Michael C. Hall talks playg 'pellg' gay characters - Attu

MICHAEL C. HALL ON HIS 'FLUID' SEXUALY, ‘DEXTER,’ DEATH, AND DAVID BOWIEREVEALINGIN A NDID TERVIEW WH TIM TEEMAN, MICHAEL C. HALL TALKS ABOUT HIS ‘FLUID’ SEXUALY, FACG NCER, THE FUTURE OF ‘DEXTER,’ AND THE POLICS OF STRAIGHT ACTORS LGBT ROL.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED MAR. 14, 2019 8:51PM EDT / PUBLISHED NOV. 09, 2018 5:12AM EST EXCLIVERANDY SHROPSHIRE/GETTYHIS FELLOW FFEE DRKERS MAY HAVE SEEN HIM PLAY THE SERIAL KILLER DEXTER, OR THE HOT, PERENNIALLY EAKED-OUT UNRTAKER DAVID FISHER SIX FEET UNR, BUT TODAY MICHAEL C. HALL’S ANONYMY AN UPPER WT SI FE IS GUARANTEED THANKS TO A BASEBALL P SCRIBED WH A RABOW ATOP BRIAN ENO’S NAME. THE ACTOR LIV NEARBY WH HIS THIRD WIFE, MAN MACGREGOR, AND THEIR BLACK LONG-HAIRED DACHSHUND SALAMANR.HANDSOME, CHARMG, AND ELOQUENT, AND WH A LIGHT BEARD OF REDDISH-GRAY STUBBLE, HALL WILL TALK ABOUT ATH, BOTH AS A SHADOW HIS OWN LIFE AND THE ROL THAT HAVE MA HIM FAMO. HAVG PLAYED ONE OF TELEVISN’S MOST RADIL AND REMEMBERED GAY CHARACTERS, HE WILL TALK ABOUT "LEANG " TO HIS OWN "FLUID" SEXUALY, AND THE VEXED CULTURAL POLICS AROUND THE ROL AVAILABLE FOR OPENLY GAY AND TRANS ACTORS AND STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAYG GAY AND TRANS ROL. HE WILL TALK ABOUT GIVG UP ALHOL, MARIJUANA, AND BEG A VEGAN. AND THE GOLN GLOBE AND SCREEN ACTORS GUILD WNER WILL ALSO REMEMBER DAVID BOWIE, WHO WALKED TO HIS LIFE (WHILE HALL WAS WORKG ON BOWIE’S FAL PROJECT LAZAS) SMELLG DIVE AND HOLDG A SILVER-TIPPED NE, AND WHO DIED SOON AFTERWARDS. HALL STILL FEELS BOWIE’S PRENCE, HE SAID, LIKE AN ELECTRIL CHARGE NEAR HIS SOLAR PLEX. BOWIE ASKED HALL THE QUTN THAT TO MANY PEOPLE’S MDS: “SO, WHAT IS WH YOU AND ATH?” THE FULL ANSWER, WHICH HE GIV TODAY, IS EXTREMELY PERSONAL AND CLUS HIS OWN EXPERIENCE OF NCER. WHEN WE MET, THE 47-YEAR-OLD HALL HAD ALREADY DONE TWO PREVIEW PERFORMANC OF HIS NEW ONE-MAN PLAY, WILL ENO’S THOM PA (BASED ON NOTHG), AT THE OFF-BROADWAY SIGNATURE THEATRE. HE LLS THE 70-MUTE MONOLOGUE “AN EXTRAORDARY PRENTATN OF AN ORDARY LIFE.” IT IS TENTNALLY AMBIGUO, HE SAID. WE THK WE ARE MEETG A MAN, WHO MAY OR NOT BE LLED THOM PA, A RENTED SPACE THAT MAY BE TRANSNG OM ONE THEATRIL PERFORMANCE TO ANOTHER. IT’S NOT CLEAR WHERE HE HAS E OM OR WHERE HE IS HEAD, IF HE EXISTS OUTSI THIS THEATRIL SPACE. IN CRAFTG THE CHARACTER, HALL SAID HE WAS DISCLED TO ANSWER THE QUTNS, EVEN FOR HIMSELF. THE DIENCE HELPS EACH NIGHT’S PERFORMANCE CHANGE, AND ENO’S LANGUAGE MEANS PERFORMG IS “LIKE RIDG A WAVE OF LANGUAGE THAT IS SURPRISG AND VAR, EVEN IF THE CHARACTER THKS HE IS EXPERIENCG LEAR THOUGHT.” COURTRY JOAN MARC HALL HAS RATED HIS DRSG ROOM WH ABSTRACT DRAWGS HE IMAG HIS CHARACTER WOULD HAVE DRAWN. HE SHOWS ME THE SEQUENC OF SQUIGGL, AND THEY ARE BETIFUL. I SAY HE SHOULD EXHIB THEM. HE MAY CTN THEM OFF, HE SAID, LLG THEM “SCRIBBLED PICTUR OF SCRIBBLED FEELGS.” THE DRAWGS ARE SPIRED BY TWO PHOTOGRAPHS: DIANE ARB’ 1962 PHOTOGRAPH OF A BOY WH A TOY HAND GRENA CENTRAL PARK, AND MALLM BROWNE’S 1963 ASSOCIATED PRS PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAME MAHAYANA BUDDHIST MONK THíCH QUANG DUC, WHO BURNED HIMSELF TO ATH SAIGON.HALL SAID, “THERE’S SOMETHG ABOUT BOTH OF THOSE PICTUR THAT REPRENTS MAYBE WHERE I IMAGE THOM AT THE BEGNG OF THE STORY AND AT THE END, WHICH IS A PLACE OF SUCH EQUANIMY WHERE YOU ULD SET HIM ON FIRE AND HE’D BE OK. THEY ARE A SORT OF VISUAL REPRENTATN OF WHAT I UNRSTAND TO BE THE SPIRUAL OR EMOTNAL RE OF WHAT HE UP TO.”HALL ALSO LISTENS TO A LOT OF THELON MONK BEFORE THE SHOW, “MIC I HAVE LOVED ALL MY LIFE AND ALWAYS WILL. IT HAS S OWN LOGIC. IT IS CHAOTIC AND UNPREDICTABLE S WAY AND ALSO FOLLOWS S OWN L, EVEN IF THEY ARE L ONLY THELON MONK KNOWS ABOUT.” HALL’S NAME AND NOT NSIRABLE FAN BASE GUARANTE HEALTHY DIENC FOR THOM PA, BUT HE KNOWS DEXTER FANS HAVE A MORE PRSG QUTN: WILL TELEVISN’S BT-KNOWN SERIAL KILLER RETURN, AND IF SO WHEN?“EVERY TIME I’M ASKED ABOUT THIS I SAY, ‘NEVER SAY NEVER,’” HALL SAID, SG. “THE NEXT THG I KNOW THERE’S AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE TER SAYG ‘HE’S GOG TO DO AGA.’ THE WAY THAT SHOW END GAVE NO SENSE OF CLOSURE FOR PEOPLE AND A LOT OF QUTNS UNANSWERED. HE SEEMS TO BE THIS SELF-IMPOSED EXILE, HE CERTALY DIDN’T RI OFF TO THE SUNSET. HIS SISTER DIED. IT LEFT A GNARLY KNOT SOME VIEWERS’ STOMACHS. I STAND BY HOW THAT 8TH SEASON END.” “THERE HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT POSSIBILI THAT HAVE E UP. THEY HAVEN’T FELT WORTH DOG. BUT THERE’S STILL SOMETHG POTENTIALLY THERE.” FOR HALL, THE TRAGEDY OF DEXTER IS THAT “IF HE HAD KEPT ON KILLG PEOPLE HE’D HAVE BEEN FE, BUT HE GETS MARRIED, HE OPENS HIS IMAGATN AND HEART. HE HAS A REAL NNECTN TO PEOPLE, AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE PROMISED OR STROYED SOME WAY. FOR TO BE ALL TIDIED UP AFTER THAT WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN HONT. FOR HIM TO SIMULATE HIS OWN ATH AND EXTRITE HIMSELF OM THE NTEXT OF HIS LIFE MA SENSE TO ME. AS FAR AS ANY MORE OF THAT HAPPENG, ’S POSSIBLE.” IN TERMS OF DISCSNS AROUND THE SERI, HALL SAID, “THERE HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT POSSIBILI THAT HAVE E UP. THEY HAVEN’T FELT WORTH DOG. BUT THERE’S STILL SOMETHG POTENTIALLY THERE. BUT THERE ARE NO IMMEDIATE PLANS TO DO THAT.”AS WELL AS PLAYS LIKE THOM PA, HALL HAS BEEN APPEARG ONE-OFF ROL, LIKE PLAYG JOHN F. KENNEDY THE CROWN. HALL READ BOOKS ABOUT HIS LIFE, TERTED FDG OUT ABOUT THE IAL PENNCE AND POUNDG PENNCE ON DGS AND STEROIDS (WHICH WAS HIS PA MEDITN), AND UNTERG THE BILATG EFFECTS OF BOTH WH AMPHETAM.HALL SAW HIS JFK AS A “NOUVE ROYAL,” A “QUICK DRAWG” PARED TO THE PTH OF DAVID SIX FEET UNR AND DEXTER. “BEE THE CROWN WAS SO WELL-DRAWN FELT ENOUGH TO CREATE AN IMPRSN AND HOPEFULLY SPIRE SP-OFF: WHE HOE NIGHTS. JT THROWG OUT THERE.” HALL LGHED. “JT KIDDG.” (HERE’S BETTG MORE THAN ONE PRODUCER READG THIS WR THAT PRETTY GREAT IA DOWN ON A PIECE OF PAPER.) TO ANSWER BOWIE’S GOLN QUTN, HALL’S RELATNSHIP WH ATH N BE TRACED TO HIS CHILDHOOD GROWG UP NORTH CAROLA. “I WAS BORN TO A FAY OF TWO PARENTS WHO HAD RECENTLY LOST MY SISTER, JULIE, WHO WAS NOT YET 2,” HALL RELLED. “SHE HAD A LOT OF VELOPMENTAL AND PHYSIL PROBLEMS AND I THK THEY KNEW SHE WASN’T LONG FOR THIS WORLD, BUT SHE WAS THE WORLD AND DID DIE AND THAT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT THG FOR MY PARENTS.”HALL RELLS PHOTOS OF JULIE PHOTO ALBUMS. HE WAS FASCATED THAT SHE HAD ONCE BEEN ALIVE, THERE, “THE IA I HAD A SISTER.”