Cheyenne Jackson talks marriage and coming out in new interview with Frontiers IN LA!

Frontiers IN LA editor Aaron Drake chats with Cheyenne Jackson about his new movie The Green which is part of the line-up at Outfest which begins on July 7.

Because this very interesting conversation took place shortly before same-sex marriage became legal in New York, I wanted to highlight what Cheyenne had to say about his partner Monte Lapka who he met through a mutual friend in Seattle about 11 years ago.

“It was pretty much love at first sight,” he said.

So, will they tie the knot once marriage is legal in New York?

“At the time, when we became domestic partners last year, we were filling out some forms for life insurance or wills or something and we thought we should make this as legal as we can. I’d love to marry him. I think we will when it’s legal.

Aaron also asked Cheyenne if he would have come out on his own if he had not been asked if he way gay during an interview with the New York Times.

“It was the moment I decided I could skirt the issue or just say it,” he said. “Oh sure, I think it’s just a matter of who asked me first or who I talked to first. That was my first big role that got me my first feature in any kind of publication, and when he asked me I decided to say. If it hadn’t been that, it would have been the next person who asked. I don’t have an issue being out, it doesn’t weigh on my value as an actor or as a performer, it has nothing to do with me being gay and I never felt that it has. So for me it was just, like, whoever asks first.”

What advice can you give to others in the same situation?
“Everybody has their own path. Some people just have that part of their lives they don’t want to talk about and they think that it’s nobody’s business—I totally respect that. I think that’s great for them, you know, more power to ya. There are other people, famous actors who are in the closet, and I can see that it’s something that they grapple with. I would love for them to be more comfortable. I just think it frees you as an actor, as a performer, as a person when you can just truly be who you are and get that shit out of the way and then people can focus on what’s really important—and that’s you, that’s you as an actor, that’s what you bring to the part, that’s you making the material live. I think people are so caught up in it. I think if more people just say, “F*ck it. Yes, I’m gay! Moving on. Next,” I feel like it wouldn’t be that big a deal. I don’t believe in outing people—it should happen on their own time.”