Bonding – Outfest

By starrymag | July 22, 2018

By: Taylor Gates

 

Stephanie Styles – “Kate”

 

Q) How did you get involved in this project?

 

A) I got the script and from the beginning it was hysterical but had so much heart. I went in and did the audition. I was out of town for the callbacks, but thankfully [creator, writer, and director] Rightor [Doyle] hired me without meeting me, and then we got to film this amazing show.

 

Q) I love when things have both drama and comedy.

 

A) Yes! This is a dramedy for sure.

 

Q) How would you describe your character in three words?

 

A) I’ll do four—Tracy Flick/Blair Waldorf. She’s a goody-two-shoes. Definitely the foil to this amazing Tiff (Zoe Levin) character. Even aesthetically with the shoot, Rightor had Tiff in all these reds and blacks and my character in all these blues and greens. She’s the pious, sweet, maybe not even as bright one. She’s her foil, but slowly as their relationship continues, that starts to change a little. In the last scene, she has a little bit of Tiff with her that shows she’s maybe going a little bit to the dark side. With the script to the direction to the aesthetic, it’s so thoroughly sound and that’s an incredible thing to watch and be a part of.

 

Q) I feel like the best projects are the ones where you learn something about yourself. Did you learn anything while shooting this?

 

A) Totally, especially technically about the dom and sub culture. I’m really excited because I was mostly in all the college aspects of Tiff’s life, so I’m excited to see her nighttime life. And I learned about myself. My character has a very #MeToo moment and this was filmed before that started even happening. I’m very excited, especially now that there’s more of a conversation happening, for it to be a part of that. I definitely learned a lot about those experiences. I’m very excited to see these funny characters that are very fully formed. I think Rightor’s done an incredible job of going past stereotypes and being true to who these people are.

 

Q) What was the most challenging part about shooting this?

 

A) The most challenging was definitely not laughing opposite some of my fellow actors—it’s an amazing cast. The #MeToo scene was definitely vulnerable for me, but I had a great partner who was amazing. I’m so excited to see our two leads, Zoe and Brendan [Scanell]. The camera loves them, I love them and I can’t wait to see them soar in this piece.

 

Micah Stock – “Doug”

 

Q) How did you get involved in this project?

 

A) I have known Rightor for over ten years. I was an apprentice at Williamstown Theatre Festival where Rightor was an actor at the non-equity company. We’ve been acquaintances for a long time. When the script popped up, I just thought it was so hilarious. I knew Rightor was a great actor and I knew he had been creating content, but I had never read any of it. I was excited to read it and see a bit of him. It really sparked by interest.

 

Q) How would you describe your character and the series in three words?

 

A) I would describe my character Doug as resilient, goofy and bloody. I would describe the series as effervescent, edgy and hilarious.

 

Q) Did you learn anything about yourself while shooting this?

 

A) I did. A lot of the series is about repression and the way we all repress ourselves. No matter where we grew up, we all have little pieces of ourselves that we hide away and don’t show to the world. It definitely made me think about those aspects of my own personality even though I think I live pretty freely and openly. There are still things I’ve pushed to the side and not really let society see.

 

 

Matthew Risch – “Joe”

 

Q) How did you get involved in this project?

 

A) Rightor Doyle has been a very dear friend of mine for some years now. I was going through a horrible breakup and he let me live on his couch for a week. Then, we moved to Los Angeles together on the same day on the same flight, so we’ve been each other’s emotional support for a long time. He always told me this story he had when he was younger, and his friend was a dominatrix. It’s such a good story and he tells it all the time. It involves a pencil. It’s hilarious and he tells it in a way that only Rightor can. He was developing this show for some years and I remember him telling me that “Blackpills” had picked it up and was developing it and he was shooting it. He was nice enough to squeeze me in an episode, which was very sweet.

 

Q) Can you tell me a little bit about your character?

 

A) It’s funny because I remember Rightor telling me about this new role and I told him, “As long as I don’t have to be shirtless.” I have a pretty good history of being naked on TV and I was like, “Please let me wear clothes.” And he put me in a penguin costume, which was the nicest thing he could’ve done. My character has a penguin fetish and I have a nice couple of scenes with Brendan. It’s pretty fun.

 

Q) What was the most fun part about shooting this?