“SO, THERE’S AN AWARENS OF THE FACT OF ATH WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG. MY FATHER DIED WHEN I WAS 11. MY NT LDA, MY MOTHER’S OLR SISTER, DIED A FEW YEARS AFTER THAT. IN EACH YEAR OF MY HIGH SCHOOL SOMEONE DIED: 3 STANC OF A R ACCINT, 2 WERE RS ONE WAS A PESTRIAN.” HE DID NOT, HE EMPHASIZ, HAVE A FASCATN OR PREOCCUPATN WH ATH, BUT RATHER “AN AWARENS OF THE FACT OF , S EVABILY, THE FACT IS ONE FATE NO ONE P.”HE WAS AN ONLY CHILD, AND “SOMEWHAT SOLARY. THOUGH I HAD IENDS, I TEND TO GRAVATE TO KIDS WHO WERE PART OF REALLY BIG FAI SO I ULD BE A SURROGATE SATELLE MEMBER OF A HOEHOLD THAT HAD MORE LERAL LIFE .” HE LGHED SOFTLY. “I THK I WAS A PREOCCUPIED KID. I THK I WAS MY HEAD. I WAS PRETTY MUCH LIKE I AM NOW. WH LS OF A STORY.” HALL SAID HE ISN’T SURE WHERE NATURE MET NURTURE HIS PERSONALY. IT WAS A SER HOEHOLD, HIS PARENTS WERE “HARD WORKERS OM SMALL TOWNS.” “THERE WAS A CERTA GREE OF SERNS ABOUT THEMSELV,” HE SAID. “MORE GENERALLY, THE LARGER FAY AND ENVIRONMENT WERE SOMEWHAT REPRSIVE AND PURANIL. NOT EXPLICLY, BUT EBULLIENCE AND ENTHIASM WERE DISURAGED, A NDNG I HAVE SOMEWHAT MANAGED. BUT I ALSO THK I HAVE AN HERENT PLAYFULNS AND SILLS ABOUT ME. “PART OF ME OM MY MOM. SHE LGHS AT MY JOK. I N MAKE HER LGH. THERE WAS SOME IMPULSE OM A VERY EARLY AGE TO FD AN OUTLET FOR SOME SORT OF EXPRSN THAT WENT BEYOND SOMEWHAT RTRICTIVE BOUNDARI.”HALL TRAC HIS ACTG REER BACK TO THE AGE OF 8 A PLAY HE PERFORMED AT CHURCH LLED WHAT LOVE IS, ABOUT A MAN VISED BY ANGELS THE URSE OF ONE EVENG—A LTLE LIKE A CHRISTMAS CAROL MEETS IT’S A WONRFUL LIFE. HE PLAYED JUDD HIS SCHOOL PRODUCTN OF OKLAHOMA. PERFORMG WAS “VIGORATG.” “WHETHER I AM NSCLY DRAWG ON THE FACT OF MY FATHER HAVG DIED WHEN HE DID, OR I AM NOT, ’S THERE: A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF ME.” ANOTHER ACQUATANCE WH ATH UNFOLD WHEN HIS FATHER, WILLIAM, WHO WORKED FOR IBM, DIED WHEN HE WAS 11. “IT WAS AS FUNDAMENTAL AS ANYTHG; FUNDAMENTAL SUCH A WAY THAT IS HARD FOR ME TO IMAGE THE WORLD WHICH HE DIDN’T DIE,” HALL SAID. “WHETHER I AM NSCLY DRAWG ON THE FACT OF HIS HAVG DIED WHEN HE DID, OR I AM NOT, ’S THERE: A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF ME.”HIS MOTHER, JANICE, A MENTAL HEALTH UNSELOR, WAS HER LATE 30S WHEN HER HBAND DIED.“SHE LOST HER PARTNER, HER PANN, HER BT IEND,” HALL SAID. “I LOST MY FATHER. I WAS ON THE CP OF ADOLCENCE, YOU N’T JT TIDILY FILL WHATEVER BLANKS ARE THERE. AND TIME DON’T STOP. YOU JT MOVE FORWARD.” IN SOME WAYS, HIS MOTHER’S PROFSN HELPED BOTH OF THEM AL WH THE STRANGE MECHANICS OF GRIEF. “IT FEELS LIKE AS MORE TIME PASS WE HAVE MOMENTS WHERE WE JT SHAKE OUR HEADS AND SAY, ‘THAT WAS PRETTY TENSE, WASN’T ?’”HIS MOTHER HAD SUBSEQUENT RELATNSHIPS BUT DIDN’T REMARRY. HALL DON’T WANT TO SPEAK FOR HER BUT THKS “SHE FELT SHE HAD SUCH A WONRFUL MARRIAGE, SHORT-LIVED AS MIGHT HAVE BEEN, THAT SHE DIDN’T WANT TO GIVE ENERGY TO DOG SOME LSER APPROXIMATN. SHE HAD GREAT IENDSHIPS, A RICH LIFE AND RICH REER AND CERTALY DIDN’T WHDRAW OM THE WORLD.”ACTG WAS ALWAYS HALL’S LOVE THOUGH HE NEVER FELT NFINT OR SAFE ADMTG THAT TO ANYONE, “OR EVEN FULLY TO MYSELF,” UNTIL HE WENT TO LLEGE. HE TOLD PEOPLE HE WAS GOG TO STUDY PRE-LAW, AND HOPED THE NVERSATN WOULD END THERE. IT WAS A SMOKCREEN. AFTER ATTENDG A LIBERAL ARTS LLEGE INDIANA, HE EVENTUALLY STUDIED ACTG AT NYU’S TISCH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS. “IT WAS ALWAYS THERE,” HE SAID OF HIS LOVE OF ACTG. “I WAS JT WAG TO HAVE ENOUGH DISTANCE BETWEEN THE EXTERNAL AND TERNAL IMPEDIMENTS ADMTG WHAT I WANTED TO DO AND THEN ANNOUNCED TO MYSELF.”HIS MOTHER WAS NERVO, THOUGH FORTED HERSELF THAT WH A MASTERS GREE ACTG HE “ULD TEACH A THEATER PARTMENT SOMEWHERE.” SHE WAS NEVER A STAGE MOM, HALL SAID, AND WHILE SHE EXPRSED HER NCERNS ABOUT HIS ABILY TO MAKE A LIVG AS AN ACTOR, SHE ALLOWED HALL’S ENTHIASM TO BELONG TO HIM. HIS AMBNS IALLY WERE TO WORK THEATERS HE ADMIRED LIKE THE PUBLIC NEW YORK (WHERE HE PERFORMED HENRY V). HE DID SHAKPEARE AND SONDHEIM, AND MA ENOUGH MONEY SO AS NOT HAVE TO DO OTHER WORK. HE LIVED THE EAST VILLAGE, THEN BETWEEN CARNEGIE HILL AND SPANISH HARLEM. IT WAS WHEN HE GOT THE ROLE OF THE EMCEE SAM MENS’ 1999 BROADWAY REVIVAL OF CABARET THAT HALL SAID HE REALIZED THAT HIS REER MIGHT EXTEND BEYOND ANYTHG HE HAD DREAMT OF, POSSIBLY ON SCREEN, ALTHOUGH HIS MD WAS FOCED ON THE STAGE THEN.WHEN SIX FEET UNR BEGAN 2001, ACTORS WERE STILL AMB TO DO FILM, HALL SAID. THE KD OF PRTIGE TELEVISN SIX FEET UNR HELPED ORIGATE WASN’T A MASTAY THENPLAYG A GAY ROLE BACK THEN WAS ALSO NSIRED BRAVE, AND FOR SOME ACTORS AND AGENTS FOOLHARDY ENOUGH TO KILL A REER. “I KNEW THE CHARACTER WAS UNIQUE THE LANDSPE OF GAY CHARACTERS UP TO THAT POT, AND HE WAS AN TEGRAL PART OF THE SHOW. HE WASN’T CINTALLY GAY OR IC RELIEF OR THAT KD OF THG. HE WAS FULLY FLHED OUT AND AT THE EYE OF THE STORM.” “NO REPRENTATIVE OF ME, OR ANYONE WHO KNEW ABOUT , DISURAGED ME,” HALL SAID. “I SUPPOSE I WAS AWARE OF THE TIME WE WERE . I WAS ALSO AWARE THAT DAVID WAS A NEW KD OF GAY CHARACTER ON TV, FILM, OR STAGE. HE WAS A FANTASTIC CHARACTER AND AS RICH AND WELL-DRAWN AS THE LARGER WORLD HE EXISTED WH. I NEVER LOBBIED TO DN FOR ANY OTHER PART. “ANY ROLE THAT YOU ARE N PIGEONHOLE YOU, BUT TO BE ASSOCIATED WH A ROLE AS MULTI-DIMENSNAL AS DAVID WAS A RELATIVELY GOOD THG. MORE THAN THE RISKS I WAS AWARE OF, I JT FELT CHARGED TO GET RIGHT. I KNEW THE CHARACTER WAS UNIQUE THE LANDSPE OF GAY CHARACTERS UP TO THAT POT, AND HE WAS AN TEGRAL PART OF THE SHOW. HE WASN’T CINTALLY GAY OR IC RELIEF OR THAT KD OF THG. HE WAS FULLY FLHED OUT AND AT THE EYE OF THE STORM.“A B OF THE APPEAL OF PLAYG THE PART WAS THE SUBVERSN OF PLAYG A GAY CHARACTER AN TERRACIAL RELATNSHIP (ALONGSI MATHEW ST. PATRICK). IT WAS A POLIL STATEMENT AIMED AT THE ENVIRONMENT I HAD GROWN UP .” PICTURELUX/THE HOLLYWOOD ARCHIVE/ALAMY I ASKED IF HALL HAD EVER HAD SAME-SEX EXPERIENC HIMSELF.“I THK THERE’S A SPECTM. I AM ON . I’M HETEROSEXUAL. BUT IF THERE WAS A PERCENTAGE, I WOULD SAY I WAS NOT ALL THE WAY HETEROSEXUAL. I THK PLAYG THE EMCEE REQUIRED ME TO FLG A BUNCH OF DOORS WI OPEN BEE THAT CHARACTER I IMAGED AS PANSEXUAL.” HE LGHED. “YEAH, LIKE I MA OUT WH MICHAEL STUHLBARG EVERY NIGHT DOG THAT SHOW. I THK I HAVE ALWAYS LEANED TO ANY FLUIDY TERMS OF MY SEXUALY.”HAS HE EVER HAD SEX WH ANOTHER MAN? “I’VE NEVER HAD AN TIMATE RELATNSHIP WH A MAN. I THK, MAYBE BEE OF AN ABSENT FATHER, THERE HAS FELY BEEN A CRAVG FOR AN EMOTNAL TIMACY WH A MAN. I DON’T MEAN TO SUGGT THAT AN EMOTNAL RELATNSHIP BETWEEN A FATHER AND SON IS ANY WAY HOMOEROTIC. I MEAN AN EMOTNAL TIMACY OR NNECTN THAT AT LEAST THE I I GREW UP WAS NSIRED FEY. I HAD AN APPETE TO HAVE EMOTNAL NNECTNS WH MEN BEYOND BEER, SPORTS, AND FIST PUMPG THAT WERE NSIRED ‘GAY.’”WAS HE EVER ATTRACTED TO OTHER MEN?“NO. I MEAN, I WAS ATTRACTED TO JOHN CAMERON MCHELL WHEN I SAW HEDWIG. BUT NO, AS A LE I AM HETEROSEXUAL.”AS SUCH, HE PLAYED THE TRANS TLE CHARACTER HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH AND DAVID SIX FEET UNR: WHAT DID HALL THK ABOUT THE NTUED NTROVERSY AROUND STRAIGHT ACTORS TAKG LGBT ROL?“THAT WAS SOMETHG I WAS AWARE OF WHEN DAVID FISHER WAS HAPPENG,” SAID HALL. “FOR ME, I WAS PLAYG THIS ASPIRATNALLY INIC GAY ROLE AS A STRAIGHT MAN. I FELT ALL THE MORE CHARGED TO DO JTICE. I CERTALY UNRSTAND ANYONE WHO TAK ISSUE WH THE PHENOMENON. “CATE BLANCHETT RECENTLY SAID THAT ANY ACTOR SHOULD BE ABLE TO PLAY ANYONE. BUT THE FACT IS THERE ARE SR OF HETEROSEXUAL ACTORS WNG ACLAS AND AWARDS FOR PLAYG GAY AND TRANS CHARACTERS. ITS UNNIABLE THAT THE PUBLIC FDS MORE PALATABLE TO SEE A STRAIGHT ACTOR DO THEIR OWN SEXUAL OR GENR STUNT WORK—‘OH LOOK AT HIM, PRETENDG TO WANT THAT MAN, ’S SO NVCG’—AS OPPOSED TO LOOKG AT A GAY OR TRANS PERSON BEG THEMSELV. IT’S ACTG NO MATTER WHAT. IT’S A CHARACTER.