Writing and reflecting on one’s life can be quite the task. TVLine.com President and Editorial Director Michael Ausiello admitted he found writing his 2017 memoir, Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies, about his relationship with his late husband, photographer Kit Cowan, in the midst of grieving to be “excruciating, painful, and hard.”
The book covers the couple’s relationship and the 11 months following Cowan’s terminal cancer diagnosis, including his passing in 2015. “The overall experience has been cathartic,” said Ausiello.
“Seeing what has come of [the book]—it’s therapeutic and also very healing,” he added.
What has come of Ausiello’s memoir is Spoiler Alert, a film adaptation opening this weekend in San Francisco from Focus Features. Directed by Michael Showalter, the movie stars Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) as Michael Ausiello and Ben Aldridge (Fleabag) as Kit Cowan. It also stars Sally Field and Bill Irwin. The screenplay was written by David Marshall Grant and Dan Savage.
Much like Ausiello’s book, the film is full of heart and humor as it navigates the ups and downs of Michael and Kit’s 14-year relationship and coping with Kit’s rare neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis. Make no mistake, Spoiler Alert will have you reaching for the nearest box of tissues.
On behalf of Art U News, I sat down with Ausiello during the film’s San Francisco press tour stop to discuss his love story being depicted onscreen, his involvement as executive producer, and that Smurf-tastic apartment reveal.
What I enjoyed about this movie is that I felt like was watching a depiction of an authentic relationship—things are imperfect and messy. Still, there is genuine love between these characters. Since it’s your love story, how important was it to have these different aspects depicted onscreen?
Some of my favorite love stories—both real and fiction—involve flawed people, involve imperfect individuals who have imperfect relationships. Those are the stories that I find most relatable. I knew when I set out to tell this story that there was only one way to do it, and that was to be honest about the messiness of it all. Because relationships are messy, I think there’s a tendency sometimes to sugarcoat some of those rough edges. And I didn’t want to do that. And I think it’s why people have enjoyed the book. And I hope it’s why people will enjoy the movie. Hopefully, they’ll be able to see themselves, but also maybe their relationships in it.
Being that you have a regular readership who knows you from your work on TV Line, was there any hesitation in sharing specific moments or not wanting to be too exposed?
Once I set out the write the book, I realized I needed to be honest about myself, and I didn’t want to sugarcoat myself either. I think maybe it was a little bit of self-preservation—I didn’t focus too much about what people would think or, you know, what impact it would have when people find out that I have these flaws, that I collect Smurfs, that I have body issues, all of these things. Mostly, it was just liberating to be able to just talk about it and put it out there and let the chips fall where they may.
Probably at the Movies 