“ Love, Simon ” almost had a very different Simon.
In an “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show” interview this week, pop singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes revealed he’d considered pursuing the lead role in the romantic comedy, which is the first major studio film to feature a gay teen protagonist.
“I would’ve loved to [play Simon],” Mendes told Duran, as seen in the video above. “Unfortunately, timing didn’t work out. That would’ve been amazing.”
In the end, the role went to “Jurassic World” veteran Nick Robinson, who has earned near-universal praise for his portrayal of a closeted 17-year-old who seeks love and acceptance in a suburban high school.
Calling Robinson’s performance “incredible,” Mendes has no regrets, as he’s currently gearing up to release a new album. The first single, “In My Blood,” hit the airwaves on March 22 at midnight, which happened to be when he saw “Love, Simon” in theaters, making for a stressful viewing experience.
“It was really amazing, except for the fact that I was freaking out every two minutes checking my phone because the song was coming,” he said. “I thought going to a movie would be a relaxing thing to do. Opposite!”
It’s unclear just how far along Mendes got in the “Love, Simon” casting process. The movie’s director, Greg Berlanti, told HuffPost earlier this month that Robinson was his top choice for the part.
“Once he did a read for us, it was really obvious not just to me, but to the studio and to all the producers that he was our Simon,” he said.
