a&e features
‘Queer Eye’s’ Bobby Berk offers dishy, celeb-heavy Q&A
Careful budgeting, understanding tax implications are key
Bobby Berk of ‘Queer Eye’ fame says his new line for ART Furniture has already been warmly received. (Photo courtesy Gardner Group)
Bobby Berk, one of the “Queer Eye” Fab Five, has been making appearances unveiling his new line for A.R.T. Furniture. His designs are available at Ace Furniture (616 N. Western Ave.) in Los Angeles and Furniture Land (4310 San Fernando Rd.) in Glendale. Full details at arthomefurnishings.com.
He spoke to the Blade last week by phone from his home in Los Angeles about his designs, his costars, his gal pal Taylor Swift, his Hollywood adventures and a whole lot more.
BLADE: How’s 2020 been for you so far?
BOBBY BERK: 2020’s been great, very busy. Just wrapped up shooting a podcast a few minutes ago, I’ve got your interview, then I’m running to do a live interview with Channel 9 in Sydney Australia. Been filming some additional shows, been doing a lot of stuff with “Queer Eye,” a lot of great things with my furniture lines, so 2020 already feels like it’s been a full year.
BLADE: Tell us about your new designs.
BERK: So my new furniture line with ART, it’s great because you know people ask me, fans from the show all the time, you know, “I wish you could decorate my house, I with you could pick out furniture for me,” and obviously I can’t with everyone so I wanted to create a line that was accessible to almost anyone. I think it would have been kind of a dick move of me to talk on “Queer Eye” about how changing your home and help change your life and then go out and make a super expensive furniture line that nobody could afford. So I wanted to make sure I partner with a company like ART who is really good at finding that perfect happy medium on price points to where you’re getting good quality furniture but you’re also getting it at a price point that most people can afford.
BLADE: What was the production timeframe roughly?
BERK: I believe we started the process when I was filming season three and four so that would have been late 2018, I think. … We launched it by spring of 2019 … (which) that was for stores to be able to come look at it like Belfort. Then by the time fall hit, it was in a lot of stores. And now this spring … additional stores are getting it that we weren’t able to fulfill in the very beginning first order. We’re dong 10 in about two months, then we’re going to be launching the second collection as well.
BLADE: How has the reaction been so far?
BERK: It’s been a very great reaction. We have had to stage out when retailers like Belfort start to carry it simply because there was such a great response to it, that we couldn’t open up all the stores that were wanting it. When we launched online, back in the fall, a lot of items instantly went out of stock, so it’s been a really great response. You know, it was a line that inspired by things that I would want in my own home so nice, cool, clean aesthetic that can really go with anyone’s decor. When I design, I always try to make sure I think about the ways a piece can not just look good in a home where people like modern, but also a traditional home. My sofas, for example, can bridge the gap between traditional, transitional and modern.
BLADE: To what degree do you curtail or adjust your creative impulses into something you think will sell? Is there conflict in your own head between art and commerce?
BERK: Uh, yeah, ‘cause for me personally, I would go very minimalist and modern, that’s more of my personal aesthetic, so I would always have to kind of find the happy medium between too modern and cold and still keeping it warm where more people will love it.
BLADE: How do you have time to keep all this stuff going with the TV show as well?
BERK: I don’t know (chuckles). I’m never home. I’m sadly gone probably 90 percent of the year the last few years so yeah, I’m just constantly on the road.
BLADE: Is this pace sustainable? What if “Queer Eye” goes another 10 years? Will you rip your hair out?
BERK: Uh, probably (laughs). No, this pace absolutely is not sustainable, I think all five of us feel that way but we also know that you know there’s not always a chance that things will be going this well, so we all need to, not take advantage of it, but utilize the recognition we’ve gotten from “Queer Eye” to do other things. Because of course “Queer Eye” could go on for 10 more years or it may go on for one more year. We never know, so we all want to make sure we’ve found those certain things in our wheelhouse that we’re able to continue to focus on. Before “Queer Eye,” I had a design firm and retail stores so, “Queer Eye” has just opened up more doors for me to be able to do more things with that like my collection at ART. So yeah, is this sustainable how much we travel and work? No, it’s not. But all five of us know that we’re not always going to have the amount of opportunities we have right now, so we need to take advantage of all the opportunities that present themselves and then, you know, in five years — I have a four-five year plan of moving to Santa Barbara and having kids and not working as much.
BLADE: On “Queer Eye,” the other guys spend a lot more face time with the heroes because you’re so busy remodeling. Do you ever feel left out?
BERK: Yeah, yeah, you know. With the other boys, they’re part of the show, they’re literally physically with the hero. You know, Jonathan is cutting their hair, Karamo is having a great conversation and helping them with self help, Antoni is teaching them to cook, Tan is helping them with their clothes — they have to physically be there with them whereas what I’m doing the hero can’t actually see, it’s actually against the rules for them to see it, so I’m often kept away from them simply because they’re not able to see what I’m dong and we want to see a surprise. So we have, I’m sure you’ve noticed in newer seasons, I am with the heroes more, but season one and two, I was barely with them at all. When I would be asked by producers if I wanted to go on a shopping trip wth Tan and help with clothes, I’d be like, “No I’m busy, working, that makes no sense,” but then the show came out and it was like, “Oh, I’m so busy working I’m not on the show.” So, newer seasons, I have a bit more interaction with the heroes than in the past.
BLADE: How did you like Japan and what was challenging about taping there?
BERK: I loved Japan, I’ve spent a lot of time in Japan before, it’s one of my favorite places, especially Tokyo. I love it there just because it’s so organized and clean and it’s such a respectable society. Some of the challenges filming there was space. People would sometimes think it’s easier to design a small space than a large space but it’s actually harder, especially in Japan where in rental spaces, you’re not allowed to hang anything on the walls, you’re not allowed to paint, you’re not allowed to do anything to the floors, so we had to get really creative on building functional loft furniture that we were able to make the space look super different than before without even painting or hanging a piece of art on the walls.
BLADE: There’s obvious camaraderie between you and your co-stars. Were you concerned at first whether your personalities would jell? To what do you attribute that camaraderie?
BERK: You know, the five of us from the start in casting, in final casting, there probably was between 40-50 guys around the various different design, fashion, food — what have you, and at first Karamo, Tan and I we just kind of gravitated to each other and were always hanging out. Then Antoni and Jonathan kind of came into the fold and none of us really thought, “Oh this is the Fab Five,” we just kind of naturally liked each other and I think the casting directors and executives from Netflix and Scout and ITV kind of saw that we had a natural chemistry, that we really naturally enjoyed each other and instead of it kind of being a competition, we were always in there telling each other what was going on and helping each other. So I think our camaraderie definitely helps. It’s not always a natural thing, you put five perfect strangers together who are with each other 24-7, but it’s grown definitely into kind of a sibling relationship. We’re brothers, we’re best friends, there are some moments where we want to wring each others necks, but the great thing about it is, we’ve spent so much time together, we really have developed a feeling of a sibling with each other. We can get mad at each other, but at the end of the day, we’re family, we’re brothers so we get over it and we’re very protective of each other. Sometimes it’s easy, most of the time it’s easy, but sometimes it’s hard. But I think that’s the thing with every relationship.
BLADE: Are you going to Karamo’s wedding?
BERK: Of course.
BLADE: You helping with any of the design?
BERK: Uh, a little bit, but I definitely can’t share what he’s shared with me.
BLADE: What did you think of Jonathan’s decision to come out as HIV-positive? Had he shared that with you previously?
BERK: I was the first one that he told even before we started filming “Queer Eye,” he and I both lived in L.A. at the time and so after casting, we became very close very quickly and he was over at my house all the time and he shared it with me even before we started filming, so I’ve known about it for probably a couple years before he publicly came out about it, so it wasn’t a shock to me. I was happy that he had the strength to do that and that he’s able to help other people by being very public about his status.
BLADE: Have you had many chances to get to know the original “Queer Eye” cast?
BERK: Yeah, I was actually out with them all of them in L.A. two weeks ago. I’ve known Thom Filicia for years, again, before I was on “Queer Eye” as a designer, I really am a designer, so he and I have been in the same industry, we’re always at the same events, we’re always at the same trade shows. And then Carson (Kressley), I’ve known for years. All the others I had met throughout the years, but I’m definitely closest to Thom simply because we’re in the same industry and we’ve known each other so long. But they’re all so amazing, they’re all so lovely, it’s amazing hanging out with them and seeing just how individually unique they all are, just like the five of us are, and how no matter how many years they’ve been apart since the original, when they get together, it’s like they’ve never skipped a beat, it’s cute.
