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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 19, 2003)
19.2003 28 Remember My Name Continued, from Page Tie u/ifleitu/T: Benjamin Portland native Benjamin Morgan tried to break into Hollvwtxxl as an ' actor until film >chix>l turned him on to writing instead. Here, Morgan (center) works with two actors on the set of his thesis film, Meet Joe Qay. Motgm /""Sortland native Benjamin Morgan, who goes by Morgan, was another of the five young up-and-coming gay men fea tured in the recent AM Cdocumentary Gay Hollywood. Since graduating from University of Southern California film sc I n x >I in 2000, he has been trying to break into Hollywood as a sitcom writer. Just Out spoke with Mor gan recently by phone from his West Holly- wixxJ apartment. >.* Floyd Sklaver: Let’s start with some back ground. How old are you? Benjamin Morgan: 31. In Magazine put me down recently as 21 and a friend called me up and said, “Bitch, who do you think you’re fixding?” FS: Where did you grow up? BM: I lived in Portland until age 13... Park rose, out by the airport. It was terribly unglamorous. My first year in California 1 felt very 90210. FS: How would you describe yourself as a child? BM: 1 was a total geek, a voracious reader. Weekends were spent holed up in my rtxim with a hxx)k or comics. How geeky is that? I’m [alsoj a total mama’s boy. I have an amazing mother. [Andj I was the drama fag...and a band geek as well. crazy diets putting a bunch of gross stuff in a blender. FS: When did you know you were gay? BM: I 'm a Kinsey six. Full gay, never questioned it. Even in second grade there was a little boy who I thought was cute__ When I first came out to my friends I told them if I ever turn into one of those screaming queeny fags, shtxit me. But 1 sort of have and I love it. Now I’m iibergay. FS: When did you first want to he in Hollywood? BM: 1 always toyed with the idea in high school. 1 was a drama fag and thought 1 wanted to be FS: When did you get involved with acting? an actor. 1 came down —Benjamin Morgan (during senior year] and got BM: As far back as grade school 1 was in all the talent head shots and went to casting agents to try to get a feel for what shows. We did The Richiird Sammons Show, which was a spxxif of Richard Simmons Hollywtxxl was like. A casting director asked, where we.brought 11-year old friends “What would you do if you couldn’t act?" I onstage dressed as fat people with pillows said write. He said: “Go do it. It’s a horrible under their clothes. We’d come up with profession full of rejection and heartache. If The Finest Collision Repair. • Collision Repair Problems Solved autobody 503 - 232-3600 2454 E. Burnside • Portland, OR 97214 www.fergusonauto.com Family Owned & Operated Since 1952 fk . * ■ “I'm a Kinsey six. Full gay, never questioned it. Even in second grade there was a little boy who I thought was cute.” / A FS: Did it help? BM: 1 thought there would be a little more cama raderie or lixiking out for each other among gay men than there is. People are ulti mately kxiking out for them selves. And ulti mately competing for the same jobs. v,.;. FS: When did you start being called Morgan? BM: In high sch(x>l I transferred to a small private schtxil and, in a class of 25, I was the third Ben or Benjamin. A group of cool girls pulled me aside and said: “We can’t call you Ben. What’s your last name?" The cix>l girls wanted to call me Morgan. — In the last year I’ve been trying to write teen come dies and things I thought were “commercial” but not enjoying them, and (I was] losing sight of why I want to be a writer and what I want to write. 27 • • • • Wheel Alignment Tires Oil Changes Break-in Repairs FS: The docu mentary showed you guys learn ing the rules of the game the hard way. What are some of the rules for gay writers? BM: I became a bit of a victim in the show because a lot of the scenes show me tak ing my lumps, but at the same time it was gcxxl even to just get those meetings. I’d been writing in a vacuum for a couple of years. It dtwsn’t do any gixxl if you can’t get a meeting to find out if anyone likes it. Everyone in Hollywixxl’s job is to say no. So you have to take it all with a grain of salt and rake it all in stride. There’s a quote by (author] William Goldman, “NohtxJy knows anything in this town.” (So] I don’t think there are any rules. Everyone navigates the path differently. There is no one right way. It’s not necessarily a meritocracy where you’re rewarded for tal ent. There’s no definite ladder or structure. mm you’re not going to love doing dinner theater for the next 20 years, then don’t do it.” 1 had a couple of failed attempts at Holly- wcxxl after undergrad. I worked as a (prtxJuc- tion assistant] for a TV company, but 1 had a huge chip on my shoulder. I kept thinking, “I did not go to Stanford to make copies,” but that’s what you do. 1 lasted three to four months. It wasn’t until 1 came back for film school that 1 had a reason to be here and an instant social network where it finally clicked. FS: What’s your typical day like? BM: People tease me about how much time I spend in Starbucks writing, [but] if I’m at home I’m distracted. It’s certainly eas ier to clean than write. I go to the big gay Starbucks and everyone vies for the tables near the outlets.... There are a lot of people not working during the day. 1 call them the WHAM crowd—waiter, hairdresser, actor and nruxlel. Or substitute writer for waiter and hooker for hairdresser. FS: What did you learn by doing Qay Hollywood? BM: My big honor was the catharsis/break- down—I’m the one who cried—but it’s true. FS: What are you working on next? BM: A kids b<x>k called Dinover.se, which my writing partner and I are adapting for film. It’s half computer-generated and half live-action. Also Meet Joe Gay, which is a film about a man whose twin sister dies and leaves him custody of her 8-month-old son. He’s very gay, very West Hollywcxxl, and it’s about how his life changes. Hem us Prevent cancer ! We need m e n to take part in a prostate cancer prevention study that is supported by the National Cancer Institute. To find out if you or someone you know may qualify call: This important study is testing the effectiveness and safety of certain vitamin and mineral supplem ents in the prevention of prostate cancer. unNW.cropor.org We Need Your Help! 503 - 216-6267 800 - 677-6752 (x-66267) C/JumtWM f^rvtr O tfxm gy PrttgTMm
