Jim Parsons and Michael Aiello on ‘Spoiler Alert,’ the Gay Love Story of the Year

Contents:

• ‘SPOILER ALERT’: THE HERO DI THE GAY LOVE STORY OF THE YEARKLEENEX ALERTJIM PARSONS AND BEN ALDRIDGE STAR THE ADAPTATN OF MICHAEL AIELLO’S BOOK, ABOUT HOW HE FELL LOVE WH HIS HBAND, K—AND WHAT WAS LIKE TO RE FOR HIM AS HE DIED.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDPUBLISHED DEC. 08, 2022 4:45AM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY LUIS G. RENDON/THE DAILY BEAST/GETTY IMAGSEVEN-AND-A-HALF YEARS AGO, MICHAEL AIELLO SAID GOODBYE TO HIS HBAND, K COWAN, WHO DIED OF NCER. HE HAS BEEN SAYG GOODBYE TO HIM—GRIEVG HIM, REMEMBERG HIM, CELEBRATG HIM—ALMOST NSTANTLY SCE.HE SAID GOODBYE TO HIM HIS BOOK, SPOILER ALERT: THE HERO DI, ABOUT MEETG AND FALLG LOVE WH K AND RG FOR HIM AT THE END OF HIS LIFE, WHICH HE WROTE WHILE STILL THE GRIEVG PROCS. HE SAID GOODBYE AGA ON THE BOOK’S PRS TOUR, SPEAKG TO WRERS LIKE ME, TO HIS IENDS, AND TO CELEBRI WHO ARE MENTNED , LIKE KRISTEN BELL AND KERI RSELL. AIELLO IS AN ENTERTAMENT JOURNALIST, WHO WROTE FOR TV GUI AND ENTERTAMENT WEEKLY BEFORE FOUNDG THE WEBSE HE GOT THE PHONE LL THAT K MIGHT HAVE NCER WHILE ON THE SET OF THE AMERINS WAG TO TERVIEW RSELL. AFTER A DOCTOR GAVE K HIS PROGNOSIS, AIELLO HAD TO FILM AN ON-MERA NVERSATN WH BELL.HE SAID GOODBYE ON A MOVIE SET, WHILE WATCHG EMMY-WNER JIM PARSONS PLAY HIMSELF, AND THE PLATONIC IAL OF A PERFECT AND TALENTED MAN, BEN ALDRIDGE, PLAY K THE NEW MOVIE SPOILER ALERT, WHICH EXPANDS TO WI RELEASE THIS WEEKEND. HE WATCHED AS PARSONS, ACTG AS HIM, HELD K’S HAND AS HE PASSED AWAY A TEAR-JERKG HOSPAL ATH SCENE. NOW, DOG MORE PRS SUPPORT OF THE MOVIE, HE'S HAVG TO TALK ABOUT ALL—AND SAY GOODBYE—AGA. BUT THAT’S THE THG THAT BOTH AIELLO’S BOOK AND THIS GEOLY FAHFUL FILM ADAPTATN MAK SO BETIFULLY, EMOTNALLY CLEAR: WHEN YOU’VE HAD A LOVE LIKE MICHAEL AND K HAD, YOU DON’T EVER STOP SAYG GOODBYE. BEE THE PERSON NEVER ACTUALLY LEAV YOU COURTY OF FOC FEATUR WHEN I FIRST SPOKE ABOUT THIS PROJECT WH AIELLO, WAS 2017, WHEN SPOILER ALERT: THE HERO DI WAS FIRST RELEASED. AT THAT POT, K HAD BEEN GONE FOR TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS, AND AIELLO HAD SPENT A MAJORY OF THAT TIME LIVG THE SADNS OF THAT LOSS WHILE WRG THE BOOK. I ASKED HIM, AFTER VOTG SO MUCH ENERGY TO K’S RE AND THEN TO WRG HIS STORY, IF HE’S HAD A CHANCE TO THK OF HOW HE HIMSELF IS DOG. BOTH OF BEGAN CRYG AS HE ANSWERED.“IT’S BEEN TWO-AND-A HALF YEARS AND I’M STILL NOT OVER HIM,” HE SAID. “I DON’T KNOW IF I’LL HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT QUTN UNTIL I REALLY ACCEPT THAT HE’S GONE AND MOVE ON.” AS HIS VOICE UGHT, HE NTUED: “I’M NOT THERE YET. I THK PART OF THAT IS BEE THE BOOK HASN’T ALLOWED ME TO LET GO. PART OF IS I DON’T WANT TO LET GO. THE BOOK IS HELPG ME BY GIVG ME WHAT I WANT. HE’S STILL HERE A WAY. I’M STILL TALKG ABOUT HIM. HE’S STILL MY LIFE.” IT’S BEEN FIVE MORE YEARS SCE THEN, AND AIELLO HAS VOTED MUCH OF THAT TIME TO PRODUCG THE FILM VERSN OF SPOILER ALERT—WHICH IS TO SAY, AGA TELLG K’S STORY. I ASK HIM IF HIS RELATNSHIP TO THAT GRIEF AND TO K’S MEMORY HAS CHANGED AT ALL.