BLADE: So you’d be totally down to do a crossover special of some kind?
BERK: Oh absolutely.
BLADE: Do you like Thom’s design aesthetic? (Filicia, too, has presented at Belfort Furniture.)
BERK: I think it’s beautiful. I think we have a very different design aesthetic. He’s definitely more transitional and traditional, I’m definitely more modern and minimalist, although I would say that both him and I design for the client or for the home. So where my home is very minimal and there’s not a whole lot of stuff in it, for heroes on “Queer Eye,” I can be maximalist for people who want a lot of stuff. So his personal aesthetic is beautiful, he’s done some amazing homes, some amazing condo buildings. But yeah, I love it.
BLADE: Did it bother you that Taylor Swift was, some would argue, rather late to the game in terms of being an LGBT ally?
BERK: You know, of course we always wish somebody would be vocal from day one but I also can very much understand the pressure that she’s been through being basically owned by a record label and being told by a publicist and record labels what you need to say and shouldn’t say, what you shouldn’t get involved in. You know as quote-unquote celebrities, we’re always told, “Oh be as neutral as possible, you don’t wanna offend people on the left or the right, stay out of politics, stay out of issues,” which some of us find much easier than others. You know, I often get myself in trouble because I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut. Jonathan’s the same way and so I can understand why she felt pressured to not be an ally, to not get involved publicly, you know what I mean? … I don’t hold it against her, all I can do is be as very happy that she is using her power to make a difference now and I couldn’t love her more. She’s one of the most sweet, humble, down-to-earth people I’ve met. … You never really know what to expect when you meet somebody like her because a lot of people I’ve met in Hollywood and entertainment come across as one thing and then you meet them in person and they are not at all that thing and it can be very sad and disappointing, so it was a great feeling when I got to meet her and hang out with her and realize that she really is what she portrays out there, she really is this sweet, loving girl who just wants to make the world a better place.
BLADE: Who’s somebody you met who’s markedly different from his or her public persona?
BERK: Hmmm, so yes. So RuPaul, I actually met in 2003, I was a manager at Restoration Hardware in New York and she came in looking for some knobs for some dresser she was doing and he was just the kindest, sweetest most lovely person and then after I had my own stores, he started coming in and shopping in my stores and he would come in and just the sweetest, warmest person. And again, on the show he’s the same way and I’m not saying that he’s not sweet and warm, but one thing I was surprised about when I see him for example at the Emmys, the first time I saw him at the Emmys, he wasn’t very warm, and I was like, “Huh, fame has changed him.” But our publicist at Netflix used to work on “Drag Race,” so he’s very close to Ru, he knows Ru very well, and I mentioned it to him I was like, “Wow, you know, I’ve met Ru multiple times and he’s always like the sweetest, kindest person, I don’t get that from him anymore.” He was like, “No, he just doesn’t like being in the spotlight at events like this so he gets very shy and quiet,” so sometimes you think somebody is some way and they’re not and like. … I thought Ru had gotten cold, ‘cause this industry can do it to you, but then I find out that no, Ru is just as shy and terrified as the rest of us.
BLADE: What was it like filming (Taylor Swift’s) “You Need to Calm Down” video? Surely all those celeb cameos — you were not all there at the same time I imagine?
BERK: All of us were but Tan. He was filming the season finale of “Next in Fashion” that day, so Jonathan and I went from watching the runway show of Tan’s finale directly to Taylor’s set and we met Antoni and Karamo there, so four of us were there together but Tan filmed his separately.
BLADE: Was Ellen or Adam Rippon or any of those people there that day?
BERK: Adam was there, he and I are actually friends. Hannah Hart was there, um — who else was there that day? They’re the only ones I remember being directly around us. The set was so massive and they filmed it over I think a week, so different celebs would come in at different times. Some would film in a studio in front of a green screen, for example Tan’s was shot in a studio, so yeah, we weren’t always there at the same time, that would have been chaos. Oh Todrick Hall was there as well.
BLADE: How is (husband) Dewey? Do you guys get enough time together?
BERK: No, we never get enough time together. He is definitely a very private, very introverted, shy guy. He couldn’t care less about any of the Hollywood stuff, which is actually great. I actually prefer it that way because when I’m at home, I’m back in my normal life. But yeah, no, we can never get enough time together. He’s a surgeon. We’ve been together for 16 years and since “Queer Eye,” he’s just started working less. He’s in private practice, so luckily he’s been able to take a step back a little bit. He usually only works about two days a week then meets me wherever I’m filming.
BLADE: Do you know Nate Berkus? Do you like his stuff?
BERK: I love Nate Berkus. His stuff is great. Both he and Jeremiah. Their taste is impeccable, they’re handsome as hell, they’re the best dads. Yeah, I like them a lot.
BLADE: Do you miss your anonymity?
BERK: Absolutely (laughs).
BLADE: Give me an example.
BERK: I miss just being able to go to the grocery store. Or to Starbucks. You know, I miss being able to just roam around and just do regular things. There’s so many positive things about this and I’m not complaining about the loss of it at all, but, you know, sometimes I wish I could just go to the grocery store and go through all the fruit and shop around but I can’t really do that without getting stopped over and over, so I just pretty much order everything online. Sometimes I’ll go into a Starbucks and a fan will be there and there’ll be a moment of the show that’s really touched them or helped somebody in their family, so they’ll start telling me a story in Starbucks and then be crying, then I’ll be standing there in line holding them and hugging them thinking in my mind, “Oh this is amazing, this is so wonderful, but I really just wanted to get my coffee.” You know, it’s a double-edged sword. Sometimes I wish I could just run in, run out like I used to be able to.
BLADE: Please don’t think I’m asking this because I think you look fat — I truly do not. This is just something I’ve been meaning to ask someone who’s done a lot of TV. Does the camera add 10 pounds?
BERK: The camera adds 10 pounds of gay (laughs). Um, sometimes, yeah. But also when I started filming season five I was 210 pounds and now I’m like 183 so I went from being in very good shape before the show, to putting on a bit of weight during the show because our lives have just been so crazy to now really doubling down and focusing on fitness and not letting myself eat crap on set all the time and not work out.
BLADE: What did you mean 10 pounds of gay? Are gestures magnified?
BERK: Oh yeah, I’m always like, “Damn, do I sound that gay?” Yeah, and I also think it’s because the five of us together, we’re so comfortable together and able to be our true selves that sometimes we really queen out and not give a damn. It’s funny watching yourself.
BLADE: Was it hard to summon the courage to be so open about your past? Leaving home at 15 and all that.
BERK: It was hard because, you know, for quite a few years, I didn’t have a good relationship with my parents …
BLADE: It’s better now?
BERK: Oh yeah, it’s great now. But that’s why it’s a little hard because publicly talking about it, you know, it definitely made my mom sad, it definitely opened up old wounds, it took me a while to be OK talking about it. Sometimes I’m still not OK. Sometimes I’ll get asked about my relationship with my parents in interviews, not in this, but people will really pry and they’ll be like, “Oh well you know, on the show you talked about how horrible they were to you and blah blah blah blah blah, why are you talking to them now?” I’m just like whoah — if I’m able to say I’ve been able to reconcile with my family and we have a good relationship now, why would you try to open those wounds? Why would you try to hurt my mama?
BLADE: Thanks for your time and good luck with your line.
BERK: Thanks!
Bobby Berk says loss of anonymity, old family wounds occasionally haunt him. (Photo courtesy Gardner Group)
a&e features
Discord Addams wants you to say ‘F**k This!’
The ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ alum speaks about her new show and the importance of authenticity.
Discord Addams is a queen of many talents, as any fan who watched her run on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 will tell you.
The Florida-based drag queen pumped into this historic program ready to make a mark on the competition. Rocking her trademark ‘high fashion punk rock maximalist’ aesthetic and entertaining viewers with her biting personality (along with a…questionable runway walk), Discord spent each episode turning out not only astounding fashion but hard truths. The performer made it clear early on that she was never scared of sharing her genuine opinions with anyone who would listen. Whether it was judges on the runway or her fellow competitors in the werkroom, Addams always paired her punk rock kindness with a style of harsh sincerity that entertained audiences to no end. When she finished the season in sixth place, there was a whole new slew of fans ready to hear whatever hard truths Discord was ready to spill next.
