After finding success as a model and following in his father’s footsteps as a footballer, David and Victoria Beckham’s 23-year-old son Romeo Beckham has revealed a surprising career pivot.
Romeo is stepping into the world of acting, making his debut in an upcoming LGBTQ tennis romance film. Variety shared the announcement and a first look at Romeo in the film, which is titled Forty Love and directed by renowned fashion photographer Pierre-Ange Carlotti. Romeo stars opposite French actor Paul Kircher, 24, who is best known for his role in The Animal Kingdom.
According to the publication, the film follows tennis player Sascha Gallo, who is training to win a trophy in Paris. Romeo stars as the tennis player’s on-screen rival who shakes things up. In the first photo still from the movie, which is being produced by Hugo Selignac’s Chi-Fou-Mi Productions and co-produced by Studiocanal, Romeo is sporting a buzzcut with his tattoos on display as he looks over at his co-star Paul.
“For the first time, he faces an opponent of an entirely different nature – love,” the synopsis teases. “A force as exhilarating as it is destabilising – and far more dangerous than anything he has encountered on the court.”
Hugo, who is a producer on the film, described the project as a “sensual, romantic and deeply moving romantic fable and coming-of-age story”.
Forty Love follows the recent revival of the sports romance genre, with the gay ice hockey drama series, Heated Rivalry, and Prime Video’s hockey drama, Off Campus, becoming viral sensations.
Sport background
His debut role doesn’t stray too far from the aspiring actor’s existing skillset. While Romeo started out by following in his father David’s footsteps as a footballer, joining Arsenal’s Academy in 2014, he took a step back from the sport to pursue tennis. He even trained with tennis superstar Andy Murray.
“I’m not sure his parents realise how good he is,” top tennis coach John Johnson said in 2015, as per the BBC. “Romeo really loves tennis. He is really into it and very talented,” the coach praised Romeo’s athletic abilities, adding that he had a “lot of talent and very good hand-eye coordination”.
© Getty Images“Romeo has a natural swing and is very enthusiastic, he just loves it. He kept telling me and I could see how focused he was.”
Romeo went back to football and played for Brentford, but ultimately retired from the sport at 22 to take up modelling full-time.
A family of actors
© Getty ImagesRomeo isn’t the only actor in the Beckham brood. Both his parents Victoria and David have appeared in front of the camera over the years.
While Victoria has pivoted from music to fashion and beauty, the star famously appeared in the Spice Girls’ 1997 comedy film, Spice World.
Meanwhile, David has made a few on-screen cameos here and there. He guest starred as himself on the hit sitcom Modern Family in 2015, and had a small cameo in Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. He also appeared in the 2017 action film, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, playing the small part of Trigger.
Romeo’s sister-in-law Nicola Peltz, who is married to his estranged brother Brooklyn, has also pursued acting, starring in films like Holidate, Transformers: Age of Extinction and Lola.
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