When you see Parvesh Cheena, there is a 90% chance you’ll recognize him from something. You may have seen him on the new Frasier, My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, or in co-star roles he’s had in sitcoms and movies. Or you might recognize his voice from countless cartoons and animated series. He’s gearing up to play multiple roles in the new play, Wives.

Wives features a primarily South Asian cast and travels from 16th-century France to 1920s India and 1960s Idaho to highlight the perspective and experiences of women who’ve changed history but are often overlooked. Cheena plays the token Man and lends his comedic sensibilities to multiple roles.  

Directed by Hypokrit Live Arts NYC co-founder Arpita Mukherjee, this comedy comes at an interesting political moment with South Asian American women making history in both parties, Nithya Raman in the 2026 mayoral race. This play launches the 61st mainstage season East West Players (EWP), the nation’s largest and longest-running Asian American

Theater. It’s penned by prolific playwright Jaclyn Backhaus and co-founder of the New York City arts company Fresh Ground Pepper.

Cheena has been a face of AAPI visibility. He starred in Outsourced, a mostly South Asian sitcom that paved the way for shows like Never Have I Ever and Deli Boys.  He’s played both stereotypical South Asian characters and people who just happen to be of South Asian descent. 

The animated actor with a quick wit and gregarious nature took time to chat with the Blade about his hot takes on Hollywood, being South Asian and gay, and his excitement about his new play.  

What can you tell me about Wives?

Wives is a wonderful work of theatre and storytelling by Jaclyn Backhaus about four different eras from the perspective of the wives and not the men. Ugh, men. Amirite? 

How would you describe your character(s) in Wives? 

I’m going to be playing four different characters. A French King, A Prince of Jaipur, A grandfather, and Ernest Hemingway. You know…my usual typecast parts. Le sigh. This is like my 11th time playing Ernie Hemingway. I get it, I get it. I have a beard. And Hemingway and I are both from the western suburbs of Chicago. I don’t fight my fate. Big Ern is going to be my one-man touring show for the dinner theatre circuit in my 70s. 

How does it feel being in a primarily Asian cast?

It always feels correct to be in a primarily Asian cast. My people are from Asia. Big continent. Big personalities. Big hearts. 

You have a robust television resume. Are you enjoying being on the stage? 

I’m of the age where you started in theatre. You interned at theatres. You worked box office at theatres. You start theatre companies with friends from college. It’s home. When I moved from Chicago to LA, that’s when I started improv and sketch because it was harder to commit to theatre or not have an understudy when I was in my 20s. Improv/Sketch at least still gave you the chance to perform on stage for folks. 

Wait a minute… Why do I enjoy it? It’s scary. I’m always still kinda scared. We put ourselves in scary situations. What to do? I know, admit my need for validation by strangers in public spaces. Are we still talking about theatre?

There was a time when there was a fair amount of South Asian representation in Hollywood; you were in a primarily South Asian sitcom, Outsourced. Do you feel like representation has gotten better or worse? Has it been harder or easier to find roles? 

It’s always better today for representation than it was yesterday, and tomorrow will be even better. I see so many shows featuring younger South Asian talent, and that is a joy, and it brings me so much pride, too. 

We also have brown folks writing and producing and greenlighting these projects. Yes, there is pushback as political winds blow.  Hello Paramountskydancewarnerbros after all, but we are still gaining more representation, not less. And it might not be through legacy media holding onto antiquated views of whose stories get told. 

For me, I work. I always want to work more. Friends hire me and want to keep working with me, and for that, I am always grateful. Grateful to help tell their stories and also for the continued chance to make healthcare. Another sigh…we can’t even get a single-payer health care option out of California and NY’s state legislatures? What are we doing? Healthcare tied to work? That’s just a worry for everyone.  

I often wonder if they were going to do Outsourced now, would they even hire an American-born guy like me, of Indian descent or cast from India proper? We were playing people born and raised in India but clearly filmed here at Radford Studios.

We sometimes have a hyper-accurate need for casting these days, which is making some jobs harder for those of us with a complicated background. Pre-Partition, my Sikh family lived in Lahore, now in present-day Pakistan, but because of the British’s first Brexit during the devastating Partition of India in August 1947, my Mom’s Punjabi Sikh family is one of the millions affected by these acts of colonizers. They, along with millions of people, left their home in Lahore for what is now India’s side of Punjab. Now, we are considered Indian. But we are also Punjabi. The state we are from, the state split in two by the Brits. A Pakistani Punjab and an Indian Punjab. A country for Muslims, a country for Hindus. The Sikhs got lost without a home of their own. Yay…my glossed-over and probably inaccurate version of history. 

So, I bring this up because I am still not allowed to be seen for some parts that are of Pakistani descent. Or certain Punjabi parts. Or certain religious roles. Which is just silly to me as a brown atheist with ties to all of these lands. The subcontinent was all one land, one country before the English. Some of us South Asians are being separated from access to roles by gatekeepers who don’t even know the cultural history and heritage. But I digress. I am already on the first of many tangents.

You’ve been in a lot of animation. How have you enjoyed that experience? Any highlights? 

Well, the exact opposite of a live stage. I love how I can be gentle, sing quietly, whisper into that microphone in my voice booth closet thing or at a professional shop. I like that you can give a multitude of takes and let the powers that be pick and choose. I like that people of color can also be Transformers and rocks and clouds and ferrets, too. And when you have to sing, it is always easier with just a few people around than in front of a live audience. Again, my fears. 

I’ll always be proud of my work as Blades on Transformers: RescueBots for Nicole Dubuc and Brian Hohlfeld and as Couch on the podcast Melon’s House Party for Duke Doyle and Matt Sax. The creator/writers, the people in the recording booth, and the directors behind the plexiglass are some of the loveliest folks I’ve gotten to work with. Animation folks tend to be so kind in my experience. Everyone has that little sense of play and joy that we get to do this art form. 

