Photo cred: Shirin Tinati |
Hey folks! I'm super excited to publish this week's interview with writer and actor Jason T. Gaffney! Mr. Gaffney wrote, produced, and stars as a lead in the upcoming movie The Perfect Wedding. Read the interview to learn more about him and the movie (and of course, his views on underwear), take some time to appreciate his handsome pictures at the end of the interview, and then check out all of his wonderful media sites! You can follow Jason T. Gaffney and all his epic acting adventures on his Website, Twitter, Facebook. To learn even more about The Perfect Wedding and to keep up with updates on the movie, check out the official site, Twitter, and Facebook page.
1. Age: 27
2. Where are
you from?
I was born in New York, I grew up outside of Boston,
went to school in New York City, but now I live in Los Angeles.
3. Favorite
superhero?
Easily Iceman from X-Men – although Kitty Pride would
be a close second. Back when I was a kid I remember buying an edition of X-men
that featured Iceman, and I remembered thinking how cool he was (no pun
intended) and how I wanted to be him. As for Kitty Pride (AKA Shadowcat) I
always thought that she was someone that I could be best friends with.
4. Who or what inspired you to become involved in acting
and writing?
I always wanted to be an
actor, and I started acting when I was seven. I was born wanting to put on a
show, and I had supportive parents who encouraged me to go after my dreams!
As far as the writing, both
of my parents are published novelists, so I come by that naturally.
5. Can you
tell me a little bit about The Perfect Wedding and how you thought of/ decided
on the story line?
I love movies. But the majority of mainstream movies
don’t have realistic gay characters. Most of them don’t have ANY gay
characters!
When I came out, I wanted to see characters like me in
movies, so I started watching LGBT films. But despite the fact that I loved
them, they still weren’t an accurate reflection of my own life.
Many of the movies were angsty coming out stories –
but my coming out was met with high fives and a Pride parade in my living room.
Other movies were comedies where the humor came from
people being forced back into the closet – I’ve never been in the closet except
to get my jacket.
So one day I was thinking to myself how much I would
love to see a romantic comedy where the two leads just happened to be gay. No
one’s in the closet, and the drama comes from situations you’d find in straight
romances.
I remember calling my dad with the idea for the story,
which is essentially “boy meets boy, boy loses boy, boy wins boy.” Kind of
classic rom-com right? That was the whole idea. But I remember telling him,
“Here’s the best part! They’re gay but no one cares! They’re loved for who they
are!”
THE PERFECT WEDDING is the story of two young gay men
(Paul and Gavin) who meet and fall in love when they spend a holiday weekend at
Paul’s parents’ house, where they all gather to help plan Paul’s sister’s
wedding. (As in most romantic comedies, hijinx ensue.)
There’s a subplot with the sister and her fiancĂ©, and
a subplot with Paul’s parents – played by the amazing James Rebhorn (Homeland,
Independence Day) and fabulous Kristine Sutherland (You may know her best as
Joyce Summers, Buffy’s mom, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
One thing remained a mission statement throughout the
various stages of production. The leads would be gay. No one would care about
them being gay. No jokes would be made about them being gay. They would live in
a world where they were loved unconditionally for who they were.
6. What do you
identify most with about your character in The Perfect Wedding?
Gavin is
very loyal and will do almost anything to help out the people he loves. I
relate to that.
7. What have
you learned about yourself after writing, producing, and acting in a full
length movie?
That you can do anything if you put your mind to it.
I remember thinking when I called up my parents to
collaborate on this story that we had to write this screenplay. Then as we were
writing the script I found myself thinking that we had to produce this movie
ourselves and keep control of the story. And THEN as we were shooting the film,
I got really excited, because as the pieces fell into place, I realized that we
had a shot at getting distribution. And sure enough we did!
8. What’s the
one thing you hope viewers take away from The Perfect Wedding?
That times
really are changing.
We are entering a new era where the LGBT community is
accepted and valued.
Don’t get me wrong; we still have a huge fight left. But
if you look around, things are getting better and people are seeing that love
is love. I hope that when people see this film and see characters who are loved
by their families and friends, that they can imagine the bright future we are
all heading toward.
9. What would
you say the biggest struggle was with creating the movie?
I have to say that making this film was actually quite
easy. The cast and crew were amazingly talented and we all became a family. The
hardest part for me was post-production. Everything took longer than I hoped it
would. It was frustrating, because I wanted to see the finished movie!
10. What’s been
the most rewarding experience as an actor?
It’s incredibly rewarding to be involved in a movie
project that has the ability to reach a huge audience. And when that movie is
something like THE PERFECT WEDDING, a romantic comedy about a modern American
family with a well-loved gay son, I have the opportunity to help redefine
normal.
If one kid watches this movie and sees a reflection of
himself, it’s worth it.