And, luckily, they didn’t have to wait long. Because WOW Presents Plus recognized that thousands of new fans were still desperate to hear the style of unabashed candor that Discord brought to season 18. And now, with her new series on the platform, F**k This! With Discord Addams, this punk fan-favorite gets to give her audience the one thing they now know to always expect from her: brutal honesty.
“I felt like I was the star of season 18 — you know, whether I won or not,” laughed Addams, as she described what a whirlwind experience of going from a Drag Race contestant to host of her own series. “Getting to have my own show, where I get to talk about literally whatever the fuck I want to talk about, it just…it feels right.” F**k This! takes a relatively simple premise but spices it up with Discord’s ruthless style of candor; each episode sees her sit down in a completely demolished set and rant to the camera about a poignant topic, ranging from fast fashion to the horrific rise of AI. These dialogues are occasionally interrupted by Discord taking calls from her audience about their issues, with the Queen delivering genuinely insightful thoughts on whatever tenuous concept is presented to her.
Discord spoke about how this commitment to complete honesty was passed down to her from her parents, folks who understood the importance of telling their truth. “There was nobody censoring me growing up, so I think it was a natural progression into my standing up for what I feel is right.” It’s this mindset that has led Discord to become one of the most vocal advocates of the entire Drag Race franchise; even before her casting on the show, Addams used her social media to share community resources and speak out against injustices taking place all over the world. This has only increased since her time on season 18, with Addams using the new popularity this show has brought her to speak even more about corrupt politicians, the dangers of ICE, modern-day war criminals, and more.
Addams brings a refreshing willingness to speak about these hard topics that is unfortunately rare in today’s entertainment landscape. In an industry where, sadly, a performer speaking about social issues can hurt their career, Discord makes it clear that her punk nature doesn’t stop at her clothes. She embodies the roots of this subculture, one that began as an affront to modern fascism and has always been meant to challenge the discrimination that too many people take as a given in society. Addams is proud that she’s never silenced herself in order to ‘get ahead’ professionally…and she wishes that more of her fellow queens would do the same.
“I think a lot of the Drag Race girls in the past kind of teetered on a line of what they felt they were or were not allowed to say,” stressed Discord, calling out the many performers who haven’t used their platforms to discuss social issues. “I think there are a lot of drag queens who just censor themselves or like present themselves a certain way that they think is more palatable…people can sense authenticity, and they can also sense when you’re fucking lying to them.”
It’s an issue that has plagued the Drag Race fandom for years, though it isn’t entirely the queens’ fault; online bullying has become so horrific that many contestants are scared that by expressing themselves on the show, they’re inviting torrents of digital hate from so-called ‘fans.’ Yet while this is a valid fear — and something that this fandom desperately needs to work on — Discord reminds everyone through her drag that you don’t succeed by being a fake version of yourself. By refusing to speak about these issues, her fellow queens are hurting the movement and making it so that any success they may seem to have is built on lying to themselves and everyone around them.
It’s a twisted form of ‘winning’ that Discord completely detests, and it’s why she hopes her show, along with being an avenue to express her many feelings, is a lesson on authenticity for everyone watching.
Because while F**k This! Is thoroughly entertaining — it’s hilarious watching how eloquently Addams combines some of the most vile curse words — it is also a genuine lesson on the importance of honesty today. These concepts are ones that Addams struggles with in her own life and that she knows the people watching do as well. Each is selected because she knows they’ll resonate with those watching, and through hilarious rants and some sickening makeup, Discord hopes to use her own voice on these topics to help others do the same.
This is Discord Addams’ true goal with F**k This!: to not only entertain audiences but show them how empowering it is to be completely honest today. And whether you’re a new viewer or one of her longtime fans, Discord has just one lesson she hopes you take away from her new program: “If you’re being your most true, your most authentic self, you’re going to also bring in the most authentic [community]. You’re going to create a circle of people that genuinely want to hear what you have to say — instead of playing a bullshit character.”
F**k This! is now streaming on WOW Presents Plus
a&e features
How JP Karliak brings queer power to ‘X-Men ’97’
The voice actor speaks about voicing the MCU’s first nonbinary superhero.
Rarely have we seen a fierce comic book squad-up of LGBTQ+ icons like the X-Men.
Originating in Marvel comics, for decades now, the team’s millions of fans have watched their stories play out both in print and on the silver screen. Thousands of narratives — with even more astounding characters — that offer thrilling adventures, as well as poignant lessons on what discrimination looks like today. Because despite what some Marvel fans may have you believe, these stories about a class of people being disenfranchised by a bigoted society have always been allegories for the discrimination faced by real-life communities. Combine this with its many queer and queer-coded members, and it’s no wonder that LGBTQ+ fans were ecstatic when it was announced that the team’s original series, X-Men: The Animated Series, was being rebooted for Disney+ in 2025.
These viewers were thrilled to once again watch their favorite team of super-powered mutants fight bad guys with campy flair. But when the reboot, X-Men ’97, was released, LGBTQ+ fans were shocked to learn it would also feature the first nonbinary character in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe! Morph, the shapeshifting, wise-cracking mutant from the original series, would return to not only fight villainy but also provide vital representation for millions of nonbinary audience members. And when creating such a monumental figure for this version of the team, X-Men ’97’s creators knew there was only one voice actor who could do the superhero justice: JP Karliak.
“As a kid, I was a huge fan of animated shows like He-Man and Batman: The Animated Series. I was so enamored with voice acting, I felt it couldn’t be a real job!” Laughed Karliak, as they spoke with the Los Angeles Blade to celebrate X-Men ’97’s recent season two premiere. It’s the latest project in their jaw-dropping career; whether it’s voicing the titular professional in Boss Baby: Back in Business or a saucy trophy in video game Date Everything!, Karliak can be heard in many hit franchises. They’ve become known for the tonal whimsy they bring into every role, a trademark talent that has made JP one of the voice acting industry’s top queer actors.
Karliak emphasized how honored they are for this title — especially because of the many issues this industry still has with its LGBTQ+ performers. “There’s a narrow-mindedness in so much of the voice industry that it’s like, ‘Okay, well, we can only let you play this particular thing,’” they explained. “But also just a [person’s] transness shouldn’t determine that they can only voice trans roles or only voice nonbinary roles! In the same way we’ve seen so many cis straight people play cis-het roles, letting queer people play the majority roles only helps us to build long-lasting careers — because there’s no way to do it if we’re only playing queer roles.”
It’s a unique set of issues further complicated by the many problems all voice actors face today, ranging from the rise of AI to big studios’ harmful underpayment practices. It’s because of this that JP established QueerVox, a nonprofit that provides aspiring queer voice performers with the training they need while connecting them with the roles they deserve. From communal job boards to free classes to networking events that help LGBTQ+ artists connect, Karliak spoke proudly of all they’ve done to help make this industry more accessible for all.
Presented with a performer who excels not only in talent but in making a difference, it’s no wonder that the X-Men ’97 team thought JP Karliak would be the perfect voice for Morph! Although the character definitely had a darker backstory than the actor’s usual roles, X-Men: The Animated Series saw Morph turn from the team’s comic relief into the brainwashed henchman of their most sickening villain. This led to the mutant spending much of their original time on the show in recovery, traumatized from having their autonomy ripped from them in a narrative that resonated so deeply with LGBTQ+ fans. Karliak was thrilled to bring back Morph to hopefully give them the joy they deserved, and they were happy to be doing so with the character — one who literally shifts constantly between gender identities — finally using they/them pronouns.
“Knowing from the get-go that this was going to be a nonbinary character now, and as identifying as gender queer myself…I felt so much kinship with this character,” explained JP, as they spoke about how it felt to embody Morph through their voice. “It felt like as long as I was being true to myself, I was doing the character a service.”
It’s a truth that comes through in every line, with JP’s mischievous yet resounding performance style showing in every moment Morph is onscreen. They recognized that this would be one of the first examples of a nonbinary person that viewers would see in animation and wanted to do them justice, saying, “Giving nonbinary characters [like Morph] the ability to be serious, to experience loss and pain, to experience joy — all aspects of humanity! And to not just be relegated to one narrow band of the human experience…it’s just so important.”