“I THK GRIEF IS SUCH A WEIRD THG,” HE SAYS. “IT'S SUCH A MOVG TARGET. IT STILL CHANG OM WEEK TO WEEK. I FEEL LIKE I N SAY I FEEL LIKE I'M AT A PLACE MY GRIEVG PROCS WHERE I N WATCH THE FILM AND NOT FEEL PA. I MOSTLY FEEL JOY AND GRATU FOR HAVG THAT EXPERIENCE AND MEETG K.”“IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO GO BACK AND EVEN READ THE BOOK, BEE WAS HARD READG SOME OF THOSE PAFUL, PAFUL PARTS,” HE NTU. “I THK, IALLY, MY MEMORY WAS FILLED MOSTLY WH THAT FAL YEAR AND THE SUFFERG. NOW AS I MOVE ON, I'M THKG ABOUT THE HAPPY TIM.” THAT HAPPS IS THE THG, THOUGH. THERE IS SO MUCH JOY SPOILER ALERT.IT IS THE GREATT LOVE STORY YOU WILL SEE ON SCREEN THIS YEAR. THAT’S NOT BEE HS THE CLICHéS OF GRAND ROMANTIC GTUR. (THERE ARE THOSE, BUT LS THE “BOOMBOX OUTSI YOUR WDOW” TYPE AND MORE THE “VE YOUR -LAWS TO THE BEACH VATN BEFORE YOUR HBAND DI” TYPE.) IT’S BEE IS SO AFFIRMG. Y, SPOILER ALERT IS ALSO THE SADST LOVE STORY YOU WILL SEE. BUT IS SO BETIFUL. IT REMDS YOU OF WHY WE FALL LOVE.WE DO FOR THE FUN OF THE FIRST PART OF ROMANCE: THE GETTG OVER SECURI, LIKE MAYBE YOU HAVE AN OUTRAGEO LLECTN OF SMURFS MEMORABILIA (AIELLO DID) OR MAYBE YOU WERE STILL CLOSETED (LIKE COWAN WAS). BUT REAL LOVE IS MOVG PAST THAT—AND PAST ANNOYANC, LIKE SMOKG TOO MUCH WEED, DRKG TOO MUCH, EMOTNAL FILY, DISTANCE, WORK DISTRACTNS, OR DIMISHG PASSN. THOSE ARE ALL THE THGS THAT ARE CREDIBLY HUMAN, THAT ALL DON’T MATTER WHEN MATTERS: BEG ALONGSI THE PERSON WHO YOU LOVE THE MOST AS THEY FACE THEIR ATH. I N BARELY GET THROUGH TYPG THAT WHOUT CRYG. SPOILER ALERT IS REALLY LEANG TO THE KLEENEX OF ALL WH S MARKETG, AND RIGHTFULLY SO. AT A PRS SCREENG FOR THE FILM, PUBLICISTS HAND OUT BRAND TISSU; A GIRL STG TO MY RIGHT WAS SOBBG SO LOUDLY, AT FIRST I THOUGHT SHE WAS SCREAMG. BUT THE THG IS: SPOILER ALERT IS ALSO A VERY FUNNY FILM. (SURPRISE!)“I THK THE CRYG AND THE TISSU GET A LOT OF ATTENTN,” AIELLO SAYS. “BUT AS WH THE BOOK, SO MUCH OF IS TOLD THROUGH A IC LENS, BEE THAT WAS MY RELATNSHIP WH K A NUTSHELL. I THK WHAT GOT THROUGH EMOTNALLY THE YEAR THAT HE WAS SICK WAS EDY AND GALLOWS HUMOR.”THAT ISN’T TO SAY THAT HE’S NOT TAKG A CERTA LIGHT HEARG ALL OF THE STORI ABOUT HOW MUCH PEOPLE WEEP WHILE WATCHG THE FILM. “IT SEEMS WEIRD TO SAY THAT I LOVE SUFFERG,” HE SAYS, LGHG. “IT MEANS TO ME THAT PEOPLE ARE NNECTG WH THE MOVIE AND BEG MOVED BY . WHEN I HEAR THAT PEOPLE ARE CRYG OR THEY HAVE THAT KD OF REACTN TO THE MOVIE, SEEMS LIKE THE BT KD OF PLIMENT TO THE FILM.” BRANDON WILLIAMS/GETTY IMAG WHEN I ZOOM WH PARSONS AND ALDRIDGE TO TALK ABOUT THE MOVIE, THEY SHARE THAT SENTIMENT. “ANY OF WHO WERE APPROACHED WH THE MATERIAL WANTED TO DO BEE WE WERE H THE SAME HARD WAY,” PARSONS SAYS.IN ADDN TO STARRG SPOILER ALERT, PARSONS PRODUCED THE FILM WH HIS HBAND, TODD SPIEWAK. AIELLO, WHO HAD TERVIEWED PARSONS MANY TIM OVER THE YEARS THAT HE STARRED ON THE BIG BANG THEORY, ASKED THE ACTOR TO MORATE A Q&A LOS ANGEL WHEN SPOILER ALERT: THE HERO DI WAS RELEASED. AS PARSONS READ THE BOOK TO PREPARE FOR THE NVERSATN, SPIEWAK WOULD DISVER HIM THE LIVG ROOM SOBBG A PUDDLE OF TEARS. IT WAS SPIEWAK’S IA, AFTER OBSERVG HIS HBAND’S VISCERAL REACTN, TO OPTN THE BOOK FOR A FILM—THOUGH PARSONS WASN’T TOTALLY ON BOARD AT FIRST.