You’ve said in an interview,  “White people were allowed to be gay, in a sense, or be queer as an identifier. People see our color and ethnicity first before our sexuality.” Do you think that’s changed for the better or the worse? 

Still the same. At least more folks know what intersectionality is now. At least, I hope they do. A white, rich cis gay man may, just may, have more privilege and opportunity than a disabled non-binary immigrant. Folks are learning. But for the identity politics world, I get to be on a bunch of panels due to my own intersectionality. I can be on Asian, South Asian, Gay, and Gay Asian, and Gay South Asian panels. I think I might have missed a few configurations but I am also available for podcasts. I talk a lot, and my friends are busy with their kids.

What do you wish the gay community understood about the unique challenges/life of being both gay and South Asian?

I already mentioned intersectionality. My personal challenges really stem from a lot of the brownphobia/Islamaphobia/Sikhphobia that has continued in this country since the 9/11 attacks. After the Cold War and the USSR’s bust (Pre-Putin), the 2001 attacks and the subsequent surveillance state response only intensified the xenophobia of many Americans. To see the racism ratcheted up these past few years of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians is nothing new to me. I saw it during college in 2001, the ridiculous Iraq War in 2003, and now 2023 to 2026 and we are in another stupid war.

So, for any of us who are… human beings living in America, it’s already been a tumultuous 10 years since Trump first got in. Add in all the added weight of children of immigrants being told to “go back to your own country” by descendants of white colonizers is just…tiring. Oh, and that’s before any homophobic or transphobic attacks. Uneducated and fearful people who own a lot of guns really make life tricky at times here in America. 

Hmm. I keep thinking about this. There was just a young influencer, Mad Sandhu, who was just shot and killed in Punjab. The area of India my family is from. Thinking of this out and fabulous makeup artist who was shot and killed on the street. It’s a reminder that threats to our community are worldwide. It’s easy to forget when we live here. 

What is your favorite role you’ve played? 

I dunno. I don’t center myself in the work. This is my attempt at a non-vain answer. I dunno. You tell me. What do you like of my work? I think I answered it a bit with Blades and Couch in the V.O. world. On camera. Gupta in Outsourced was a joy, as was being a part of the film Sometimes I Think About Dying. 

What part of queer culture or general gay representation are you currently obsessed with? 

I have accepted that RuPaul’s Drag Race/World of Wonder, with every foreign iteration, is just my version of sports at this point. I remember asking friends why they still watched college football or teams that weren’t their hometown. Now I get it. 

It’s just something to have on, wind down to. And I watch most of them, and Drag Race podcast recap shows, too, like Bussy Queen. I have a few friends where drag is pretty much the only thing we talk about. Just finished Latina Royale, now Drag Race Philippines Season 4’s first episode is what I fell asleep to last night. I’m old. I have to split up the episodes. Mabuhay!

You were on My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend; is there any chance of you reprising your role? Anything you can share?

Are they doing a reboot? I should text Rachel. You know Rachel Bloom? Let me pick up that name I just dropped. She’s on Broadway right now. Um…we ran into each other at the Hollywood Bowl, and she’s really nice. (Wait. So. Is there a reboot? Do you know something I don’t? Jane. Jane!) 

Now read what you just read again, but as Lisa Kudrow’s Valerie Cherish. Seriously. I know nothing. Lovely people all around.

Given your fairly long IMDB profile, what role would you still love to play? Any dream projects you’d love to tackle?

I’d like to get cast in a role in a show that goes to a second season. Wait. This is my dream project: Medicare for All

I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be an ass, but I have played convenience store owners and terrorists and roles where they changed my co-star/one scene part into an Indian guy with an accent. I’m just grateful to play more nuanced roles on stage. But I’m also not waiting to play Falstaff or Oedipus or any other old European “classics” anymore. If it happens, wonderful, but they aren’t the dream role I’m pining for. The great roles and projects for South Asian people are being written as we speak by folks like Jasmine Sharma and Madhuri Shekar. I’m just happy to be working on new plays like Wives. 

I think I chase work not by the part but by who I want to work, collaborate, and spend weeks with. I wanted to work with our director Arpita Mukherjee again after a lovely time previously, and so many friends love Jaclyn’s work and saw Wives in NYC. I do want to keep working with women and queer folks, too. The majority of our crew and creatives are queer folks, women, and people of color. That’s the current dream. Did I mention we all need healthcare in this country?

You can catch Parvesh in Wives from October 8, 2026 – November 1, 2026 at the David Henry Hwang Theater in the Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, in historic Little Tokyo. Tickets here.

The death of Anna Nicole Smith has been portrayed for decades by the very entertainment industry that led to her downfall. This tale of manipulation and institutional incompetence continues to be a warning, with Smith showing what happens when people see you as a product rather than a person. Countless films have chronicled her life and death, repeating the same heartbreaking beats while recycling the usual messages — but Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, tries something different. 

Directed by Thane Economou, the film is based on the real autobiography of Sandeep Kapoor, the doctor who prescribed Smith a heavy dosage of sedatives throughout the last few years of her life (which allegedly played a part in her death). Trust Me, I’m a Doctor looks at the larger system of spectacle that guides not only our entertainment but our legal system. It travels from intense Los Angeles courtrooms to the streets of West Hollywood in its focus on this man, who is played amazingly in the film by gay actor Kal Penn. 

“I think the thing that really drew me to the character [of Sandeep] is: he’s a doctor who’s really vulnerable,” said Penn, speaking to the LA Blade about the role. “He’s deeply insecure at times where…he makes a lot of bad decisions. There’s equal parts cockiness and insecurity that I thought would be really interesting to delve into as a character.”

