Tom Francis Wasn’t A Pussycat Dolls Fan Before Sunset Blvd

tom francis He may have been too young to belt out the Pussycat Dolls’ “Don’t Cha” at the time of its release, but he knew who his music was. sunset boulevard co-star nicole scherzinger It was.

“I knew them. I wasn’t a big fan. I can’t say I was a fan,” Francis, 25, exclusively told us. our weekly magazine After performing on opening night on Broadway sunset boulevard Early this month.

“[Scherzinger, 46,] It always irritates me because I haven’t seen any of her Grammy-nominated videos. And she said, “Why didn’t you see this?” And I said, “I’m sorry.” I was growing up! Do you know what I mean? Francis joked.

In 2005, the Pussycat Dolls were at their peak after releasing their debut studio album. PCD, Francis must have been six years old.

But as he grew a little older, Francis admitted us “Buttons” is now his favorite song by the former girl group.

Scherzinger and Francis won Olivier Awards in April for their West End performance. Francis said so. us About what it was like to work with the triple threat.

“She’s so generous with her time for me. And yeah, she’s there to hold me when I need a hug, not just on stage but in life.” he said. “She’s just the most wonderful woman.”

director jamie lloydrevival of andrew lloyd webber1950 movie stage adaptation sunset boulevard, The film tells the story of actress Norma Desmond (Scherzinger), who cannot accept that her career is no longer as glamorous as it once was, and attempts to return to the spotlight by working with screenwriter Joe He decides to hire Gillis (Francis) to write the script. A movie that could revive her status.

In the second act of the show, as Frances begins singing “Sunset Boulevard” before heading out into the streets of New York for a live performance, a photo of the Pussycat Dolls is displayed in her dressing room. Lloyd, 43, decided to mention the Pussycat Dolls and said Scherzinger liked the idea because “they’re one of the funniest people.” [he’s] I’ve met you before. ”

“She loves anything that makes us think outside the box and surprise the audience,” Lloyd said.

“It plays very much into the idea of, ‘Where does Nicole Scherzinger end and Norma Desmond begin?'” Because there are a lot of similarities. And of course, Nicole is really involved in this role in a very special way, a very deep way,” Lloyd continued. “It’s kind of fun to blur those lines…I mean, you’re kind of playing with that idea. It’s fun in a way, but maybe that’s because it’s so much fun as a company. So everyone brings that sense of humor to the project apart from everything else.”

Lloyd also recognized the similarities between Scherzinger and her character Desmond. This was Scherzinger’s Broadway debut, and as a result, she is now receiving the attention her talent deserves.

“I didn’t know Nicole was going to be the perfect Norma, but I knew she had something to do with this production. I mean, she’s like Norma Desmond. She’s going to be incredibly famous and , someone who achieved great fame, but then was fired and abandoned by the industry and was never given a chance to show the world what she was really capable of,” Lloyd said. . “She’s an amazing, amazing artist. A phenomenal actor. An incredible world-class vocalist. And finally, she’s got a platform. She wants to show the world what she can accomplish. .”

Olivier candidate, David Thaxton — who plays Max von Mayerling on the show — also said: us About cooperation with Moana actress.

“I get to spend a lot of time with Nicole.” Thaxton, 42, said she’s the hardest-working actor I’ve ever worked with. “Her work ethic is phenomenal… She just… I surrender to the stage.”

But when it came to being a fan of Scherzinger’s work on the Pussycat Dolls, Thaxton jokingly replied: No, not at all. ”

Since working with her, Thaxton admitted that he “doesn’t” listen to his co-star’s past work with girl groups.

“She’s not my cup of tea at all, but she’s important to me,” Thaxton said. “I think she’s a great person. I have a lot of time for her. She’s a really inspirational person.”

sunset boulevard ‘ is currently playing at the St James’s Theatre, and a cast album for the show is also available.