“WHEN I WAS SIX FEET UNR I WAS AWARE THAT I WAS A HETEROSEXUAL MAN PLAYG A GAY ROLE THAT WAS UNIQUE THE TV LANDSPE. I WAS ALSO AWARE THAT GIVEN THE WAY THGS ARE AND MAYBE STILL ARE TO A GREE THAT NOT MANY GAY ACTORS WERE PURSUG THE ROLE. IT WOULD EXPOSE THEM A WAY. THAT IRONY WASN’T LOST ON ME.”HALL IS REFUL NOT TO BE PRCRIPTIVE ON THE ISSUE.“HOW FUNDAMENTAL IS ONE’S SEXUAL ORIENTATN OR GENR INTY IF BOTH ARE FACT FLUID, IF THERE IS SOME SORT OF SPECTM AND WE ARE JT MOVG THE DIAL? OR IS MORE FUNDAMENTAL THAN THAT? IS MY PLAYG A GAY CHARACTER AS ABSURD AS MY PLAYG AN AIN-AMERIN?” “SOMETIM I FEEL LIKE EXECUTIV SAY, ‘LET’S PUT SOMEONE THIS SHOW WHO IS CINTALLY GAY SO WE N CHECK A BOX,’ RATHER THAN TELLG THE FULL STORI OF GAY AND TRANS PEOPLE.” ARE THERE ENOUGH ROL FOR GAY AND TRANS ACTORS?“I THK THERE ARE MORE AND MORE. I HOPE WE GET TO THE PLACE WHERE ’S JT NOT AT THE FOREONT OF OUR NSIRATN OR FOC, AND THAT WHEN WE THK OF ACTORS WE THK OF HUMAN BEG WORKG SERVICE OF WHATEVER HUMAN EXPERIENCE THEY ARE LLED UPON TO SIMULATE, SO THERE ARE NOT JT GAY AND TRANS ACTORS PLAYG GAY AND TRANS PEOPLE BUT BEG ABLE TO PLAY EVERYONE. IT’S ABOUT CHARACTERS AND ’S ALSO ABOUT STORI. “SOMETIM I FEEL LIKE EXECUTIV SAY, ‘LET’S PUT SOMEONE THIS SHOW WHO IS CINTALLY GAY SO WE N CHECK A BOX,’ RATHER THAN TELLG THE FULL STORI OF GAY AND TRANS PEOPLE.” THE BATE IS “DICEY TERRORY,” SAID THE EVER-UT HALL; HE HOP “WE GET BEYOND , BUT WE ARE OBVLY NOT THERE.” FOR HALL, FAME WAS SOMETHG HE “NEED TO MAKE ROOM FOR.” IT BEGAN WH SIX FEET UNR, BUT DEXTER (2006-2013) “TOOK TO A DIFFERENT PLACE, WHERE YOU N’T TURN THE FCET OFF.”WHEN HE WAS PLAYG DAVID, PEOPLE LOOKED AT HIM WH A GREE OF AFFECTN: “‘OH GOSH, YOU’RE SUCH A LONG-SUFFERG DOORMAT,’ THEY’D SAY. ‘I N’T WA TO GIVE YOU A HUG. SORRY THAT GUY PUT A GUN YOUR MOUTH AND POURED GASOLE OVER YOUR HEAD.’ OF URSE, I GOT TO TURN THE TABL ON THAT GUY WHEN PLAYED I PLAYED DEXTER. I GOT TO POUR THE GASOLE ON THE GUY’S HEAD. THEN PEOPLE WOULD SAY (AND HE PUTS ON A BUTCH GROWL), ‘YEAH, GET HIM, DEX.’” AF ARCHIVE/ALAMY FOR ALL HIS KILLG, PEOPLE LIKED DEXTER “BEE WE LIVE A WORLD WHERE WE CREASGLY LACK AGENCY AND NTROL,” THKS HALL. “PEOPLE LOVED BEG PRENTED WH THIS CHARACTER THIS LTLE RNER OF THE WORLD, ELIMATG THGS AND PEOPLE METAPHORILLY AND LERALLY. IT WAS THARTIC, LIKE A PRSURE VALVE BEG RELEASED.“I WILL SAY THAT WAS ON THE DAYS DRIVG HOME OM WORK AFTER HAVG SHOT A SCENE WHERE I KILLED SOMEONE THAT I FELT THE GREATT SENSE OF RELAXATN, RELEASE, AND JT EASE. THE DAYS WHERE I WAS PLAYG DEXTER HIDG OM SOMETHG WERE HARR. I GUS PLAYG HIM WAS THARTIC FOR ME A WAY. YOU DO WHATEVER THE TERNAL ALCHEMY IS, OR TAKE THE IMAGATIVE LEAP YOU HAVE TO, SO YOU N NNECT WH WHAT YOU’RE DOG. “I CERTALY EXPERIENCE ROAD RAGE AND ANGER AT PEOPLE WHO SERVE A GOOD PUMMELG, BUT ULTIMATELY I DO NOT WANT TO KILL PEOPLE.” HE SED. “BUT ’S FUN TO PRETEND TO. PEOPLE WOULD SAY, ‘YOU’RE GIVG ME THE DEXTER LOOK, AND I’D SAY, ‘NO, ’S JT MY FACE.’”HALL’S BT-KNOWN CHARACTERS ARE OFTEN VERY SI THEMSELV, DARK, AND TENSE. ARE ANY OF THEM LIKE HIM, OR ARE THEY ALL UTTERLY FICTNAL PHANTASMS? “WELL I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY OF THEM ARE LIKE ME, BUT I’M FELY LIKE THEM BEE THAT’S ALL THERE IS—OTHERWISE ’S JT WORDS ON THE PAGE. SOMETIM DOWN TO BATN OF NTOURS OF THE FACE AND THE SOUND OF A VOICE.”HALL FOUND WAYS WH DEXTER AND DAVID TO NNECT WH DIENC DIFFERENTLY. THOM PA APPEARS SEVERE AND LD AT FIRST, BUT IS ALSO QUE FEARLS, EVEN THOUGH HE IS PREOCCUPIED WH FEAR AND HIS HISTORY OF FEAR. HE IS ALSO MORE OUTRAGEO AND FUNNY THAN OTHER CHARACTERS HALL IS FAMO FOR, EVEN THOUGH HALL THKS DAVID AND DEXTER “ARE FUNNY, BUT UNR A DARK UMBRELLA. THE SUN JT GETS SNUFFED OUT.”BOTH SIX FEET UNR AND DEXTER WERE SUCH WELL-KNOWN SHOWS MAK HALL “THK LONG AND HARD” ABOUT TAKG A SIAR LONG-NNG SERI ON. “WHEN SIX FEET UNR END, I THOUGHT I SHOULD QU, BEE HOW DO YOU TOP THAT? THEN DEXTER ME ALONG. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE. WHAT GIV ME PSE NOW IS I KNOW WHAT THE MMENT TO SUCH A SHOW ENTAILS, AND THERE IS SOME SORT OF HIGH BAR THAT HAS BEEN SET. “THE SHOWS WERE EXHSTG AT TIM. INEVABLY, IF YOU DO SOMETHG FOR THAT LONG, NO MATTER HOW VELOPED OR EVOLVED FEELS, FEELS LIKE YOU’RE TILLG SOIL THAT IS NO LONGER AS FERTILE AS ONCE WAS.”NOW HE LIK “MIXG UP” WH MEO ROL, OR PLAYS, OR DIE FILMS, OR FE-END TV SERI LIKE THE RECENT BRISH-MA DRAMA SAFE. “THEY’RE MORE LIKE AFFAIRS OR FLGS THAN MARRIAG,” HALL SAID OF THE SHORTER-TERM PROJECTS. “THERE WAS 13 STRAIGHT YEARS OF NSTANT WORK, AND I AM ENJOYG TCHG MY BREATH PERDILLY,” HE SAID. “WHATEVER WORK I DO IS BETTER SERVED IF I DO THAT. IF I’M SIMULATG WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE A PERSON ’S GOOD TO LIVE AN ACTUAL LIFE ASI OM ALL THE SIMULATN.” “I THK I ROMANTICIZED FOR A TIME BEG A SOLO LONE PERSON, MAYBE THE WAY MY MOTHER MOLED . BUT I DON’T THK THAT’S WHO I ACTUALLY AM.” HE HAS BEEN MARRIED FOR TWO YEARS TO MACGREGOR, A FORMER EDOR AT THE LOS ANGEL REVIEW OF BOOKS NOW “WORKG ON HER OWN STUFF,” SAID HALL. “IT’S THE CHARM,” HE SAID, LGHG SOFTLY AT THE “THIRD” MARRIAGE. THE FACT HE HAS BEEN THREE MTED RELATNSHIP SHOWS HE IS A “UPLER,” HE SAID. “I THK I ROMANTICIZED FOR A TIME BEG A SOLO LONE PERSON, MAYBE THE WAY MY MOTHER MOLED . BUT I DON’T THK THAT’S WHO I ACTUALLY AM.”HE SAID HE WAS DISCLED TO TALK ABOUT THE RELATNSHIP AS WAS “ONE RNER OF MY LIFE THAT DON’T BELONG TO ANYONE BUT . BUT ’S BEEN GREAT. SHE’S JT AN CREDIBLE IEND AND IS A REMARKABLE BATN OF TELLIGENCE AND KDNS, AND SHE’S ABLE TO TELL ME THE TTH THAT A WAY THAT I N ACTUALLY STOMACH.” HE LGHED. A “GREAT REAR,” HE VALU HER OPN ON SCRIPTS AND ANYTHG HE IS NSIRG REER-WISE.HALL AND MACGREGOR HAVE DISCSED HAVG CHILDREN. “IT’S NO NEWS TO ANYONE BUT ’S A CRAZY WORLD, AND BRGG SOMEBODY TO THAT WORLD FOR A ONT-ROW SEAT IS SOMETHG THAT GIV ME PSE. BUT ’S ALSO SOMETHG WE TALK AND THK ABOUT.”HALL IS NOT A POLIL JUNKIE, HE SAID, BUT IS AS ENGAGED AS HE EVER HAS BEEN, “WHICH IS TE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE RIGHT NOW MAYBE. I’M NOT SURE HOW MUCH GOOD OUT STAYG ABREAST OF ALL THE BAD NEWS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THG THAT HAPPENED FOR ME POLILLY IS REALLY A PERSONAL AND ETHIL CISN. I BEME A VEGAN. THAT GREW OUT OF A SIRE TO DO SOMETHG ASI OM KEEPG MYSELF RMED ABOUT HOW DIRE EVERYTHG IS. “THE GENERAL QUTN THAT OCCURRED TO ME WAS WHAT I ULD DO ABOUT THE WELFARE OF ACTORS, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND MY OWN PHYSIL BODY AND A SIRE TO BAT RPORATE RPTN. ALL THOSE THGS LED ME TO VEGANISM. THAT’S FELT GOOD.”TAKG A MORE OVERT POLIL STAND IS “A DICEY THG,” HALL SAID. “IT’S SUCH AN OBVLY NTENT ENVIRONMENT THAT SOMETIM TAKG A STANCE IS FUEL FOR SOMEONE ELSE’S FIRE. I JT HOPE THAT MOVG FORWARD THAT WE N FD OURSELV WH LEARSHIP THAT ENURAG TO HAVE MORE MON WH EACH OTHER THAN AT ODDS.” HALL S WILY WHEN I ASK ABOUT WORKG WH BOWIE ON THE MIL LAZAS LATE 2015 TO EARLY 2016, WHEN BOWIE DIED. LATER HALL TRAVELED WH THE SHOW TO LONDON.