Most people know Penn for his famous Harold and Kumar series; this comedy trilogy sees him as a stoner getting into random misadventures with his best friend. But while he became known for playing this slacker, Kal’s real life is the complete opposite, with the man working across film and TV while also serving within the Obama administration’s Office of Public Engagement. The past few decades have seen him pursue both film and advocacy, but it wasn’t until his memoir You Can’t Be Serious that he officially came out to the world by announcing his longtime boyfriend.

This wild combination of real-life experience meant Kal was very drawn to the central role in Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, explaining, “Sandeep says, ‘I’m just a private person living a private, quiet life,’ — but then he makes 10 decisions that counter that, where it’s clear that he loves attention, that he really enjoys being in the company of Anna Nicole because of her celebrity and her status!” Kal’s own experiences with the pitfalls of fame informed his role in the story, as audiences watch the initially quiet doctor attend the WeHo pride parade with Smith, begin supplying her with a questionable amount of drugs, and eventually face the Medical Board of California in court. 

Somehow, Trust Me, I’m a Doctor still manages to imbue this harrowing legal battle with a startling amount of dark humor, with Penn explaining, “I certainly don’t want to make light of somebody’s tragic death, but Dr. Kapoor has a self-deprecating humor. There’s a dark comedy aspect of his stuff that I think audiences would enjoy.” It’s a comedy that quickly becomes vital to the film as viewers learn its true message: the entertainment industry can be so, so ridiculous. 

As Kal emphasized, this isn’t delivered at the expense of how heartbreaking Anna Nicole’s final months were. In fact, the film offers many shockingly heartbreaking scenes as viewers learn just how terribly she was treated by people like her shady lawyer and irresponsible psychiatrist. But through Sandeep’s view — both when Smith was alive and in the ensuing case — audiences learn how even the most serious of issues can be sensationalized to a horrible degree. 

It displays how judges, lawyers, and even potential governors used Smith’s death as a way to gain attention, with many targeting Sandeep as a ploy to garner the ‘audience’s’ approval. That’s not to say that Sandeep is treated as some war-torn hero — the film harshly critiques his many jaw-dropping mistakes. But it shows how people will so often skew reality if it means getting the kind of attention that led to Anna Nicole’s death. 

Kal has seen this unfortunate phenomenon throughout his long career (both on the entertainment and the political side). For himself, and for anyone who hopes to make it in this industry someday, Kal advised, “Take pride in your job, and love what you do, but…when there’s more of a focus on you and what you do, talk to a friend who doesn’t do what you do for a living. Just remind yourself that…that you aren’t sh*t basically, you know?”

The man laughed at that, with his wry advice mirroring the dark humor of Trust Me, I’m a Doctor. He stressed that above all else, he hopes people enjoy the film as a great adaptation. But with its main themes, he also hopes that it helps educate people more about the terrible things that led to Anna Nicole Smith’s death — and how they can watch out for them in their own lives.

As AFI Fest celebrates its 40th anniversary, the Los Angeles-based festival is gearing up for another star-studded event. But behind the red carpet galas, receptions and talent that draw eyeballs to the historic TCL Chinese Theatre this time of year, the real heart of the festival is its robust selection of queer and international cinema.

Running Oct. 21-25, this year’s line-up includes Elsinore, The Man I Love, Prosecution, Mouse, Clarissa, Bitter Christmas, Tangles, Elephants in the Fog, Iván & Hadoum, Flesh and Fuel and A Long Winter, among others. Many of the filmmakers and talent behind these projects will also be in attendance for post-screening Q&As, including Ira Sachs, Sophie Okonedo and Leah Nelson.

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For feature films programmer Anna Li, who identifies as lesbian, offering a diverse line-up is an extra personal mission. “I remember the first film I watched that made me feel seen, made me feel like I wasn’t alone as a baby gay,” she says. “As queer people, we all have that memory; if any of these films that we program can change someone’s mind or opinion, or change the way they think about themselves or others or their family, or someone has that baby gay life-changing moment of eureka, that’s a job well done by us. That’s why we do what we do.”

Notably, the festival has the North American premiere of Céline Sciamma’s new film Tutti Frutti, a mid-length documentary that explores the Portrait of a Lady on Fire filmmaker’s aspirations after stepping back from the spotlight. “It’s really a major new work and direction for the director,” Li says.

The seasonal staffers at AFI Fest come together in May, right after the Cannes Film Festival, to start screening films and planning the line-up. Over the years, the festival has become a go-to stop for Oscar hopefuls, especially international films that wind up making the best international feature film shortlist.

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“That’s something that we definitely care very deeply about and keep in mind when we’re programming our titles,” Li says, with this year’s international line-up featuring awards-hopefuls All of a Sudden, Gentle Monster, Possible Love, Everytime and La Gradiva. “We try to play everything that most people want to see, from looking at Berlin, Cannes or TIFF; they’ve compiled their list of films that they want to watch. We want to make sure they get the chance.”

Li points out that AFI Fest has partnered with queer-specific L.A. festivals like Outfest in years past. But she also sees the value of a broader, less defined festival in today’s media landscape.

“It’s important for a festival like AFI Fest that is more generalized and not specialized to still have such a great showing of queer films, films about marginalized people. Obviously, specialized LGBTQ+ film festivals or those with other focuses are so important for the community,” Li says. “Queer films are not just for queer people; it’s universal, and it’s intersectional.”

The books of Stephen King have had a rocky relationship with the movies.

