A gigolo ( ) is a male escort or social companion who is supported by a person in a continuing relationship, often living in her residence or having to be present at her beck and call. The term ''gigolo'' usually implies a man who adopts a lifestyle consisting of a number of such relationships serially rather than having other means of support. The gigolo is expected to provide companionship, to serve as a consistent escort with good manners and social skills, and often to serve as a dancing partner as required by the woman in exchange for the support. Many gifts, such as expensive clothing and an automobile to drive, may be lavished upon him. The relationship may include sexual services as well, and he also can be referred to as a "kept man." The word ''gigolo'' may be traced to a first usage in English as a

neologism A neologism Greek νέο- ''néo''(="new") and λόγος /''lógos'' meaning "speech, utterance"] is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not been fully accepted int ...

during the 1920s as a

back-formation In etymology, back-formation is the process or result of creating a new word via inflection, typically by removing or substituting actual or supposed affixes from a lexical item, in a way that expands the number of lexemes associated with the c ...

from ''gigolette'', a French word for a woman hired as a dancing partner. Both ''gigolo'' and ''gigolette'' were first recorded in French in the middle part of the 19th century, referring to dance club denizens in

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...

paid to dance with, and sometimes have sex with, unaccompanied male visitors. In the latter part of the 19th century, particularly after the scandalous murder case known in Paris as the , the term ''gigolo'' took on connotations of the exotic, foreign male whose company and affections could be purchased by well-to-do French women.Freundschuh, Aaron. ''The Courtesan and the Gigolo: The Murders in the Rue Montaigne and the Dark Side of Empire in Nineteenth-Century Paris'' (2017, Stanford University Press)

In popular culture

Films

* '' Gigolo'' (1926) – American silent romance drama film produced by

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cinem ...

* '' Just a Gigolo'' (1931) – American romantic comedy directed by Jack Conway, starring William Haines,

Irene Purcell Irene Mary Purcell (August 7, 1896 – July 9, 1972) was an American film and stage actress, who appeared mostly in comedies, and later married Herbert Fisk Johnson Jr., the wealthy grandson of the founder of S. C. Johnson & Son. Career She ...

, C. Aubrey Smith and

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...

* '' Evenings for Sale'' (1932) – American romantic comedy, starring

Herbert Marshall Herbert Brough Falcon Marshall (23 May 1890 – 22 January 1966) was an English stage, screen and radio actor who starred in many popular and well-regarded Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s. After a successful theatrical career in the Uni ...

Sari Maritza Sari Maritza (born Dora Patricia Detring-Nathan; 17 March 1910 – July 1987) was a British film actress of the early 1930s. Early years Born Dora Patricia Detring-Nathan in Tianjin, China, Maritza was the daughter of Major Walter Si ...

, Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland * ''

Hold Back the Dawn ''Hold Back the Dawn'' is a 1941 American romantic drama film in which a Romanian gigolo marries an American woman in Mexico in order to gain entry to the United States, but winds up falling in love with her. It stars Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havi ...

'' (1941) – American drama starring

Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...

and

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time. ...

* '' Sunset Boulevard'' (1950) – American film noir co-written and directed by

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holl ...

, starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson * '' The Gigolo'' (1960) – French romantic drama film written and directed by Jacques Deray. It is loosely based on the novel Le Gigolo written by Jacques Robert. * '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1961) – American romantic comedy starring

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...

and George Peppard * '' Just a Gigolo'' (1978) – West German film directed by

David Hemmings David Edward Leslie Hemmings (18 November 1941 – 3 December 2003) was an English actor and director. He is best remembered for his roles in British films and television programmes of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the 1966 mystery film ' ...

and starring

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

* ''

American Gigolo ''American Gigolo'' is a 1980 American neo-noir crime drama film written and directed by Paul Schrader, and starring Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton. It tells the story about a high-priced escort in Los Angeles (Gere) who becomes romantically ...

'' (1980) – American romantic crime film written and directed by

Paul Schrader Paul Joseph Schrader (; born July 22, 1946) is an American screenwriter, film director, and film critic. He first received widespread recognition through his screenplay for Martin Scorsese's ''Taxi Driver'' (1976). He later continued his collabo ...