“HE WAS ALL THE OBV THGS THAT YOU WOULD IMAGE WHEN YOU THK OF ENUNTERG SOMEONE WHO’S LIVED THE PHYSIL BODY AND REALI OF WHAT DAVID BOWIE IS AND REPRENTS,” HALL SAID WH A LIGHTED SE. “THE MOLECUL THE ROOM CHANGE WHEN HE WALKS . COUNTERG THAT WAS SUCH GENUE KDNS, HUY AND PRENCE. HE WAS VERY REAL.”YOU TOUCHED HIM, I SE. HE WAS ACTUALLY MA OF FLH? “HE APPEARED AT THE DOOR. HE SMELLED AMAZG. HE WAS DRSED HEAD TO TOE ALEXANR MCQUEEN. THERE WERE SKULL SIGNS ON HIS SHO, AND HE RRIED A BETIFUL SILVER-TIPPED UMBRELLA. HE DIDN’T DISAPPOT.” “I TOUCHED HIM,” HALL REPLIED, LGHG. “AND HE WAS SO KD AND APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK WE WERE ALL DOG. IF HE WAS A ROCK GOD, HE ULD LORD THAT OVER PEOPLE, BUT HE PUT PEOPLE AT THEIR EASE EFFORTLSLY. THE FIRST TIME I MET HIM, AT OUR MIC DIRECTOR’S LTLE APARTMENT THE EAST VILLAGE, I SANG FOR HIM. “HE APPEARED AT THE DOOR. HE SMELLED AMAZG. HE WAS DRSED HEAD TO TOE ALEXANR MCQUEEN. THERE WERE SKULL SIGNS ON HIS SHO, AND HE RRIED A BETIFUL SILVER-TIPPED UMBRELLA. HE DIDN’T DISAPPOT.” HALL LGHED. “HIS EY WERE THE SAME HEIGHT AS ME, SO HE WAS ALWAYS RIGHT THERE. IT WAS SO EXCG. HE SAID, ‘IT’S SO GREAT TO MEET YOU.’ WHAT DO YOU SAY TO DAVID BOWIE WHEN HE SAYS THAT? ‘OH Y’KNOW, YOU’RE WELE!’ WE TALKED ABOUT SONG KEYS. HE SET HIMSELF FOR A LOWER KEY AND DID A BASS BARONE CROONG VERSN OF ‘CHANG.’ I AM PCHG MYSELF MY MD.”HE DID SAY TO ME, ‘SO, WHAT IS WH YOU AND ATH?’ HE KNEW (THE ACTOR) REBEC HALL, THEY WERE THE SAME BOOK CLUB AND WE HAD JT FILMED CHRISTE, ABOUT THE ON-AIR SUICI OF TV REPORTER CHRISTE CHUBBOCK 1974.AT ONE POT, HALL WAS SGG THROUGH ONE OF THE MIL’S SONGS, AND BOWIE ASKED IF WOULD BE EFUL TO HEAR HIS MO OF THE SAME. “NO PUT BACK YOUR BAG, DAVID! OF URSE, GO AHEAD, THROW ON.”HALL WASN’T AWARE THAT BOWIE HAD LIVER NCER. HE DIED ON JANUARY 10, 2016. LOOKG BACK HALL RELLS THE UPLE OF TIM HE DIDN’T SHOW UP FOR WORK, SAYG HE WAS UNWELL. “BUT I NEVER HAD ANY AWARENS THAT WAS AS DIRE AS WAS. IF HE WAS FEEBLE WAS PLETELY OVERWHELMED BY HIS LIFE FORCE AND HIS ENERGY, HIS SPIRUAL ENERGY GENERALLY, AND HIS ENTHIASM. WE WERE MAKG THIS PIECE WHICH WIPED OUT ANY FIRMY.”THE FIRST TIME THE ST WAS TOGETHER AFTER BOWIE’S ATH WAS TO RERD THE SHOW ALBUM. IT FELT GOOD TO GET TOGETHER AND DO SOMETHG FOR HIM, SAID HALL. “WHEN WE DID THE PERFORMANCE THE FOLLOWG NIGHT THAT WAS HARR. WE WERE HEARG EVERYTHG THROUGH A NEW FILTER. BUT I NEVER FELT HIS PRENCE MORE POTENTLY THAN AFTER HE PASSED AT THAT TUDAY PERFORMANCE AND BEYOND. IT WAS LIKE A CHARGE RIGHT AROUND MY DIAPHRAGM AND SOLAR PLEX. A LOW GRA BUZZ.”AND SO, TO NTUE TO ANSWER DAVID BOWIE’S QUTN, WHAT IS ABOUT MICHAEL C. HALL AND ATH? THE PARTS THAT MA HIM FAMO—OM UNRTAKER TO SERIAL KILLER—ALSO HAVE MORTALY AT THEIR PLEX HEARTS. “THEY CERTALY HAVEN’T DISURAGED THE NSIRATN,” HALL SAID WRYLY, “AND I HAD A NCER EPISO MYSELF.”IN 2010, HALL WAS DIAGNOSED WH HODGK’S LYMPHOMA. HE’D HAD A LD WHICH HE ULDN’T SHAKE OFF. “ALONG WH THE DIAGNOSIS ME THE ASSURANCE THAT MY PROGNOSIS WAS REALLY GOOD IF I JT CID ON A URSE OF TREATMENT AND JT DID . I WAS NEVER A 50/50 LIFE OR ATH PROPOSN. IT WAS SRY, BUT I WASN’T REALLY IGHTENED. I WAS MORE JT TERTED FDG OUT THE ANSWERS TO QUTNS SURROUNDG WHAT I NEED TO DO, AND EAGER TO DO THEM TERMS OF TREATMENT.”HALL HAD CHEMOTHERAPY, BUT NOT RADTHERAPY, PART BEE WASN’T REQUIRED BUT ALSO BEE THE AFFECTED AREA OF HIS BODY WAS AROUND HIS THROAT AND HE DIDN’T WANT ANY TREATMENT TO JEOPARDIZE HIS VOL RDS. “WHEN THEY DID THE SN ALMOST LOOKED LIKE I WAS WEARG AN AMULET,” HE RELLED, “LIKE A CHUNKY CHA AND THEN A BIGGER THG RIGHT BEHD THE STERNUM.”THE MOST VASIVE SURGERY HE HAD WAS A BPSY OF TWO LYMPH NOS WHICH WERE “STICKG OUT OF MY NECK. I’M GLAD WENT THAT WAY. IF HAD VELOPED A DIFFERENT DIRECTN, I WOULDN’T HAVE NOTICED .” THE TIMG WAS LUCKY ONE WAY: HE ULD FISH UP THE FILMG OF THE FOURTH SEASON OF DEXTER, ANIZE WHAT HE NEED TO ANIZE, HAVE TREATMENT, THEN RETURN TO FILMG SEASON FIVE WEARG A WIG. “I JT KEPT GOG,” HALL SAID. HE WAS VERY PRACTIL. HE LGHED RELLG SOMETHG A IEND HAD SAID: “IT’S JT LIKE HAVG WET PANTS. YOUR JEANS WILL BE SOAKED THROUGH FOR SIX MONTHS, BUT AFTER THAT YOU’LL BE ABLE TO TAKE THEM OFF.” HALL HELD ON TO THAT IA, AND UNTED HIS BLSGS FOR HAVG GOOD RE AND HEALTH SURANCE, AND THAT THE NCER HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED QUICKLY AND FOUND EARLY. HALL FELT MORE “GRATEFUL THAN CURSED ANY WAY.” HE IS NOW “WELL OUT OF THE WOODS.”HALL SAID THE EXPERIENCE HAD CHANGED HIS ATTU TO LIFE DIFFERENT WAYS. “I GOT SOBER. BEME VEGAN. ALL THOSE THGS ARE NOT UNRELATED TO THE FACT OF THAT MORTAL ILLNS.” HIS DRKG WAS “FUNCTNAL, BUT NOT SOMETHG I ULD NY. IT WAS AN EBB AND FLOW, BUT THE GENERAL TRAJECTORY WAS MORE DRKG, POT SMOKG AND RECREATNAL THIS AND THAT. THERE WAS AN UNNIABLE, LONG-SENSED OF DIMISHG RETURNS AND THE SENSE THAT LIFE WAS SHORTENG; AND TERMS OF THOSE PREOCCUPATNS AND THOSE BEHAVRS WAS PROGRSG A CERTA DIRECTN THAT I FELT WASN’T STAABLE. I DON’T DO ANY MORE OF ANYTHG NOW.”HALL RIGHTLY THKS HE LOOKS BETTER THAN HE DID FIVE YEARS AGO, WH HIS VEGAN DIET AND “NO BOOZE AND MARIJUANA, OR ANYTHG ELSE.” OF AGG, HE LGHED. “I HAVE A SENSE OF THAT THGS ARE GOG TO START FALLG APART. BUT YEAH, I FEEL PRETTY GOOD. I’M THANKFUL.” HE’S DONE YOGA THE PAST, CIRCU AND WEIGHT TRAG. DOG THE SHOW IS HIS FORMAL WORKOUT OF RIGHT NOW. HOW DO 50 SEEM TO HIM? ANOTHER LGH. “SOON. I FOUND MYSELF THKG, ‘I’M NOT 35 ANYMORE. NO, WA, I’M 37. NO, WA, I’M 47.”HE DON’T HAVE DREAM ROL. HE SAID HE ULD NEVER HAVE IMAGED DAVID FISHER OR DEXTER, AND EVEN THOUGH WHEN WE SPOKE HE HAD ONLY PERFORMED THOM PA TWICE, ALREADY FELT “SUCH A RICH AND FUNDAMENTAL EXPERIENCE” THAT HE NNOT IMAGE NOT HAVG DONE . “I HOPE TO FD MYSELF THAT VERSN OF A STATE OF GRACE AGA.”I ASKED IF DAVID FISHER AND DEXTER MAN HAD STAYED WH HALL.“I FEEL LIKE I’M ABLE TO WALK AWAY OM THEM, AND I THK THERE IS SOME PART OF THAT DON’T DISTGUISH BETWEEN REALY AND RUAL. I THK THEY REMA PART OF MY LIVED EXPERIENCE.” “IT’S EXHILARATG. THERE IS NOWHERE TO TURN BUT BACK TO THE HOE. YOU N’T GET OFF THE RI, EVEN IF THE RI FEELS WOBBLY OR GNARLY YOU’RE STILL ON . YOU’RE STAYG ON THAT WAVE ALL THE TIME.” TODAY, HALL WILL WALK SALAMANR NEARBY CENTRAL PARK. AFTER THAT, HE WILL PREPARE FOR THAT EVENG’S PERFORMANCE OF THOM PA. WHILE HEDWIG HAD ELEMENTS OF MONOLOGUE, WAS “MORE OF A MASK WH A BAND PROTECTG YOU,” SAID HALL. WH THOM PA, IS ALL MONOLOGUE AND ALL ON HIM TO LIVER. “IT’S EXHILARATG. THERE IS NOWHERE TO TURN BUT BACK TO THE HOE. YOU N’T GET OFF THE RI, EVEN IF THE RI FEELS WOBBLY OR GNARLY YOU’RE STILL ON . YOU’RE STAYG ON THAT WAVE ALL THE TIME.”IT’S SO TIMATE AND TENSE THE DIENCE MATTERS EVERY NIGHT: WHAT THEY LGH AT OR VOLLY RPOND TO. ON THE FIRST NIGHT A WOMAN REPLIED TO ONE OF PA’S QUTNS “VERY EAGERLY AS IF WAS HER ASSIGNMENT. THAT WAS GREAT. I LOVED . I JT HOPE THE QUALY OF THE SILENCE REMAS.” IT IS THE QUALY OF THEIR SILENC—CHARGED, PAED, TENTATIVE, SHOCKED; LS WHAT THEY SAY AND WHAT WE IMAGE MBLG SI THEIR UNQUIET MDS—THAT DISTGUISH HALL’S MOST MEMORABLE CHARACTERS. AS WELL AS ALL THAT ATH.RT ASSURED THAT THE SG HALL WASN’T WORRYG ABOUT MORTALY WHEN WE SAID FAREWELL. “I’M GOG TO BUY SOME DOG FOOD,” HE ANNOUNCED.THOM PA (BASED ON NOTHG) IS AT SIGNATURE THEATRE, NEW YORK CY, THROUGH DEC. 2. TIM TEEMAN
IS MICHAEL C. HALL GAY? HE’S “NOT ALL THE WAY HETEROSEXUAL”
MICHAEL C. HALL TALKS PLAYG ‘PELLG’ GAY CHARACTERS