“ONE TIME I SAT NEXT TO FRANC MCDORMAND AT A DNER FOR A GOLN GLOB THG—THAT’S THE ONLY TIME WE’VE BEEN TOGETHER FOR ANYTHG OR SPOKEN,” HE SAYS. “BUT WE WERE THERE FOR A LONG TIME. ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT ME UP WAS ADAPTG MATERIAL. SHE SAID THAT SHE FELT LIKE THGS THAT DON’T NECSARILY SUCCEED THEIR ORIGAL GENRE ARE THE BT THGS TO TAKE AND TRY AGA, IF THE STORY SELF IS GOOD, ANOTHER GENRE. THE REASON I DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT ADAPTG THE BOOK WAS BEE REALLY POWERFULLY SUCCEED S ORIGAL FORM, MY OPN.”HE LGHS. “I DON’T KNOW WHY I BOTHERED TO TELL YOU ALL THAT, BUT ANYWAY... I JT WANTED TO NAME-DROP FRANC MCDORMAND.” ULTIMATELY, OF URSE, HE CID TO MAKE THE FILM. LIKE AIELLO’S BOOK, SPOILER ALERT CHARTS THE ENTIRETY OF MICHAEL AND K’S RELATNSHIP—AND, LIKE THE BOOK, THE FACT THAT K DI IS TABLISHED IMMEDIATELY. THEY FIRST MET AT WEBSTER HALL NEW YORK CY’S EAST VILLAGE ONE NIGHT 2001, NOT LONG AFTER 9/11 HAPPENED AND THE CY WAS STILL AN EERIE, UNCERTA PLACE. THEY FELL FAST AND HARD FOR EACH OTHER.K WAS ABLE TO OVERLOOK MICHAEL’S OBSSN WH SMURFS, AND THE FACT THAT HIS APARTMENT WAS A FACTO SHRE TO THE CHARACTERS. (AIELLO’S ACTUAL SMURFS LLECTN IS ED THE FILM. “THERE’S A LTLE CEMATIC EMBELLISHMENT,” HE SAYS. HE NEVER HAD A SMURFS FORTER ON HIS BED, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN A ALBREAKER FOR K—AND MICHAEL WOULD HAVE UNRSTOOD. “I WOULD SAY THEY EMBELLISHED BY MAYBE 20 PERCENT.”) MICHAEL HELPED K TO E OUT TO HIS PARENTS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FUNNIT, MOST CHARMG SCEN THE MOVIE.THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, THEY BATTLED MONS, SEPARATELY AND TOGETHER. MICHAEL WORKED TOO MUCH, AND DRANK A LOT. K HAD AN AFFAIR. THEY SAW A UPLE’S THERAPIST TOGETHER. AT ONE POT, THEY SEPARATED AND LIVED DIFFERENT APARTMENTS. BUT NONE OF THAT MATTERED WHEN K RECEIVED HIS DIAGNOSIS. MICHAEL WAS GOG TO BE THERE. IT WASN’T EVEN A QUTN.“THE FILM SHOWS THE RELATNSHIP S ENTIRETY: THEM FALLG LOVE AND THE JOYFUL ELEMENT OF THAT, HOW THEY DISARM EACH OTHER, THEIR PLAYFULNS,” ALDRIDGE SAYS. “IT FELT VERY REAL TO ME THAT SPANNED A LONG PERD OF TIME, AND SHOWS WHAT LIFE AND TIME DO TO YOUR RELATNSHIP. IT SHOWS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MIGHT BE ATTRACTED TO SOMEONE OUTSI OF THE RELATNSHIP, AND THOSE PLITNS AND PLEXI. IT SHOWS HOW YOU HAVE TO NURTURE SOMETHG. SOMETIM THAT’S DIFFICULT. IT JT FELT, FOR ME, A FULLY REALIZED RELATNSHIP—BEE ’S BASED ON EXACTLY THAT.” “YOU N’T LOVE WHOUT RISK OF PA. THEY GO HAND HAND.” THERE’S A SENSE WHEN TALKG TO ALDRIDGE AND PARSONS, WHO ARE BOTH GAY, THAT FILMG SPOILER ALERT WAS LS A JOB THAN WAS A LLG. “I JT LOVED THEIR LOVE AND WHAT TEACH ABOUT LOVE,” ALDRIDGE SAYS. “YOU N’T LOVE WHOUT RISK OF PA. THEY GO HAND HAND. THERE’S SOMETHG REALLY HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FILM. WHEN I WATCHED , I FELT LIKE I DIDN’T JT WATCH SOMEONE PASS AWAY. I GOT VIGORATED, AND WAS TGHT TO CHERISH LIFE AND TGHT TO LOVE BETTER, I THK.”PARSONS REMEMBERS THAT, AFTER HE READ SPOILER ALERT, HE WENT ON AIELLO’S INSTAGRAM AND SCROLLED THROUGH PAST PHOTOS. HE FOUND A PHOTO OF THE TWO OF THEM AT THE EMMY AWARDS, AND DAWNED ON HIM THAT, AT THE MOMENT THEY TOOK THE PICTURE, AIELLO WAS THE THICK OF , RG FOR K. “IT WAS A LTLE B CHILLG TO ME TO LOOK BACK AT THAT AND THK, ‘OH GOD…’ TALK ABOUT GIVG A REAL-LIFE LSON OF YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT SOMEBODY ELSE IS GOG THROUGH WHEN YOU’RE TALKG TO THEM OR ALG WH THEM.”THERE’S ALWAYS A TEMPTATN, PECIALLY WHEN A FILM CENTERS ON LGBT CHARACTERS, TO DISTILL A LSON OR A TAKEAWAY. ALDRIDGE, PARSONS, AND AIELLO ALL HAVE DIFFERENT OPNS ON WHAT THAT MIGHT BE. BUT THE NVERSATN RELIABLY CENTERS AROUND THE SCENE WHICH MICHAEL LIVERS K’S LOGY, WHICH HEWS CLOSE TO THE WORDS AIELLO SAID AND PUBLISHED FULL HIS BOOK: “IT SOUNDS RNY, I KNOW, BUT [K] SPENT THE LAST YEAR LIVG LIKE HE WAS DYG, AND I FEEL SO PRIVILEGED TO HAVE HAD A RGSI SEAT FOR WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE HIS FAREWELL TOUR.” COURTY OF FOC FEATUR THAT WORD, “PRIVILEGE,’ RONAT POWERFULLY. IT SHATTERS YOUR HEART. FOR AIELLO, RG FOR K WASN’T A BURN, OR SOME SORT OF DUTY. BEG ABLE TO DO THAT FOR K WAS AN HONOR. IT WAS HIS GREATT ACT OF LOVE.“THE PRIVILEGE AND THE GIFT OF THAT TRAGEDY, LERALLY STARG LIFE AND ATH THE FACE FOR TWO PEOPLE, IS THAT RARE MOMENT THAT TWO SOULS GET TO TRAVEL TOGETHER, AS CLOSELY AS JT TWO SOULS, THROUGH SOMETHG LIKE THAT,” PARSONS SAYS. “SO MUCH STATIC FALLS AWAY. NECSY. CLARY. WH THE BOOK AND THE MOVIE, YOU UNRSTAND THAT THE BETY OF TRAVELG THAT REALLY DIFFICULT ROAD IS THAT ’S A VERY, VERY RARE GIFT OF AN OPPORTUNY TO BE A BUBBLE, A SACRED SPACE WH THEM.”THE MOVIE—AND AIELLO AND COWAN’S STORY—IS A POIGNANT REMR OF HOW LUCKY ANY OF ARE TO HAVE FOUND LOVE OUR LIV AT ALL, AND A WHAT A PRIVILEGE IS, TO E THAT WORD AGA, TO BE ABLE TO RE FOR THE PERSON YOU LOVE WHEN THEY NEED YOU THE MOST, DIFFICULT AS MAY BE.“I REMEMBER FEELG THAT GRATU EVEN EXTREME PA AFTER K DIED,” AIELLO SAYS. “JT FEELG SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN AT WEBSTER HALL THAT NIGHT, TWO MONTHS AFTER 9/11 AND WALKG OUT ON THE DANCE FLOOR AND SEEG HIM. I’M GETTG CHILLS JT THKG ABOUT . EVEN KNOWG NOW THE PA AND THE TRMA AND THE LOSS THAT WAS TO E, I WOULDN’T HAVE TRAD FOR ANYTHG. HOW LUCKY WAS I TO BE THERE THAT NIGHT AND TO MEET HIM?” KEV FALLON

‘SPOILER ALERT’: THE HERO DI THE GAY LOVE STORY OF THE YEARKLEENEX ALERTJIM PARSONS AND BEN ALDRIDGE STAR THE ADAPTATN OF MICHAEL AIELLO’S BOOK, ABOUT HOW HE FELL LOVE WH HIS HBAND, K—AND WHAT WAS LIKE TO RE FOR HIM AS HE DIED.