Broadway’s Reeve Carney is Newest Guy to Ruin Taylor Swift’s Love Life

Broadway’s Carney (Spider-Man) recently peeled off his superhero tights and rubbed on some sweet fake tattoos to play the bad-boy love interest in country star Swift’s new music video, “I Knew You Were Trouble.” (See below.)

Carney appears as “You,” a troubled-hipster-musician who lashes out by donning strange hats, driving a car while wearing a cutoff denim vest, and appearing emotionally detached during moments of romantic significance. Carney himself is in a band, which has prompted rumors of method acting.

With Carney in the frame Swift has upped her own acting game, abandoning her part-fawn/part-Tolkien-elf persona for an edgier, almost Avril Lavigne-ian approach—”The worst part of it all wasn’t losing him. It was losing me“—to the break-up anthem videos that have built her an empire. She even gets theatrical with a two-minute monologue (well, voice over) at the top of the clip.

“I Knew You Were Trouble” is the latest off Swift’s album Red, a collection of songs about relationships. Swift has been romantically linked to off-Broadway’s Jake Gyllenhaal, and is the recipient of six Grammy Awards. She celebrated her 23rd birthday yesterday. “Trouble” is her 23rd music video.

This is the 23rd time today we’ve asked ourselves why we went to college.