“We wanted to update a few things,” Matthias says. “And Gabe brought a lot to the table—especially when it came to the story line between Tracy and her father.”
“It’s horribly sexist and gross,” Parker says. “He blames her for the affair and she apologizes in the end? We thought we could do better.”
I’m not sure fans of the original will agree with such an assessment, but it’s surprising to hear Parker speak so passionately and thoughtfully about the sexism woven throughout the original film.
It’s clear this movie isn’t going to be what audiences expect.
BROAD SHEETS
GABE PARKER:
Shaken, Not Stirred—Part Two
By Chani Horowitz
The world is different on the other side of the velvet rope. Us normals don’t like to hear that, of course. We crave confirmation that stars, well, they’re just like us.
I’m sorry to say but they are not.
Not even close.
You see, when I get ready for a fancy night out, if I’m lucky, I have a friend that can lend me an outfit, help me with my makeup, or even do my hair for me just to make me look like a slightly polished version of my actual self.
When someone like Jacinda Lockwood leaves her million-dollar home to go to the gym, she has a whole team of stylists to make sure that she looks like someone who doesn’t have to go to the gym.
You’ve all seen the pictures by now. Of me standing with Gabe Parker’s arm around my waist, smiling gamely at the crowd in a sparkly blue dress. Go Fug Yourself thinks that I might have chosen the gown to match Gabe’s suit, but that presumes that I knew what Gabe was going to wear （I didn’t） or that I have a closet full of fancy-party dresses to choose from （I don’t）。
The matching was just luck.
The whole evening, really, was just luck.
Because, dear readers, you and I both know that I shouldn’t have been there.
Even in those pictures, I look out of place. Gabe’s grin is ratcheted up to eleven, while I’m just trying to seem normal while the flashing bulbs of hundreds of cameras burn my retinas and a crowd of strangers yells at us to “look over here and smile.” That hand I have on his arm? That’s me holding on for dear life, unsure if I’ll be able to see where I’m going when we have to move down the line and very unsure I won’t just fall on my ass after wobbling forward in my uncomfortable heels.
I don’t belong but I don’t care. For one evening, I’m traveling amongst the beautiful people.
And Gabe, beautiful person that he is, is my gallant and charming tour guide.
He introduces me to everyone.
Most important, he introduces me to the man of the evening, the incomparable Oliver Matthias.
Much speculation has been made over The Hildebrand Rarity’s decision to cast Gabe, when his Tommy Jacks co-star seems a much more natural fit. And even further gossip about how the casting choice has driven a wedge between the two co-stars.
The opposite is true.
I experience firsthand the lack of animosity and competition between them. Gabe is thrilled to be attending the Shared Hearts premiere to support his friend, speaking at length about how talented Oliver is.
Like me, Gabe has been watching him on the BBC for years, as Oliver all but grew up in front of us. And this new film is just further evidence of how his talent has evolved. It’s a delight for the senses—a glass of champagne in movie form.
“He’s a legend,” Gabe tells me. “Watching him on-screen can be an out-of-body experience, but acting next to him? That’s the education of a lifetime.”
As a longtime fangirl of Matthias’s Darcy （yeah, I’d choose him over Firth or Macfadyen—fight me）， it takes everything in my power not to swoon at his feet when Gabe introduces us.
“It’s a good thing he’s playing Bond,” Oliver says. “He’ll finally be able to show the world that he’s more than just a pretty face.”
“I’m only pretty when I’m not standing next to you,” Gabe makes sure to add.
I feel like Melissa Williams must have on the set of Tommy Jacks, with two of the hottest men in Hollywood, each playing the other’s wingman.
While the two of them catch up—it’s been almost six months since they’ve seen each other last, doing press for Tommy Jacks—I just stand there, trying not to hyperventilate at the absurd, wonderful comedy my life has become.
I don’t catch the slightest whiff of jealousy. They’re genuinely happy to see each other, and when Oliver’s responsibilities at the premiere are finished, he invites Gabe—and by proxy, me—to join him at the after-party.