Adaptations of the horror icon’s work have had an impressive track record on both big screen and small, earning success and critical acclaim across five decades. Some films based on his work – like “Misery,” “Stand by Me,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” and this year’s earlier “The Long Walk” – have reached the level of “prestige” cinema, earning award glory and finding their way onto critics’ “Best of the Year” lists. Many others, though, have landed at the opposite end of the spectrum, like “Children of the Corn,” “Maximum Overdrive,” and “The Dark Tower,” all of which are frequently featured in “Worst of All Time” lists instead.

There’s also King’s own vocal criticism of adaptations he doesn’t like, most famously around Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film of “The Shining,” which has come to be hailed as a cinematic masterpiece but continues to be a sore spot for the author himself over the alterations Kubrick made to his book; his dissatisfaction with that project led directly to his own creation of a miniseries of the novel, which remained faithful to his original storyline. In the years since, other King novels have made it to television; some, like “The Stand,” have benefitted from the nuance made possible by long-form storytelling; others have suffered from a lack of it.

Despite the hit-or-miss history of Stephen King on the screen, however, he has always remained popular, and is now arguably more so than ever. This is why we have a new adaptation of his debut novel – “Carrie,” published in 1974 – streaming on Amazon Prime; and though King himself served as one of its executive producers, his fans may not entirely love what has been done with it. 

Developed and spearheaded by Mike Flanagan – himself a popular horror creator, responsible not only for previous King adaptations (“Gerald’s Game,” “Doctor Sleep,” and “The Life of Chuck,” among others) and a string of successful Netflix series (“The Haunting of Hill House,” “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” and “Midnight Mass”), it updates and expands the original novel considerably. It’s still centered on its title character, whose reclusive upbringing combines with her growing telekinetic abilities (along with the torments she endures from her domineering mother and her schoolmates) to trigger a horrific catastrophe at her high school prom, but it allows the scope to widen for a deeper look into the “backstories” of other characters, as well as invoking themes around certain social issues – online bullying, dysfunctional family relationships, school violence, conspiracy theories, exploitation of tragedy by the media – which have become exacerbated in the 50 years since King wrote the book.

In this re-crafted version, Carrie White (Summer H. Howell) and her mother Margaret (Samantha Sloyan) have been secluded from the outside world for years, their existence kept secret until the “accidental” death of her father (Tahmoh Pennikett) leads to their discovery. Forced to participate in society, Carrie is enrolled in the local high school, while Margaret takes a job at the local big-box store. For her part, Carrie is eager enough to explore beyond the confines of home, but she quickly becomes the target of “mean girl” ringleader Chris (Alison Thornton) who seems bent on making her life miserable. There are others who offer more sympathetic treatment – new friend Sue (Siena Agudong) and her boyfriend Tommy (Joel Oulette), gym teacher Rita (Amber Midthunder), guidance counselor Mr. Moron (Tim Bagley), and others – but her struggle to fit in is not made any easier by her mother’s continued interference in her school life. 

Of course, we all know what happens. Even for those who never read the original book, Brian DePalma’s 1976 screen version, starring Sissy Spacek as Carrie and Piper Laurie as her monstrous mother, is a pop culture touchstone for anyone who grew up with it, and it remains one of the few King screen adaptations to remain controversy-free in terms of appreciation by fans and critics alike. There’s no need to worry about spoiling the ending – even Flanagan’s series opens with news coverage of the “Black Prom’s” aftermath, so the story is essentially a flashback from the very beginning.

Yet “Carrie” is, as King originally wrote it, a streamlined and compelling tale that expertly and relentlessly builds suspense through the single-minded simplicity of its narrative. It’s an exercise in watching the dominos lined up methodically before the climax of seeing them all fall down in a spectacular catharsis of gore, devastation, and yes, horror. That’s the whole point – and that’s also why Flanagan’s expanded framework becomes a bit of a problem by the series’ midpoint.

In weaving new storylines around the oppressively isolated narrative of Carrie’s experience – extended explorations of toxic teen behavior, romantic relationships between various other characters, and even the inclusion of a subplot involving witch-hunters and a cult – this new vision of the story offers a depth that is absent from the original book and movie, giving us insight that humanizes and even invites sympathy for figures we would not otherwise have felt deserve it; it incorporates larger themes about society, politics, and all the other divisive issues that trickle down into the way we treat each other in private. These things might make this “Carrie” feel like a bigger story, but they make for a tone that’s less “horror” than social commentary; and frankly, with the out-of-control behavior of high schoolers dominating so much screentime, it sometimes feels like we’ve accidentally tuned into an episode of “Euphoria” by mistake.

That’s not to say Flanagan’s “Carrie” isn’t a worthwhile watch. He brings to it the same inclusive, compassionate generosity of spirit – highlighting feminist themes, incorporating queer characters, honing in on the power of kindness in a world of cruelty – that he brought to his previous adaptations of vintage horror tales. He even gives Margaret White, so hateful in King’s book and so operatically deranged in DePalma’s film, the benefit of the doubt, focusing on the motherly love and protection that drives her abusive behavior to help us understand that this is her tragedy, too.

Many viewers will surely appreciate these efforts; many others, who might prefer the operatically deranged Margaret White of the original to the softened version offered here, will not. For those who go in hoping to relive the thrills of the original, who both want and need the over-the-top American gothic horror they know, Flanagan’s changes might be a few steps too far – and while the original story’s terse and streamlined narrative doesn’t give us time to examine the fine points, keeping us locked with Carrie into her private hell, this one gives us room to reflect, diffusing the tension and denying us the satisfaction of the clear-cut horror fantasy we expect.

Even so, with excellent performances and production values all around, it’s a grade-A binge-watch that makes us appreciate the high-tone camp of DePalma’s version – and King’s original novel – with renewed fondness. Besides, it’s Halloween, so how can you resist? 

