WHEREIN AFTERELTON.COM PLAYS “STARMAKER”
Michael and I recently watched a little independent movie called Socket, about a gay guy who, after being struck by lightning, is invited to join a secret underground society where they zap themselves with electricity from electric sockets. But things aren’t quite what they seem, and before long, our hero finds himself going to increasingly desperate — and I mean desperate — lengths to get his “fix.”
Keeping in mind that it is very low-budget, I really enjoyed the film, which is simultaneously both very campy and very creepy. Gay sci-fi: who knew?
One of the leads is a handsome young actor named Matthew Montgomery, whose other projects include Long-Term Relationship and a stint on the gay sci-fi webisode series Hidden Frontier, and who is really making a name for himself in the world of gay indie film.
Matthew Montgomery
In our ongoing efforts to feature more out actors on the site, I thought folks might be interested to hear the thoughts of this up-and-coming young actor, so I decided to chat him up.
Have I mentioned how dreamy I think he is?
(I would be remiss to neglect to mention that Socket includes plenty of refreshingly casual nudity, though Matthew says, damn him, “I think that I may be done doing nudity for a while. Sometimes I worry that it distracts from the storyline.”)
AfterElton.com: How’d you get involved in gay indie film?
Matthew Montgomery: It was purely by accident. I was an actor that, like most, came to Los Angeles hoping to land some big-time movie as soon as I stepped off the plane. Wrong! But working in the independent, and primarily gay independent film industry, opened up a whole other world of opportunity for me.
AE: There’s a very funny scene in Back Soon, your latest film, that spoofs how bad indie movies can sometimes be.
MM: People love that scene. There’s always going to be that inconsistency in micro-budget film quality. It’s affordable now for anyone to make a movie, so that means the product isn’t always going to be outstanding or even memorable.
AE: Do you have an agent? Are you auditioning for studio movies? Network roles?
MM: I’m still a non-union actor. So everything I’ve done up until now has been without representation, without being in a union. It’s all been on my own. Most of the network stuff, I’m not eligible until I’m in the union. And a lot of reps don’t feel comfortable representing an openly gay actor or someone who does primarily independent gay cinema, and I have no interest in changing how I represent myself.
AE: Have people advised you to tone down the gay stuff?
MM: Oh, yeah. It’s coming from potential agents and managers, and they’re often gay themselves. For these people to be giving that advice in this day and age, it’s not helping us move forward. It’s not progress. But this isn’t about pointing fingers or placing blame. It’s clear that it’s fear that is causing them to make these choices and hand out this advice.
AE: Are you able to support yourself from your acting yet?
MM: This is the first year I’ve able to not have a day job. Money isn’t falling from the sky, but I get by.
AE: Where do you want to be as an actor in five years?
MM: I just want to be a working actor. The gay indie film thing, it just sort of happened. But now that I’m in it, I feel so loyal to these filmmakers and these viewers. I hope I’ll always be involved, whether it’s acting or producing. Which isn’t to say that if some studio came by offering me a five-picture movie deal, I wouldn’t take it! But I’d like to be one of the people in gay indie film that elevates these films to a higher quality. I love the email I get now, from people just thanking me for being so out and open and saying how it has helped them to come out. You know, I’d rather do one of these indie films that makes a difference in someone’s life than do a walk-on on C.S.I.
AE: So I must ask: Are you single? Dating anyone?
MM: I’m dating someone. It’s very, very fresh, just a few months, but he’s a keeper. In fact, I’m introducing him to my mother tomorrow. He’s another actor, I met him on the set. I’m used to guys not asking me out, but just trying to slide their way into my pants. He did the whole courting thing, asking me out, bringing me flowers.
Need more Matthew? Take a look at his demo reel (which includes some beefcake shots at the end, proving he ain't too broken up about getting naked on film!).
Anyway, Matthew seems to be just as nice as he looks. So in his honor, let’s all join in a chorus of “Starmaker” from the gayest of all scrupulously non-gay TV shows, Fame, shall we?
Fame
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