''Worried About the Boy'' is a 2010 British biographical drama television film directed by Julian Jarrold and written by Tony Basgallop, based on the life of English singer Boy George. It stars

Douglas Booth Douglas John Booth (born 9 July 1992) is an English actor and musician. He first came to public attention following his performance as Boy George in the BBC Two film ''Worried About the Boy'' (2010). He also starred in the BBC adaptations of ' ...

as Boy George and Mathew Horne as his lover

Jon Moss Jonathan Aubrey Moss (born 11 September 1957) is an English drummer, best known as a member of the 1980s new wave group Culture Club. He has also played with other bands, including London, the Nips, the Damned and Adam and the Ants. Early li ...

. It aired on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

on 16 May 2010 as part of the channel's Eighties Season.

Plot

In 1980, young George O'Dowd (Boy George) argues with his parents over his femininity and moves into a squat with Peter, who dresses as Marilyn Monroe and calls himself Marilyn. They make themselves known at Steve Strange's trendy Blitz Club where George gets a job in the cloakroom. George is unlucky in his relationships with men until he meets musician Kirk Brandon. Through Kirk, George meets the handsome drummer Jon Moss, on whom he develops a crush. Sacked by the Blitz and spurned by Kirk, George turns to

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

manager

Malcolm McLaren Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren (22 January 1946 – 8 April 2010) was an English impresario, visual artist, singer, songwriter, musician, clothes designer and boutique owner, notable for combining these activities in an inventive and provoc ...

to further his music career. George's spell with McLaren's group Bow Wow Wow is cut short when the rest of the group reveal to McLaren how much they hate George, but fan Mikey Craig is impressed and asks George to sing in a group he is forming, where George again meets Jon Moss. They have an affair and their group

Culture Club Culture Club are an English pop band formed in London in 1981. The band comprises Boy George (lead vocals), Roy Hay (guitar and keyboards), Mikey Craig (bass guitar) and formerly included Jon Moss (drums and percussion). Emerging in the New ...

becomes very successful. Four years later, however, hounded by the tabloid press amid stories of his drug addiction, an unhappy George turns to Jon for advice on his future.

Main cast

as Boy George * Mathew Horne as

* Mark Gatiss as

* Dean Fagan as

Mikey Craig Michael Emile "Mikey" Craig (born 15 February 1960) is a British musician and DJ of Jamaican descent, best known as the bassist of the pop/soul/new wave group Culture Club. Craig's group Culture Club became one of the most successful bands of t ...

* Marc Warren as Steve Strange * Freddie Fox as Marilyn * Francis Magee as Jerry O'Dowd * Richard Madden as Kirk Brandon *Jonny Burt as Roy Hay *Isabel Ford as Mrs. Brandon *Hannah Harford as Sarah * Julian Jarrold as Director *Elizabeth Lowe as Caroline *Natalie O'Brien as Emily *Nicola Potts as Dawn *Suzanne Nichole Preston as Mo *Daniel Wallace as Christopher *Charlie Anson as Vernon (uncredited) *Andy Quine as Career Advisor (uncredited)

References

External links

* * {{Julian Jarrold 2010 television films 2010 films 2010 biographical drama films 2010 LGBT-related films Biographical films about singers Biographical television films British biographical drama films British LGBT-related television films Drama films based on actual events British drama television films Films directed by Julian Jarrold Films set in the 1980s Gay-related films LGBT-related drama films Pop music films Cultural depictions of pop musicians Cultural depictions of British men 2010s English-language films 2010s British films