Actor, musician, and ‘School of Rock’s Brian Falduto discusses LGBTQ representation
Video Transcript
KATIE NEAL: It’s officially June. So to discuss all things Pride this month, I had to bring in my friend– actor, musician, and host of the “Gay Life Coach Podcast,” which can be found on the Odyssey app, Mr. Brian Falduto. Hello.
BRIAN FALDUTO: Hello, Katie. It’s good to see you.
KATIE NEAL: It’s so good to see you. Thank you for joining us. I wanted to talk to you about why LGBTQ representation in pop culture is still so important today.
BRIAN FALDUTO: I think it’s wildly important. I feel like representation is how you see yourself, right? I think as an actor, I know that often when I’m acting, I’m trying to reflect an experience back to someone so that they can connect with it. And that’s how you sort of, like, touch them, right? And I feel like when I was younger, I was one of the few items in the media that was LGBTQ referencing. So– and that felt really isolating, and there was a lot of pressure on, like, a young kid’s shoulders.
So I feel like knowing that that’s expanding and that we’re also hitting, like, all the different corners of the LGBTQIA+ community is really important. Because even just outside of my story as a cis white gay man, there’s so many stories that need to be heard because there’s so many people who need to hear those stories so that they don’t feel like they’re alone, you know?
KATIE NEAL: Do you remember the first time that you saw a character in the LGBT community who resonated with you?
BRIAN FALDUTO: I want to say it was Kurt on “Glee.” There was a thing going around for a while where it was my picture next to his, and people thought that he was me.
KATIE NEAL: Really?
BRIAN FALDUTO: Yeah, I was like, no, it’s not me. And then I think “Glee” was so out there about it, which was cool, too, right? Because I feel like there was no, like, disguising it or anything. It was very just outspoken, and people loved “Glee.” So I feel like that was a cool, cultural moment, you know?
KATIE NEAL: For sure. And there’s definitely been an increase in the amount of queer characters in storylines in film and TV in recent years. Are there any recently that have resonated with you more?
BRIAN FALDUTO: I was a big fan of “The Prom.”
KATIE NEAL: I didn’t get to watch that yet. It was good? You liked it?
BRIAN FALDUTO: It’s so good. And I’m also a huge fan of musicals, so that was like a real– especially during the pandemic, when, I think, like, a lot of entertainment options were limited, “The Prom,” I think, did a really great job at sort of bringing back the spirit of the Broadway musical, but also incorporating needed storylines. Everyone can watch it and have a good time, but also learn something.
KATIE NEAL: As a country music artist, what does it mean to you to see other queer artists like Lil Naz X or TJ Osborne, who recently just came out, find success in the genre?
BRIAN FALDUTO: You know, it’s a more traditional genre, so it’s cool to see that. I think it’s evidence of the times changing that we do, finally, have some out and proud names, like, in that genre. And then there’s also just so many, like, underground names and a whole queer country sort of movement that’s happening that, I think, is really cool. Fancy Hagood is on the scene right now.
KATIE NEAL: Love him.
BRIAN FALDUTO: There’s Paisley Fields is doing a lot of awesome stuff. Well, also, Orville Peck is so amazing, too, which is a little not so underground. But country music’s all about storytelling, and I feel like there’s a lot of queer stories that need to be told. So it’s a great genre for it, you know?
KATIE NEAL: Now, you kind of touched on this at the beginning of the interview, and you’ve written about this, also, about how it was really difficult to be known as the gay kid from the “School of Rock” when you were young. But I’m also sure that character resonated for a lot of people. Like, do you find people reaching out to you to say that character meant something to them?
BRIAN FALDUTO: After that movie came out, I was labeled the gay kid from “School of Rock” for a very long time, and I was really, like, averse to that because I was young and I didn’t know what being gay was. And I just– I heard negative things, you know? And it turns out it’s a great part of who I am, right?