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDPUBLISHED DEC. 08, 2022 4:45AM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY LUIS G. RENDON/THE DAILY BEAST/GETTY IMAGSEVEN-AND-A-HALF YEARS AGO, MICHAEL AIELLO SAID GOODBYE TO HIS HBAND, K COWAN, WHO DIED OF NCER. HE HAS BEEN SAYG GOODBYE TO HIM—GRIEVG HIM, REMEMBERG HIM, CELEBRATG HIM—ALMOST NSTANTLY SCE.HE SAID GOODBYE TO HIM HIS BOOK, SPOILER ALERT: THE HERO DI, ABOUT MEETG AND FALLG LOVE WH K AND RG FOR HIM AT THE END OF HIS LIFE, WHICH HE WROTE WHILE STILL THE GRIEVG PROCS. HE SAID GOODBYE AGA ON THE BOOK’S PRS TOUR, SPEAKG TO WRERS LIKE ME, TO HIS IENDS, AND TO CELEBRI WHO ARE MENTNED , LIKE KRISTEN BELL AND KERI RSELL. AIELLO IS AN ENTERTAMENT JOURNALIST, WHO WROTE FOR TV GUI AND ENTERTAMENT WEEKLY BEFORE FOUNDG THE WEBSE HE GOT THE PHONE LL THAT K MIGHT HAVE NCER WHILE ON THE SET OF THE AMERINS WAG TO TERVIEW RSELL. AFTER A DOCTOR GAVE K HIS PROGNOSIS, AIELLO HAD TO FILM AN ON-MERA NVERSATN WH BELL.HE SAID GOODBYE ON A MOVIE SET, WHILE WATCHG EMMY-WNER JIM PARSONS PLAY HIMSELF, AND THE PLATONIC IAL OF A PERFECT AND TALENTED MAN, BEN ALDRIDGE, PLAY K THE NEW MOVIE SPOILER ALERT, WHICH EXPANDS TO WI RELEASE THIS WEEKEND. HE WATCHED AS PARSONS, ACTG AS HIM, HELD K’S HAND AS HE PASSED AWAY A TEAR-JERKG HOSPAL ATH SCENE. NOW, DOG MORE PRS SUPPORT OF THE MOVIE, HE'S HAVG TO TALK ABOUT ALL—AND SAY GOODBYE—AGA. BUT THAT’S THE THG THAT BOTH AIELLO’S BOOK AND THIS GEOLY FAHFUL FILM ADAPTATN MAK SO BETIFULLY, EMOTNALLY CLEAR: WHEN YOU’VE HAD A LOVE LIKE MICHAEL AND K HAD, YOU DON’T EVER STOP SAYG GOODBYE. BEE THE PERSON NEVER ACTUALLY LEAV YOU COURTY OF FOC FEATUR WHEN I FIRST SPOKE ABOUT THIS PROJECT WH AIELLO, WAS 2017, WHEN SPOILER ALERT: THE HERO DI WAS FIRST RELEASED. AT THAT POT, K HAD BEEN GONE FOR TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS, AND AIELLO HAD SPENT A MAJORY OF THAT TIME LIVG THE SADNS OF THAT LOSS WHILE WRG THE BOOK. I ASKED HIM, AFTER VOTG SO MUCH ENERGY TO K’S RE AND THEN TO WRG HIS STORY, IF HE’S HAD A CHANCE TO THK OF HOW HE HIMSELF IS DOG. BOTH OF BEGAN CRYG AS HE ANSWERED.“IT’S BEEN TWO-AND-A HALF YEARS AND I’M STILL NOT OVER HIM,” HE SAID. “I DON’T KNOW IF I’LL HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT QUTN UNTIL I REALLY ACCEPT THAT HE’S GONE AND MOVE ON.” AS HIS VOICE UGHT, HE NTUED: “I’M NOT THERE YET. I THK PART OF THAT IS BEE THE BOOK HASN’T ALLOWED ME TO LET GO. PART OF IS I DON’T WANT TO LET GO. THE BOOK IS HELPG ME BY GIVG ME WHAT I WANT. HE’S STILL HERE A WAY. I’M STILL TALKG ABOUT HIM. HE’S STILL MY LIFE.” IT’S BEEN FIVE MORE YEARS SCE THEN, AND AIELLO HAS VOTED MUCH OF THAT TIME TO PRODUCG THE FILM VERSN OF SPOILER ALERT—WHICH IS TO SAY, AGA TELLG K’S STORY. I ASK HIM IF HIS RELATNSHIP TO THAT GRIEF AND TO K’S MEMORY HAS CHANGED AT ALL.“I THK GRIEF IS SUCH A WEIRD THG,” HE SAYS. “IT'S SUCH A MOVG TARGET. IT STILL CHANG OM WEEK TO WEEK. I FEEL LIKE I N SAY I FEEL LIKE I'M AT A PLACE MY GRIEVG PROCS WHERE I N WATCH THE FILM AND NOT FEEL PA. I MOSTLY FEEL JOY AND GRATU FOR HAVG THAT EXPERIENCE AND MEETG K.”“IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO GO BACK AND EVEN READ THE BOOK, BEE WAS HARD READG SOME OF THOSE PAFUL, PAFUL PARTS,” HE NTU. “I THK, IALLY, MY MEMORY WAS FILLED MOSTLY WH THAT FAL YEAR AND THE SUFFERG. NOW AS I MOVE ON, I'M THKG ABOUT THE HAPPY TIM.” THAT HAPPS IS THE THG, THOUGH. THERE IS SO MUCH JOY SPOILER ALERT.IT IS THE GREATT LOVE STORY YOU WILL SEE ON SCREEN THIS YEAR. THAT’S NOT BEE HS THE CLICHéS OF GRAND ROMANTIC GTUR. (THERE ARE THOSE, BUT LS THE “BOOMBOX OUTSI YOUR WDOW” TYPE AND MORE THE “VE YOUR -LAWS TO THE BEACH VATN BEFORE YOUR HBAND DI” TYPE.) IT’S BEE IS SO AFFIRMG. Y, SPOILER ALERT IS ALSO THE SADST LOVE STORY YOU WILL SEE. BUT IS SO BETIFUL. IT REMDS YOU OF WHY WE FALL LOVE.WE DO FOR THE FUN OF THE FIRST PART OF ROMANCE: THE GETTG OVER SECURI, LIKE MAYBE YOU HAVE AN OUTRAGEO LLECTN OF SMURFS MEMORABILIA (AIELLO DID) OR MAYBE YOU WERE STILL CLOSETED (LIKE COWAN WAS). BUT REAL LOVE IS MOVG PAST THAT—AND PAST ANNOYANC, LIKE SMOKG TOO MUCH WEED, DRKG TOO MUCH, EMOTNAL FILY, DISTANCE, WORK DISTRACTNS, OR DIMISHG PASSN. THOSE ARE ALL THE THGS THAT ARE CREDIBLY HUMAN, THAT ALL DON’T MATTER WHEN MATTERS: BEG ALONGSI THE PERSON WHO YOU LOVE THE MOST AS THEY FACE THEIR ATH. I N BARELY GET THROUGH TYPG THAT WHOUT CRYG. SPOILER ALERT IS REALLY LEANG TO THE KLEENEX OF ALL WH S MARKETG, AND RIGHTFULLY SO. AT A PRS SCREENG FOR THE FILM, PUBLICISTS HAND OUT BRAND TISSU; A GIRL STG TO MY RIGHT WAS SOBBG SO LOUDLY, AT FIRST I THOUGHT SHE WAS SCREAMG. BUT THE THG IS: SPOILER ALERT IS ALSO A VERY FUNNY FILM. (SURPRISE!)“I THK THE CRYG AND THE TISSU GET A LOT OF ATTENTN,” AIELLO SAYS. “BUT AS WH THE BOOK, SO MUCH OF IS TOLD THROUGH A IC LENS, BEE THAT WAS MY RELATNSHIP WH K A NUTSHELL. I THK WHAT GOT THROUGH EMOTNALLY THE YEAR THAT HE WAS SICK WAS EDY AND GALLOWS HUMOR.”THAT ISN’T TO SAY THAT HE’S NOT TAKG A CERTA LIGHT HEARG ALL OF THE STORI ABOUT HOW MUCH PEOPLE WEEP WHILE WATCHG THE FILM. “IT SEEMS WEIRD TO SAY THAT I LOVE SUFFERG,” HE SAYS, LGHG. “IT MEANS TO ME THAT PEOPLE ARE NNECTG WH THE MOVIE AND BEG MOVED BY . WHEN I HEAR THAT PEOPLE ARE CRYG OR THEY HAVE THAT KD OF REACTN TO THE MOVIE, SEEMS LIKE THE BT KD OF PLIMENT TO THE FILM.” BRANDON WILLIAMS/GETTY IMAG WHEN I ZOOM WH PARSONS AND ALDRIDGE TO TALK ABOUT THE MOVIE, THEY SHARE THAT SENTIMENT. “ANY OF WHO WERE APPROACHED WH THE MATERIAL WANTED TO DO BEE WE WERE H THE SAME HARD WAY,” PARSONS SAYS.IN ADDN TO STARRG SPOILER ALERT, PARSONS PRODUCED THE FILM WH HIS HBAND, TODD SPIEWAK. AIELLO, WHO HAD TERVIEWED PARSONS MANY TIM OVER THE YEARS THAT HE STARRED ON THE BIG BANG THEORY, ASKED THE ACTOR TO MORATE A Q&A LOS ANGEL WHEN SPOILER ALERT: THE HERO DI WAS RELEASED. AS PARSONS READ THE BOOK TO PREPARE FOR THE NVERSATN, SPIEWAK WOULD DISVER HIM THE LIVG ROOM SOBBG A PUDDLE OF TEARS. IT WAS SPIEWAK’S IA, AFTER OBSERVG HIS HBAND’S VISCERAL REACTN, TO OPTN THE BOOK FOR A FILM—THOUGH PARSONS WASN’T TOTALLY ON BOARD AT FIRST.“ONE TIME I SAT NEXT TO FRANC MCDORMAND AT A DNER FOR A GOLN GLOB THG—THAT’S THE ONLY TIME WE’VE BEEN TOGETHER FOR ANYTHG OR SPOKEN,” HE SAYS. “BUT WE WERE THERE FOR A LONG TIME. ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT ME UP WAS ADAPTG MATERIAL. SHE SAID THAT SHE FELT LIKE THGS THAT DON’T NECSARILY SUCCEED THEIR ORIGAL GENRE ARE THE BT THGS TO TAKE AND TRY AGA, IF THE STORY SELF IS GOOD, ANOTHER GENRE. THE REASON I DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT ADAPTG THE BOOK WAS BEE REALLY POWERFULLY SUCCEED S ORIGAL FORM, MY OPN.”HE LGHS. “I DON’T KNOW WHY I BOTHERED TO TELL YOU ALL THAT, BUT ANYWAY... I JT WANTED TO NAME-DROP FRANC MCDORMAND.” ULTIMATELY, OF URSE, HE CID TO MAKE THE FILM. LIKE AIELLO’S BOOK, SPOILER ALERT CHARTS THE ENTIRETY OF MICHAEL AND K’S RELATNSHIP—AND, LIKE THE BOOK, THE FACT THAT K DI IS TABLISHED IMMEDIATELY. THEY FIRST MET AT WEBSTER HALL NEW YORK CY’S EAST VILLAGE ONE NIGHT 2001, NOT LONG AFTER 9/11 HAPPENED AND THE CY WAS STILL AN EERIE, UNCERTA PLACE. THEY FELL FAST AND HARD FOR EACH OTHER.K WAS ABLE TO OVERLOOK MICHAEL’S OBSSN WH SMURFS, AND THE FACT THAT HIS APARTMENT WAS A FACTO SHRE TO THE CHARACTERS. (AIELLO’S ACTUAL SMURFS LLECTN IS ED THE FILM. “THERE’S A LTLE CEMATIC EMBELLISHMENT,” HE SAYS. HE NEVER HAD A SMURFS FORTER ON HIS BED, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN A ALBREAKER FOR K—AND MICHAEL WOULD HAVE UNRSTOOD. “I WOULD SAY THEY EMBELLISHED BY MAYBE 20 PERCENT.”) MICHAEL HELPED K TO E OUT TO HIS PARENTS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FUNNIT, MOST CHARMG SCEN THE MOVIE.THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, THEY BATTLED MONS, SEPARATELY AND TOGETHER. MICHAEL WORKED TOO MUCH, AND DRANK A LOT. K HAD AN AFFAIR. THEY SAW A UPLE’S THERAPIST TOGETHER. AT ONE POT, THEY SEPARATED AND LIVED DIFFERENT APARTMENTS. BUT NONE OF THAT MATTERED WHEN K RECEIVED HIS DIAGNOSIS. MICHAEL WAS GOG TO BE THERE. IT WASN’T EVEN A QUTN.“THE FILM SHOWS THE RELATNSHIP S ENTIRETY: THEM FALLG LOVE AND THE JOYFUL ELEMENT OF THAT, HOW THEY DISARM EACH OTHER, THEIR PLAYFULNS,” ALDRIDGE SAYS. “IT FELT VERY REAL TO ME THAT SPANNED A LONG PERD OF TIME, AND SHOWS WHAT LIFE AND TIME DO TO YOUR RELATNSHIP. IT SHOWS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MIGHT BE ATTRACTED TO SOMEONE OUTSI OF THE RELATNSHIP, AND THOSE PLITNS AND PLEXI. IT SHOWS HOW YOU HAVE TO NURTURE SOMETHG. SOMETIM THAT’S DIFFICULT. IT JT FELT, FOR ME, A FULLY REALIZED RELATNSHIP—BEE ’S BASED ON EXACTLY THAT.” “YOU N’T LOVE WHOUT RISK OF PA. THEY GO HAND HAND.” THERE’S A SENSE WHEN TALKG TO ALDRIDGE AND PARSONS, WHO ARE BOTH GAY, THAT FILMG SPOILER ALERT WAS LS A JOB THAN WAS A LLG. “I JT LOVED THEIR LOVE AND WHAT TEACH ABOUT LOVE,” ALDRIDGE SAYS. “YOU N’T LOVE WHOUT RISK OF PA. THEY GO HAND HAND. THERE’S SOMETHG REALLY HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FILM. WHEN I WATCHED , I FELT LIKE I DIDN’T JT WATCH SOMEONE PASS AWAY. I GOT VIGORATED, AND WAS TGHT TO CHERISH LIFE AND TGHT TO LOVE BETTER, I THK.”PARSONS REMEMBERS THAT, AFTER HE READ SPOILER ALERT, HE WENT ON AIELLO’S INSTAGRAM AND SCROLLED THROUGH PAST PHOTOS. HE FOUND A PHOTO OF THE TWO OF THEM AT THE EMMY AWARDS, AND DAWNED ON HIM THAT, AT THE MOMENT THEY TOOK THE PICTURE, AIELLO WAS THE THICK OF , RG FOR K. “IT WAS A LTLE B CHILLG TO ME TO LOOK BACK AT THAT AND THK, ‘OH GOD…’ TALK ABOUT GIVG A REAL-LIFE LSON OF YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT SOMEBODY ELSE IS GOG THROUGH WHEN YOU’RE TALKG TO THEM OR ALG WH THEM.”THERE’S ALWAYS A TEMPTATN, PECIALLY