After spending months away from friends and family (outside of a hometown visit to North Carolina), Fortune Feimster is in the final stretch of her latest tour, Takin’ Care of Biscuits. And it’s only fitting to bring it home to Los Angeles, the city that provided the queer stand-up comic her first live audience two decades ago.

“Every hour that I put out is very much a reflection of my life at that period of time and what I’m going through; there’s a lot of changes in my personal life, from my Mom to my marriage, so I don’t shy away from those things,” Feimster tells The Blade. “But I’m also not a serious ‘comic,’ so I still find levity in those life experiences.”

In the Takin’ Care of Biscuits tour, which is coming to the United Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 7, Feimster explores some of these big changes in life, from coming out of a 10-year relationship to her Mom being diagnosed with cancer — all through the lens of confessional, feel-good style comedy, of course.

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Long before voicing a lovable beaver in Zootopia 2 or starring in The Mindy Project, Feimster got her start back in 2007 at The Comedy Store, which she describes as “bro-y.” Everything changed, though, when she discovered a local show at Akbar, run by a gay comedian named Bruce Daniels. “The queer comedy community embracing me and giving me a platform was a huge part of my foundation,” she says.

As part of her comedy, Feimster will sometimes dig up hate tweets and comments and incorporate them as part of her act (at least in the past, when she says she had “more time” to look at social media). In her 2022 special Good Fortune, the audience roars in laughter when she reads a comment calling her a “taco-licking lesbian.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to deal with some of the hateful comments, but this particular one, I was turning his comment on its head in that he referred to me as these awful things, but he did refer to my partner at the time as my wife, which meant he was recognizing my marriage!” Feimster says. “That was a huge step because guys like him, people like him, do not want me to have that right to begin with.”

As a comedian who speaks openly about sex and sexuality, Feimster has “always” taken the representation she provides “very seriously” when she steps on stage in front of an audience.

“Anytime we get to tell our stories and be on platforms like Netflix, it’s big. People from all over the world see these specials, and hopefully they see something in you they resonate with,” she says. “And then on the silly side of this, I also have some fun jokes that I tease my fellow lesbians about, which people are really enjoying. You’ve got to not take yourself too seriously.”

Outside of stand-up comedy, Feimster co-hosts the podcast Handsome, which won a GLAAD award in 2026, with Tig Notaro and Mae Martin. That has “broadened” the comedian’s horizons in the different generations of queer fans each host draws in. She also recently co-starred in Netflix’s The Hawk, holding her own alongside Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon. In addition, Feimster has been chosen as the 2026 National Grand Marshal for Palm Springs Pride, timely for her Palm Springs appearance at the Plaza Theatre on November 8th.

“Things are getting harder; this is the time to be more visible,” Feimster says. “And that’s what I try to do — just be a visible, out comedian who is not trying to shy away from being who I am.”

Feimster’s tour comes to Santa Barbara on Oct 24th, Los Angeles Nov 7th, and Palm Springs Nov 8th; get your tickets here.

At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, multiple queer directors cemented their projects as ones to watch this awards season. From La Bola Negra to Club Kid to Coward, 2026 is poised to be a breakthrough year for queer cinema.

La Bola Negra, directed by former Drag Race judges Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo — collectively known as Los Javis — was the breakout film at Cannes, tying for the best director prize with Paweł Pawlikowski and most recently winning the coveted TIFF People’s Choice Award. The ambitious, decades-spanning historical drama starts in 1930s Spain and ends in 2017, connecting the lives of three men as they confront their identity during fractured points in history. Based on the raves the film has received from critics and audiences, it’ll likely be one of the biggest contenders for the Best Picture Oscar, with performances from Penélope Cruz, Glenn Close, Julio Torres, Guitarricadelafuente and Lola Dueñas. It will release in theaters Oct. 16 and drop on Netflix Dec. 2.

Jordan Firstman made the unexpected leap from internet personality to breakthrough filmmaker with his directorial debut Club Kid, which he also stars in. The film follows a leader in New York’s club scene (Firstman) who discovers he has a 10-year-old son (Reggie Absolom) who he never knew about, completely throwing his life’s priorities into disarray. The film features Cara Delevingne and was shot by The Invite cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra. A24 is set to release the film in theaters on Nov. 6.

Four years after Close scored a best international feature nomination, director Lukas Dhont is back in the awards race with his historical drama Coward, which won the best actor prize at Cannes (shared jointly by leads Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne). Set in the midst of World War I, the film follows a young Belgian soldier (Macchia) who starts a secret love affair and joins a theater troupe to bring joy and entertainment to his fellow soldiers. MUBI is set to release the film in theaters on Dec. 25.

The animated film Tangles also made a splash at Cannes. Directed by Leah Nelson and led by a voice cast featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Beanie Feldstein, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman and Bowen Yang, the film follows an activist living in ‘90s San Francisco who returns to her conservative hometown after her mom gets diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Independent Film Company is set to release the film in select theaters before the end of the year, with a wider theatrical expansion in early 2027.

While Elsinore didn’t premiere at Cannes, the tearjerker has been making the rounds at fall festivals and recently won the TIFF International People’s Choice Award. Andrew Scott plays Ian Charleson, the actor known for starring in 1981’s Chariots of Fire, as he gives his final performance in a London rendition of Hamlet before dying of AIDS. The film also stars Oscar-winner Olivia Colman and Heartstopper star Joe Locke. Focus Features is set to release the film in theaters on Nov. 20.

Although his new film doesn’t have U.S. distribution quite yet, it’s worth calling out Ira Sachs’ The Man I Love, which stars Oscar-winner Rami Malek and recently had its Canadian premiere in Toronto. The musical film is set in ‘80s New York, a time period that Sachs returns to frequently in his work, following Malek as a performance artist taking on a new role while grappling with his AIDS diagnosis. The cast is rounded out by Rebecca Hall, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Tom Sturridge and Luther Ford.

