If there’s one upside to making his acting debut in “Cats,” it’s that singer Jason Derulo has nowhere to go but up.
Derulo took on the role of Rum Tum Tugger in the 2019 movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage musical – a part that allowed him to sing and dance in a well-known musical. What could go wrong?
A lot did with the Tom Hopper-directed film becoming a laughing stock, a critical dud and a commercial flop. When Derulo signed up for the film though, he thought it would be anything but. He tells The Telegraph:
“For the longest time, I was trying to figure out what’s the perfect first role. Cats checked all the boxes. You can’t get a more star-studded cast, you don’t get a more respected director than an Oscar winner, and Rum Tum Tugger is a legacy role, a standout character in a classic musical.”
Quite a few great talents like Idris Elba, Judi Dench and Ian McKellen were all onboard. However the revolt really started once the first trailer hit. Even then though, Derulo was still a believer:
“When I saw the trailer, I thought it looked unbelievable. Like, I know some people saw it and they were terrified, but I got chills down my spine! I thought it was gonna change the world.”
It may not have changed the world, but the film did generate plenty of amusing discussion and some great stories such as the infamous ‘Butthole Cut’ saga. Derulo now says he has no regrets and is looking forward to his next project: “You can’t wait for the perfect moment, cause that might not be your moment. So you’ve just got to go for gold. That’s how I’ll move forward.”
