Remember 2018? When queer media was still fighting for scraps, and every decent rom-com felt like a hidden treasure you had to DM five friends about? Well, somewhere between Love, Simon and your friend’s drag brunch breakup, we were blessed with a Dutch TV movie that casually and permanently stole our hearts.
It was called Just Friends (Gewoon Vrienden).
And the moment he showed up in a tank top on a surfboard, we knew.
We were all in love with Joris.
RELATED: 5, 6, 7, 8 – Hey, Mickey! The LGBT Representation in ‘Bring It On’
So, who is Josha Stradowski?
Josha Stradowski is a Dutch actor born in 1995 in Rotterdam, and frankly, it shows—in the best way. He studied at some of the Netherlands’ most rigorous performing arts schools, including Codarts and the Amsterdam University of the Arts. Basically: he’s not just a pretty face; he’s a classically trained one.
He began his career doing stage musicals (hello, The Sound of Music and Ciske de Rat) and gradually shifted into film and TV. Dutch audiences knew him from series like Spangas and Caged, but the gays?
RELATED: Alex and Henry Aren’t Done Yet: RWRB Sequel Update Revealed
We met him when he played Joris in Just Friends—and fell hard.
Just Friends: A Queer Rom-Com That Didn’t Hurt
Just Friends came out in 2018 as a Dutch TV movie (yes, TV!) and for many of us, it’s one of those rare queer films where the conflict isn’t “Am I gay?” or “Will I be hate-crimed?” but rather:
“My mom is kind of annoying and keeps interrupting my shirtless make-outs with this hot Syrian guy I like.”
The plot is simple: Joris (played by Josha) is 21, hot, emotionally constipated, and from a rich, overbearing Dutch family. Yad (played by Majd Mardo) is 26, charismatic, and temporarily living with his mom while avoiding medical school. They meet cute. They flirt cuter. They kiss. They fight. They (spoiler) end up in love.
And the whole thing is so warm, so refreshingly conflict-light, that watching it feels like drinking a hot tea while being spooned.
But Why Did the Gays Fall So Hard for Josha?
Let’s count the ways:
1. He’s beautiful in a “bake you banana bread” kind of way
Josha’s face isn’t just handsome—it’s comforting. He’s the kind of guy who could ruin your life and help you fold laundry while you cry about it. That soft jawline? That quiet intensity? That scene where he’s shirtless in the kitchen? We were done.
2. Joris is the “gay dream boyfriend” archetype
Moody, wounded, loyal. Emotionally blocked but trying. He wrestles with grief, not his sexuality. He makes jokes, but not at your expense. And when he smiles? You believe in love again.
3. Chemistry that could melt the North Sea
The spark between Josha and Majd Mardo is undeniable. Their scenes feel like real intimacy—awkward and giggly, sexy and safe. You don’t just root for them, you ache for them. There’s a tenderness to Josha’s performance that made gay viewers feel seen—not fetishized.
Bonus Points: He Respected the Role
Josha isn’t gay (as far as we know), but he played Joris with total sincerity—no stereotype, no wink-wink camp, just an honest portrayal of a young man figuring out how to love.
He’s said in interviews that he tries to approach roles like Rand al’Thor (The Wheel of Time) and Joris with the same principle:
“I don’t see them as heroes. I try to approach them in a human way.”
(Aestetica, 2023)
And wow—mission accomplished.
In a World of Queer Tragedy, Joris Was Joy
Just Friends offered queer audiences something we don’t get enough: a romance that isn’t about surviving, but about living—awkwardly, joyfully, sexily. And Josha Stradowski, in all his gentle Dutch glory, gave us someone to crush on without pain or apology.
So if you haven’t watched it, do yourself a favor. Light a candle. Open some wine. Stream Just Friends. And prepare to text your group chat:
“I’m in love with a fictional Dutch man named Joris and I don’t know what to do about it.”
Still crushing? You’re not alone. Josha now stars as Rand al’Thor in Amazon’s The Wheel of Time, where he’s shirtless again—but this time with swords and destiny.
Because apparently, he can do it all.
And we’ll keep watching, thirsting, and dreaming of bike rides by the sea.