After last year saw noticeably few queer actors and directors in the Oscar conversation, this year’s awards race is already shaping up to bring a slew of exciting, new queer stories to audiences. Other queer films to look out for include A Long Winter from Andrew Haigh, Clarissa, and La Gradiva.

COACHELLA VALLEY –

Michael Nickerson-Rossi was studying film and design at Modesto Junior College when a class assignment brought him to film a dance concert. His mother had died of cancer when he was 17, and he had lost his father a few years later. But behind the camera, watching the dancers give movement to emotions he knew so well, Nickerson-Rossi found both his calling and a way to express what he had been feeling.

“Everything that I saw was everything that I felt,” he recalled.

The choreography of Kim T. Davis and Lori Bryhni, who would become his mentors, inspired him to begin dancing. That discovery eventually led him to establish Nickerson-Rossi Dance in 2011. Through the company’s upcoming performance, Male Aesthetic, he hopes to help men and boys discover their own possibilities for expression, opening a door much like the one that first drew him to dance.

On Nov. 4, Nickerson-Rossi Dance will join Desert Peeps and young men from Idyllwild Arts Academy at the Palm Springs Art Museum for a one-night-only performance that brings together contemporary, street and classical dance with visual art. Through themes of strength, beauty, and vulnerability, the program challenges conventional expectations of masculinity and expands the ways men and boys can express themselves.

“Rather than presenting masculinity as something rigid or singular, Male Aesthetic explores vulnerability, sensuality, tenderness, athleticism, and emotional expression as equally powerful aspects of the male experience,” Nickerson-Rossi told the Blade.

For the company’s founder and artistic director, “choreography plays with ideas of power and softness, tension and release, individuality and connection.” In the process, Nickerson-Rossi states that: “Male Aesthetic asks the audience to consider who gets to define masculinity–and what becomes possible when men are given permission to move, feel, and express themselves without having to conform to a particular image of what a man should be.”

All proceeds will fund BOYS DANCE! scholarships at Palm Springs Dance Academy. Since launching in 2023, the initiative has provided free training to more than 50 local boys in the Coachella Valley.

For executive director and principal dancer Chad Allen Ortiz, the mission to make dance accessible grows out of his own scholarship-supported training. As a teenager, Ortiz struggled with finding community and was stressed about potential college finances. However, dance gave him a community, a way to express himself, and eventually a career. 

That opportunity also demanded substantial commitment:

“The exchange for training at no cost came with the expectation that I would commit multiple days and weekends to classes, rehearsals, and full classical productions of Don Quixote, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and, of course, The Nutcracker,” Ortiz told the Blade. “As a male dancer, I was carrying multiple roles.”

Alongside those demands came a growing sense of what dance could become in his life. His school brought in young professionals to perform leading roles, giving Ortiz many individuals to look up to and a glimpse of the artist he could become. Today, he wants students in the Coachella Valley to find that same inspiration as they train in the spaces where the company’s professional dancers work.

Access to the dance studio, however, requires more than paying for classes – it requires showing up. Ortiz said that perceptions of dance can limit whether boys consider stepping into the studio.

“Dance can sometimes be viewed primarily as entertainment or something adjacent to sports rather than as a serious artistic discipline, a form of training, or even a viable profession,” he told the Blade.

For queer boys, expectations about masculinity can add another source of pressure. Ortiz said the program embraces the LGBTQ+ community while challenging the assumption that an interest in dance indicates a boy’s sexual orientation. “One of the biggest stigmas we want to break is the idea that dance is ‘for gay boys,’” Ortiz explains, “Dance gives young people an opportunity to explore strength, softness, athleticism, creativity, discipline, vulnerability, masculinity, and femininity without requiring them to put a label on any of it.”

One student, now in third grade, has been dancing with the organization since kindergarten. He also loves robotics and engineering. To Ortiz, those interests show how much room a child should have to grow. “They’re both parts of who he is,” he said.

Most BOYS DANCE! participants are still elementary-school-aged, and Ortiz is careful about measuring the young program’s impact when the program itself is only three years old. But he finds excitement in boys branching out from hip-hop into jazz and modern classes, exploring movements they might once have thought were off-limits.

That willingness to try something new is also what Nickerson-Rossi hopes the performance will encourage. 

“I hope audiences leave seeing more possibilities for how men can express themselves, and that young boys watching feel free to find their own.”

Male Aesthetic takes place Nov. 4 from 7–8:30 p.m. at the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Buy your tickets here.

When asked to think about Orville Peck, most people would immediately remember the man’s music, his time on Broadway, his many scintillating photoshoots or, of course, the ornate masks he wears throughout it all. 

Most wouldn’t, at least before a few months ago, think about the long-lasting video game franchise, Street Fighter. 

This historic fighting game doesn’t instantly mesh with the image that Orville has spent years developing. The country singer has garnered national acclaim through his four albums, sultry and often somber affairs that have earned him numerous awards and thousands of fans. Along with his voice, new listeners are intrigued by his masks; Peck always wears a face covering to protect his privacy and embody a distinctly queer flair in his work. These are only removed for very special occasions — such as his renowned turn as the Emcee in a Broadway revival of Cabaret — with even his recent centerfold in the sexy magazine Playgirl seeing Orville bare everything except his face.  

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The musician does all of this while being proudly gay, serving as one of the most notable queer celebrities we have today. This, combined with his dynamic career, has earned Peck legions of supporters, each one excited about whatever new project he decides to do next. And they were all completely shocked in early 2026 when Orville announced just what that project would be: starring in Kitao Sakurai’s live-action adaptation of the classic video game, Street Fighter. 

