adaptation with Jon Bernthal starring.

Schrader added that since “Oh, Canada” was filmed prior to Elordi’s roles in “Priscilla” and “Saltburn,” the rising actor was still mostly known for “Euphoria” and therefore didn’t require a large salary.

“We got him [Elordi] for a dime and nickel for that reason,” Schrader said. “I didn’t need a name. I had Richard and that was enough.”

Schrader also wanted to cast against expectations, and have Gere “play old” for the first time onscreen.

“Any number of actors could knock this out of the park. It’s a great role,” he said. “To have seen Anthony Hopkins do it, and to have seen Jonathan Pryce and Tommy Lee Jones do it, I thought to myself, Richard [Gere] has never played old and it would help the buzz and sales for the film.”

“Oh, Canada” centers on a dying documentarian (Gere) who recounts his youth on-camera. The film is an adaptation of late author Russell Banks’ 2021 novel “Foregone.” Banks and director Schrader previously collaborated on 1997’s “Affliction.” Uma Thurman and Michael Imperioli also star. The feature was acquired for North American distribution by Kino Lorber.

Schrader previously told Letterboxd that Robert De Niro was first approached to lead “Oh, Canada” before he reached out to Gere.

Read the IndieWire review for “Oh, Canada” here and check out Schrader’s interview with IndieWire.

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