This interview took place on the day that it was announced X-Men ’97 would be returning for seasons three and four, which meant fans can expect more years of Morph shapeshifting across their screens. Karliak was ecstatic at this news, and when asked what they hope to explore in these new installments with the character, they said, “In season one, Morph was a less confident version of me, because Morph was really just trying to find where they belonged and feeling accepted, having just rejoined this team and not really knowing what the dynamic was…I think season two finds them much more confident, much more akin to where I find myself, personality-wise. They don’t feel that they always have to use humor to break the tension.”
“So much of Morph’s journey has been dominated by victimization and trauma and so much hurt. I’d love to see them just experience some joy and find friendships and relationships that are really fun, and fulfilling, and beautiful.”
It’s a future for the character that many of their fans hope to see as well. And, luckily for them all, with a talent like JP Karliak voicing the nonbinary mutant, chances are they’ll be getting just that — and so, so much more.
a&e features
Lupercio Media turns influencing into advocacy
Founder Carlo Lupercio speaks about helping marginalized creators today
In a digital landscape where social media reigns supreme, few industries are as profitable — or as risky — as the influencer economy.
Becoming an influencer has transformed from a side hobby into a legitimate profession, one that generates millions every year. And that’s putting it lightly; low estimates of profit derived from influencers in 2025 currently sit at 30 million dollars. Whether it be corporations making online celebrities a major part of their marketing or certain users getting paid thousands of dollars for a single post, it’s undeniable that influencers hold power within our often unstable economy.
Which is why the industry’s bias against marginalized creators is so deeply unfortunate.
The bigoted rhetoric that fills many parts of modern society has always (sadly) infected our digital world. It’s an issue that has only grown in recent years, with a combination of hateful users and predatory algorithms making it insurmountably harder for diverse influencers to find their audience online. It’s a harmful trend that continues to stifle the queer voices so many people need to hear right now, and it’s something that Carlo Lupercio fights against through his agency, Lupercio Management.
“We represent specifically Latin as well as LGBTQIA+ creators — creators that are not traditionally represented to the full capacity,” explained Lupercio when he sat down to speak with the Los Angeles Blade. “I serve as their partner but also as their manager, and really am just amplifying and helping them achieve the goals that they want to achieve as creators.” Carlo brings a personal passion to this work; before founding this agency, he worked in influencer marketing for many well-known brands. And it was through these experiences that he learned the term that companies use to keep our communities out of the spotlight: ‘brand safe.’
“There is this stigma of some brands where what is okay for a White gay creator may not be okay for a Brown or Black creator,” Carlo explained. “As a creator, you want to be authentic. You want to show your [truest] self to the internet, because that’s the way that people will follow you…but oftentimes, a brand does not see that as ‘brand safe.’” He detailed the many times he saw this term used against queer and POC influencers, with executives using it as a method of catering to the potential anger of the hateful parts of their audiences.
Carlo got a firsthand look at this phenomenon and how it left many talented people without the opportunities they needed in this cutthroat industry. It made him passionate about fighting against these discriminations to create a way for influencers of any identity to have an equal shot at success — and so, Lupercio Media was born.
Lupercio Media serves as a comprehensive resource for its clients, with each one belonging to a marginalized community (identities that would make many other agencies ignore them completely). Carlo outlined how he works daily with these creatives to understand their dreams and develop plans on how to attain them, helping them in countless ways, ranging from establishing their image to securing brand deals. But beyond these professional duties, Lupercio stressed that he also serves as a personal cheerleader for each of these diverse clients, saying, “There’s obviously the job component — but I am also their partner. I find out who they are as a person outside of [being an influencer]…when you’re working with talent, they’re still people at the end of the day. So really getting to know them personally is a huge role of mine as a manager.”
“I think it’s important for [influencers] to create content that shows who they are…because it’ll only inspire the next person,” emphasized Carlo. “It’ll open up more opportunities, and it will show brands that this is a large demographic in society that they just cannot ignore — despite everything that is going on in the world. Because LGBTQIA+ people are here. They’re present. And they are not going anywhere.”
And that is at the heart of Lupercio Media: the knowledge that managing these people not only helps their careers but also the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. Because social media is growing every single day! And queer users, especially young ones, are constantly searching for people with their identities who show them that they can succeed as their most authentic selves — even if there are many people today telling them they can’t.
Because of the influencer industry’s discriminatory practices, many of these folks searching for inspiration have been historically left wanting. But through Lupercio Media, Carlo works hard to not only give marginalized creatives a platform but also to make sure that everyone has someone they can look up to online.
It may sound laughable to the many folks who still write off influencers and the power they hold. But Lupercio Media recognizes the strength of these individuals and how they can serve as true models of success for countless underserved communities today. Carlo Lupercio works tirelessly to ensure that any creator, no matter their identity, has what they need to offer their followers the representation they need — and all while securing some pretty sweet brand deals along the way.
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The Queer Film Collective makes your favorite movies possible
This LA-based nonprofit unveils its brand new panel series and talks all things film industry.
If we want queer artists to succeed, then there need to be systems that support them.
Unfortunately, providing free resources to aspiring artists hasn’t always been America’s priority. This is even more blatant for marginalized creators; while the U.S. has rarely offered artistic programs the funding they deserve, recent years have seen countless conservative attacks against most kinds of LGBTQ+ creativity. But despite these institutional and social roadblocks, queer creatives have always persisted! No matter what era of film and television we’re in, it’s heartening to watch so many creators fighting to not only make their own projects but also make it easier for other marginalized artists to do the same.
In a city as vibrant as Los Angeles, there are luckily dozens of groups helping to platform underserved filmmakers today. These organizations fight to create a film industry where truly anyone can thrive, and nowhere is that work more visible than within the Queer Film Collective.
Growing from a small networking group into a thriving nonprofit, the Queer Film Collective (QFC) serves as a resource hub for LGBTQ+ directors, actors, and all film and TV professionals in Los Angeles. The LA Blade spoke with QFC’s founder, Ray Taylor, about how important the group’s work is today, emphasizing how it’s more important than ever that we support the people making inclusive media possible. He spoke about the impact of this representation, the experience of trying to create LGBTQ+ films in our current political environment, and, when discussing QFC’s exciting new Summer Panel Series, how he’s excited to foster an LA film industry that gives queer filmmakers the respect they deserve.
“We’re doing everything we can to make it so filmmakers can make their films,” explained Taylor, as he described the whirlwind process his past year with QFC has been. “The Queer Film Collective is a nonprofit that provides resources, opportunities, and education. We focus on four pillars: connect, collaborate, create, celebrate, and our main focus is making it easier for films to be made.” It’s an important mission for not only queer filmmakers but creators in general! The past few decades have seen big studios grow more reluctant to give new creatives a chance (or offer livable wages to the many workers who make their projects possible). And while recent years have shown that not only original ideas but also small creators are essential to improving the film industry, it’s been extremely disheartening to see that this hasn’t changed today.
Ray, an accomplished film director, spoke about how the QFC was created in opposition to this unfortunate phenomenon. He organized the group’s first official meet-up — a small get-together of only a few dozen people — as a space for folks to share advice about navigating this tenuous profession while queer. “The more I talked to people, the more I realized they wanted resources, they wanted opportunities, they wanted to get on sets,” he reminisced. “So I threw together a pitch deck, and I said, ‘All right, here’s my five-year plan. We’re going to become a nonprofit.’ And in January of this year, we got our official 501c3 status, and that five-year plan is now thrown out the window — because everything that was on it has already happened in the first six months of our being alive.”
The Queer Film Collective couldn’t have arrived at a better time because, as Taylor is quick to remind anyone who will listen, inclusive media has always been key in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. The man stressed, “It’s really important to focus on telling these stories that allow queer people to just be seen as people — they’re just everyday people! They experience joy; they experience heartbreak…I think that it’s really important to normalize seeing queer people in media, because the more normal that you see queer people in media, the more normal you will see queer people in life.” And while we’ve been lucky to see allies create inclusive media, Taylor emphasized that it’s only by uplifting queer filmmakers that we ensure this industry continues to make media that our communities can find themselves within.
Whether it be community meet-ups, their constantly evolving job board, or the organization’s constant spotlights on queer projects and individuals, every aspect of the QFC helps create the onscreen representation that so many people need to see. And while each of these facets is integral to the group’s work, Ray has never been more excited for the upcoming resource they’ll be providing LGBTQ+ filmmakers: The QFC Summer Panel Series.