“They didn’t know I grew up playing this game, so it was so cool!” Peck raved as he discussed the film with the Los Angeles Blade. For the less digitally-minded of us, Street Fighter is an immensely popular gaming franchise, with this decades-spanning series offering dozens of games filled with colorful characters players can fight as. The cast for this latest adaptation dropped earlier this year and included stars like Jason Momoa, David Dastmalchian, Callina Liang — and, of course, Orville Peck.

“Fighting games probably draw a lot of queer people in [because] you can choose which character speaks to you, and they belong there,” Orville explained. “They don’t have to prove themselves…they belong, and you can connect in that way, since maybe you didn’t belong or [feel] included,” Orville admitted that it’s a connection he’s experienced himself; the man spent many hours of his childhood playing Street Fighter with his brothers. And one of his favorite characters was Vega, the bullfighting, gorgeous assassin obsessed with his own appearance (and slashing his opponents to ribbons). 

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It’s why there was no question Orville would take on the role when it was first offered to him. This may seem like an easy choice for many viewers — both Peck and Vega wear a mask — but the singer stressed that his link to the character went far beyond just the physical. “Vega did carry this kind of queer-coded energy that queer fans of Street Fighter have always picked up on and related to. And I was encouraged to not stray away from that — they wanted that to be included.”

Vega serves as the loyal henchman of Street Fighter’s main villain, M. Bison, with the claw-wielding fighter filling his screen time with snarky humor, great action scenes, and a distaste for wearing a shirt. But Vega also serves as a vital contrast in the film by punctuating the hypermasculinity of the men around him. He shows that queerness and strength can go hand-in-hand, with Orville finding it so affirming to bring out that universal truth through his performance. 

It was something that he enjoyed not only for his adult self, but for the younger version who loved nothing more than playing Street Fighter with his brothers, saying, “Being a little queer kid…I definitely did not feel at times that I was going to be welcomed into some things in life, right? Getting to be the only openly gay man in this film with a bunch of very heterosexual gentlemen running around, and then having my place next to them? I think that would be really encouraging and healing to little Orville, for sure.”

Orville went on about his amazing co-stars — he warmly referred to Callina Liang, who plays Chun-Li in the film, as ‘my sister’ — and the countless joys this role brought him. When asked whether he would return for a possible sequel, he emphasized, “We’re all so close as a cast now. Everybody loves and supports each other so much. I would 100% do it again, of course.” It’s a promising message for many queer viewers absolutely loving his turn as Vega, and it signals an uplifting development for the man himself. 

Orville Peck’s entire career is dedicated to utmost authenticity, showing your truest self in a way that feels genuine and recognizing what that truth brings to yourself and others. In a movie filled with nonstop fighting and campy chaos, he still managed to channel that into every second of his time onscreen. And whether it be as Vega or whatever role he decides to take next, it’s a vital message that this musician — and, he will remind you now, actor — will always work hard to make the center of his work.

Los Angeles’ LGBTQ+ population is very excited for the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games — and that’s not just because of all the eligible athletes who’ll be arriving in our city. 

No, it’s because of the international sense of community that every Olympics brings. Each version of this historic event sees thousands of LGBTQ+ fans arrive in a city to uplift the many out athletes competing. Especially during a time when queer athletes are being attacked across the U.S., locals are excited to be a part of this tradition and watch international challengers show off their physical prowess (and their pride) in the upcoming Games. 

So excited, in fact, that many groups are already prepping for the massive festivities that the 2028 Olympics will bring. But when it comes to celebrating this historic moment for Los Angeles, not many organizations are doing more than Pride House LA and their ongoing ‘Come Out for the Games’ art series. 

An initiative by the Out Athlete Fund, Pride House LA was created to uplift the many LGBTQ+ individuals and organizations participating in the upcoming Olympics. And they already have a massive amount planned for the actual event; CEO Michael Ferrera teased more than two weeks of activities when the Games actually commence. But to prepare for that, he and his team have launched ‘Come Out for the Games,’ which sees different artists use their own distinct styles to honor LGBTQ+ events and venues from across the city. The series is co-produced by the James Polkinghome Cultural Foundation (JOCF), and the Post and Pulse Collection.

“Our goals at Pride House LA are to provide a truly inclusive space for our community, [to] celebrate the more than 300 out LGBTQ+ athletes expected to participate in the LA 2028 Olympic Games,” said Ferrera. “With ‘Come Out for the Games, ’ [we hope] to reach every part of the LGBTQ+ community, both in terms of identity and geography.” 

This series brings out the wondrous elements inherent to many of these queer celebrations, often while coloring them with some Olympics-themed flair. Timo Reese styles WeHo’s well-known Gym Bar like a retro magazine ad filled with actual athletes, and Jason Ooi portrays the annual event SummerTramp with a pair of (rainbow-speedo-clad) swimmers performing wild tricks in front of a raving crowd. With each poster, Pride House LA not only hopes to get people amped up for the Olympics, but really centers the vibrancy that exists at each of these queer gatherings.

  It’s something that the series’ artists worked hard to embody with their pieces, with Ooi saying, “My final piece is meant to feel silly, campy, and a little over the top — but there’s also a critique underneath it all about how strict ideas around gender and identity have shaped sports, like the Olympics, for a long time. I wanted the work to show the importance of visibility and inclusion, and maybe start a conversation around that.” Matt Utsunomiya, whose poster depicts the famous bar Precinct DTLA as a rainbow prism of dancing queer folks, had a similar goal, explaining, “Precinct is such a vibrant and energetic venue. I wanted that color and light to literally burst out of the venue itself, to illuminate the night around it…within that kaleidoscopic silhouette, I included portraits of diverse athletes that symbolize not only the Olympic Games, but the queer community itself.”