 

A) Watching Rightor become an amazing director because I always knew he was a great writer, friend and visionary, but to see him work as a director with actors was really inspiring. He can do anything, and I’m so proud of him.

 

Q) Is this your first Outfest?

 

A) I was actually in a movie called Tests that showed here a few years back, but I wasn’t able to make it out here. This is my first time being in something and actually being able to attend Outfest, which is really cool. I’m really happy to be here.

 

Q) I’m a big Younger fan…

 

A) Oh, awesome!

 

Q) You have one of the most iconic guest starring roles in that show.

 

A) The cocks on the roof! Shooting that was great. I’m a New Yorker and had actually just moved back to New York, and it was so nice to be back in the city and work with those people and Debi Mazar. I’m a huge Madonna fan, so that was amazing.

 

 

Charles Gould – “Fred”

 

Q) How did you get involved in this project?

 

A) I auditioned for it. I went through a very standard audition process. I had not known Rightor before. I showed up and everyone was friends and family and I was just an outsider, but everyone was very friendly. Rightor was amazingly welcoming.

 

Q) How would you describe your character in three words?

 

A) Free and open. We talked a lot on set about how my character is the only one who knows exactly what he wants.

 

Q) Did you learn anything from playing this character?

 

A) I learned how to just let things go when you’re shooting something. I have a lot of scenes where I’m being thrown around and slapped, so I had to trust Rightor and just go with it. That’s a very good thing to learn.

 

Q) Is this your first Outfest?

 

A) Yeah. I’m having a great time. The energy here is amazing.

 

 

Brendan Scanell – “Peter”

 

Q) How did you get involved in this project?

 

A) I just did the regular old actor thing and read the script. I knew Rightor through a bunch of friends, so I spread my tendrils out and texted everyone I knew who also knew him that he should cast me. It would have been embarrassing for him if he hadn’t. [Laughs.]

Q) How would you describe your character in three words?

 

A) Pete is in-progress, funny and oppressed. Or submissive.

Q) What was the most challenging and then the most fun part of shooting this?

 

A) It’s both kind of the same thing—that we shot it in New York. That was amazing but shooting there is just a nightmare. It was cold and I live in Los Angeles and I don’t know how people live there as great as the city is. I think what’s really amazing is that we really got so many amazing interiors and exteriors that are so amazing. We shot in an actual sex dungeon that was in Chelsea and we wouldn’t have really been able to build something that authentic. The hardest part was just dealing with pedestrians yelling things at you as you’re in an emotional scene.

 

 

Rightor Doyle

 

Q) You are the writer and director—you did it all. What inspired you to tackle this story?

 

A) It’s based on my real life. I only did it a few times, but I did become a dominatrix assistant for my friend in New York.

 

Q) A lot of the other people I’ve interviewed have been saying it’s a true dramedy, so I’m very excited about it.

 

A) I thought it was important to, as someone who understands the culture but also understands what it’s like to edge people when you’re trying to make film and art in this way, take it seriously. Someone who you think might be a joke is probably the sanest person in the show.

 

Q) Do you think there’s a lot of misconceptions surrounding this culture?

 

A) Yeah, because we all have it. If you like curly hair, if you like red hair, if you like being choked, if you like being spit on, if you like people’s feet, if you like your own feet—you lean in one direction. That’s actually what a dom does. We have this Fifty Shades view of things, but the truth is they’re there to cater to the “secret, shameful” part of you that doesn’t need to be a secret or shameful.

 

Q) Did you find out a lot about yourself while making this?

 

A) Sure. I think I have to go back to therapy to truly unpack that. We shot it in twenty days doing twelve-hour days in New York City, so I’ve learned that I can do things that I never thought I could.

 

Q) What was the most fun part about shooting this?

 

A) The most fun part was collaborating with all these wonderful people. The actors, the designers—when you see the show, it’s very aesthetic and visual. Our inspiration was Almodóvar, heightening the world and bringing it to another place. Everyone was very game, and it was thrilling to have an idea of what the show could be and see that it was so much more than that.

 

Q) Is this your first time having a film at Outfest?

 

A) Yeah, and I live three blocks away so it’s very convenient!

 

Q) Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

 

A) The biggest piece of advice is just to do it.