“I wanted an event that we get to do every year, and whatever that is, I wanted it to be impactful,” raved Taylor, as he excitedly described how he and other QFC leadership initially thought of the series. He spoke at length about the many industry professionals they’re honored to have join these panels and, in a shocking rarity for educational opportunities in film, how all of the conversations will eventually be uploaded completely free online. “The conversations that we chose this year we felt were really important because we’re starting our panel series with a whole conversation about queer joy and telling stories beyond trauma, and we’re ending our panel series on a on a panel that’s talking about how to create art in today’s political climate…all of these are hot topics right now, and I think that they need to be told. And I think not only do queer filmmakers need to hear this, but everyone needs to hear.”
As the interview came to an end, it was obvious how ecstatic Ray was to talk about the Summer Panel Series and invite everyone reading to attend. Not just because of what an accomplishment it was — though he proudly listed off the many amazing discussions this series had in store — but what it represented for QFC as a whole. This organization was founded to empower LGBTQ+ filmmakers and help create an industry where not only can inclusive media be easily made, but the people who want to make it actually have the chance to. This panel series caps off an astounding first year of doing just that, with Taylor teasing even more to come in the next few months.
And as a final pitch to encourage folks to come, Ray summarized why this panel series — and all of the Queer Film Collective — is so vital: “I think that queer stories are so important to tell…and not just the ones focused on trauma or coming out! In my opinion, the most important queer stories right now are the ones focused on joy and succeeding in life, because we need to show the world — and not just the world, but also young LGBTQ+ people — that queer people are here. We’re going to survive. We’re going to keep pushing, and nothing’s going to bring us down. And so I think that queer filmmakers need to have those opportunities to tell these stories, because I think that they are so important.”
Summer Panel Series: Thu, Jul 9, 202610:59 AM Thu, Aug 27, 2026 1:00 PM
Join the Queer Film Collective for an 8 week panel series bringing together working filmmakers, writers, and creatives for honest, practical conversations about the realities of the industry today.
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Disney Animator Andreas Wessel-Therhorn talks being queer in animation and preserving the hand-drawn technique for the future
From ‘Tarzan’ to ‘Hercules,’ Wessel-Therhorn has worked on dozens of the animated movies we grew up watching
Andreas Wessel-Therhorn has gotten a rare front-row seat to the endless changes in the animation industry.
From breaking onto the scene in the ’90s through films like The Thief and the Cobbler and A Goofy Movie, to working on rare contemporary films with hand-drawn animation like Mary Poppins Returns and Space Jam: A New Legacy, Wessel-Therhorn has seen work dry up for the artists he grew up dreaming of working alongside.
“It’s a real shame that knowledge is getting lost,” he tells The Blade. “We’re all at the point where we’re either close to retirement or are in retirement already, or people move to other fields. I wonder where this knowledge is going to go.”
With Disney continuing to pump out sequels like Toy Story 5, and the uncertain road ahead with the emergence of AI, Wessel-Therhorn spoke with The Blade about his decades working in entertainment, how he has been able to pivot and continue finding work over the years, and his thoughts on Pixar cutting queer storylines in films like Elio. This interview has been edited and condensed.
What drew you to working in animation, and what are some of your most prominent projects?
As a kid, I was always a big fan of the Disney classics – and by that, I mean the really old ones like Bambi and Cinderella! I always wanted to be a part of that. It was sort of a childhood dream that eventually became a reality, and for some years was quite thrilling. Now, I wasn’t a big natural talent at drawing; it was really something I had to learn. I was lucky that when I was ready, there was a big demand for people who wanted to do hand-drawn animation. I started on a movie called The Thief and the Cobbler in London, then A Goofy Movie in Paris. Then there was a general shift to go to America, as most companies were relocating. Eventually, I got an interview with Disney in London and was offered a job. I came over here for Hercules in 1996, and I worked on Tarzan, Fantasia 2000 and The Emperor’s Groove. Then I moved over to Disneytoon Studios, where I supervised animation on Tarzan II and The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning. Apart from Disney, I went outside and worked on Looney Tunes: Back in Action, both Space Jam movies, Tom and Jerry movies, and a bunch of commercials.
I grew up watching many of those, so it’s really cool to hear your credits. You were one of the last ink and paper illustrators and got to see the transition to 3D animation and digital. How did that impact the work you were doing? Were you able to pivot?
This is just my impression — when the studio pivoted to CGI, they did not do a great job of preparing or training us as they did at DreamWorks. It was pretty much learn on your own time, if you have any. I got into this because of hand-drawn animation, and it took me long enough to learn how to draw, so I want to stick with that. That’s my love. For a long time afterward, there was still enough work for me because while there was not as much work around, there was also a smaller pool of people. For quite a few years, I was doing quite well with independent stuff, working on union and non-union stuff, whatever came along. It’s only really in the last two to three years that it has dried up completely. 2D work is usually sent out to either Canada or Europe. Suddenly, a lot of us who were hanging on by our fingernails are suddenly faced with the reality that there’s not enough work around. I pivoted a little bit to book illustrations and did quite a few of those. Thankfully, I’m not at the start of my career but sort of at the tail end. Now I want to concentrate on mentoring and doing my own short films.
It’s a shame because character animation of the kind Disney, DreamWorks and other smaller studios did is the one true American art form. Animation is done all over the world, but that kind of character animation was absolutely unique to the United States. It’s a real shame that knowledge is getting lost. We’re all at the point where we’re either close to retirement or are in retirement already, or people move to other fields. I wonder where this knowledge is going to go.
I saw the director of Hoppers post some of the early hand-drawn footage, and it looked really beautiful. People were commenting online, wondering why the movie wasn’t done in 2D.
Even some of the main supervising animators at Disney who were kept on were basically doing experimental or guide animation for the CG animators — their actual drawings never saw the light of day. For a while, it was good for them because they kept their paycheck. Artistically, it must have been utterly depressing to do stuff that no one is ever going to see.
For 2018’s Mary Poppins Returns, which you worked on, Disney had to bring back many hand-drawn artists for the animated sequence. What was that experience like?
A lot of friends from the industry, we were suddenly back in one room. There’s the sound of people flipping paper all day. The director, Rob Marshall, insisted that the piece of animation would be hand-drawn to match the original. We had a young character designer with an updated, modern version of the characters.
Were you surprised when you got the call and heard they were asking for hand-drawn animation after all these years?
Pleasantly surprised, I would say. I’m sure someone suggested going the CGI route. It has a different kind of charm to CGI. It’s a great sequence in the movie. I was a bit skeptical at first, thinking “how can you follow up Mary Poppins?”
What has your experience been navigating the animation space as a queer person?
I always had a pretty good time, I have to say. I hardly ever ran into problems, certainly not with management, because there were a lot of queer people in management, especially at Disney. I heard it was quite different in the ’80s, but not in the ’90s; [when I started], it was a very open and welcoming situation there. It’s a very odd mix of people who get drawn into animation. Most gay guys I know worked in production, but not in animation itself. We have a few exceptions, of course, but there was this weird mix of very liberal and religious people.
What I’m missing, unfortunately, is a lot more gay-themed animation. You may have seen that piece from the boss [Pete Docter] at Pixar, which was a ridiculous statement, to be honest, because the kid in Elio would have had a few certain traits from which you may infer he’s gay later. To put that out there and say “we cut the storyline” is ridiculous. I did two short films based on a German gay comic artist, and they did quite well in animation festivals. But even then, they often only did well in gay festivals. It still seems to be put into a certain corner. A few years ago, there was this really sweet CGI short by two young people called In a Heartbeat, which I loved! It not only should have had a nomination; in my book, it would have won, and it didn’t get nominated.
What did you think of the Oscar-nominated animated shorts this year and the winner, The Girl Who Cried Pearls?
Well, it wasn’t my winner. All five had merit and, in the end, it comes down to personal taste and what people like the best — of the people who actually watch them. Especially with features, so many people ask their kids what they would vote for, which explains some of the choices.
As we’ve been talking about your career and you look back on films you’ve been part of, what work are you most proud of?
I loved working on Tarzan because I worked on the mom character. Many mother characters in Disney movies are usually dead already! I was able to use personal experience from things my mom used to do. Sometimes the movie doesn’t turn out to be a big hit, but it was great fun working on Looney Tunes: Back in Action. The live-action was so poor, though, that it didn’t do very well.
You mentioned wanting to mentor younger animators. What are you hoping to teach, and why are you focused on mentorship at this point in your career?
