The much-anticipated scene of Bad Bunny, the Grammy-winning artist from Puerto Rico, sharing an onscreen kiss with Gael García Bernal in the LGBTQ+ Prime Video biopic Cassandro has finally been revealed, and it is receiving enthusiastic responses from the queer community online.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, plays the role of a drug dealer named Felipe who shares a surprising moment of passion with the film’s main character, Saúl Armendáriz (played by Bernal), a gay lucha libre wrestler from El Paso, Texas.
In the exclusive clip shared by Entertainment Weekly, Ocasio and Bernal are seen sharing an intense kiss, after which Felipe pushes Saúl (who later takes on the stage name Cassandro) away, expressing his hesitation. Despite the rejection, Saúl reassures Felipe, ending the scene on a light note.
Bad Bunny and Gael García Bernal kiss in a new clip from #Cassandro. In select theaters now. pic.twitter.com/NwiuTHIuWM
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 15, 2023
The film, co-written and directed by Oscar-winning documentary maker Roger Ross Williams, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Ocasio, who is making his major feature film acting debut, discussed filming the onscreen kiss in an interview with Time magazine, saying that he did not feel uncomfortable with the scene and was open to whatever the role required.
The clip’s release prompted a wave of supportive comments from fans online, with many expressing their excitement to see two of their favourite artists in a queer wrestling movie.
This is not the first time that Ocasio has been involved in a scene featuring a same-sex kiss. During the MTV VMA Awards last year, he kissed a dancer on stage, which led to accusations of queerbaiting. Queerbaiting refers to the exploitation of LGBTQ+ culture for personal gain or fame without taking on the risks associated with being a part of the community. Ocasio addressed these accusations and the homophobic and sexist comments he receives for his gender-fluid fashion choices in a recent interview with Vanity Fair.
After a limited release in US cinemas, Cassandro will be available on Prime Video.
