Michael Patrick King talks about “Sex and the City 2,” Liza Minnelli’s role, and the Newsweek article

What’s really fun about another Sex and the City movie coming out is all the anticipation – the interviews, the preview pics. I love it!

The Advocate’s Brandon Voss gives us a terrific interview with writer-director-producer Michael Patrick King.

Here is a portion:

Before we talk about the film, what are your thoughts on the recent Newsweek article claiming that gays can’t convincingly play straight roles?
It’s interesting that you would ask me that question on a Sex and the City 2 junket, because Sex and the City is really about people allowing themselves to be whatever version of themselves they want to be. So I don’t like any kind of labeling unless it’s Chanel, Dior, Louboutin, or Manolo. Labeling people by their sexuality is absurd because acting is magic, and movies and the stage are about suspended belief. This might come as a shock to some people, but Hugh Jackman was not Peter Allen when he was performing that character in The Boy From Oz. Richard Burton wasn’t King Arthur when he did Camelot. It’s all an illusion anyway, so the label of actor is all anyone should be talking about.

Sean Hayes, with whom you worked as a consulting producer on Will & Grace, was one of the main actors mentioned in that Newsweek article. Should gay actors like him avoid labeling themselves in the media?
The journey out of the closet into the public is a personal journey, and it can be as rigorous for somebody who doesn’t have a spotlight shining on them as it is for somebody who does. I don’t have any rules about that. It’s amazing when someone comes out, but it’s really a personal choice.

When Cynthia Nixon came out, did you consider for even a moment that she might suddenly no longer be believable as a straight character?
She’s such a strong actress, and it’s such an amazing character. That’s a real testament to the idea of the split in a personality versus a performance because Cynthia is Miranda. So it never dawned on me for a second to suddenly include ideas that Miranda is gay.

When it comes to Sex and the City’s main gay characters, it’s worth noting that you cast an openly gay actor, Mario Cantone, as Anthony, and a straight actor, Willie Garson, as Stanford. Does sexuality ever come into play when casting?
It’s sex, not sexuality, that comes into play, and there’s a big difference. How many guys went through Samantha’s bedroom? I have no idea what their sexuality was. Literally, I blew through — and this is not a pun intended — hundreds of sexy men in the series. So many actors came in and out, took their clothes off, and I never had anyone say, “Oh, you shouldn’t cast him because … ” They were either sexy or not sexy.

It’s no secret that Stanford and Anthony get married in the new film. Did you ever envision them getting together during the series?
Absolutely not. I liked in the series that they were archenemies. I liked that Anthony was so completely cold to Stanford, because I see that a lot in dating, and just because they happen to be the two gay characters doesn’t mean the rules change. Charlotte has walked out on men on sight just because she’s like, “No, not right.” Anthony’s her best friend, so he has the same kind of dating profile. But then in the first movie I started to have the luxury of seeing Stanford and Anthony together — and Willie and Mario together. In my mind their New Year’s kiss was the fantasy doorway that could open up to something. The other chaser for that drink was the idea in my mind that they got closer because of Carrie’s tragedy. Getting through a humiliating experience like that, they had to look at each other, drop all the bullshit between them, and relate as people.

Their whole lavish gay wedding, complete with Liza Minnelli officiating, felt to me like a special nod or thanks to Sex and the City’s loyal gay fans.
To me, it’s a nod to the big Preston Sturges, black-and-white, madcap MGM musical. For me, the movie’s about tradition and each of the girls struggling with a traditional role, so what’s important to me is that even within our nontraditional — now traditional in some states — gay weddings, even a couple like Stanford and Anthony is struggling with how to be “brooms.” But it’s also important that no one character speak for all gay men just as no one girl speaks for all women.

Did you get to party with Liza?
The only party I saw was the work. She worked her ass off and shook her ass off, as you could see. We did have a couple lunches before we started filming. Just to sit down and have a conversation with her was fantastic. She was so Liza Minnelli! I said to John Melfi, my producing partner, “If this were a Liza Minnelli drinking game, where you did a shot every time she said a word that Liza Minnelli would say, we would’ve been shit-faced 10 minutes into it.”

Here is a LINK to the entire piece.