We Love Soaps talks to actor David Sutcliffe about playing Antonio Sabato Jr.’s lover in “Testosterone”

One of my favorite websites, We Love Soaps, has had a multi-part interview with actor David Sutcliffe and I want to share the section where he talks about playing a gay man in the 2003 film Testosterone.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: In the middle of your successful run on GILMORE GIRLS, you took a step off the traveled path of family friendly fare by starring in TESTOSTERONE, a gay psychological thriller, that involved a lot of nudity and you doing hot intimate scenes with other guys.  What led you take what many would consider a kind of unconventional “risk”?

David Sutcliffe: I was curious.  It was a fascinating character who was sexually twisted.  And even though I’m not gay, I related to that element of it.  I was interested in exploring that darkness.  It was an opportunity to go down to Argentina, I was in every scene in the movie, I thought there was a chance to explore a completely different side of myself and put that out there.  I’m not 100% satisfied with how the movie turned out, but I’m satisfied with it, and I’m grateful for it.  The experience was incredible, and going to the dark areas inside of myself was a chance to grow as an actor.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Even in 2011, many actors are told “don’t do the gay stuff.” You made this movie ten years ago.  Did you get a lot of that feedback?
David Sutcliffe: Not really. My manager was a pretty open cool guy and he saw the value in me taking a risk.  I think he understood that I was interested in exploring that.  My agents were a little…suspect.  They weren’t quite as sure because I was building a career as a romantic lead, as a nice guy.  I think they had some resistance.  But agents figure it out, actors are going to do what actors are going to do, they have to surrender to it.  That didn’t enter my mind to be honest.  I was not going to make decisions with that.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: I think that is very courageous, and not typical of actors working in Hollywood.  What was it like for you as a straight guy to be doing love scenenaked with Antonio Sabato Jr.?
David Sutcliffe: (Laughs), It was a little strange.  I’ll be honest.  I was trying to find my inner gay man.  I’m not sure I entirely succeeded in that.  It was interesting to explore it.  Antonio clearly had his own issues as well.  We were kind of in this together, trying to figure it out.  I think both of us had  a willingness to explore it, see what it was, and get past whatever judgments we may have.

Ultimately people are attracted to whomever they are attracted to, but human sexuality is human sexuality.  Longing, desire, the need for contact is all the same thing whether you are going for that in a man or a woman.  I think the hardest part for me was to connect with the lust of it, or to see Antonio and connect to the lust.  I can see him as an attractive man but I didn’t have that “GRRRR” thing that I have with women. So I had to use my imagination and deal with it that way.  It was fun to be honest with you.  He’s a good guy, he’s a good sport, and he really showed up.  I wasn’t sure how he was going to be, but when it came to the shoot he was a real pro.

See part One, Two, and Three.