11. What would you say is the toughest aspect of being an
actor or writer?
So often in Hollywood, the
actor is controlled by the writer, and the writer is controlled by the
producer. And sometimes the story that the actor or the writer thinks they are
telling gets lost in translation.
By acting, writing, and
producing THE PERFECT WEDDING, I made sure that my story got told the way I
wanted it to be told. But this is the exception instead of the rule!
12. Which do
you prefer: boxers, briefs, or boxer briefs? Why?
I’m a fan of all kinds of underwear for different
situations, but my personal favorite are briefs. Especially when I’m doing an
acting scene or dancing I want to know where everything is!
13. Do you
favor any underwear brands? If so, which and why?
I’m a huge fan of Addicted and Diesel. I love the
colors and how they hug me and show of my “assets.” ;-)
14. You’re in a
public place and you get a natural wedgie -- how do you handle it?
I used to be discreet about it when I was younger. You
know slowly wiggling around and hoping my pants would help un-lodge it, or
putting my hands in my pockets to try and fiddle with it. But now I tend to
just grab it and fix it as fast as possible to get rid of any discomfort
quickly. Because let’s be honest, I was way more obvious when I tried to fix it
discretely!
15. What would
someone find if they went through your underwear drawer?
An overstocked underwear drawer filled with every kind
from dance-belts for dance to skimpy briefs for feeling sexy and fun to loose
grandpa underpants for comfort after a long day on set.
16. Do you have
a lucky or favorite pair of underwear? If so, what style/color?
I do! I have both a lucky and a favorite pair. It’s a
pair of Addicted briefs that are kind of nautically themed with blue and white
stripes and a number 20 on the bum. They’re one of my favorites because they
fit really nicely, but they’re also lucky because I met my boyfriend while I
was wearing them. Because they make me feel sexy, they boost my confidence
which made my first date with my now boyfriend go much more smoothly then it
could have gone! I’m a huge fan of if you feel sexy and confident on the inside
(underwear included) then you’ll become sexy and confident on the outside.
17. GQ wrote an
article a few months ago stating that “tighty-whities” are stylish now. How do
you feel about tighty-whities, & do you agree with GQ?
I feel like tighty-whities are always in style as long
as the guy wearing them is confident. I’m a huge fan of them if they fit right.
18. Do you have
any funny or memorable underwear stories?
I was working on a production of the tap dance show 42nd Street. When I dance I
wear a dance-belt, which is like a male thong and a jockstrap combined. (Not my
hottest pair of underpants but essential for dancing!) Well, there was a park
with a playground nearby that the cast would go hangout during our lunch break.
We started taking silly photos for Facebook and to remember our 42nd Street journey, and
someone told me to go down the slide for an action shot. So I did. And there
was a nail sticking out from the side of the slide, which caught onto my shorts
and ripped them straight up the side. I was able to cling to them and keep them
from being ripped off me, and I was lucky because otherwise I would have mooned
the whole cast! Needless to say I had to run home to grab another pair of
shorts to wear for the rest of rehearsal.
19. What’s the
best advice you’ve ever received?
You’re the only person who can be you. Too often we
try to be someone else to please others at the expense of our own happiness. Don’t
do that! Be yourself!
----
Our distributor is Wolfe Releasing, and THE PERFECT WEDDING is coming out later this year via VOD on November 5th, and via DVD and streaming on December 3rd – just in time for the holidays. (DVDs make a great stocking stuffer, haha!) Pre-orders start on September 15th.
For more information or to see our awesome trailer go to www.theperfectweddingmovie.com!
This is so great, pics and all. Being a fan of your mothers books, I was able to find out a little about you and how much love and acceptance you have from your family and friends. That is so important. I hope to be able to see this movie with our grandson in order to maybe help him know how loved he also is. Straight, gay, bi no matter we love him. and more importantly I want him to love himself and accept that God also loves him.
ReplyDeleteJust watched "The Perfect Wedding" and was very impressed by Jason Gaffney's performance. He and his castmates gave a realistic portrayal of our every day LGBT community. Also, his facility with ASL was touching because it was so personal for me. Kudos to him and his supportive family.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet, wonderful movie! I loved it. It actually featured TWO perfect weddings. I will never forget how to sign "Merry Christmas". I wish there would be a sequel to this charming movie. I'd love to see how Gavin and Paul's marriage evolves and if Roy eventually finds true love.
ReplyDeleteGreat movie Jason, I hope to see you do more movies. Your adorable your movie was great make more.
ReplyDeleteI know I'm late to the party here, but I just watched The Perfect Wedding. It was just what I needed today! Jason, you're adorable. Your movie was fantastic! I must agree with Anonymous from Feb 28, 2014. A sequel would be terrific!
ReplyDelete