MICHAEL C. HALL ON HIS 'FLUID' SEXUALY, ‘DEXTER,’ DEATH, AND DAVID BOWIEREVEALINGIN A NDID TERVIEW WH TIM TEEMAN, MICHAEL C. HALL TALKS ABOUT HIS ‘FLUID’ SEXUALY, FACG NCER, THE FUTURE OF ‘DEXTER,’ AND THE POLICS OF STRAIGHT ACTORS LGBT ROL.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED MAR. 14, 2019 8:51PM EDT / PUBLISHED NOV. 09, 2018 5:12AM EST EXCLIVERANDY SHROPSHIRE/GETTYHIS FELLOW FFEE DRKERS MAY HAVE SEEN HIM PLAY THE SERIAL KILLER DEXTER, OR THE HOT, PERENNIALLY EAKED-OUT UNRTAKER DAVID FISHER SIX FEET UNR, BUT TODAY MICHAEL C. HALL’S ANONYMY AN UPPER WT SI FE IS GUARANTEED THANKS TO A BASEBALL P SCRIBED WH A RABOW ATOP BRIAN ENO’S NAME. THE ACTOR LIV NEARBY WH HIS THIRD WIFE, MAN MACGREGOR, AND THEIR BLACK LONG-HAIRED DACHSHUND SALAMANR.HANDSOME, CHARMG, AND ELOQUENT, AND WH A LIGHT BEARD OF REDDISH-GRAY STUBBLE, HALL WILL TALK ABOUT ATH, BOTH AS A SHADOW HIS OWN LIFE AND THE ROL THAT HAVE MA HIM FAMO. HAVG PLAYED ONE OF TELEVISN’S MOST RADIL AND REMEMBERED GAY CHARACTERS, HE WILL TALK ABOUT "LEANG " TO HIS OWN "FLUID" SEXUALY, AND THE VEXED CULTURAL POLICS AROUND THE ROL AVAILABLE FOR OPENLY GAY AND TRANS ACTORS AND STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAYG GAY AND TRANS ROL. HE WILL TALK ABOUT GIVG UP ALHOL, MARIJUANA, AND BEG A VEGAN. AND THE GOLN GLOBE AND SCREEN ACTORS GUILD WNER WILL ALSO REMEMBER DAVID BOWIE, WHO WALKED TO HIS LIFE (WHILE HALL WAS WORKG ON BOWIE’S FAL PROJECT LAZAS) SMELLG DIVE AND HOLDG A SILVER-TIPPED NE, AND WHO DIED SOON AFTERWARDS. HALL STILL FEELS BOWIE’S PRENCE, HE SAID, LIKE AN ELECTRIL CHARGE NEAR HIS SOLAR PLEX. BOWIE ASKED HALL THE QUTN THAT TO MANY PEOPLE’S MDS: “SO, WHAT IS WH YOU AND ATH?” THE FULL ANSWER, WHICH HE GIV TODAY, IS EXTREMELY PERSONAL AND CLUS HIS OWN EXPERIENCE OF NCER. WHEN WE MET, THE 47-YEAR-OLD HALL HAD ALREADY DONE TWO PREVIEW PERFORMANC OF HIS NEW ONE-MAN PLAY, WILL ENO’S THOM PA (BASED ON NOTHG), AT THE OFF-BROADWAY SIGNATURE THEATRE. HE LLS THE 70-MUTE MONOLOGUE “AN EXTRAORDARY PRENTATN OF AN ORDARY LIFE.” IT IS TENTNALLY AMBIGUO, HE SAID. WE THK WE ARE MEETG A MAN, WHO MAY OR NOT BE LLED THOM PA, A RENTED SPACE THAT MAY BE TRANSNG OM ONE THEATRIL PERFORMANCE TO ANOTHER. IT’S NOT CLEAR WHERE HE HAS E OM OR WHERE HE IS HEAD, IF HE EXISTS OUTSI THIS THEATRIL SPACE. IN CRAFTG THE CHARACTER, HALL SAID HE WAS DISCLED TO ANSWER THE QUTNS, EVEN FOR HIMSELF. THE DIENCE HELPS EACH NIGHT’S PERFORMANCE CHANGE, AND ENO’S LANGUAGE MEANS PERFORMG IS “LIKE RIDG A WAVE OF LANGUAGE THAT IS SURPRISG AND VAR, EVEN IF THE CHARACTER THKS HE IS EXPERIENCG LEAR THOUGHT.” COURTRY JOAN MARC HALL HAS RATED HIS DRSG ROOM WH ABSTRACT DRAWGS HE IMAG HIS CHARACTER WOULD HAVE DRAWN. HE SHOWS ME THE SEQUENC OF SQUIGGL, AND THEY ARE BETIFUL. I SAY HE SHOULD EXHIB THEM. HE MAY CTN THEM OFF, HE SAID, LLG THEM “SCRIBBLED PICTUR OF SCRIBBLED FEELGS.” THE DRAWGS ARE SPIRED BY TWO PHOTOGRAPHS: DIANE ARB’ 1962 PHOTOGRAPH OF A BOY WH A TOY HAND GRENA CENTRAL PARK, AND MALLM BROWNE’S 1963 ASSOCIATED PRS PHOTOGRAPHS OF VIETNAME MAHAYANA BUDDHIST MONK THíCH QUANG DUC, WHO BURNED HIMSELF TO ATH SAIGON.HALL SAID, “THERE’S SOMETHG ABOUT BOTH OF THOSE PICTUR THAT REPRENTS MAYBE WHERE I IMAGE THOM AT THE BEGNG OF THE STORY AND AT THE END, WHICH IS A PLACE OF SUCH EQUANIMY WHERE YOU ULD SET HIM ON FIRE AND HE’D BE OK. THEY ARE A SORT OF VISUAL REPRENTATN OF WHAT I UNRSTAND TO BE THE SPIRUAL OR EMOTNAL RE OF WHAT HE UP TO.”HALL ALSO LISTENS TO A LOT OF THELON MONK BEFORE THE SHOW, “MIC I HAVE LOVED ALL MY LIFE AND ALWAYS WILL. IT HAS S OWN LOGIC. IT IS CHAOTIC AND UNPREDICTABLE S WAY AND ALSO FOLLOWS S OWN L, EVEN IF THEY ARE L ONLY THELON MONK KNOWS ABOUT.” HALL’S NAME AND NOT NSIRABLE FAN BASE GUARANTE HEALTHY DIENC FOR THOM PA, BUT HE KNOWS DEXTER FANS HAVE A MORE PRSG QUTN: WILL TELEVISN’S BT-KNOWN SERIAL KILLER RETURN, AND IF SO WHEN?“EVERY TIME I’M ASKED ABOUT THIS I SAY, ‘NEVER SAY NEVER,’” HALL SAID, SG. “THE NEXT THG I KNOW THERE’S AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE TER SAYG ‘HE’S GOG TO DO AGA.’ THE WAY THAT SHOW END GAVE NO SENSE OF CLOSURE FOR PEOPLE AND A LOT OF QUTNS UNANSWERED. HE SEEMS TO BE THIS SELF-IMPOSED EXILE, HE CERTALY DIDN’T RI OFF TO THE SUNSET. HIS SISTER DIED. IT LEFT A GNARLY KNOT SOME VIEWERS’ STOMACHS. I STAND BY HOW THAT 8TH SEASON END.” “THERE HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT POSSIBILI THAT HAVE E UP. THEY HAVEN’T FELT WORTH DOG. BUT THERE’S STILL SOMETHG POTENTIALLY THERE.” FOR HALL, THE TRAGEDY OF DEXTER IS THAT “IF HE HAD KEPT ON KILLG PEOPLE HE’D HAVE BEEN FE, BUT HE GETS MARRIED, HE OPENS HIS IMAGATN AND HEART. HE HAS A REAL NNECTN TO PEOPLE, AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE PROMISED OR STROYED SOME WAY. FOR TO BE ALL TIDIED UP AFTER THAT WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN HONT. FOR HIM TO SIMULATE HIS OWN ATH AND EXTRITE HIMSELF OM THE NTEXT OF HIS LIFE MA SENSE TO ME. AS FAR AS ANY MORE OF THAT HAPPENG, ’S POSSIBLE.” IN TERMS OF DISCSNS AROUND THE SERI, HALL SAID, “THERE HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT POSSIBILI THAT HAVE E UP. THEY HAVEN’T FELT WORTH DOG. BUT THERE’S STILL SOMETHG POTENTIALLY THERE. BUT THERE ARE NO IMMEDIATE PLANS TO DO THAT.”AS WELL AS PLAYS LIKE THOM PA, HALL HAS BEEN APPEARG ONE-OFF ROL, LIKE PLAYG JOHN F. KENNEDY THE CROWN. HALL READ BOOKS ABOUT HIS LIFE, TERTED FDG OUT ABOUT THE IAL PENNCE AND POUNDG PENNCE ON DGS AND STEROIDS (WHICH WAS HIS PA MEDITN), AND UNTERG THE BILATG EFFECTS OF BOTH WH AMPHETAM.HALL SAW HIS JFK AS A “NOUVE ROYAL,” A “QUICK DRAWG” PARED TO THE PTH OF DAVID SIX FEET UNR AND DEXTER. “BEE THE CROWN WAS SO WELL-DRAWN FELT ENOUGH TO CREATE AN IMPRSN AND HOPEFULLY SPIRE SP-OFF: WHE HOE NIGHTS. JT THROWG OUT THERE.” HALL LGHED. “JT KIDDG.” (HERE’S BETTG MORE THAN ONE PRODUCER READG THIS WR THAT PRETTY GREAT IA DOWN ON A PIECE OF PAPER.) TO ANSWER BOWIE’S GOLN QUTN, HALL’S RELATNSHIP WH ATH N BE TRACED TO HIS CHILDHOOD GROWG UP NORTH CAROLA. “I WAS BORN TO A FAY OF TWO PARENTS WHO HAD RECENTLY LOST MY SISTER, JULIE, WHO WAS NOT YET 2,” HALL RELLED. “SHE HAD A LOT OF VELOPMENTAL AND PHYSIL PROBLEMS AND I THK THEY KNEW SHE WASN’T LONG FOR THIS WORLD, BUT SHE WAS THE WORLD AND DID DIE AND THAT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT THG FOR MY PARENTS.”HALL RELLS PHOTOS OF JULIE PHOTO ALBUMS. HE WAS FASCATED THAT SHE HAD ONCE BEEN ALIVE, THERE, “THE IA I HAD A SISTER.”