In Praise of Kid Cudi, the Actor
Credit to Author: Josh Terry| Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:57:57 +0000
HBO unveiled the cast for We Are Who We Are, its new drama from Call Me By Your Name and Suspiria director Luca Guadagnino. The upcoming show is a coming-of-age story about two American teens in Italy and will star Chloë Sevigny, Alice Braga, and rapper Kid Cudi, aka Scott Mescudi. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it’s an eight episode limited run series that will “explore themes similar to Call Me By Your Name, centers on friendship, first love, and all the unknowns of being a teenager.” That all sounds great, but really we’re just excited to see Cudi back on primetime television.
This isn’t Mescudi’s first foray into HBO programming. He starred in the underrated early 2010s series How To Make It In America and was the highlight of that show as the well-connected friend of lead Bryan Greenberg’s character. How to Make It In America was canceled after only two seasons, but it maintains somewhat of a bit of a cult following many years later.
Cudi thrives in collaboration in his music—like on 2018’s Kids See Ghosts album with Kanye West. Similarly, his best acting roles are the ones where he plays the coolheaded and supportive sidekick. Take the kind of goofy 2012 movie Need For Speed, where he stole the show next to Aaron Paul and Rami Malek. He also was a charming and funny roommate in the 2014 rom-com Two Night Stand, and he showcased his versatility in a serious role in the moody 2015 indie film James White.
On top of his slated appearance in the new Guadagnino show, he will also appear in the next season of HBO’s Westworld. But what he really deserves is his own show.
This article originally appeared on VICE US.