The Short Shoot Diary II #3: Yes, But Can They Act
April 29, 2006

So in order to do this one up right, I decided I'd work with people I knew. Known commodities. People with lots of skill and energy that I knew could pull off the role. Hayden Christensen and Leonardo DiCaprio wouldn't return my calls, so I had to actually delve a little deeper into my own past for my players.

Beau Puckett
Beau Puckett plays my lead, August. Beau and I go back over a decade to Washington D.C., and a show that I wrote for called "Inside / Outside the Beltway." It was the first gay soap, all done with local D.C. actors, on a half a shoe-string, and syndicated around the country on Public Access Cable. (Queer As Folk copied us.)

Beau and I reconnected after many a year gap, both surprised as hell that we were working opposite sides of the street here in Hollywood. (Neither his pimp or my pimp would let us talk --territory, profits and all that -- so first chance we grabbed the convertible caddy and left 'em behind.) Beau has won several acting awards in the ensuing years, proving how good he is. I'm totally amazed too that he's still smokin' hot. It's not fair that I look mature and he still looks sexy. Life, don't talk to me about life.

Chase Masters
Next up is Chase Masters, playing the mysterious Sumner. He's the ex-flame of August's life, the one true love, who appears seemingly out of the ether. Coincidence, or fate? (wah-wah-waaaaahh!) Chase was one of the stars of my last piece (clips of which can be found here) that just didn't 100% jell together. I scrapped the whole thing. Given what I've seen of other gay-themed shorts (and features) that have actually made it to the DVD shelves, I was far, far too harsh on it. Still, I'd know it could be better. And that would bother me.

None of it was any fault of Chase's. He's a great actor, singer and limo driver. Also another hottie... though he really gets what he wants with his Southern Accent, batting his eyes, and crooning. In my general direction. Last time around he got me to make him eggs for breakfast before we started shooting. I trumped him this time. Beau is from the south too. I'm going to pit them against each other. Perhaps southern-inflected puppy dog eyes will cancel each other out. Or it will utterly destroy me.

B. Paul "Brent" Corrigan
Third to bat is Brent Corrigan with the key role of Skippy. (Yes, "Skippy." Trust me.) I've never worked with Brent before. I actually caught him in, of all things, a porn film (you read that right.) I stopped paying attention to the plot (as it were) of the movie and said "Damn, that kid can improv. I bet he can act." Since he was the only one acting, the only one who didn't look like he was just there for... well, you know, he made an impression. (You, on the left, with the snarky comment. Leave my page. Now.)

Since the character of Skippy seems (hint) like he wandered in from some adult film being shot down the hall, I figured it didn't hurt to ask someone from that world if they'd like a chance to play him. Through the power of the internet, I asked Brent to if he was up for it.

I thought my best selling point was that Skippy wasn't a sex role. He doesn't get naked in this -- though I can't say the same about the other characters. (Come on. I know what my audience wants.) What I forgot (modestly) was that the real deal closer was that the script was well written and that the part, while small, is fun to play. Brent jumped at the chance. (Smart guy, Brent.) After meeting up with him (I'll write about that soon), I'm certain he's going to do a damn fine job.

And since he's only 19, if he doesn't, I'll ground him for a month.

So that's it. That's my Big Three. My Trio of Terror. My Team of Torment. My Triangle of Trepidation. My...

Okay, I'll stop now.

More soon.

Posted by Jody at April 29, 2006 02:13 PM

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