"It took a mute!" Brandon Stt Jon dish on playg a closeted gay soldier om the Amerin Revolutn the h s "Ghosts," and jok that "stuff is ready to e out" for his character after 250 years. Tune today for more fun wh Brandon Stt Jon.
Contents:
- THE RISE OF BRANDON STT JON: THE GAY REVOLUTNARY WAR SOLDIER GHOST STEALG HEARTSFABULOUSLY DEAD“GHOSTS” STAR BRANDON STT JON TALKS ALL THE HILAR AND HEARTWARMG PERKS OF PLAYG CAPTA ISAAC HIGGTOOT ON THE H CBS EDY SERI AND HIS HUGE BREAKOUT YEAR.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDPUBLISHED JAN. 19, 2023 4:51AM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY LUIS G. RENDON/THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYDPE BEG A “GHOST”—AND NTRARY TO THAT KD’S REPUTATN FOR CG A CHILL—BRANDON STT JON DO NOT ENJOY THE LD. YET HE HAS ENOUGH WTER WEATHER GEAR TO PETE THE IDAROD.THE LOS ANGEL-BASED ACTOR HAS BEEN EXPERIENCG WEATHER WHIPLASH OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, AS HE TRAVELS BACK AND FORTH TO THE MONTREAL SET OF THE CBS EDY GHOSTS. IN THE SERI, ABOUT A BED AND BREAKFAST OWNER WHO HS HER HEAD AND WAK UP DISVERG THAT SHE N SEE AND SPEAK WH THE SPIRS OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED ON THE PROPERTY, JON PLAYS CAPTA ISAAC HIGGTOOT, A REVOLUTNARY WAR SOLDIER WHO DIED OF DYSENTERY. ISAAC AND HIS FELLOW GHOSTS OM OVER THE S—A PROHIBN-ERA JAZZ SGER, A NATIVE AMERIN, A DOUCHEBAG VTMENT BANKER—SPEND A LOT OF TIME OUTSI TRAVERSG THE GROUNDS OF THE MANOR’S SET, PERHAPS THE ONLY ASPECT OF SHOOTG GHOSTS THAT HASN’T BEEN A JOY FOR JON.BACK OCTOBER, JON WALKED TO A NORTH FACE STORE MONTREAL. “I SAID, ‘HI, I LIVE L.A. I AM NERVO ABOUT THE WTER.’ THE WOMAN WAS LIKE, ‘SAY NO MORE,’ AND SHE BROUGHT ME TO A BACK ROOM WHERE WAS, LIKE, KEVLAR SUS,” HE SAYS. “SO I HAVE THIS BIG, BULKY BLACK AT. I AM OBSSED WH . IT IS KEEPG ME ALIVE.” THE PURCHASE MIGHT HAVE BEEN FOR WEARG ON A TELEVISN SET, “BUT I N NOW WHSTAND WHATEVER IS A BIATHLON ATHLETE DO.” PHOTO BY JONATHAN WENK/CBS VIA GETTY IMAG WHEN JON PHON THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, HE’S TAKG SHELTER OM THE LD WHILE SHOOTG GHOSTS’ SEASON 2 FALE. ASKED TO REVEAL EVERYTHG THAT HAPPENS, HE LGHS. “SURE. JT TELL ME YOUR LAWYER’S NAME AND I’LL BE ASKG HIM TO REPRENT ME.”IT’S A B OF A SURREAL MOMENT JON’ REER. NOT ONLY IS HE WRAPPG A SEND SEASON OF HIS SHOW, BUT WHEN WE NEXT TALK TO HIM, ’S THE BALLROOM AT A HOTEL LOS ANGEL, WHERE THE CRICS CHOICE AWARDS HAD JT TAKEN PLACE. HE HAD SWAPPED HIS FLUFFY PARKA FOR A BONAIR GOLD TUXEDO JACKET WH BLACK TRIM, AS BOTH HE AND GHOSTS WERE NOMATED—HIM FOR BT SUPPORTG ACTOR A COMEDY AND THE SHOW FOR BT COMEDY SERI. IN BETWEEN CHATS WH HIS BT IEND AND DATE FOR THE NIGHT, D’ARCY CARN (THE GOOD PLACE, A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN), AND