There’s knowledge I got from other people that I want to impart so it doesn’t go away. There are people interested! Studying animation, or anything, is so expensive in this country. If I can help someone for free and they get something out of it, it’s [for the] better. I never understood the college system here, as opposed to what was in Germany. When I finished school and went to study design, that’s all I was doing 100% of the time. Apart from art history, that was it; everything was practical. Whereas here, students spend at least 50% of their time redoing the stuff they’re supposed to know already. They’re taking English and geography again, which is ridiculous, and then they hardly have any time to learn what they’re there to learn. Sometimes I look over student portfolios; they’re in their final year, and I have a hard time finding anything that qualifies them for working in the industry.
There’s so much information now available on the internet. It’s just there — tutorials, all kinds of helpful things to reference, all the stuff you used to have to go to the library for. There’s really no need to spend tens of thousands of dollars going to college. You can do it yourself if that’s what you want to do.
I don’t work in animation, but I can vouch for the mentors who have helped shape me as a writer. I’m sure people would be lucky to learn from you and all your experience, so it’s great you want to pass down that knowledge.
When I started out, I had a graphic design mentor who later became a production designer on Mulan and other Disney movies. He was really brutal with his comments on my first portfolio. I mean, I almost gave up the whole thing! But it was so important for me to hear that. From your friends and your parents, “Oh, that looks great! You’re really good,” until a professor tells you, “Start again; none of this is usable.” That’s the crux — when you continue at that point and work through it.
As we wrap up, is there anything else you want to say, or anything on your mind about the current state of animation?
Going back to movies that were actually good, did you see Nimona?
I need to see that!
That was a feature with a very queer storyline that didn’t get much attention, especially from the right-wingers, because it wasn’t Disney. If it’s Disney, they jump on it — the slightest whiff of something queer, and they go crazy. The two main guys in Nimona are a couple, which makes story sense because at one point they become adversaries; since they also share a love, it makes it that much more poignant and makes the stakes higher.
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Yona Speidel and the future of trans television
The ‘Pose’ and ‘The Boroughs’ writer on what she hopes for the future of queer media.
Thousands of queer viewers are huge fans of Yona Speidel — they may just not know it yet.
This is due largely to the fact that, up until a few months ago, Speidel went by a different name professionally: Lady J. It’s Lady J who’s credited as a producer and writer on Transparent, one of the first mainstream TV series to center a transgender woman as its protagonist. And when the series Pose began in 2018, it was Lady J who served as a member of the program’s central creative team, writing and producing nearly every episode to develop the onscreen refuge that thousands of fans still see the show as today.
It can’t be understated how much of an impact Lady J had on modern television. But just recently, fans were shocked to hear that she’d be retiring…her name, that is. The artist assured everyone that she still planned to create programs that completely shift how certain identities are portrayed in the media. She will continue the vital work she’d already been doing for years, only now, she’s ready to do it under her true name: Yona Speidel.
“Lady J is a showgirl name, and I’m not really doing that anymore,” laughed Speidel, as she spoke with the LA Blade about the decision to change her professional moniker. “At one point, I did wear sparkly sequin bras and perform in drag clubs — but I’ve aged out of that a little bit. And as a writer, director, and producer in Hollywood, I thought it was time to retire ‘Lady J’ and just go with my day-to-day name.”
And though she’s only been working for around a year with this ‘new’ name, Yona already has some impressive credits under her belt; she currently works as a writer and executive producer on the acclaimed Netflix series, The Boroughs, which has been applauded for its mixture of sci-fi horror and biting social critique. This is all in addition to the ample work she did as Lady J, with Speidel reminding fans that she is still the ingenious creative they knew and loved before. That dynamic artistry has always been a part of the woman, with Yona saying, “I always had ‘the flair,’ and it stood out from a very young age…I learned to hide it for survival.”
“I grew up in Amish country, Pennsylvania, and my family came from an old order of Mennonites, though they left many generations ago,” Speidel explained. “It was hard in the 1980s growing up with AIDS in the headlines, and all the homophobia that was happening in the world to blame gay people for this disease. [That] manifested in school, so there was a lot of bullying…the ‘flair’ was just something that I learned to temper down, and I had to be careful where I showed it. And then as the world progressed…I let it out.”
She described using music as an escape from her harsh community, avoiding chores on her family’s farm by spending hours each day practicing the piano. It was a talent that took Yona abroad for college and, eventually, to New York City, where she spent years as a professional musician while finally living as the proud trans woman she is today.
It was during her time in New York that Speidel began to write and direct, becoming a part of the city’s vibrant theater scene and helping put on numerous productions. It was just as she had begun to explore what being a producer could look like that she was asked to join the team of Transparent, a new show that promised to ‘completely change how trans people were portrayed on television.’ Excited at this possibility — and ready to ensure the series was actually accurate — Yona joined the program.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Whether it be the plight of queer people of color during the AIDS epidemic in Pose or how society mistreats the elderly in The Boroughs, Yona’s career is defined by amplifying the voices too many overlook today. This is in addition to serving as a trailblazer every day as an out trans woman in the entertainment industry, with the producer emphasizing, “It’s up to us to really test the waters. [We have to ask,] ‘Is it safe for me to be out at work? Is it safe for me to be all of me?’” She explained that at the beginning of her career, it wasn’t, and that’s why so much of her early work is focused more on introducing the general concept of LGBTQ+ identity through straightforward storytelling.
But she reminds everyone reading that it was a long time ago. Through her current work, she hopes to create an entertainment industry where underserved narratives are given center stage, where they’re allowed to challenge what general audiences are taught about their communities. It’s why she continues to create TV shows that center marginalized folks — because she knows that by introducing these voices today, it will be so much easier for them to take the spotlight again tomorrow.
Yona’s is a vital kind of advocacy that, as we see more attacks against all kinds of LGBTQ+ voices (especially trans folks), we need more than ever. She emphasized that she understands how scary it can feel being a queer creative right now, but that is exactly why artists need to continue introducing these stories that nobody else could have ever thought of! As someone who’s spent a majority of her life navigating this tenuous industry, Yona advised her fellow artists, “Shut out the negativity as much as you can. That’s a luxury if you can do that, but if you can take the luxury, do it. Be present with your friends and with your family, and with the people who love you. Feel that love, be embraced by that love. And don’t neglect that love in favor of anxiety and what-ifs.”
It’s advice that Lady J followed, allowing her to create such monumental pieces of television — and it’s what she’ll continue to live by as she does even more for her queer community today as Yona Speidel.
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Television loses a legend and longtime ‘Will & Grace’ director James Burrows
Iconic hitmaker leaves behind a legacy of telling LGBTQ stories
You don’t have to be a pretentious film major to name 10 movie directors. But naming television directors is not that simple. They’re the unsung heroes of your favorite shows, and the late James Burrows was the television director. He passed on June 19, 2026, but his DNA runs through television history.
He directed over 1200 episodes of television and over 50 pilots. He co-created Cheers and directed many episodes of long-running series like Friends, Taxi, Frasier, The Big Bang Theory, and Two and a Half Men. You also may remember him from playing a heightened version of himself on the Lisa Kudrow comedy The Comeback.
He has left an indelible mark on the LGBTQ community. As recently as last year, he directed the series run of Mid-Century Modern starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Linda Lavin. He was also a longtime director of Will & Grace and directed every episode of the series revival. He even directed the unaired Absolutely Fabulous pilot with Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Johnston, and Zosia Mamet.
Not to mention he’s worked with queer icons throughout history, including Betty White and Stockard Channing on their single-season series, and Jennifer Coolidge in 2 Broke Girls.
He started his career on shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, Laverne & Shirley, and the first four seasons of Taxi.
He continued to work steadily and directed successful pilots that went to series for Roc, 3rd Rock From the Sun, Dharma & Greg, and Wings. He directed multiple episodes of Friends, Caroline in the City, and Frasier.
This magic continued into the 2000s with him directing the pilots for Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and multiple episodes of Mike & Molly, and the entire return series of Will & Grace.
What was the secret to his success? He’d enact the “fun clause” in his contract. In his words, “Life is too short to deal with obnoxious leads,” He shared. “So as long as the writing is good and the cast is fun, I’m going to enjoy the experience.”
He had the magic touch, having multiple pilots turned into long-running series. He was nominated for an Emmy 24 times in 26 years and worked consistently until a year before his death.
The secret was the way he brought the cast together. He describes, “it was my job to mold them into an ensemble, and they did round into a group of people who loved each other.”