“SO, THERE’S AN AWARENS OF THE FACT OF ATH WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG. MY FATHER DIED WHEN I WAS 11. MY NT LDA, MY MOTHER’S OLR SISTER, DIED A FEW YEARS AFTER THAT. IN EACH YEAR OF MY HIGH SCHOOL SOMEONE DIED: 3 STANC OF A R ACCINT, 2 WERE RS ONE WAS A PESTRIAN.” HE DID NOT, HE EMPHASIZ, HAVE A FASCATN OR PREOCCUPATN WH ATH, BUT RATHER “AN AWARENS OF THE FACT OF , S EVABILY, THE FACT IS ONE FATE NO ONE P.”HE WAS AN ONLY CHILD, AND “SOMEWHAT SOLARY. THOUGH I HAD IENDS, I TEND TO GRAVATE TO KIDS WHO WERE PART OF REALLY BIG FAI SO I ULD BE A SURROGATE SATELLE MEMBER OF A HOEHOLD THAT HAD MORE LERAL LIFE .” HE LGHED SOFTLY. “I THK I WAS A PREOCCUPIED KID. I THK I WAS MY HEAD. I WAS PRETTY MUCH LIKE I AM NOW. WH LS OF A STORY.” HALL SAID HE ISN’T SURE WHERE NATURE MET NURTURE HIS PERSONALY. IT WAS A SER HOEHOLD, HIS PARENTS WERE “HARD WORKERS OM SMALL TOWNS.” “THERE WAS A CERTA GREE OF SERNS ABOUT THEMSELV,” HE SAID. “MORE GENERALLY, THE LARGER FAY AND ENVIRONMENT WERE SOMEWHAT REPRSIVE AND PURANIL. NOT EXPLICLY, BUT EBULLIENCE AND ENTHIASM WERE DISURAGED, A NDNG I HAVE SOMEWHAT MANAGED. BUT I ALSO THK I HAVE AN HERENT PLAYFULNS AND SILLS ABOUT ME. “PART OF ME OM MY MOM. SHE LGHS AT MY JOK. I N MAKE HER LGH. THERE WAS SOME IMPULSE OM A VERY EARLY AGE TO FD AN OUTLET FOR SOME SORT OF EXPRSN THAT WENT BEYOND SOMEWHAT RTRICTIVE BOUNDARI.”HALL TRAC HIS ACTG REER BACK TO THE AGE OF 8 A PLAY HE PERFORMED AT CHURCH LLED WHAT LOVE IS, ABOUT A MAN VISED BY ANGELS THE URSE OF ONE EVENG—A LTLE LIKE A CHRISTMAS CAROL MEETS IT’S A WONRFUL LIFE. HE PLAYED JUDD HIS SCHOOL PRODUCTN OF OKLAHOMA. PERFORMG WAS “VIGORATG.” “WHETHER I AM NSCLY DRAWG ON THE FACT OF MY FATHER HAVG DIED WHEN HE DID, OR I AM NOT, ’S THERE: A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF ME.” ANOTHER ACQUATANCE WH ATH UNFOLD WHEN HIS FATHER, WILLIAM, WHO WORKED FOR IBM, DIED WHEN HE WAS 11. “IT WAS AS FUNDAMENTAL AS ANYTHG; FUNDAMENTAL SUCH A WAY THAT IS HARD FOR ME TO IMAGE THE WORLD WHICH HE DIDN’T DIE,” HALL SAID. “WHETHER I AM NSCLY DRAWG ON THE FACT OF HIS HAVG DIED WHEN HE DID, OR I AM NOT, ’S THERE: A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF ME.”HIS MOTHER, JANICE, A MENTAL HEALTH UNSELOR, WAS HER LATE 30S WHEN HER HBAND DIED.“SHE LOST HER PARTNER, HER PANN, HER BT IEND,” HALL SAID. “I LOST MY FATHER. I WAS ON THE CP OF ADOLCENCE, YOU N’T JT TIDILY FILL WHATEVER BLANKS ARE THERE. AND TIME DON’T STOP. YOU JT MOVE FORWARD.” IN SOME WAYS, HIS MOTHER’S PROFSN HELPED BOTH OF THEM AL WH THE STRANGE MECHANICS OF GRIEF. “IT FEELS LIKE AS MORE TIME PASS WE HAVE MOMENTS WHERE WE JT SHAKE OUR HEADS AND SAY, ‘THAT WAS PRETTY TENSE, WASN’T ?’”HIS MOTHER HAD SUBSEQUENT RELATNSHIPS BUT DIDN’T REMARRY. HALL DON’T WANT TO SPEAK FOR HER BUT THKS “SHE FELT SHE HAD SUCH A WONRFUL MARRIAGE, SHORT-LIVED AS MIGHT HAVE BEEN, THAT SHE DIDN’T WANT TO GIVE ENERGY TO DOG SOME LSER APPROXIMATN. SHE HAD GREAT IENDSHIPS, A RICH LIFE AND RICH REER AND CERTALY DIDN’T WHDRAW OM THE WORLD.”ACTG WAS ALWAYS HALL’S LOVE THOUGH HE NEVER FELT NFINT OR SAFE ADMTG THAT TO ANYONE, “OR EVEN FULLY TO MYSELF,” UNTIL HE WENT TO LLEGE. HE TOLD PEOPLE HE WAS GOG TO STUDY PRE-LAW, AND HOPED THE NVERSATN WOULD END THERE. IT WAS A SMOKCREEN. AFTER ATTENDG A LIBERAL ARTS LLEGE INDIANA, HE EVENTUALLY STUDIED ACTG AT NYU’S TISCH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS. “IT WAS ALWAYS THERE,” HE SAID OF HIS LOVE OF ACTG. “I WAS JT WAG TO HAVE ENOUGH DISTANCE BETWEEN THE EXTERNAL AND TERNAL IMPEDIMENTS ADMTG WHAT I WANTED TO DO AND THEN ANNOUNCED TO MYSELF.”HIS MOTHER WAS NERVO, THOUGH FORTED HERSELF THAT WH A MASTERS GREE ACTG HE “ULD TEACH A THEATER PARTMENT SOMEWHERE.” SHE WAS NEVER A STAGE MOM, HALL SAID, AND WHILE SHE EXPRSED HER NCERNS ABOUT HIS ABILY TO MAKE A LIVG AS AN ACTOR, SHE ALLOWED HALL’S ENTHIASM TO BELONG TO HIM. HIS AMBNS IALLY WERE TO WORK THEATERS HE ADMIRED LIKE THE PUBLIC NEW YORK (WHERE HE PERFORMED HENRY V). HE DID SHAKPEARE AND SONDHEIM, AND MA ENOUGH MONEY SO AS NOT HAVE TO DO OTHER WORK. HE LIVED THE EAST VILLAGE, THEN BETWEEN CARNEGIE HILL AND SPANISH HARLEM. IT WAS WHEN HE GOT THE ROLE OF THE EMCEE SAM MENS’ 1999 BROADWAY REVIVAL OF CABARET THAT HALL SAID HE REALIZED THAT HIS REER MIGHT EXTEND BEYOND ANYTHG HE HAD DREAMT OF, POSSIBLY ON SCREEN, ALTHOUGH HIS MD WAS FOCED ON THE STAGE THEN.WHEN SIX FEET UNR BEGAN 2001, ACTORS WERE STILL AMB TO DO FILM, HALL SAID. THE KD OF PRTIGE TELEVISN SIX FEET UNR HELPED ORIGATE WASN’T A MASTAY THENPLAYG A GAY ROLE BACK THEN WAS ALSO NSIRED BRAVE, AND FOR SOME ACTORS AND AGENTS FOOLHARDY ENOUGH TO KILL A REER. “I KNEW THE CHARACTER WAS UNIQUE THE LANDSPE OF GAY CHARACTERS UP TO THAT POT, AND HE WAS AN TEGRAL PART OF THE SHOW. HE WASN’T CINTALLY GAY OR IC RELIEF OR THAT KD OF THG. HE WAS FULLY FLHED OUT AND AT THE EYE OF THE STORM.” “NO REPRENTATIVE OF ME, OR ANYONE WHO KNEW ABOUT , DISURAGED ME,” HALL SAID. “I SUPPOSE I WAS AWARE OF THE TIME WE WERE . I WAS ALSO AWARE THAT DAVID WAS A NEW KD OF GAY CHARACTER ON TV, FILM, OR STAGE. HE WAS A FANTASTIC CHARACTER AND AS RICH AND WELL-DRAWN AS THE LARGER WORLD HE EXISTED WH. I NEVER LOBBIED TO DN FOR ANY OTHER PART. “ANY ROLE THAT YOU ARE N PIGEONHOLE YOU, BUT TO BE ASSOCIATED WH A ROLE AS MULTI-DIMENSNAL AS DAVID WAS A RELATIVELY GOOD THG. MORE THAN THE RISKS I WAS AWARE OF, I JT FELT CHARGED TO GET RIGHT. I KNEW THE CHARACTER WAS UNIQUE THE LANDSPE OF GAY CHARACTERS UP TO THAT POT, AND HE WAS AN TEGRAL PART OF THE SHOW. HE WASN’T CINTALLY GAY OR IC RELIEF OR THAT KD OF THG. HE WAS FULLY FLHED OUT AND AT THE EYE OF THE STORM.“A B OF THE APPEAL OF PLAYG THE PART WAS THE SUBVERSN OF PLAYG A GAY CHARACTER AN TERRACIAL RELATNSHIP (ALONGSI MATHEW ST. PATRICK). IT WAS A POLIL STATEMENT AIMED AT THE ENVIRONMENT I HAD GROWN UP .” PICTURELUX/THE HOLLYWOOD ARCHIVE/ALAMY I ASKED IF HALL HAD EVER HAD SAME-SEX EXPERIENC HIMSELF.“I THK THERE’S A SPECTM. I AM ON . I’M HETEROSEXUAL. BUT IF THERE WAS A PERCENTAGE, I WOULD SAY I WAS NOT ALL THE WAY HETEROSEXUAL. I THK PLAYG THE EMCEE REQUIRED ME TO FLG A BUNCH OF DOORS WI OPEN BEE THAT CHARACTER I IMAGED AS PANSEXUAL.” HE LGHED. “YEAH, LIKE I MA OUT WH MICHAEL STUHLBARG EVERY NIGHT DOG THAT SHOW. I THK I HAVE ALWAYS LEANED TO ANY FLUIDY TERMS OF MY SEXUALY.”HAS HE EVER HAD SEX WH ANOTHER MAN? “I’VE NEVER HAD AN TIMATE RELATNSHIP WH A MAN. I THK, MAYBE BEE OF AN ABSENT FATHER, THERE HAS FELY BEEN A CRAVG FOR AN EMOTNAL TIMACY WH A MAN. I DON’T MEAN TO SUGGT THAT AN EMOTNAL RELATNSHIP BETWEEN A FATHER AND SON IS ANY WAY HOMOEROTIC. I MEAN AN EMOTNAL TIMACY OR NNECTN THAT AT LEAST THE I I GREW UP WAS NSIRED FEY. I HAD AN APPETE TO HAVE EMOTNAL NNECTNS WH MEN BEYOND BEER, SPORTS, AND FIST PUMPG THAT WERE NSIRED ‘GAY.’”WAS HE EVER ATTRACTED TO OTHER MEN?“NO. I MEAN, I WAS ATTRACTED TO JOHN CAMERON MCHELL WHEN I SAW HEDWIG. BUT NO, AS A LE I AM HETEROSEXUAL.”AS SUCH, HE PLAYED THE TRANS TLE CHARACTER HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH AND DAVID SIX FEET UNR: WHAT DID HALL THK ABOUT THE NTUED NTROVERSY AROUND STRAIGHT ACTORS TAKG LGBT ROL?“THAT WAS SOMETHG I WAS AWARE OF WHEN DAVID FISHER WAS HAPPENG,” SAID HALL. “FOR ME, I WAS PLAYG THIS ASPIRATNALLY INIC GAY ROLE AS A STRAIGHT MAN. I FELT ALL THE MORE CHARGED TO DO JTICE. I CERTALY UNRSTAND ANYONE WHO TAK ISSUE WH THE PHENOMENON. “CATE BLANCHETT RECENTLY SAID THAT ANY ACTOR SHOULD BE ABLE TO PLAY ANYONE. BUT THE FACT IS THERE ARE SR OF HETEROSEXUAL ACTORS WNG ACLAS AND AWARDS FOR PLAYG GAY AND TRANS CHARACTERS. ITS UNNIABLE THAT THE PUBLIC FDS MORE PALATABLE TO SEE A STRAIGHT ACTOR DO THEIR OWN SEXUAL OR GENR STUNT WORK—‘OH LOOK AT HIM, PRETENDG TO WANT THAT MAN, ’S SO NVCG’—AS OPPOSED TO LOOKG AT A GAY OR TRANS PERSON BEG THEMSELV. IT’S ACTG NO MATTER WHAT. IT’S A CHARACTER.“WHEN I WAS SIX FEET UNR I WAS AWARE THAT I WAS A HETEROSEXUAL MAN PLAYG A GAY ROLE THAT WAS UNIQUE THE TV LANDSPE. I WAS ALSO AWARE THAT GIVEN THE WAY THGS ARE AND MAYBE STILL ARE TO A GREE THAT NOT MANY GAY ACTORS WERE PURSUG THE ROLE. IT WOULD EXPOSE THEM A WAY. THAT IRONY WASN’T LOST ON ME.”HALL IS REFUL NOT TO BE PRCRIPTIVE ON THE ISSUE.