Sorry, Nick Viall and JoJo Fletcher — Matthew Morrison just doesn't believe in the sanctity of your reality show-spurned love. The former Glee actor and Broadway star is starring in a new movie, After the Reality, which looks at what happens to dating show contestants after the cameras and charm are turned off for the day — and ultimately on their career. From the trailer, it's clear Morrison's character, a contestant on a Bachelorette-spoof titled Young Bucks, is not adjusting well to his time once he returns in reality (real reality) after quitting the show after finding out that father has died from cancer.
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In a world where we are never without a dating show to watch — from The Bachelor to The Bachelorette to Bachelor in Paradise to the fictional Lifetime series UnReal — we now have this tragicomedy (as it deals with death and a hilariously uncomfortable cast of men fawning over an "all-American hugger fairy princess" named Kelly) to fill in our time in-between ABC's love-obsessed franchise.
But Morrison has a confession. As we said earlier, he does not think that the series today are even close to the authenticity-level that they were in the earlier seasons.
He shared an anecdote with Us Weekly to illustrate this point: “When I was in Hairspray on Broadway, Trista and Ryan Sutter visited the production. It was right after their final episode aired, and they just seemed so down to earth, an incredible couple,” he recalled. “That was when, I assume, the show was fresh and truly about finding a connection with someone. But I think most people who go on these shows have to be a little lost and in search of some fulfillment. That's the attitude and naïveté I brought into the character of Scottie.”
Watch the trailer below, and just imagine Morrison watching clips of Viall for inspiration on his character. I'm personally gonna keep an eye out for a turtleneck.