This earned him 11 Emmy Awards and 5 Directors Guild of America Awards, including being awarded the inaugural DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Television Direction.
In a 2003 interview by the Television Academy, he was asked how he wants to be remembered, and he said, “That every night forever you can tune in somewhere, and there’ll be a show I did.”
He’s survived by his wife, Debbie, four daughters, seven grandchildren, and the countless people whose careers he launched and the countless viewers he inspired with his television legacy.
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ChiChi brings drag, history, and advocacy to LA Pride’s main stage
The Los Angeles drag performer, commissioner, and housing advocate honors Pride’s roots while uplifting the community beyond the parade
When ChiChi Charlas steps onto the main stage at the 56th Annual LA Pride Parade on June 14, the moment will carry more weight than a typical hosting role.
For the Los Angeles drag performer, policy advocate and commissioner, moderating the main stage is an opportunity to honor what Pride has always been about: celebration, protest, and community.
“The origin of Pride has its roots in uprisings and protests, oftentimes led by Black and brown trans women,” ChiChi told the Blade. “From Christopher Street to Cooper Do-nuts to the fight against Rule No. 9 here in Los Angeles, trans and gender expansive people have resisted criminalization and have demanded the right to live freely.”
That history, ChiChi explains, is the foundation of how they understand Pride. After hosting LA Pride’s Latine Stage last year, being invited to host the main stage this year feels like a profound accomplishment.
“I am showing up as a first-generation Mexican-American, queer, trans, gender-expansive Angeleno,” ChiChi confidently told the Blade, “But also as a commissioner, a community and policy advocate, and an educator.”
Many view hosting events as simply introducing performers. However, for ChiChi, this opportunity to host is about creating a space where people feel welcome and connected to something larger than a single day of celebration.
“It is about creating a space where our history, our joy, and our collective experiences and power can all be uplifted and celebrated,” ChiChi said. “I want people to leave with an instilled sense of hope, empowerment, and knowledge on how to get involved in the community.”
As a drag performer who accentuates their facial hair, ChiChi said their work does not fit neatly into traditional drag queen or drag king aesthetics. “I feel that this kind of visibility matters now more than ever when drag and trans people are being hyper-targeted for their gender and gender expression,” ChiChi stated. It is evident that ChiChi’s drag challenges gender expectations directly and seeks to make the LGBTQ+ community more open to diverse forms of expression.
That visibility is personally meaningful to ChiChi as a Latine performer. They said they want other Latine community members to feel seen when they are on stage – including families who may still be learning how to support LGBTQ+ loved ones.
“Homophobia, transphobia, and machismo are very much alive within many Latine communities,” ChiChi said. “I know that we will have many parents present who are learning and unlearning. I hope to provide them with a message of kindness and gratitude for all their work.”
Beyond performance, ChiChi’s advocacy has focused heavily on housing policy for trans and gender expansive people. Before shifting fully into LGBTQ+ advocacy, ChiChi spent nearly ten years in the housing nonprofit sector. In that work, they saw how homophobia, transphobia, racism, and structural inequities place LGBTQ+ people – especially Black and brown trans and gender expansive people – at greater risk of housing instability.
ChiChi told the Blade that their policy work is “grounded in the belief that when trans and gender expansive people have stable housing, our entire community becomes safer and stronger.”
For ChiChi, supporting trans people beyond Pride means moving from individual celebrations to sustained action. That includes “supporting trans-led organizations, protecting trans youth, and challenging anti-trans rhetoric in the spaces we move through.”
As thousands gather for LA Pride, ChiChi hopes people remember that Pride was made possible by those who resisted criminalization and state violence – and that the work is not over when the parade ends and the curtain falls.
ChiChi leads the readers with a final and important question:
“If we are not visible, if we are not supported, if our struggles are not taken into account in spaces such as Pride,” ChiChi said, “then how can we expect non-LGBTQ+ people to even look our way?”
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From ‘XO, Kitty’ to Marvel: The multi-talented Regan Aliyah is only getting started
Actor, rapper, and activist Regan Aliyah shares how she balances blockbuster opportunities with a deep commitment to community and authenticity..
We seldom get to see a rising star moving through Hollywood with the same fearlessness and versatility as Regan Aliyah. Whether she’s navigating the heartfelt chaos of a beloved YA dramedy, stepping into the expansive mythology of Marvel, or plunging audiences into the emotional intensity of a psychological thriller, Aliyah approaches every role with curiosity, preparation, and a very real commitment to authenticity. Actor, rapper, dancer, and creative force, Aliyah’s building a career defined not by depth, all while bringing nuance and humanity to every character that she steps into.
Off-screen, Aliyah is equally, if not more, compelling. As a proud queer Black artist, outspoken advocate, and lifelong Angeleno, she speaks with refreshing candor about identity, representation, and the responsibility that comes with visibility. In our conversation, Aliyah opens up about the emotional challenges of her most recent projects, the evolution of queer storytelling in Hollywood, the lessons she’s learned from staying true to herself, and why the younger version of Regan would be proud of exactly who she is today.
From YA dramedy to Marvel to psychological thriller, how do you approach building a character in such different worlds?
I think it’s about feeling comfortable in the words that are written and really understanding who the specific character is, as well as what they’re going through in this piece of media. Understanding how they’re affected by their surroundings, other characters, and even themselves. There’s also the element of research; like for Marvel, I was lucky enough to have so many comics that I could read and see how my character interacted with this mystical world. It was a very different process from Juliana, in XO, Kitty, where I watched the To All The Boys I Loved Before films, and I learned more about the tone of the space she would be a part of. So, it can look very different for each role that you get, but the preparation and research will always get you where you need to be.
You’re currently starring as Juliana in XO, Kitty. What aspects of yourself do you see reflected in her? And on the flip side, what are some Juliana-isms that would never fly with Regan?
I think Juliana and I are a lot alike. We lead with our heart, we’re both very artistic, and if I do say so myself…we’ve got great fashion sense. Oh, and we’re both gay. That’s definitely my favorite thing we share in common. I think Juliana is a lot more muted than me. She’s a lot quieter and a little less confrontational, but she has definitely learned to be more upfront in the later seasons. She’s absolutely someone I would be friends with in real life. I don’t know, I think she’s just such a cool girl.
Your work in Please Don’t Feed the Children explores a much darker, survivalist tone. What challenged you most about that role? What did you find most rewarding?
I think when you’re in a horror or a thriller, it’s just such a different space than anything else. It took a second for me to get used to hearing the word “action“ and knowing it meant my body had to stay in a state of panic and despair. I think by like, page 10, we’re already in this trapped situation, so finding ways to sit with this continued emotion while making it feel layered on screen was really important to me. I also had to cry on camera for the first time, which I thought would be more taxing on my mental because I was getting so much advice about pulling on personal trauma or to think about some terrible situation to produce tears. When I actually got to that scene, I felt so comfortable with this character that it was actually easy for me to find that emotion and those tears through her and not myself. That was a very rewarding moment.
Belated congrats on coming out publicly just a few years ago. How has that moment shaped the way you move through your career and your visibility?
First off, thank you so much! That moment wasn’t because of my career or any type of external pressure; it was genuinely me just wanting to live an honest life with everyone who interacts with me — whether that’s in person or online. I want you to know me for me. That honesty is very freeing. So, I don’t think I pay attention to if it’s negatively affecting my career…if you don’t want to work with me for being my authentic self, then that opportunity was just not meant for me. On the flip side, it has brought me joy, love, community, and business relationships that are all founded on, “you are who you are, and we support who you are.”
How do you think queer representation is evolving in the kinds of projects you’re getting to be part of?
I think we’ve made a lot of progress. I think we’re seeing a lot more queer characters on screen as a whole. I’m interested in going past the representation and diving deeper into the actual stories that are being portrayed. I think a lot of media still needs to get better at nuance and depth for the queer characters they have in their stories. But I always feel really blessed to be a queer actor playing queer roles; it’s the most fulfilling thing to me. So, every opportunity I get to do that, I am beyond happy.
What does it mean to you to be a young, queer Black artist working in mainstream Hollywood right now?
It means learning how to run before ever getting the chance to walk. It means pushing open doors that have multiple signs of no entry. It means making a name for yourself that holds weight for multiple communities. It means joy, nuance, and beauty that deserve airtime. It means so much, but to me, it’s just who I am, and I hope Hollywood can love, respect, and share more from all individuals who have this same intersectional identity.
