Gus Kenworthy Says "80 for Brady" Cameo Included Gay Kiss That Was "Cut for Middle America"

The Olympic skier suspects the clinch wasn't really "cut for time," like he was told.

In 80 for Brady, four women travel to attend the Super Bowl in order to see their favorite football player, Tom Brady, in person. So, naturally, the movie includes cameos from sports stars. Not only does Brady—who is also a producer on the film—show up, but athletes from other sports are featured too, including Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy.

Kenworthy only appears briefly in the movie, but according to him, he could have been on screen for longer if his kiss with actor Brian Jordan Alvarez wasn't cut. Though the 31-year-old says he was told that the embrace was "cut for him," he believes there was another reason at play. Read on for what the skier shared and for more about his experience making 80 for Brady.

READ THIS NEXT: See Figure Skater Nancy Kerrigan Now, 28 Years After Her Last Olympics.

Kenworthy appears in a party scene.

Gus Kenworthy at the "80 for Brady" premiere in January 2023
Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock

Kenworthy's cameo in 80 for Brady comes during a scene in which stars Rita Morena, Lily Tomlin, Sally Field, and Jane Fonda try to get into a party where the NFL players will be. There, Kenworthy and his boyfriend, played by Alvarez, are in a fight. In an interview with Variety, Kenworthy said that they improvised much of their cameo.

"They used the script for one take, but then we did it like four or fives times where we would just ad-lib insults at each other and then make out," he said.

He thinks the kiss was cut out of fear of offending a certain audience.

Gus Kenworthy at a screening of "Love, Simon" in 2018
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock

Kenworthy told Variety of his and Alvarez's kiss, "They said they had to cut it for time, but I think they cut it for Middle America."

He said of filming multiple takes with the Will & Grace actor, "Some of them got raunchy." The skier also added that he hopes the kiss makes it into the director's cut of the movie. "Release the tapes!" he said. "See if you can get that trending."

Best Life has reached out to Paramount Pictures and to a representative for Brady for comment but has not yet received a response.

He said the movie was still a "dream come true" for him.

Despite his suspicions about his shortened scene, Kenworthy had a great time filming his cameo in 80 for Brady.

"It was really, really a dream come true," he told People of working with the four stars. "But it was surreal. Like I remember sitting on set when they were brought to set and like my jaw hit the floor." He added, "There aren't bigger legends, there aren't bigger names. They were all just so sweet. They all look so gorgeous, so professional, and I kind of clammed up! But it was really exciting. Like, they are the Golden Girls! It was really really cool."

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He plans to continue acting.

Gus Kenworthy at the 2014 Winter Olympics
robinmacdonald / Shutterstock

80 for Brady isn't Kenworthy's first role. He began acting even before he retired from freestyle skiing after the 2022 Winter Olympics. Most notably, he starred in American Horror Story: 1984 in 2019 and appeared in a 2020 episode of Will & Grace.

"I've been taking classes and auditioning a lot," Kenworthy told Variety. "I've been writing, and I have a couple of things in development. I'm also working on a book of essays about my life and my different experiences. It lends itself to the larger theme of being in the closet and coming out and persevering, but told through short anecdotal stories. Kind of like a David Sedaris-type book."

He also shared with People that he'd love to star in a romantic comedy about a same-sex couple. "I just think it's such a great formula and I would love to get to plug into that and play the lead of a rom-com, but also get to play gay would be a dream," he said.

Lia Beck
Lia Beck is a writer living in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to Best Life, she has written for Refinery29, Bustle, Hello Giggles, InStyle, and more. Read more
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