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Adam Lambert throws some serious shade at the idea of Theo James playing George Michael

Adam Lambert (left) and George Michael (right)
Adam Lambert (left) and George Michael (right) Photo: Composite via File

Adam Lambert gave the old social media side eye to the idea of White Lotus star Theo James potentially playing George Michael in a biopic of the late out pop star.

James, it seems, is a favorite to play Michael in a biopic that is reportedly in development, though the singer’s family and George Micael Entertainment have denied any knowledge of the project.

“The script is in the final stages and producers are looking for their leading man,” an anonymous source recently told The Daily Mail. “Theo’s name is the one on everyone’s lips. He would be perfect for the part. This is George’s story, warts and all.”

During a recent appearance on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, host Andy Cohen read questions submitted by fans for James. Twitter user @FicusAudrey2 asked whether he would be open to playing the “Faith” singer in the “inevitable” film, asserting that he would “literally be perfect for it.”

“Yeah, I’d love that,” James enthused. “He’s an icon. And he’s a bit Greek, and I’m a bit Greek.”

Of course, in addition to being “a bit Greek,” George Michael was also (more than) a bit gay, and James is… presumably not a bit gay.

That fact seems to be the source of Lambert’s disapproval. Apparently, the singer, who is currently fronting classic rock band Queen alongside original members Brian May and Roger Taylor, has had enough of straight actors landing juicy, Oscar-bait roles as iconic queer rock stars. In recent years, Taron Egerton won a Golden Globe for playing Elton John in Rocketman and Rami Malek won an Academy Award for playing Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.

“Yay another straight man playing a gay icon,” Lambert captioned an Instagram post, including an eye-roll emoji. The post has since been deleted.

Lambert has previously expressed interest in starring in a Michael biopic himself.

“That’d be cool, I just feel like, we don’t know that much about him. You know, to me, it would be great to kind of explore George’s life,” he told U.K.-based publication Metro in 2020.

As Pink News reports, George Michael fans were quick to criticize Lambert’s post. But RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Marcia Marcia Marcia defended his take with their own sharp critique of Hollywood’s marginalization of out actors.

“Seeing a lot of negativity toward Adam Lambert in the responses to this post,” they said in a January 18 Twitter post. “Queer actors are constantly rejected for their queerness while their cishet counterparts are praised for being ‘brave’ for accepting queer roles. Queer people should get to tell their own stories.”

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