From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The man from Say Uncle

You may know Peter Paige from Queer as Folk, but soon, you'll also know him as a director.

by Barbara Lester

April 19 2006

Although Peter Paige may be best known for playing the cheerful busybody Emmett Honeycutt on the Showtime series Queer as Folk, the openly gay actor and graduate of Boston University's School of Theater Arts is also a playwright and filmmaker. The 37-year-old's directorial debut, Say Uncle, concerns a misunderstood gay artist, played by Paige, who enjoys the company of children and is accused of pedophilia. The film will hit theaters nationwide in June, but locals can see it 7:15 p.m. Sunday at Regal Cinemas South Beach as part of the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Paige will attend the screening and discuss the film with the audience. City Link recently spoke with him by telephone.

What inspired you to write Say Uncle?

I have godchildren, and they're pretty much of primary importance in my life. We all used to live in Portland, Ore. The setup to the movie is completely true; everything after that is fiction. [My godchildren's] family moved to San Francisco. … That day of watching them get in the cab and drive off was so painful. So I imagined a story about someone who can't process loss and deal with that grief. But I also saw a political opportunity. The issue of gays who are good with children was not first and foremost. More important was the commentary on the culture of hysteria we live in. It's pandemic. We're told every day 10 things we ought to be afraid of. We turn on Oprah, and here's something new we need to be afraid of. The president tells of something else we need to be afraid of. We are so completely manipulated by fear.

Do you have children yourself?

I don't, but it's coming soon. I'm pretty interested in adopting.

Since you were on a groundbreaking TV show about gays [Queer as Folk], how did you feel about Brokeback Mountain's impact?

What was different was that no one had put millions of dollars behind a gay movie before and that [many straight] people showed up to see it. Well over half of the people watching our show were straight women. It's a beautifully crafted film, but it doesn't feel like a gay film. There's no sense of femininity. It's masculine from the get-go to the finish. … It's the first gay, mainstream film lesson for Hollywood. Put it out there, and people will come to the movies. That's the real breakthrough of the film.

Do you miss Queer as Folk?

I do. I miss going to work every day. I miss the people. I was close to the cast and crew. I think I enjoyed that experience more than anybody. I recognized what a privilege it was, and I think I ended up with the best character.

Is it difficult being an openly gay actor in Hollywood?

A year ago, when the show was still on, I would have said it was wonderful. It's fine, but it's hard. There are always at least one or two hoops to jump through. I don't want to lionize or martyrize myself. I chose [to come out], and I'm proud I chose it. It's important for the community. It isn't insurmountable. Someone is going to figure out [how to be a gay mainstream actor]. The one thing I bristle at is the idea that straight guys who play gay are so brave. It's not career suicide, particularly if you can go to the premiere with a woman on your arm. I had to kiss plenty of women in my career. Everyone used to say how brave the straight actors were on Queer as Folk. It's not like we buried them in shit and stood a donkey on them. With each generation, another 10 to 20 percent of that taboo slides away. The day will come when a big movie star is openly gay. But it's not going to happen in my generation. My sister is 23, and she doesn't think a thing about [others] being gay.

What do you hope people will gain from seeing Say Uncle?

I hope they come away with a willingness to look at their own stuff, with a kind of funny and heartbreaking reminder that we're all afraid of ourselves and should reconnect with the world around us.