Russell Tovey spills some surprising tea on ‘Looking’, Jonathan Groff & a possible reboot 10 years later

Russell Tovey ran the gamut of our emotions as Kevin Matheson on HBO’s Looking –– from getting us hot and heavy, to pissing us TF off.

But things could have gone very differently for the 42-year-old actor.

At a recent Q&A following a screening of Looking director Andrew Haigh‘s new film All of Us Strangers, Tovey revealed he originally auditioned for Jonathan Groff‘s character Patrick.

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It all started with a discussion around selecting All of Us Strangers‘ leads, with Haigh admitting he’s never had a “bad experience” casting a project.

For his part, Tovey recalled there was a bit of vacillation after his first audition for Looking.

“I remember there was two days where I knew it was between me and Jonathan Groff,” he explained. “And I would go in with a Ritchie or I’d go in with a Dom or whatever and then he’d go in with all the others and it’d be back and forth.”

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The worst part? Tovey learned he ultimately lost out on the part alongside everyone else.

“I found out via Twitter that I hadn’t got the role because they put it out online and I was having a wee in the middle of the night,” he confessed. Awkward!

Still, Haigh made it clear that he wanted Tovey to be a part of the project, even if it wasn’t as the show’s sensitive (and emotionally complicated) lead.

“I remember [Andrew] saying to me ‘If it goes to series [after the pilot] we’ll write you in,'” he said.

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Thankfully, it seems like the show turned out the way it was supposed to. And we can’t imagine anyone else portraying video-game genius (and on-again, off-again boyfriend) Patrick.

Furthermore, it seems like Tovey looks back fondly on his time with Looking, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

As he recently told W Magazine, he thought Haigh’s All of Us Strangers was “f*cking powerful.”

“He’s able to show intimacy in such a way that you don’t see anything but everything’s happening,” he added. “It makes it so universal.”

Related:

PHOTOS: Take a trip down memory lane with these ‘Looking’ throwback pics from a series gone too soon

The HBO gay dramedy is having a viral renaissance.

Tovey isn’t the only one reminiscing on Looking either.

Daniel Franzese, who portrayed Eddie in the second season, recently told Attitude that the entire cast is “pushing” for a reboot.

“If they ever wanted to do another movie, I’m pretty sure all of us would be down,” he said, adding that “it’s a great time to get us all together,” considering Murray Bartlett‘s meteoric rise post-White Lotus.

Additionally, the show continues to have a loyal following on social media where fans have been honoring its decade of influence –– and lamenting its short, two-season run.

And despite the casting faux pas, Tovey is ready to help lead the charge.

As he told Attitude last year, “I was begging [Andrew Haigh], saying, ‘Come on, let’s just have a special and come back,’ and he didn’t seem completely closed off to it. So who knows?”

Fingers crossed! But until then, at least we’ve got the first two seasons to binge.

Check out more posts celebrating the legacy of Looking below.

I’ve never been more devastated by a series being canceled. Still haven’t recovered — though I love seeing the cast and creatives continuing to thrive with other projects. And yes, Team Richie for life.— Curtis M. Wong (@CurtisMWong) January 21, 2024

I only came across looking earlier last year. Since then, I've watched on repeat. Can't believe it only survived 2 seasons. A brilliant cast.

And same, I'm not over Richie.— Ciarán (@DeathBitto) January 21, 2024