Hammer: I didn’t want kids ‘printing out pictures of my penis’
Armie Hammer almost turned down his role in upcoming gay coming-of-age film because of excess nudity.
Hammer stars in Call Me By Your Name, the story of 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet) living with his parents in Italy during the 1980s.
When Oliver (Hammer), a 24-year-old academic comes to live, a striking and electric relationship evolves.
But Hammer almost didn’t accept the role: ‘I did want to pass,’ reports the Hollywood Reporter.
‘It scared me,’ he added.
He went on to explain: ‘I was a little nervous about all the nudity that was originally in the script.
He added: ‘I had images of my daughter being at school, and she’s 13 years old, and people are teasing her and printing out pictures of my penis and, I thought, “Oh man!”‘
The film’s director Luca Guadagnino eventually convinced Hammer to take the role.
Armie Hammer believes, in the end: ‘This [role] challenged me, it’s the reason I had to take it.’
He went on to explain the state of gay rights in America right now and the need for films like this.
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME: as sensitive & sensual as the first time I saw it. Armie & Timothee are wonderful. I love this movie! #TIFF17 pic.twitter.com/7TeHEoFifV
— Alicia Malone (@aliciamalone) September 7, 2017
Hammer said: ‘It’s a crazy, bizarre, weird and scary world.
‘Anytime you can infuse a little bit of beauty and remind people that, yes, things might be terrible somewhere else…
‘You will feel like you’re having a summer vacation if you watch this movie, and just that bit of escapism can be nice too,’ he said.
The movie hits cinemas 24 November.
Watch the trailer:
