Plenty of movies claim to be based on a true story, with some a bit closet to reality than others. Michael Showalter’s new drama Spoiler Alert aims to be as authentic as possible, as it’s an adaptation of the memoir of the same name by Michael Ausiello. In both the book and movie we follow an 11-month period where his late partner Kit Cowan was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and their final times together as a couple. Jim Parsons plays Michael in the movie, in addition to serving as a producer. And the Big Bang Theory alum revealed to CinemaBlend that he owed his role(s) in Spoiler Alert thanks to a coincidental meeting with Ausiello himself.
Michael Ausiello released Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies back in 2017, and received acclaim for its emotional, truthful depiction of family and loss. I had a privilege of speaking with the cast and Ausiello himself ahead of the movie adaptation’s release, where I asked Jim Parson about his collaborative relationship with the author/journalist. As you can see in the video above, he revealed how his involvement in the Spoiler Alert movie seemingly came by chance, telling me:
What’s funny is that it kind of started unbeknownst to me that we were going to be working together. Because he brought the book to me to do a Q&A at Barnes & Noble with him. And somebody asked me the question ‘If that hadn’t happened do you think this movie would have ever been made by you?’ And I don’t think it would have. For me it was just like fate stepping in. But that was the first way in which, whether he knew it or not, Michael collaborated with me and gave me this story for whatever reason.
How cool is that? While they might not have thought much of it at the time, Jim Parsons getting involved in a Spoiler Alert Q&A opened up the door to him bringing the story to life on the big screen. Not only did he end up playing Michael Ausiello, but he worked closely with him as a producer on the upcoming drama. Sometimes you’re really in the right place at the right time.
Later in our same conversation, Jim Parsons shared his thoughts about what it was like working with Michael Ausiello on the Spoiler Alert movie. Obviously the movie is something that’s got deep real-life emotions attached to it, and the cast is playing people who are still alive and likely grappling with the complicated emotions that accompany grief. The Emmy-winning actor told me:
We were with Michael every step of the way from finding writers, to hooking up with Showalter, to going to Focus Features to pitch it, to casting Ben and everybody else. He was on set every day. It had so many benefits but I think the biggest was just he was the constant reminder of the real heart and soul of this true story. He was just right there. And that was a huge gift.
As you can see in the video above, many cast members from Spoiler Alert leaned on Michael Ausiello throughout the movie’s filming process. Chief among them is actor Ben Aldrige, who plays his late husband Kit. Ausiello specifically helped him keep track of his character’s physical state, and how much pain he was in during various points of the movie’s runtime.
Aside from Jim Parsons and Ben Aldridge, there’s a number of familiar faces in the cast of Spoiler Alert, who help adapt this story for the screen. The great Sally Field plays Kit’s mother, while stage and film actor Bill Irwin plays his father. Other cast members include Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski, The Book of Mormon actress Nikki M. James, and actor/comedian Jeffrey Self (Search Party, The High Note).
Spoiler Alert will arrive in select theaters on December 2nd, before hitting more screens on December 9th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your final trips to the movies before the New Year.
