Scott Thompson admitted during our interview that he’s had a difficult relationship with the gay press. “They want me to be a cheerleader, and I am not. The way they write what I say makes it seem like I am very bitter, and I am not. I am very happy.”
The source of that happiness is his one-man show Scottastrophe running January 8th – 10th at the Martha Cohen Theatre as part of One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo. The show is a different, personal look at the former Kids in the Hall member.
“It is very different than anything I have ever done before because it is not character based. It is the first time I haven’t played a million different characters, it is just me. It is more autobiographical than anything I have ever done. It is a cross between storytelling, stand up and a one man theatrical show.”
Long time fans will likely be surprised about what unfolds during the show.
”I don’t think anyone could ever predict what it is about, you will be completely surprised. This show is something where I don’t have to exaggerate, lie or make anything up. Everything I say is true and people don’t believe it, they come up to me after the show and ask what was true and what wasn’t. Even myself, looking at it objectively I go ‘that couldn’t possibly have happened!’ But it did. Things happen in your life that are so catastrophic, beyond what you could imagine, I had to tell the stories.”
Fans of Thompson last saw him in Calgary on film, during a screening of Not Another Gay Sequel in August. He laughed when I mentioned the movie, and the audience reaction to some of the scenes.
“It is horrifying, there is no question. There is nothing you can do to kill my career, I have already done it enough. I am not starting out my career, if I was starting out, I could possibly understand some of the boys not coming back. But I am not in the closet. To be frank, I needed the money, it was a fun part, and 10 days in Florida sounded like fun.”
One of the lines in the early moments of the film basically states that the actors from the original Not Another Gay Movie were advised not to return for the sequel for fear of being labeled as gay.
“I am sure there was creative license taken with that but I definitely think some of the guys were told that, and it’s true. You don’t have to do two, do one. I don’t judge them. It doesn’t mean that the guys who came back are gay I have no idea. Being openly gay there is a price to pay and not everybody wants to do it. It is not my decision to make for them. I get it, yeah sure it affected my life and career so I understand why people believe it. It is a lot easier now but it is still not a cakewalk.”
This lead to the one of the most honest parts of a very honest conversation. To many, Scott Thompson is a “successful gay actor” but he openly admits that it has been a struggle. This is where his concern of sounding angry or bitter comes into play, when he makes it very clear he is not. But he did open up about his experiences.
“Seriously, have you seen me in anything legit recently? You can’t name any can you? For the longest time when I wasn’t allowed to play anything but gay and most gay roles are one-dimensional and secondary. It is very rare that there is a great gay role and 99% of the time they go to a straight actor. So I got friend roles or neighbor roles. There is a big price to pay. Even the gay community makes you pay too, because they watch you like dogs and you can’t do anything wrong. If an actor…asks me if they should come out I tell them to go ahead if they want to, but be prepared to pay the price.”
He does feel things are improving from when he first came out.
“I really believe that guys like Neal Patrick Harris and T.R. Knight, etc, can play other roles. But Neal Patrick Harris didn’t come out until later in his career, and we will see what happens with Knight after Grey’s Anatomy. I think things are changing and I am very positive about the future. It is 100% better for gay people. The truth is, in my career it was very hard and an awful lot of people didn’t see me as an entertainer or an actor, they just see me as ‘the gay guy.’”
Dealing with homophobia has had an impact, but the gay community itself hasn’t supported Thompson the way one would expect.
“You become kind of a prop to be manipulated by both sides. The gay side wants you to be a positive role model, which is the death of art and enemy of anything exciting. I am not really one of those guys. I follow my muse and say what I have to say and don’t really think about whether it reflects positively or not. 9 times out of 10 if you find something hilarious about someone or a group it is usually not flattering. It is very hard to be a comedian and an activist. It is impossible - they can’t be together. So I see a lot of people in the gay community that have written me off because I wasn’t willing to be used. They would much rather deal with sympathetic straight people because they don’t really know the game, the problems, dysfunctions and psychosis that might reign in gay life. Are you an artist or an activist? I chose art.“
“I would say I don’t really have much of a gay fanbase really. When the Kids in the Hall toured, there were more gay people at a Klan rally than our tour. My show certainly has gay fans but I am really not a gay act. I am not Margaret Cho or Kathy Griffen. They are like cheerleaders, I am not a cheerleader I can’t go ‘you boys are fabulous.’ It’s not what I do.” He continued, “It is so much easier for gay men to relate to a woman. All gay men think they are stars so when there is one, they can’t give it up for that person. They all think they can do it better. It is very hard for gay men to really embrace another actual gay man. I think this new generation will have a much easier time. My generation is so full of self-loathing it is very difficult to embrace a brother. That is what I have discovered. I’ve gotten over it, and am in a much better place than I was years ago. It is not like people are rushing to open the doors for each other. It’s a sad thing to say but it is the truth, we are very hard on each other.”
It can be very difficult to translate a person’s tone into print. In speaking with Scott, it comes out very strongly that he is content, and has moved on from some of the struggles he has endured as an out gay artist.
”I think in my case I have been held back by three things, myself, homophobia and gay political correctness. I have dealt with one: my ability to get in my own way. Homophobia I will never crack. I definitely think the new generation of gay people is far less polarized than before. They have it easier. My generation was trying to stay alive! We couldn’t worry about things like marriage. I was saying goodbye to friends as they died - it was a whole different world. I am quite happy for the new generation, and a little jealous.”
“That has nothing to do with my show though, it is not a coming out story it is not about homosexuality. It is about the world – politics, childhood, war, terrorism. It is the best thing I have done in a long, long time. It is just me saying ‘this is who I am and what I have gone through.’ It has certainly helped me. It saved me, brought me out of depression and back on stage. After I started it has been a gradual climb up. My life has just gotten better and better.”
Scottastrophe is a departure from what people have come to expect from Scott’s work. It is more personal and at times drastically different from anything he has done before.
“The first time I did the show it was a workshop production. At the time I was so nervous about doing it and going up on stage after years of not doing it. It is like nothing I have ever done before, it is more personal and not all comedy. It is basically my whole experience and trying to move past it. It is something that I just had to do. As I have been doing it more and more, sharpening and focusing it, it has become a real joy to perform. Every time I do it I feel a little better. People don’t expect it, they want to see Buddy Cole and Fran. There are parts that are not meant to be funny. It is funny but there are dramatic parts and I think that freaks people out, I know it freaks me out a little bit to look out and see people crying. It is difficult because I really like getting laughs. It is weird to look out and realize ‘oh my god they are crying.’ This show has been very cathartic, house cleaning in a way.”
He does admit to some embarrassment in the frank, honest statements about his life.
“Sometimes the stories are embarrassing to me, I am mortified to be saying it but I feel like I have to. Parts of it, I look back at things I did and go ‘what was I thinking?’ Years later looking back on it, it becomes hilarious. …Comedy is really tragedy plus time. There is really nothing in this world that cannot be discussed comedically. There is nothing that is so horrible it can’t eventually be seen as funny with the right person saying it the right way, with the proper amount of time.”
After years of battling depression, his own issues and past, and life itself, Scott Thompson has found peace. He has found that he loves performing, and that the stage is once again his home.
“That wasn’t the case for a number of years, I continued to do it but I was faking it. In the last 10 years I have rediscovered my love of performing. It is extremely powerful being onstage and being in control. I love that communication I have with an audience, it is a joy for me. I didn’t think I would get it back, but I attribute it to this show. This show gave me my mojo back.”
Scottastrophe
Part of the OYR High Performance Rodeo
January 8th – 10th, 2009
www.oyr.org