, and starring Richard Gere,

Lauren Hutton Lauren Hutton (born Mary Laurence Hutton; November 17, 1943) is an American model and actress. Born and raised in the southern United States, Hutton relocated to New York City in her early adulthood to begin a modeling career. Though she was ini ...

& Hector Elizondo * ''

Galactic Gigolo ''Galactic Gigolo'' (also known as ''Club Earth'') is a 1987 American science fiction comedy film directed by Gorman Bechard. Plot Eoj (Carmine Capobianco), a sentient vegetable alien who wins a grand prize from a game show on his home planet ...

'' (1987) – American science-fiction comedy film directed by Gorman Bechard * '' Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo'' (1999) – American sex comedy film starring

Rob Schneider Robert Michael Schneider (; born October 31, 1963) is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'', he went on to a career in feature films, including starri ...

, followed by the 2005 sequel '' Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo'' * ''

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone ''The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone'' is a 1961 British romantic drama film made by Warner Bros. It was directed by José Quintero and produced by Louis de Rochemont with Lothar Wolff as associate producer. The screenplay was written by Gavin Lamb ...

'' (2003) – American television film remake of the 1961 film of the same name. Directed by

Robert Allan Ackerman Robert Allan Ackerman (June 30, 1944 – January 10, 2022) was an American film and theatre director. He directed numerous films since 1992. Ackerman was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 30, 1944 and moved to Kew Gardens, Queens, when he wa ...

, it stars

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...

and

Brian Dennehy Brian Manion Dennehy (; July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles in ...

* ''

The Gigolos ''The Gigolos'' is a 2005 British comedy film directed by Richard Bracewell, starring Sacha Tarter, Trevor Sather and Ben Willbond alongside Susannah York, Anna Massey, Angela Pleasence and Siân Phillips. Bracewell's debut feature, ''The Gigol ...

'' (2005) British comedy film directed by

Richard Bracewell Richard Bracewell (born 28 November 1969) is an English film director best known for directing 2015 British comedy feature film ''Bill'', which he also developed with writers Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond . ''Bill'' was Bracewell's third fe ...

, starring

Sacha Tarter Sacha Alexander (born 8 May 1972) is a British actor, scriptwriter and producer. Alexander most recently starred in ''Freddi'' with Rob Brydon. ''Freddi'' is a pilot comedy drama commissioned by BBC Four in 2008 about Freddi, a wealthy, bored R ...

, Ben Willbond, and

Susannah York Susannah Yolande Fletcher (9 January 1939 – 15 January 2011), known professionally as Susannah York, was an English actress. Her appearances in various films of the 1960s, including '' Tom Jones'' (1963) and '' They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'' ...

* '' A French Gigolo'' (2008) – French drama film directed by Josiane Balasko and starring

Nathalie Baye Nathalie Marie Andrée Baye (born 6 July 1948) is a French film, television and stage actress. She began her career in 1970 and has appeared in more than 80 films. A ten-time César Award nominee, her four wins were for '' Every Man for Himself' ...

. It was based on the novel "Cliente" by Josiane Balasko * '' Spread'' (2009) – American sex comedy film directed by David Mackenzie, starring Ashton Kutcher and

Anne Heche Anne Celeste Heche ( ; May 25, 1969August 11, 2022) was an American actress, known for her roles in a variety of genres in film, television, and theater, receiving numerous accolades, including a National Board of Review Award and multiple Emmy ...

. It was also released as ''L.A. Gigolo'' * '' Fading Gigolo'' (2013) – American comedy film directed, written by, and starring John Turturro, co-starring

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

, Sharon Stone & Sofia Vergara * '' The Gigolo'' (Chinese: 鴨王) (2015) – Hong Kong erotic drama film directed and written by Au Cheuk-man and starring Dominic Ho and

Candy Yuen Candy Yuen Ka-man (; born October 28, 1984) is a Hong Kong actress and presenter. Yuen was a contestant in the Miss Hong Kong 2009 when she won the Miss Photogenic Award. She is best known for the female lead in '' The Gigolo'' (2015) as Michelle. ...

