‘Call Me Maybe’ music video actor says he wasn’t comfortable ‘playing gay’
The Canadian model says he doesn't like being known as the 'gay guy' from the music video
The actor who starred in Carly Rae Jepsen’s iconic music video for hit single ‘Call Me Maybe’ has revealed he wasn’t comfortable playing gay.
Canadian model Holden Nowell starred in the 2011 music video, which saw Jepsen attempt to seduce him before realising he’s gay and more interested in her male bandmate.
On Thursday (June 7) however, Nowell revealed that he wasn’t comfortable playing a gay character in the music video.
Speaking to iHeartRadio Canada, the 29-year-old said: “The fact that they had to make my gay at the end of the video… it was all very… I didn’t like being known as the gay guy in the ‘Call Me Maybe’ video. It was just something I wasn’t used to.”
He continued: “I was always the ‘Call Me Maybe’ guy, everywhere I went, and after awhile I got really sick of hearing that.”
The model also revealed that the original ending of the video would have featured his character kissing the guitarist, but Nowell said he wasn’t comfortable doing that.
“I was like, ‘I’m going to be completely honest with you. I’m not going to kiss a guy, especially for $500,’” he said.
“I said, ‘I really don’t think I’m comfortable kissing a guy for a music video.’”
Nowell was the one to suggest the ending featured in the final video where his character gives the guitarist his phone number.
He explained: “I said, ‘You know what? What if instead of me kissing a guy at the end of the video, what if I just give a guy my number or something like that?”
The interview comes after the release of his debut rap album Fade II Black under the name SixXx’Tre.
Shortly after the interview was published, Nowell shared a screenshot of the article on Instagram and slammed it, claiming it made him out to be “narcissistic” and “bitter”.
He wrote: “I guess it’s true what they say, there’s no such thing as bad publicity… but man, this is pretty bad…
“Apparently I’m a narcissistic – bitter – slanderous gay bashing – Hitler loving – free thinking – outspoken – ‘conspiracy theorist’ who bags on his props… Wait, but, aren’t you?!?! I mean, aren’t I?!?!”
He added: “’Thanks for the support, Asshole.’”