You’re outspoken about issues like racial justice, food access, and homelessness (as more people should be). How do you decide when and how to use your platform?
I don’t decide, I just do. It’s that simple. There’s no 12-step program or 40-person team that I need to ask. It’s about humanity. We’re all connected, and we’re all meant to fight for one another. Sometimes that’s through my social media, sometimes that’s on Skid Row feeding our houseless community, sometimes that’s mutual aid, or sometimes that’s performing at a benefit show. There are so many ways to show up, and I believe everyone needs to be doing that in their own way.
Growing up in Los Angeles, how did your environment shape your artistry? Your worldview?
I like to call myself a “county kid.” I grew up in schools in the Valley; my family is in Inglewood, Baldwin Hills, Carson, and all the way up to Palmdale. My friends are in South Central and Leimert Park. I love and see LA for what it truly is. We’re dealing with the housing crisis, are being priced out of our own neighborhoods we built, witness the brutalization of the police, and see so much more. But we are also a place where dreams come true, where the sun attracts anyone who dares to think outside the box, and plan block parties with some of the best musicians in the world. Our culture runs deeper than the valleys of the land. The people of this city, the natives, shaped me to be who I am. I love this place so much…I mean, it’s my hometown. Every day, I think of the ways I can contribute to it, protect it, and preserve it for what it truly is.
When you think about the roles you want to take on in the future, what kinds of stories are you hoping to tell or be part of?
I want to be in stories that push the needle, ones that reflect the times, or ones that challenge the brain. I would also love to do something otherworldly. I always say that I want to play a role that would have me in the makeup chair for like 12 hours. Something where I could fully transform. That would be so cool and something I’ve never done yet.
We could all benefit from a bit of grounding and decompression. Can you share with us two things you do to decompress during your downtime?
Oof, I’ll let you know when I figure that out myself. I’ve been in work, work, work mode, but I do love cartoons, animation, and stop motion. So I’ll throw on one of those when times get stressful.
What is one invigorating phrase or mantra that your mind recites when the stress of work, and life in general, is getting a little too loud?
Recently, I’ve been reminding myself of how proud the younger version of me would be of who I am today. I think that will always center me and humble me, but light a fire in me like no other.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice before entering this industry, what would it be?
Nothing really. Younger me was THAT girl. She had some strong boundaries and one goal on her mind…I love her for that. Now, she would have some advice for older me, but she’s definitely very proud.
a&e features
EROS LA is starting a queerotic art movement in KTown
Local artists activate gay-owned Earl Gallery, bridging queer art history
Erotic art in the gay community? Groundbreaking. The Devil Wears Prada references aside, with both the arts and the LGBTQIA community under attack, erotic art has much more of a political sheen these days. After all, if our private lives can be the subject of political action and public outrage, why can’t they also be artistic? Enter: EROS LA.
Beyond the debates of arts, decency, and what is porn vs. erotica? There is a collective need for community and safe spaces for queer men that don’t center on drinking at a bar or doing drugs at a warehouse party. Why not hang out with other creative, curious queer men to look at art, wear fun outfits, pose for photos, and more?
EROS LA is curating the vibe to engage with all of this. The, for lack of a better word, movement celebrated its 7th installment this past Saturday, May 9th, and Sunday, May 10th. What started as an art show to showcase local queer erotic artists has expanded to include drawing classes, speed dating, networking, and even a film collective.
As Casey Kringlen, the mind behind EROS LA, puts it, “There’s a heat that creatives generate when they’re operating beyond fear, connected to their primal sensibilities and willing to follow creative instincts that don’t always fit neatly into polished cultural spaces. ‘Erotic’ is the word that gets closest to that feeling.”
EROS LA, which happens every month, began simply as an art show. It curates a flirty, creative vibe that invites hotties of all ages, shapes, and sizes to converse, consume art, and feel a little frisky. Over its last 7 iterations, it’s expanded into a whole weekend of events.
Kringlen adds, “Each show includes curated programming alongside the exhibition: speed dating activations, live movement and dance performances, and a VIP Drawing Lounge where guests can draw live figure models, mingle, or simply watch. The art is the anchor, but the night has a full arc.”
This past Saturday, a group of artists ranging from painters and photographers to dancers and adult performers gathered to share their wares at the Earl Gallery in Koreatown. Kringlen continues, “The Earl is perfect for EROS: raw energy, a maze-like layout, high ceilings, brick walls, original elements from the early 1900s, room for art, conversation, performance, and mischief. This is not a white cube or a WeHo bar.”
EROS was born through the collaboration between Kringlen and gallery owner Michael Monk. Kringlen explains, “Michael has run The Earl in Koreatown for over 20 years. Michael has deep roots in queer publishing and culture. He co-founded Monk Magazine and wrote Pink Highways, and brings a lived sense of history and perspective that have grounded EROS from the beginning. He didn’t just offer a space; he offered a partnership.”
Kringlen met Monk while exhibiting his own nude photography. Kringlen shares, “I had shown work in a series of group exhibitions there, and during one of them, he asked what other queer erotic art events were happening in LA and whether we could bring that energy into his space.”
The rest is history. In Kringlen’s words, ” EROS has been built by a community that showed up on its own. Artists, regulars, and passionate people who found us and fell in love with what we were doing.” It cannot be understated that Kringlen and Monk have cultivated an environment that invites artistic appreciation, conversation, and community.
As the show’s resident in-house photographer, Alexander Chadryan puts it: “There is a real hunger for human-to-human connection right now. People want to be seen, not just evaluated. They want sensuality, but also warmth. They want desire, but not only the transactional logic of the hookup market.”
Chadryan continues, “A lot of gay nightlife, especially in LA, can be shaped by status, body hierarchy, self-protection, and performance. It can create this notorious ‘fake people’ feeling — everyone looking perfect, everyone acting unavailable, everyone trying not to seem vulnerable. EROS feels different from that.”
EROS is creating an amazing space for emerging artists. Diego De León, who creates art nouveau-inspired watercolors, shares, “EROS creates a space where erotic art can be celebrated openly, while still allowing artists to approach it from very different perspectives and styles. They show a lot of artists that don’t have big followings; it’s really about the art.” He adds, “Art is one of the highest forms of human evolution. To create it and to receive it is something no other creature that has ever existed is able to do. To take what we see in our mind and bring it into the physical world.”
Ricardo Villanueva, who was sharing his art for the first time at EROS, adds, “It’s a great way for artists with a specific focus to come together in one place. I also think it’s a really good opportunity to network and connect with other creatives.” He continues, “EROS creates a space where erotic art can be celebrated openly, while still allowing artists to approach it from very different perspectives and styles.” Villanueva paints sexy shirtless versions of characters like GhostFace, Jason, and other figures from horror and pop culture. He also sells colorfully painted statues of cartoon bears.
Another first-time exhibitor, Walker Paulsen, who was sharing digital portraits he made using a program called Heavy Paint, observed, “The Earl Gallery provides a unique space for everyone’s work, and the community is so uplifting and feels like a tight-knit group of artists.” About his art, Paulsen shares, “My work is directly related to the ethereal emotions that are felt in our experiences battling depression in the gay community and the dating woes.”
Regardless of the type of erotic art, anyone is welcome. Kringlen adds, “We apply the broadest possible definition of ‘erotic.’ If an artist says their work is erotic, that counts. It could be an explicit photograph or a painting of two rain clouds talking about love. We don’t jury. We don’t filter. We trust the artists, and we trust the audience.”
EROS is not just a show; it’s a weekend it is expanding into Sunday programming. Kringlen adds, “We now have a figure drawing workshop with live models, no experience necessary, and we just launched EROS Film Club, a recurring queer film night at The Earl curated in collaboration with Kurt Osenlund and Maksym Varenyk.” In addition to the film screening, there was also a networking event for entertainment professionals to mix and mingle.
Kringlen shares, “Art processes what ordinary language can’t. Queer people frequently move through experiences that lead to self-examination, and creative expression can become a powerful way to process and understand those experiences. Through art, people recognize themselves and each other more honestly, and that recognition can become the foundation for real community.”
The Next EROS weekend is Saturday, June 13, with the art class and film screening on Sunday, June 14. EROS is also entering the female art space with a show called SAPPHO on Saturday, June 27. You can stay up-to-date by following their Instagram and RSVP to events at EROS on Partiful.
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