But I think as I’ve grown older and I started to embrace it, I feel like I’m putting that energy out. So yeah, a lot of people have come forth in recent years and been like, your character was, for me, what I needed. It was so cool to see if him flamboyant, sassy, eccentric kid on screen. And so I guess any years of sort of me feeling confused or lost after that were really worth it, I think, because yeah, I don’t know. It’s just like, it was the starting line of a lot of years of LGBTQ representation. You know, back then, there wasn’t that much. So I’m honored to have been part of that, and I love hearing other people’s stories.
KATIE NEAL: Well, since I have you, and since you are a certified life coach, I’m going to give you the name of an LGBTQ character for movie or a TV show. And you can tell me one piece of advice that you would give them. Simon from “Love, Simon.”
BRIAN FALDUTO: Simon, Simon came out, and I think the advice I would give to Simon is to really just sort of continue honoring the internal voice as compared to the external voices because I feel like there was a lot of worrying about what other people might think, right? And then I think once he found his mate, he started to, like, listen to the inner voice. So yeah.
KATIE NEAL: This is one of my favorite characters of all time, but Eric in “Sex Education.”
BRIAN FALDUTO: Oh my god, such a good show. I don’t know if Eric needs my advice honestly.
KATIE NEAL: He’s a mess.
BRIAN FALDUTO: I feel like his character gets hurt a lot, right?
KATIE NEAL: Yeah.
BRIAN FALDUTO: Like, he wears his heart on his sleeve, very emotional. I would say definitely keep that up, keep the emotions up, and maybe just focus a little bit more on what he can control and not, like, what he can’t control.
KATIE NEAL: And what about David Rose from “Schitt’s Creek”? (IMITATING ALEXIS) David.
BRIAN FALDUTO: (IMITATING ALEXIS) David. I feel like David Rose and I in life are in similar trajectories in that I feel like towards the end of the series, it was more about accepting some of the simpler things that life has to offer and, you know, being authentic and focusing on connection rather than, you know, indulgences and all these, like– you know, like having a plethora of friends and material goods. And so–
KATIE NEAL: Less is more.
BRIAN FALDUTO: –less is more. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s my advice for David.
KATIE NEAL: What about Cam and Mitch from “Modern Family”?
BRIAN FALDUTO: Well, they’re, like, raising children, so I feel like they should give me advice. But I feel like they are really good at navigating being queer amongst a large family, which I feel like a lot of people struggle with, so– especially if the family has a lot of different viewpoints on the topic. So I actually think that’s a pretty iconic couple because it’s so integrated into that family, you know?
KATIE NEAL: And Will from “Will and Grace.”
BRIAN FALDUTO: I’ll tell him what I tell myself sometimes when I feel like I am having trouble navigating the dating world, which is, “loneliness is a sign that you are in desperate need of yourself.”
KATIE NEAL: That is very good advice. I love that. And then what about another iconic character, but Damian from “Mean Girls”?
BRIAN FALDUTO: Damian’s actually coming on my podcast this month.
KATIE NEAL: Stop it. He is?
BRIAN FALDUTO: He is, and we talk about growing up queer, quote unquote, “icons.” He wrote this beautiful letter to Damian once he came out later in life, and I thought it was really cool. It was just about how Damian was braver than the actor playing Damian because Damian was so out there and true to himself.
KATIE NEAL: I love that. I can’t wait to listen to that. That’s awesome. And then the last one, Titus from “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”
BRIAN FALDUTO: My advice would just be to keep going after it. He’s very talented. He’s a very– that voice is crazy.
KATIE NEAL: Awesome. Well, Brian, thank you so much for coming on this episode of “Screenshots” with us to talk about iconic gay characters. If you don’t already subscribe to Brian’s podcast on the Odyssey app, “The Gay Life Coach,” you should absolutely do that. When is Damian going to be on? Later this month, you said?
BRIAN FALDUTO: The fourth Friday of Pride Month, yes.
KATIE NEAL: The fourth Friday of Pride Month. Well, happy Pride Month, and thank you so much for joining us.
BRIAN FALDUTO: Thanks, Katie.
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