“HOW FUNDAMENTAL IS ONE’S SEXUAL ORIENTATN OR GENR INTY IF BOTH ARE FACT FLUID, IF THERE IS SOME SORT OF SPECTM AND WE ARE JT MOVG THE DIAL? OR IS MORE FUNDAMENTAL THAN THAT? IS MY PLAYG A GAY CHARACTER AS ABSURD AS MY PLAYG AN AIN-AMERIN?” “SOMETIM I FEEL LIKE EXECUTIV SAY, ‘LET’S PUT SOMEONE THIS SHOW WHO IS CINTALLY GAY SO WE N CHECK A BOX,’ RATHER THAN TELLG THE FULL STORI OF GAY AND TRANS PEOPLE.” ARE THERE ENOUGH ROL FOR GAY AND TRANS ACTORS?“I THK THERE ARE MORE AND MORE. I HOPE WE GET TO THE PLACE WHERE ’S JT NOT AT THE FOREONT OF OUR NSIRATN OR FOC, AND THAT WHEN WE THK OF ACTORS WE THK OF HUMAN BEG WORKG SERVICE OF WHATEVER HUMAN EXPERIENCE THEY ARE LLED UPON TO SIMULATE, SO THERE ARE NOT JT GAY AND TRANS ACTORS PLAYG GAY AND TRANS PEOPLE BUT BEG ABLE TO PLAY EVERYONE. IT’S ABOUT CHARACTERS AND ’S ALSO ABOUT STORI. “SOMETIM I FEEL LIKE EXECUTIV SAY, ‘LET’S PUT SOMEONE THIS SHOW WHO IS CINTALLY GAY SO WE N CHECK A BOX,’ RATHER THAN TELLG THE FULL STORI OF GAY AND TRANS PEOPLE.” THE BATE IS “DICEY TERRORY,” SAID THE EVER-UT HALL; HE HOP “WE GET BEYOND , BUT WE ARE OBVLY NOT THERE.” FOR HALL, FAME WAS SOMETHG HE “NEED TO MAKE ROOM FOR.” IT BEGAN WH SIX FEET UNR, BUT DEXTER (2006-2013) “TOOK TO A DIFFERENT PLACE, WHERE YOU N’T TURN THE FCET OFF.”WHEN HE WAS PLAYG DAVID, PEOPLE LOOKED AT HIM WH A GREE OF AFFECTN: “‘OH GOSH, YOU’RE SUCH A LONG-SUFFERG DOORMAT,’ THEY’D SAY. ‘I N’T WA TO GIVE YOU A HUG. SORRY THAT GUY PUT A GUN YOUR MOUTH AND POURED GASOLE OVER YOUR HEAD.’ OF URSE, I GOT TO TURN THE TABL ON THAT GUY WHEN PLAYED I PLAYED DEXTER. I GOT TO POUR THE GASOLE ON THE GUY’S HEAD. THEN PEOPLE WOULD SAY (AND HE PUTS ON A BUTCH GROWL), ‘YEAH, GET HIM, DEX.’” AF ARCHIVE/ALAMY FOR ALL HIS KILLG, PEOPLE LIKED DEXTER “BEE WE LIVE A WORLD WHERE WE CREASGLY LACK AGENCY AND NTROL,” THKS HALL. “PEOPLE LOVED BEG PRENTED WH THIS CHARACTER THIS LTLE RNER OF THE WORLD, ELIMATG THGS AND PEOPLE METAPHORILLY AND LERALLY. IT WAS THARTIC, LIKE A PRSURE VALVE BEG RELEASED.“I WILL SAY THAT WAS ON THE DAYS DRIVG HOME OM WORK AFTER HAVG SHOT A SCENE WHERE I KILLED SOMEONE THAT I FELT THE GREATT SENSE OF RELAXATN, RELEASE, AND JT EASE. THE DAYS WHERE I WAS PLAYG DEXTER HIDG OM SOMETHG WERE HARR. I GUS PLAYG HIM WAS THARTIC FOR ME A WAY. YOU DO WHATEVER THE TERNAL ALCHEMY IS, OR TAKE THE IMAGATIVE LEAP YOU HAVE TO, SO YOU N NNECT WH WHAT YOU’RE DOG. “I CERTALY EXPERIENCE ROAD RAGE AND ANGER AT PEOPLE WHO SERVE A GOOD PUMMELG, BUT ULTIMATELY I DO NOT WANT TO KILL PEOPLE.” HE SED. “BUT ’S FUN TO PRETEND TO. PEOPLE WOULD SAY, ‘YOU’RE GIVG ME THE DEXTER LOOK, AND I’D SAY, ‘NO, ’S JT MY FACE.’”HALL’S BT-KNOWN CHARACTERS ARE OFTEN VERY SI THEMSELV, DARK, AND TENSE. ARE ANY OF THEM LIKE HIM, OR ARE THEY ALL UTTERLY FICTNAL PHANTASMS? “WELL I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY OF THEM ARE LIKE ME, BUT I’M FELY LIKE THEM BEE THAT’S ALL THERE IS—OTHERWISE ’S JT WORDS ON THE PAGE. SOMETIM DOWN TO BATN OF NTOURS OF THE FACE AND THE SOUND OF A VOICE.”HALL FOUND WAYS WH DEXTER AND DAVID TO NNECT WH DIENC DIFFERENTLY. THOM PA APPEARS SEVERE AND LD AT FIRST, BUT IS ALSO QUE FEARLS, EVEN THOUGH HE IS PREOCCUPIED WH FEAR AND HIS HISTORY OF FEAR. HE IS ALSO MORE OUTRAGEO AND FUNNY THAN OTHER CHARACTERS HALL IS FAMO FOR, EVEN THOUGH HALL THKS DAVID AND DEXTER “ARE FUNNY, BUT UNR A DARK UMBRELLA. THE SUN JT GETS SNUFFED OUT.”BOTH SIX FEET UNR AND DEXTER WERE SUCH WELL-KNOWN SHOWS MAK HALL “THK LONG AND HARD” ABOUT TAKG A SIAR LONG-NNG SERI ON. “WHEN SIX FEET UNR END, I THOUGHT I SHOULD QU, BEE HOW DO YOU TOP THAT? THEN DEXTER ME ALONG. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE. WHAT GIV ME PSE NOW IS I KNOW WHAT THE MMENT TO SUCH A SHOW ENTAILS, AND THERE IS SOME SORT OF HIGH BAR THAT HAS BEEN SET. “THE SHOWS WERE EXHSTG AT TIM. INEVABLY, IF YOU DO SOMETHG FOR THAT LONG, NO MATTER HOW VELOPED OR EVOLVED FEELS, FEELS LIKE YOU’RE TILLG SOIL THAT IS NO LONGER AS FERTILE AS ONCE WAS.”NOW HE LIK “MIXG UP” WH MEO ROL, OR PLAYS, OR DIE FILMS, OR FE-END TV SERI LIKE THE RECENT BRISH-MA DRAMA SAFE. “THEY’RE MORE LIKE AFFAIRS OR FLGS THAN MARRIAG,” HALL SAID OF THE SHORTER-TERM PROJECTS. “THERE WAS 13 STRAIGHT YEARS OF NSTANT WORK, AND I AM ENJOYG TCHG MY BREATH PERDILLY,” HE SAID. “WHATEVER WORK I DO IS BETTER SERVED IF I DO THAT. IF I’M SIMULATG WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE A PERSON ’S GOOD TO LIVE AN ACTUAL LIFE ASI OM ALL THE SIMULATN.” “I THK I ROMANTICIZED FOR A TIME BEG A SOLO LONE PERSON, MAYBE THE WAY MY MOTHER MOLED . BUT I DON’T THK THAT’S WHO I ACTUALLY AM.” HE HAS BEEN MARRIED FOR TWO YEARS TO MACGREGOR, A FORMER EDOR AT THE LOS ANGEL REVIEW OF BOOKS NOW “WORKG ON HER OWN STUFF,” SAID HALL. “IT’S THE CHARM,” HE SAID, LGHG SOFTLY AT THE “THIRD” MARRIAGE. THE FACT HE HAS BEEN THREE MTED RELATNSHIP SHOWS HE IS A “UPLER,” HE SAID. “I THK I ROMANTICIZED FOR A TIME BEG A SOLO LONE PERSON, MAYBE THE WAY MY MOTHER MOLED . BUT I DON’T THK THAT’S WHO I ACTUALLY AM.”HE SAID HE WAS DISCLED TO TALK ABOUT THE RELATNSHIP AS WAS “ONE RNER OF MY LIFE THAT DON’T BELONG TO ANYONE BUT . BUT ’S BEEN GREAT. SHE’S JT AN CREDIBLE IEND AND IS A REMARKABLE BATN OF TELLIGENCE AND KDNS, AND SHE’S ABLE TO TELL ME THE TTH THAT A WAY THAT I N ACTUALLY STOMACH.” HE LGHED. A “GREAT REAR,” HE VALU HER OPN ON SCRIPTS AND ANYTHG HE IS NSIRG REER-WISE.HALL AND MACGREGOR HAVE DISCSED HAVG CHILDREN. “IT’S NO NEWS TO ANYONE BUT ’S A CRAZY WORLD, AND BRGG SOMEBODY TO THAT WORLD FOR A ONT-ROW SEAT IS SOMETHG THAT GIV ME PSE. BUT ’S ALSO SOMETHG WE TALK AND THK ABOUT.”HALL IS NOT A POLIL JUNKIE, HE SAID, BUT IS AS ENGAGED AS HE EVER HAS BEEN, “WHICH IS TE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE RIGHT NOW MAYBE. I’M NOT SURE HOW MUCH GOOD OUT STAYG ABREAST OF ALL THE BAD NEWS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THG THAT HAPPENED FOR ME POLILLY IS REALLY A PERSONAL AND ETHIL CISN. I BEME A VEGAN. THAT GREW OUT OF A SIRE TO DO SOMETHG ASI OM KEEPG MYSELF RMED ABOUT HOW DIRE EVERYTHG IS. “THE GENERAL QUTN THAT OCCURRED TO ME WAS WHAT I ULD DO ABOUT THE WELFARE OF ACTORS, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND MY OWN PHYSIL BODY AND A SIRE TO BAT RPORATE RPTN. ALL THOSE THGS LED ME TO VEGANISM. THAT’S FELT GOOD.”TAKG A MORE OVERT POLIL STAND IS “A DICEY THG,” HALL SAID. “IT’S SUCH AN OBVLY NTENT ENVIRONMENT THAT SOMETIM TAKG A STANCE IS FUEL FOR SOMEONE ELSE’S FIRE. I JT HOPE THAT MOVG FORWARD THAT WE N FD OURSELV WH LEARSHIP THAT ENURAG TO HAVE MORE MON WH EACH OTHER THAN AT ODDS.” HALL S WILY WHEN I ASK ABOUT WORKG WH BOWIE ON THE MIL LAZAS LATE 2015 TO EARLY 2016, WHEN BOWIE DIED. LATER HALL TRAVELED WH THE SHOW TO LONDON.“HE WAS ALL THE OBV THGS THAT YOU WOULD IMAGE WHEN YOU THK OF ENUNTERG SOMEONE WHO’S LIVED THE PHYSIL BODY AND REALI OF WHAT DAVID BOWIE IS AND REPRENTS,” HALL SAID WH A LIGHTED SE. “THE MOLECUL THE ROOM CHANGE WHEN HE WALKS . COUNTERG THAT WAS SUCH GENUE KDNS, HUY AND PRENCE. HE WAS VERY REAL.”YOU TOUCHED HIM, I SE. HE WAS ACTUALLY MA OF FLH? “HE APPEARED AT THE DOOR. HE SMELLED AMAZG. HE WAS DRSED HEAD TO TOE ALEXANR MCQUEEN. THERE WERE SKULL SIGNS ON HIS SHO, AND HE RRIED A BETIFUL SILVER-TIPPED UMBRELLA. HE DIDN’T DISAPPOT.” “I TOUCHED HIM,” HALL REPLIED, LGHG. “AND HE WAS SO KD AND APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK WE WERE ALL DOG. IF HE WAS A ROCK GOD, HE ULD LORD THAT OVER PEOPLE, BUT HE PUT PEOPLE AT THEIR EASE EFFORTLSLY. THE FIRST TIME I MET HIM, AT OUR MIC DIRECTOR’S LTLE APARTMENT THE EAST VILLAGE, I SANG FOR HIM. “HE APPEARED AT THE DOOR. HE SMELLED AMAZG. HE WAS DRSED HEAD TO TOE ALEXANR MCQUEEN. THERE WERE SKULL SIGNS ON HIS SHO, AND HE RRIED A BETIFUL SILVER-TIPPED UMBRELLA. HE DIDN’T DISAPPOT.” HALL LGHED. “HIS EY WERE THE SAME HEIGHT AS ME, SO HE WAS ALWAYS RIGHT THERE. IT WAS SO EXCG. HE SAID, ‘IT’S SO GREAT TO MEET YOU.’ WHAT DO YOU SAY TO DAVID BOWIE WHEN HE SAYS THAT? ‘OH Y’KNOW, YOU’RE WELE!’ WE TALKED ABOUT SONG KEYS. HE SET HIMSELF FOR A LOWER KEY AND DID A BASS BARONE CROONG VERSN OF ‘CHANG.’ I AM PCHG MYSELF MY MD.”HE DID SAY TO ME, ‘SO, WHAT IS WH YOU AND ATH?’ HE KNEW (THE ACTOR) REBEC HALL, THEY WERE THE SAME BOOK CLUB AND WE HAD JT FILMED CHRISTE, ABOUT THE ON-AIR SUICI OF TV REPORTER CHRISTE CHUBBOCK 1974.AT ONE POT, HALL WAS SGG THROUGH ONE OF THE MIL’S SONGS, AND BOWIE ASKED IF WOULD BE EFUL TO HEAR HIS MO OF THE SAME. “NO PUT BACK YOUR BAG, DAVID! OF URSE, GO AHEAD, THROW ON.”HALL WASN’T AWARE THAT BOWIE HAD LIVER NCER. HE DIED ON JANUARY 10, 2016. LOOKG BACK HALL RELLS THE UPLE OF TIM HE DIDN’T SHOW UP FOR WORK, SAYG HE WAS UNWELL. “BUT I NEVER HAD ANY AWARENS THAT WAS AS DIRE AS WAS. IF HE WAS FEEBLE WAS PLETELY OVERWHELMED BY HIS LIFE FORCE AND HIS ENERGY, HIS SPIRUAL ENERGY GENERALLY, AND HIS ENTHIASM. WE WERE MAKG THIS PIECE WHICH WIPED OUT ANY FIRMY.”THE FIRST TIME THE ST WAS TOGETHER AFTER BOWIE’S ATH WAS TO RERD THE SHOW ALBUM. IT FELT GOOD TO GET TOGETHER AND DO SOMETHG FOR HIM, SAID HALL. “WHEN WE DID THE PERFORMANCE THE FOLLOWG NIGHT THAT WAS HARR. WE WERE HEARG EVERYTHG THROUGH A NEW FILTER. BUT I NEVER FELT HIS PRENCE MORE POTENTLY THAN AFTER HE PASSED AT THAT TUDAY PERFORMANCE AND BEYOND. IT WAS LIKE A CHARGE RIGHT AROUND MY DIAPHRAGM AND SOLAR PLEX. A LOW GRA BUZZ.”AND SO, TO NTUE TO ANSWER DAVID BOWIE’S QUTN, WHAT IS ABOUT MICHAEL C. HALL AND ATH? THE PARTS THAT MA HIM FAMO—OM UNRTAKER TO SERIAL KILLER—ALSO HAVE MORTALY AT THEIR PLEX HEARTS. “THEY CERTALY HAVEN’T DISURAGED THE NSIRATN,” HALL SAID WRYLY, “AND I HAD A NCER EPISO MYSELF.”IN 2010, HALL WAS DIAGNOSED WH HODGK’S LYMPHOMA. HE’D HAD A LD WHICH HE ULDN’T SHAKE OFF. “ALONG WH THE DIAGNOSIS ME THE ASSURANCE THAT MY PROGNOSIS WAS REALLY GOOD IF I JT CID ON A URSE OF TREATMENT AND JT DID . I WAS NEVER A 50/50 LIFE OR ATH PROPOSN. IT WAS SRY, BUT I WASN’T REALLY IGHTENED. I WAS MORE JT TERTED FDG OUT THE ANSWERS TO QUTNS SURROUNDG WHAT I NEED TO DO, AND EAGER TO DO THEM TERMS OF TREATMENT.”HALL HAD CHEMOTHERAPY, BUT NOT RADTHERAPY, PART BEE WASN’T REQUIRED BUT ALSO BEE THE AFFECTED AREA OF HIS BODY WAS AROUND HIS THROAT AND HE DIDN’T WANT ANY TREATMENT TO JEOPARDIZE HIS VOL RDS. “WHEN THEY DID THE SN ALMOST LOOKED LIKE I WAS WEARG AN AMULET,” HE RELLED, “LIKE A CHUNKY CHA AND THEN A BIGGER THG RIGHT BEHD THE STERNUM.”THE MOST VASIVE SURGERY HE HAD WAS A BPSY OF TWO LYMPH NOS WHICH WERE “STICKG OUT OF MY NECK. I’M GLAD WENT THAT WAY. IF HAD VELOPED A DIFFERENT DIRECTN, I WOULDN’T HAVE NOTICED .” THE TIMG WAS LUCKY ONE WAY: HE ULD FISH UP THE FILMG OF THE FOURTH SEASON OF DEXTER, ANIZE WHAT HE NEED TO ANIZE, HAVE TREATMENT, THEN RETURN TO FILMG SEASON FIVE WEARG A WIG. “I JT KEPT GOG,” HALL SAID. HE WAS VERY PRACTIL. HE LGHED RELLG SOMETHG A IEND HAD SAID: “IT’S JT LIKE HAVG WET PANTS. YOUR JEANS WILL BE SOAKED THROUGH FOR SIX MONTHS, BUT AFTER THAT YOU’LL BE ABLE TO TAKE THEM OFF.” HALL HELD ON TO THAT IA, AND UNTED HIS BLSGS FOR HAVG GOOD RE AND HEALTH SURANCE, AND THAT THE NCER HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED QUICKLY AND FOUND EARLY. HALL FELT MORE “GRATEFUL THAN CURSED ANY WAY.” HE IS NOW “WELL OUT OF THE WOODS.”HALL SAID THE EXPERIENCE HAD CHANGED HIS ATTU TO LIFE DIFFERENT WAYS. “I GOT SOBER. BEME VEGAN. ALL THOSE THGS ARE NOT UNRELATED TO THE FACT OF THAT MORTAL ILLNS.” HIS DRKG WAS “FUNCTNAL, BUT NOT SOMETHG I ULD NY. IT WAS AN EBB AND FLOW, BUT THE GENERAL TRAJECTORY WAS MORE DRKG, POT SMOKG AND RECREATNAL THIS AND THAT. THERE WAS AN UNNIABLE, LONG-SENSED OF DIMISHG RETURNS AND THE SENSE THAT LIFE WAS SHORTENG; AND TERMS OF THOSE PREOCCUPATNS AND THOSE BEHAVRS WAS PROGRSG A CERTA DIRECTN THAT I FELT WASN’T STAABLE. I DON’T DO ANY MORE OF ANYTHG NOW.”HALL RIGHTLY THKS HE LOOKS BETTER THAN HE DID FIVE YEARS AGO, WH HIS VEGAN DIET AND “NO BOOZE AND MARIJUANA, OR ANYTHG ELSE.” OF AGG, HE LGHED. “I HAVE A SENSE OF THAT THGS ARE GOG TO START FALLG APART. BUT YEAH, I FEEL PRETTY GOOD. I’M THANKFUL.” HE’S DONE YOGA THE PAST, CIRCU AND WEIGHT TRAG. DOG THE SHOW IS HIS FORMAL WORKOUT OF RIGHT NOW. HOW DO 50 SEEM TO HIM? ANOTHER LGH. “SOON. I FOUND MYSELF THKG, ‘I’M NOT 35 ANYMORE. NO, WA, I’M 37. NO, WA, I’M 47.”HE DON’T HAVE DREAM ROL. HE SAID HE ULD NEVER HAVE IMAGED DAVID FISHER OR DEXTER, AND EVEN THOUGH WHEN WE SPOKE HE HAD ONLY PERFORMED THOM PA TWICE, ALREADY FELT “SUCH A RICH AND FUNDAMENTAL EXPERIENCE” THAT HE NNOT IMAGE NOT HAVG DONE . “I HOPE TO FD MYSELF THAT VERSN OF A STATE OF GRACE AGA.”I ASKED IF DAVID FISHER AND DEXTER MAN HAD STAYED WH HALL.“I FEEL LIKE I’M ABLE TO WALK AWAY OM THEM, AND I THK THERE IS SOME PART OF THAT DON’T DISTGUISH BETWEEN REALY AND RUAL. I THK THEY REMA PART OF MY LIVED EXPERIENCE.” “IT’S EXHILARATG. THERE IS NOWHERE TO TURN BUT BACK TO THE HOE. YOU N’T GET OFF THE RI, EVEN IF THE RI FEELS WOBBLY OR GNARLY YOU’RE STILL ON . YOU’RE STAYG ON THAT WAVE ALL THE TIME.” TODAY, HALL WILL WALK SALAMANR NEARBY CENTRAL PARK. AFTER THAT, HE WILL PREPARE FOR THAT EVENG’S PERFORMANCE OF THOM PA. WHILE HEDWIG HAD ELEMENTS OF MONOLOGUE, WAS “MORE OF A MASK WH A BAND PROTECTG YOU,” SAID HALL. WH THOM PA, IS ALL MONOLOGUE AND ALL ON HIM TO LIVER. “IT’S EXHILARATG. THERE IS NOWHERE TO TURN BUT BACK TO THE HOE. YOU N’T GET OFF THE RI, EVEN IF THE RI FEELS WOBBLY OR GNARLY YOU’RE STILL ON . YOU’RE STAYG ON THAT WAVE ALL THE TIME.”IT’S SO TIMATE AND TENSE THE DIENCE MATTERS EVERY NIGHT: WHAT THEY LGH AT OR VOLLY RPOND TO. ON THE FIRST NIGHT A WOMAN REPLIED TO ONE OF PA’S QUTNS “VERY EAGERLY AS IF WAS HER ASSIGNMENT. THAT WAS GREAT. I LOVED . I JT HOPE THE QUALY OF THE SILENCE REMAS.” IT IS THE QUALY OF THEIR SILENC—CHARGED, PAED, TENTATIVE, SHOCKED; LS WHAT THEY SAY AND WHAT WE IMAGE MBLG SI THEIR UNQUIET MDS—THAT DISTGUISH HALL’S MOST MEMORABLE CHARACTERS. AS WELL AS ALL THAT ATH.RT ASSURED THAT THE SG HALL WASN’T WORRYG ABOUT MORTALY WHEN WE SAID FAREWELL. “I’M GOG TO BUY SOME DOG FOOD,” HE ANNOUNCED.THOM PA (BASED ON NOTHG) IS AT SIGNATURE THEATRE, NEW YORK CY, THROUGH DEC. 2. TIM TEEMAN

Havg played one of televisn’s most radil and remembered gay characters, he will talk about "leang " to his own "fluid" sexualy, and the vexed cultural polics around the rol available for openly gay and trans actors and straight actors playg gay and trans rol.

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IS MICHAEL C. HALL GAY? HE’S “NOT ALL THE WAY HETEROSEXUAL”

He wasn’t cintally gay or ic relief or that kd of thg. I was also aware that David was a new kd of gay character on TV, film, or stage.

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