WHEN A FILM CENTERS ON LGBT CHARACTERS, TO DISTILL A LSON OR A TAKEAWAY. ALDRIDGE, PARSONS, AND AIELLO ALL HAVE DIFFERENT OPNS ON WHAT THAT MIGHT BE. BUT THE NVERSATN RELIABLY CENTERS AROUND THE SCENE WHICH MICHAEL LIVERS K’S LOGY, WHICH HEWS CLOSE TO THE WORDS AIELLO SAID AND PUBLISHED FULL HIS BOOK: “IT SOUNDS RNY, I KNOW, BUT [K] SPENT THE LAST YEAR LIVG LIKE HE WAS DYG, AND I FEEL SO PRIVILEGED TO HAVE HAD A RGSI SEAT FOR WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE HIS FAREWELL TOUR.” COURTY OF FOC FEATUR THAT WORD, “PRIVILEGE,’ RONAT POWERFULLY. IT SHATTERS YOUR HEART. FOR AIELLO, RG FOR K WASN’T A BURN, OR SOME SORT OF DUTY. BEG ABLE TO DO THAT FOR K WAS AN HONOR. IT WAS HIS GREATT ACT OF LOVE.“THE PRIVILEGE AND THE GIFT OF THAT TRAGEDY, LERALLY STARG LIFE AND ATH THE FACE FOR TWO PEOPLE, IS THAT RARE MOMENT THAT TWO SOULS GET TO TRAVEL TOGETHER, AS CLOSELY AS JT TWO SOULS, THROUGH SOMETHG LIKE THAT,” PARSONS SAYS. “SO MUCH STATIC FALLS AWAY. NECSY. CLARY. WH THE BOOK AND THE MOVIE, YOU UNRSTAND THAT THE BETY OF TRAVELG THAT REALLY DIFFICULT ROAD IS THAT ’S A VERY, VERY RARE GIFT OF AN OPPORTUNY TO BE A BUBBLE, A SACRED SPACE WH THEM.”THE MOVIE—AND AIELLO AND COWAN’S STORY—IS A POIGNANT REMR OF HOW LUCKY ANY OF ARE TO HAVE FOUND LOVE OUR LIV AT ALL, AND A WHAT A PRIVILEGE IS, TO E THAT WORD AGA, TO BE ABLE TO RE FOR THE PERSON YOU LOVE WHEN THEY NEED YOU THE MOST, DIFFICULT AS MAY BE.“I REMEMBER FEELG THAT GRATU EVEN EXTREME PA AFTER K DIED,” AIELLO SAYS. “JT FEELG SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN AT WEBSTER HALL THAT NIGHT, TWO MONTHS AFTER 9/11 AND WALKG OUT ON THE DANCE FLOOR AND SEEG HIM. I’M GETTG CHILLS JT THKG ABOUT . EVEN KNOWG NOW THE PA AND THE TRMA AND THE LOSS THAT WAS TO E, I WOULDN’T HAVE TRAD FOR ANYTHG. HOW LUCKY WAS I TO BE THERE THAT NIGHT AND TO MEET HIM?” KEV FALLON

Rt assured, there are still plenty of cematic treats on the horizon: We’ve got an Atralian ballroom romance, a Bayard Rt bpic, Pedro Pasl playg a gay wboy, and loads of lic queer horror. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cab tells the story of a gay uple (Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge) and their adopted dghter Wen (Kristen Cui) as they grapple wh an impossible ultimatum: sacrifice someone or else the world will end.

Hontly, the whole thg sounds like Booksmart meets, well, Fight Club, and that’s exactly the kd of energy queer-themed teen edi — TBDDavid Lee / NetflixRarely has there been a bpic stg cisn as perfect as tappg Tony and Emmy-wng actor Colman Domgo to play gay civil rights activist Bayard Rt, a man who was an enormo fluence on Mart Luther Kg, Jr., among other key lears, but who mostly worked behd the scen.

So if you make him a gay wboy a short film directed by Pedro Almodóvar — who, by the way, was once poised to direct Brokeback Mounta — I’ll s up straight my chair and pay rapt attentn. As Variety noted last year, Jul hatch the scheme after spottg Prton a gay sna and realizg that, bee he was drag when the attack occurred, his assailant won’t regnize him.