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My interview with Cheyenne Jackson about his new film “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks”

Cheyenne Jackson did not have a lot of time to prepare for his leading role in the film Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks which opens in New York and Los Angeles today.

Four days to be exact.

Sean Hayes had to drop out of the film just before production was set to begin in Hungary. Filmmakers contacted the busy Jackson who also appeared in the films Love is Strange and The One I Wrote For You this year.

‘I got a call that said, “Your agent’s on the phone with your other agent and your manager.” You know as an actor if you get a call and there’s three people on the line it’s always a good call,’ Cheyenne told me last week during a press junket promoting the film.

‘They said, “Would you like to star in a film opposite Gena Rowlands – it shoots in Hungary in four days.” I wanted to have this experience working with her.’

In Six Dance Lessons, Cheyenne plays a 30-year-old gay dance teacher who is assigned to give private dance lessons to widow in Miami Beach played by Miss Rowlands, a four-time Emmy winner and two-time Oscar nominee.

He says of working with the 84-year-old Rowlands: ‘I’ve got to meet a lot of my idols – I’ve had the good fortune of working with great, great actors. But Gena was at a different level and she is for a lot of my peers. she’s just held in a certain regard and rightfully so.’

‘I was scared and excited,’ Cheyenne added. ‘I was anxious because I had to not only hold my own but also call her horrible names. In my very first scene I call her a stupid old cow. I thought, “How am I going to do this really until I get over my worship of her.” She let me get that out for about four minutes then we got to work.’

In accepting the role, he not only dealt with the prospect of working with Rowlands but he also had to quickly learn the various dances he has to teach her in the film such as the Tango, the Swing, Waltz, Cha-Cha and the Foxtrot.

While the two characters begin as strangers and have a adversarial relationship in the beginning, over time they bond.

Cheyenne, who is openly gay, came to see the film as a love story between ‘these two people from seemingly such different worlds in every way – socioeconomic, gay-straight, older-younger. How much they needed each other and how much they fulfilled that part of each other that they didn’t know they missed. Almost like a mother-son, best friend, life partner. They became that for each other. I was surprised and kind of delighted by that.’

The multi-talented 39 year old is a well-established Broadway star whose credits include Xanadu, All Shook Up, Finian’s Rainbow, Aida and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

On television, he has had recurring roles on 30 Rock and Glee and had a supporting role in the HBO film Behind the Candelabra. He also has several feature film credits including United 93, The Green, and Lola Versus.

Two of his 2014 releases, Six Dance Lessons and The One I Wrote For You, provided Jackson with a rare film lead.

Does he think these films will lead to more substantial film roles for him moving forward?

‘I try not to think too far ahead,’ he told me. ‘But of course maybe it will be seen by someone who hasn’t thought of me in a certain way and see something that they haven’t seen before.

‘I just want to work. I just want to work for a long time. I got started late, I started acting professionally when I was 27 so it’s all been lessons and slowly building stuff.’

Since he has worked extensively on stage, in film and in television, Cheyenne has grown comfortable in all three mediums.

‘I love Broadway, love that feeling of whatever happens in the theater that night the it’s over. Then there’s television and the pace of it. There’s so much material and you have to make a quick choice and then move on. And I love film and how you can take your time.’

FILE UNDER: Interviews

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One Remark

  1. Wow! Another of my favorite gay male actors featured this morning. Love Cheyenne Jackson. He’s so good looking. I don’t see enough of him in the gay media either. This movie actually looks like a lot of fun. Great cast with Gena Rowlands, Rita Moreno and Julian Sands. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for it.

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