Just like the original novel it is based on, the live-action adaptation of Red, White & Royal Blue has been a huge success.
The film follows the LGBTQ+ love story between the First Son of the United States, Henry (played by actor Taylor Zakhar Perez), and a British Prince, Henry (played by actor Nicholas Galitzine). As the story goes, Alex and Henry perform their official duties but end up falling for each other. A pitch-perfect rom-com, if you ask us!
The topic of Galitzine's sexual orientation was brought up recently after he told British GQ that he identified as straight — adding that he felt like he might be "taking up someone's space" and even experienced a bit of "guilt" when he played queer characters in film and television.
However, Galitzine's Red, White & Royal Blue costar came to his defense and issued a different opinion. "Nicholas was just asked the other day about his sexuality," Zakhar Perez told Men's Health, "and I just find it so rude. It's unprofessional and no one's business. That's someone's personal life."
Both actors have been vocal in the past about why they chose to play these roles, noting that these stories aren't just about the characters' sexualities — they're much more than that!
Zakhar Perez went on:
"These people have robust, full lives. They're educated. Alex is in law school. Henry is crazy smart and he's a prince, and his sense of duty is unparalleled. The less people focus on sexuality and see what these people are capable of, that's when we've created real change."
During the grand premiere of The Idea of You, Galitzine told Out why he's chosen to play both queer and straight characters in his career. The actor explained:
"I think, you know, for me, it's really just about playing characters that I really respond to on script. You know, really well-written characters. And that's really how I choose my projects."
With the announcement that a sequel to Red, White & Royal Blue is officially happening — with both Galitzine and Zakhar Perez reportedly coming back to reprise their roles as Henry and Alex — we'll surely get more of this fan-favorite on-screen couple in the near future!
Truth be told, both actors have done an incredible job at showcasing queer love. In the particular cases of Galitzine and Zakhar Perez, they've also approached these roles with a lot of respect, nuance, and reverence for the original novel.
Red, White & Royal Blue is now streaming on Prime Video.