Out actor Charlie David, known best to GLBT audiences for his role as Toby, the hunky male ingénue on three seasons of Here! TV's gay supernatural series, Dante's Cove, is not one to sit back and let career opportunities come to him. When he was putting together the financing package for his forthcoming gay drama, Mulligans ( a gay update on The Graduate that he wrote and stars in, and that is now on the festival circuit ) , the actor, while studying the prospectus for another gay movie in the making, A Four Letter Word, was so taken with one of the roles that he immediately had his agent suggest him for the part. Out writer-director Casper Andreas cast David in the movie, which was shot in New York.
The film, a sequel to Andreas' Slutty Summer, follows more of the sexy, funny and sophomoric exploits of man-hungry barfly Luke ( Jesse Archer, who co-wrote the script ) , who is momentarily taken aback when handsome Stephen ( played by David ) spurns his come on and refers to him as a 'gay cliché.' Luke works in a sex-toy shop with gay activist Zeke ( Cory Grant, in the Eve Arden best friend role ) , who also thinks of Luke as silly and vacuous. But Luke blithely continues his wanton ways even after he and Stephen hook up and tentatively start dating—that is, until, gasp!—Luke falls in love for the first time. But Stephen, as the film reveals, is leading a rather complicated life. Will Luke and Stephen be able to find true love? That's the question audiences will be able to answer for themselves when A Four Letter Word opens exclusively this Friday at the Music Box Theatre.
David, who is smart and funny, discussed the film and his role on Dante's Cove ( season three being out on DVD ) from his home in Los Angeles with Windy City Times.
Windy City Times: You're on quite a role, young man. [ Laughs ]
Charlie Davis: Yes, it's been fun so far.
WCT: I love how the role in A Four Letter Word came to you—that you you saw a part in the script that you liked and went after it.
CD: [ Laughs ] That's me. Ever the go-getter, that's for sure.
WCT: So what was it about the part of Stephen that attracted you?
CD: It was just that it was the opposite of what I do on Dante's Cove because on that show I play the moral compass of the show, to a degree. [ Laughs ]
WCT: [ Laughs ] I'm sorry to laugh—it's so funny to think of anyone on Dante's Cove as the 'moral compass.'
CD: [ Laughs ] If there is one my character, Toby, is it. Anyway, the part of Stephen was an opportunity to show a little bit of a different side and I also thought that it was interesting to play someone who is a pathological liar to the point where he even believes his own lies. That was the main thing—as well as shooting in New York. I'd never done that before and that was definitely enticing to be able to get to do that.
WCT: Also, lying during that 'meet-and-greet' period—in the bar, the coffee shop or online or whatever—is commonplace. A lot of lying does go on—let's face it.
CD: I think we all know these types of people that started with the white lies and pretty soon they're fantastic storytellers and that just continues to escalate and I thought that it would be interesting to try and be somebody like that. It gets to the point that they're so disillusioned in their own lives that they believe they're still in the right, you know?
WCT: Now, how great was it to work with a lot of predominately gay people on a movie?
CD: It was really refreshing because, number one, we're making a fun and campy, fizzy, gay film, but just to have that freedom is great. I've worked on other shows where there are potentially closeted people and, again, you never get to the essence of the person or the truth of a person because you can always talk about certain things or ask certain questions. 'How's the weather?' 'How's the dog?' 'Great!' 'I like your hair.' 'Fantastic.' [ Laughs ] You know? As opposed to being able to talk about family and relationships and that good stuff.
WCT: There's also the bonus of performing your love scenes or sex scenes with someone of the same sexual persuasion.
CD: For sure, that's an aspect of it. I was at a Writer's Guild conference the other night and this very thing came up. Why aren't more gay men cast as gay men? There are some wonderful straight actors who do a bang-up job of it, but casting directors or producers sometimes still get a little skittish about it. I think part of it is something you've touched on already—us embracing who we are and being okay with it and not having residual shame or self-hate or whatever. I've been fortunate to kiss a few good-looking men in my day. [ Laughs ]
You know, when I first got Dante's Cove I was really excited. I thought I'd be acting with all these other out actors and the first season arrives and I was the only one. I was shocked. I looked around and thought, 'I'm the only … gay person here?! Wow.' But now, it's grown; this last season we had seven out actors or actresses, and that was pretty cool. Not that it's only about that because I think in the big scheme of things that's what we're working towards. That's why I am out—because I feel that there shouldn't be any shame in this [ and ] there shouldn't be any hiding. It's just another profession, just like any other. I'm one drop in the bucket by coming out but, hopefully, one day we'll be in that other place where it truly doesn't matter and that your orientation …
WCT: Is akin to left-handedness? [ Laughs ]
CD: Yes, yes. It shouldn't be such a defining factor in casting.
WCT: Actually, I think your being out is very canny. You're the first openly gay star in this new gay market. Certainly on a personal level—but on a business level, too—you're a trailblazer because when you look at our marketing clout, it makes sense to be on the front lines. Are you aware of that at all?
CD: In some recesses of my mind I guess I process that, but I try not to dwell on it because I think there's a danger of trying to play into being something; being the idea of whatever that 'gaylebrity' is as opposed to just remaining focused on the work and moving forward in that way. I've lost roles by coming out—most definitely—but I've also gained a lot of roles by coming out. As you mentioned the most important aspect for me was that personally it was, 'What is required for my happiness?' And then the work will come or it won't but I can't be too overly stressed about that.
WCT: How important is it for audiences to support A Four Letter Word, especially queer ones, the opening weekend?
CD: It's extremely important. The first weekend basically dictates how many other theatres, how many other screens it will roll out in across the country. Going out and supporting ourselves shows that there is a strong interest—a commitment to our movies—and proves that we want to hear and see our own stories and that message goes out there. People look at those numbers and they notice. With A Four Letter Word you also don't have to think too hard—you can be concentrating on the movie and on your date. [ Laughs ]
WCT: Twenty years ago, Harvey Fierstein told me during the press tour for Torch Song Trilogy that he still had thousands of gay stories he wanted to tell. Is that how you feel?
CD: When I get asked how hard has it been to get into the mainstream cinema or TV world, I guess I have a very similar viewpoint as he does in that I do feel that if I told stories that represented our community for the rest of my life and that they were interesting and authentic and real I would be very happy.
WCT: Now about my favorite guilty gay pleasure—what's happening with season four of Dante's Cove?
CD: Well, they've got the scripts ready to go and we're waiting to see what's happening with the potential actor's strike. I don't know if we're going to have another strike; I don't think anybody wants another strike but, at the same time, June is [ here ] , so … that's why I'm going on a little hiatus this summer.
WCT: So once that's all resolved, we'll get some more naked Toby?
CD: Yeah! [ Laughs ]