These posters are a great reminder of how our local culture always has and will continue to shape LA in the lead-up to the 2028 Olympics — something that many people across the country want you to forget. Because even with two years before the Games, bigots nationwide are criticizing LA as a host city due to its queer history, with these people preparing to harass any athlete who would dare to participate while being openly LGBTQ+. 

It’s an unfortunate fact about the upcoming Olympics, but it’s one that ‘Come Out for the Games’ fights against with every piece. Each reminds us that whether it is now or during the actual games, there will always be people fighting this hatred and cheering on every LGBTQ+ competitor. This is the core of the entire project, with Ferrera stressing, “This series gives us an opportunity to introduce visitors to the richness and transformative history of the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles… to plant a flag in the middle of this once-in-a-lifetime event and declare that we are a vital part of the sports world. That we are passionate fans, too, and that our athletes deserve to compete openly and on a level playing field.”

As stated earlier, this series is only a part of the many things Pride House LA has planned for the 2028 Olympic Games. But ‘Come Out for the Games’ is a pretty great precursor. One that offers a genuine look into the colorful, inherent ferocity of LA’s LGBTQ+ community, a group ready to fight against hatred and cheer on all of the LGBTQ+ athletes they cannot wait to see compete. 

Being an influencer seems like the easiest job in the world…to the people who aren’t actually doing it.

It’s a belief that has been completely debunked in recent years, especially for diverse creators; biased algorithms have made it hard for LGBTQ+ and people-of-color to gain fame online. And even if you didn’t have strings of code fighting against your success, many creators have spoken about the tireless aspects of this job that online audiences rarely get to see. The eighteen-hour work days, the predatory brand partnerships, and the immense mental stress that comes from relying on others’ opinion of you to make rent that month. 

For a majority of the successful folks we see online today, their onscreen joy is built on years of hard work and tireless determination. It’s a part of this industry that doesn’t get enough spotlight, and it’s one that Bran Flakezz is committed to showing his many followers every single day. 

When he sat down with the Los Angeles Blade, Bran wanted to make one thing very clear: he absolutely loves his job. He detailed his early career after graduating with a degree in fashion merchandising — shoutout Elle Woods — where he went through the gamut of internships, part-time work, and official positions with various large brands. It was working with these jobs’ social media teams that he learned the ins and outs of online fame, skills that proved vital in 2021 when he decided to quit his role and commit to creating content full-time.

“It just feels so great to be in control, to have creative freedom and make my own goals,” said Bran when describing the many things he loves about his career. “Being my own boss is incredible — making my own schedule, and building a team around me of people that contribute to my success.” It’s a love that shows in his content; Bran first gained attention online by offering an unfiltered look into his daily (and often very chaotic) life as a gay man. It’s why his many fans — more than 1.5 million across TikTok and Instagram — feel like they know the LA-based creator, with each new follower learning about everything from Bran’s obsession with Bratz dolls to his thoughts on the latest season of Big Brother. 

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Bran has happily welcomed audiences into his wild life over the past few years. But though the man’s main goal is always to bring joy through his content, he also knows it’s important to educate users about the issues he and his fellow creators face today. He does this mainly through TikTok; Flakezz regularly posts videos speaking about things like the intensity of his daily work schedule and how much money people can actually make posting online (it’s a lot less than you’d think). “I never want to sound ungrateful for any of this,” Bran emphasized. “But there are prices to all of it.”

“We’re told that people’s opinions of you are not your business — but when you’re creating a business around people enjoying your content, people’s opinions of you literally become your business!” He stressed. “Your brain is always spinning [with tasks] and you have to stay consistent on all platforms, especially now more than ever, when there’s just so much saturation and competition.” It’s why Bran works so tirelessly across his many social channels and always offers a wide array of content — because he knows that in this fast-paced influencer economy, one day of rest could undo months of hard work. 

Funnily enough, Flakezz did clarify that the homophobic comments he constantly receives don’t bother him much, saying, “Everything that you can say to me online, I heard the 6th grade bullies say to me on the recess yard.” But while he can easily tune out the internet trolls, his experience with large brand partnerships — one of the key ways influencers make money — has shown him how this industry still grapples with homophobia. “Sometimes I’ll see campaigns for brands, and I’ll feel like, ‘Oh, was I a token? Was I selected because they needed me to cross off on their list that they got one gay creator?’ There’s been opportunities I say no to, and I see another gay creator get the opportunity — so they were completely profiling us as LGBT influencers.”

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While it is amazing that brands want to spotlight LGBTQ+ creators, Bran shows how this kind of ‘we only need one to look woke’ mentality both limits opportunities for queer influencers and reduces them to nothing more than their sexual or gender identity. This reveals how shallow this type of inclusivity truly is, and why creators like Bran are fighting to remedy this mindset so that brands create ample chances for diverse influencers who respect who they truly are. 

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Fans have been overwhelmingly supportive of Bran’s openness around these topics, appreciating his transparency in an industry often built on misinformation. Flakezz has been immensely grateful in turn, explaining, “I never wanted to come across as ungrateful or complaining about such a privileged life that I get to live, but…I really wanted to approach the conversation in a way of education. Because I know so many people out there want to do this career — and it’s an amazing career — but here are some of the things that people don’t always tell you.”

Through his feed, Bran offers a welcoming mix of queer humor and informed knowledge, helping his followers unwind after a long day while ensuring that they leave each scroll session with more knowledge than they had before. It’s an uplifting approach that helps improve the influencer industry for all. And it’s one that Bran Flakezz hopes to embody throughout the rest of what is shaping up to be his very bright, very long career.