, followed by the 2016 sequel ''

The Gigolo 2 ''The Gigolo 2'' () is a 2016 Hong Kong erotic comedy film directed by Venus Keung and starring Dominic Ho, Connie Man, Jazz Lam and Iris Chung. It is the sequel to '' The Gigolo'' (2015). The film was released on 14 January 2016 in Hong Kong. ...

'' (Chinese: 鴨王2) * ''

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande ''Good Luck to You, Leo Grande'' is a 2022 sex comedy-drama film directed by Sophie Hyde and written by Katy Brand. The film stars Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack. The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on 22 Janu ...

'' (2022) – Directed by

Sophie Hyde Sophie Hyde is an Australian film director, writer and producer based in Adelaide, South Australia. She is co-founder of Closer Productions and known for her award-winning debut fiction film, '' 52 Tuesdays'' (2013) and the comedy drama ''Anima ...

and written by Katy Brand. Stars

Emma Thompson Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British A ...

and

Daryl McCormack Daryl McCormack (born 22 January 1993) is an Irish actor. He has appeared in the RTÉ One soap opera ''Fair City'' (2015–2016), the BBC series ''Peaky Blinders'' (2019–2022), and the Apple TV+ series '' Bad Sisters'' (2022). His films inclu ...

Music

* "I'm a Gigolo" – 1929 Broadway show tune by

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

, written for the revue '' Wake Up and Dream'' * " Just a Gigolo" – adapted by Irving Caesar in 1929 from the Austrian tango "Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo"; paired as a medley with " I Ain't Got Nobody" by Louis Prima in 1956 * " The Gigolo" – 1966 album by jazz trumpeter

Lee Morgan Edward Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938 – February 19, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. One of the key hard bop musicians of the 1960s, Morgan came to prominence in his late teens, recording on John Coltrane's '' Blue Train'' (1 ...

* “Gigolo Aunt” – 1970 song by

Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, and musician who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Barrett was their original frontman and primary songwriter, becoming known for his ...

* " Gigolo" – 1981 dance single by Mary Wells * "Gigolo" – 1982 Song by Meiko Nakahara * "

Gigolos Get Lonely Too "Gigolos Get Lonely Too" is the fifth track from the Time's six-song album, '' What Time Is It?''. One of the first songs recorded for the album, it was produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince with Morris Day Morris E. Day (bo ...

" – 1983 song by The Time * " Gigolo" – 1987 single by The Damned * "Gigolo" – 1991 song by

Liz Phair Elizabeth Clark Phair (born April 17, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was raised primarily in the Chicago area. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to start a musical career ...

later rerecorded as "Can't Get Out of What I'm Into" * "American Gigolo" – 2001 song by

Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing v ...

* " Gigolo" – 2003 song by Nick Cannon featuring

R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwid ...

* " Gigolo" – 2006 song by Greek singer

Helena Paparizou Helena Paparizou (; , ; born 31 January 1962) is a Swedish-born Greek singer, songwriter and television personality. Born and raised in Sweden to Greeks, Greek parents, she enrolled in various arts schools before launching a career in Sweden in ...

TV series

* '' Just a Gigolo'' (1993) – British sitcom starring

Tony Slattery Tony Declan James Slattery (born 9 November 1959) is an English actor and comedian. He appeared on British television regularly from the mid-1980s, most notably as a regular on the Channel 4 improvisation show ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' His ...

* '' Absolutely Fabulous'', TV episode "Sex", (1995) – British sitcom starring Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley * ''

Gigolos ''Gigolos'' is an American reality television series about the lives of five male escorts in Las Vegas. The series follows the men, all employees of the same escort agency, through their daily lives and interactions with each other. Cameras a ...

'' (2011 – 2016) – American

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

series about the lives of five male escorts in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

* ''American Gigolo'' (2022) – Romance series starring Jon Bernthal.

Novels

* ''

'' (1940) by

Ketti Frings Ketti Frings (28 February 1909 – 11 February 1981) was an American writer, playwright, and screenwriter who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1958. Biography Early years Born Katherine Hartley in Columbus, Ohio, Frings attended Principia College, began ...

* ''The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone'' (1950) by

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

* '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1958) by

Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics, ...

* ''Le Gigolo'' (1959) by Jacques Robert * ''Cliente'' (2004) by Josiane Balasko

In popular culture

Films

Music

TV series

Novels

See also

References

Further reading