Queer cinema staple Jesse Archer is back in 2012, this time with two films set to feature at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF), and one at the Mardi Gras Film Festival.
In the past he’s produced, directed, and starred in such queer gems as Slutty Summer, Eating Out: Drama Camp and Violet Tendencies.
And now Archer stars alongside male model turned actor Matt Ludwinksi in an adaptation of Andy Zeffer’s novel Going Down In La La Land, and joins a queer cinema star-studded cast in the short Half-Share.
In Going Down In La La Land Archer plays Matthew, the bitchy and pushy friend of Luke, a down-on-his luck LA resident revealing himself to the world of escorting and porn.
“I play a nasty queen who essentially drives the young, hot hero headlong into porn,” Archer said.
“My character really wants to be, or to be with, this young hot stud and he can’t have either. So that’s his problem, or at least the way I played him.”
Archer told followers of his blog — jesseonthebrink.com — that playing a bitchy role is “a real stretch for me”.
“It would have been easy to play one-note cruel, but a fun thing about acting, as well as writing, is that you are a thief,” Archer said.
“You can rob personal bits and pieces, mannerisms and attitudes for your role — and, having known several bitchy queens, I had a field day. There are layers, even to villains.”
Archer’s other appearance is as Lex, in his self-written, directed and produced short film, Half-Share, to be screened at MQFF.
The story follows Mac’s (Kyle Spidle) journey to Fire Island where he learns more than he bargained for.
“There are so many shenanigans out on Fire Island,” Archer said.
“My producing partner Sean Hanley and I decided to script a comedy with a few of these outrageous characters on the island of misfit boys and what it might be like for a newcomer to be tossed into a summer share house living with them.
“It sounds like a drama, but it’s high camp hysteria.”
Having appeared in more than 10 queer cinema titles, Archer said his affinity with the screen stems from his view of underrepresentation of gays in film or TV.
“It’s important for me to put queer stories out there so others won’t feel quite as alone as I did,” he told the Star Observer. “Plus, I also really like kissing boys.”
Not all of Archer’s roles have been camp sex romps. In his most recent role in thriller Into The Lion’s Den Archer gets shot with a crossbow and raped.
“There are tons of gay characters to play, so I don’t really feel pigeonholed even though it is a niche market,” Archer said.
Fans may even get a glimpse of the man himself as Archer is trying to be at screenings of his films at both MQFF and Mardi Gras Film Festival.
“I hope to. I love Melbourne,” he said. “I’ll go if they want me to do a Q&A or something.”
INFO: Mardi Gras Queer Film Festival (February 16 – March 1) – www.mardigrasfilmfestival.com.