BILLY EICHNER (BROS, BILLY ON THE STREET), HE MARVELED WH OVER THE UNEXPECTED SUCCS OF BOTH THE SHOW AND OF HIMSELF.THE SERI HAS BEE A HEADLE-MAKG H FOR CBS— S ANNOUNCEMENT LAST WEEK THAT HAD BEEN RENEWED FOR A THIRD SEASON, THE WORK TOUTED GHOSTS AS THE TOP EDY ON TELEVISN LIVE AND STREAMG VIEWERSHIP OVER A WEEK. ALONGSI ABC’S ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, ’S BEEN HERALD AS AN EXAMPLE THAT THE BROADST EDY ISN’T JT MAKG A EBACK TERMS OF VIEWERSHIP, BUT CRIL AND MEDIA BUZZ AS WELL.IT’S ALSO THE BIGGT SHOWSE JON HAS HAD TH FAR HIS REER. AFTER PERFORMG WH THE UPRIGHT CIZENS BRIGA THEATER BOTH NEW YORK AND LOS ANGEL, HE BEGAN BOOKG RECURRG ROL ON SERI LIKE THE GOOD PLACE AND THE OTHER TWO. HIS MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH WAS A MEMORABLE SUPPORTG ROLE THE REBEL WILSON-STARRG SATIRE ISN’T IT ROMANTIC, PLAYG WILSON’S FLAMBOYANTLY GAY NEIGHBOR AND NFIDANT HER ROM- FANTASY WORLD. GHOSTS IS HIS FIRST REGULAR SERI ROLE, AND, BEYOND THE PLATFORM ’S GIVEN HIM, RRI SPECIAL MEANG.WHILE, Y, GHOSTS IS A VERY FUNNY EDY CENTERED AROUND THE HIJKS THAT ENSUE WHEN A MORN WOMAN SUDNLY MT AL WH THE MANDS OF GHOSTS OM DIFFERENT ERAS OF AMERIN HISTORY, ’S ALSO SURPRISGLY POIGNANT. THE SHOW EXPLOR WHAT MEANS FOR PEOPLE OM DIFFERENT GENERATNS (SPANNG HUNDREDS OF YEARS) TO BE FORCED TO EVOLVE THEIR VIEWS ON THE WORLD—AND OF THEMSELV—AS THEY GROW ACCTOMED TO CHANGG TIM. THE EMOTNAL RE OF THAT IS ISAAC’S STORYLE, AS HE FALLY ADMS TO HIMSELF, AND THEN TO HIS FELLOW GHOSTS, THAT HE’S GAY, RECKONS WH 250 YEARS OF BEG CLOSETED, AND FALLY STARTS A RELATNSHIP WH ANOTHER (AD) SOLDIER.“IF YOU WERE TO TELL 12-YEAR-OLD BRANDON THAT THIS IS THE CHARACTER HE’S PLAYG ON TELEVISN, WOULD BLOW HIS MD,” JON, WHO IS GAY, SAYS. “I JT DIDN’T SEE TOO MANY CHARACTERS LIKE THIS ON A S. OR IF YOU DID SEE THEM AT ALL, A LOT OF TIM WAS VERY, VERY DRAMATIC, VERY, VERY PAFUL STORI.” FOR JON, THE PAST TWO YEARS HAVE FELT LIKE BEG SHOT OUT OF A NNON TO A DIFFERENT ECHELON OF THE ENTERTAMENT DTRY, AFTER A REER AS A JOURNEYMAN CHARACTER ACTOR AND EDY WRER. IT’S BEEN AN UNMOORG EXPERIENCE, BUT ONE THAT HAS RONATED AND PIERCED THE DISORIENTG CHAOS OF PRS JUNKETS, TALK SHOW APPEARANC, AND, NOW, WALKG DOWN RED RPETS OF AWARDS SHOWS AS AN ACTG NOMEE BEE OF HOW PERSONALLY SIGNIFINT ISAAC’S STORYLE HAS BEEN.STILL, THAT CHAOS HAS BEEN…CHAOTIC.“I TEND TO GET OVERWHELMED VERY EASILY, SO I SOMETIM END UP SHRKG A LTLE B,” HE SAYS. “I REMEMBER THE DAY OF COMICCON, WAS ALMOST LIKE A LUCID DREAM. LIKE, YOU WAKE UP AT FIVE THE MORNG AND YOU’RE GETTG YOUR HAIR AND MAKP DONE. CERTALY, YOU DIDN’T SLEEP WELL THE NIGHT BEFORE, SO ALREADY SORT OF FEELS LIKE YOU’RE ASLEEP. AND THEN YOU’RE ON A ROOFTOP AND YOU’RE HAVG REALLY NICE FFEE WH ONE OUTLET, AND THE NEXT THG YOU KNOW, YOU’RE ON A YACHT AND YOU’RE DANCG. AND THEN YOU’RE WALKG TO THE NEXT EVENT, WATCHG PEOPLE PASS BY YOU DRSED LIKE STAR TREK CHARACTERS.”“IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR MY BRA TO PROCS WHERE I WAS,” HE ADDS. “IT’S SORT OF LIKE WHEN THE SHIP ME OVER THE HORIZON TO THE NEW WORLD: WHAT PEOPLE MT HAVE THOUGHT SEEG THE SHIPS RISE OVER THE HORIZON. IT’S LIKE, OH MY GOD, LIKE AN ALIEN WORLD.” OR, PERHAPS, SUFFERG A BAD FALL AT THE BED AND BREAKFAST YOU N, WAKG UP, AND SUDNLY THE GHOSTS OF A REVOLUTNARY WAR SOLDIER AND A BOY SUT LEAR WH AN ARROW HIS NECK ARE TALKG TO YOU. AT THE TIME THE PILOT SCRIPT FOR GHOSTS ME HIS WAY 2021, JON HAD BEEN WORKG ON A PILOT HE HAD SOLD TO NBC THAT HE WAS GOG TO STAR , BUT WHICH HADN’T GONE FORWARD AT THE WORK. HE REMEMBERS THKG HOW FUNNY THE GHOSTS SCRIPT WAS, BUT ALSO THAT HE WOULD NEVER BOOK THE ROLE: “THEY’LL NEVER THK OF ME AS A SOLDIER. NO ONE WOULD BELIEVE THAT.” BUT THE SEND HE STARTED READG THE L FOR HIS DN, JT FELT RIGHT. THE STYLE OF REMD HIM OF THE MOVIE CLUE, “LIKE AN ENSEMBLE PIECE OF SANE CHARACTERS NNG AROUND THE HOE TOGETHER.”WHILE WAS OBV OM THE WAY ISAAC SPOKE AND BEHAVED THE PILOT THAT HE WAS CLOSETED, THERE WAS ONE THG THAT WASN’T REVEALED RIGHT AWAY: THAT HIS LAST NAME IS HIGGTOOT. JON ONLY FOUND THAT OUT WHEN SHOOTG STARTED AND THERE WAS A PROP WIKIPEDIA PAGE THAT HAD BEEN CREATED FOR ISAAC ON SET, REVEALG HIS FULL NAME AS CAPTA ISAAC HIGGTOOT. “I THOUGHT WAS SO FUNNY.” (EDOR’S NOTE: IT IS. I’VE GIGGLED EACH TIME I’VE WRTEN THIS PIECE.)WHEN ME TO TRYG TO UNRSTAND WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE TO BE A CLOSETED GAY SOLDIER THE REVOLUTNARY WAR, THERE WASN’T EXACTLY A TROVE OF FIRSTHAND ACUNTS TO ME AS REARCH. “I TRIED TO THK OF THIS TERMS OF, IF NOT THE CHARACTER THAT EXISTED THEN, BUT AS ONE WHO HAS ALSO EXISTED FOR 250 YEARS,” JON SAID. “LIKE, WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN OVER TIME?” PHOTO BY KEV WTER/GETTY IMAG AS A BASELE, HE LLED ON WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT REVOLUTNARY WAR SOLDIERS THROUGH POP CULTURE, OM PROJECTS LIKE THE PATRT, THE JOHN ADAMS MISERI, AND, OF URSE, HATON. (A HILAR NNG JOKE GHOSTS IS ISAAC’S PAST RIVALRY WH ALEXANR HATON AND HIS BTER BAFFLEMENT THAT HE BEME SUCH AN INIC FIGURE THROUGH THE BROADWAY MIL.) GROWG UP BEL AIR, MARYLAND, JON ALSO VISED COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG OFTEN AS A KID, SO HE WENT THROUGH HIS BRA’S FIL OF WHAT HE LEARNED ON THOSE TRIPS. EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS A EDY SERI, “I WANTED THERE TO BE A SKELETON OF TTH TO THE HISTORIL EXPERIENCE,” HE SAYS, MAKG HIMSELF LGH. “THAT’S GOG TO BE THE HEADLE OF THIS ARTICLE. ‘BRANDON STT JON: A SKELETON OF TTH.’”ONE OF THE REMARKABLE THGS ABOUT GHOSTS IS THAT, BY HAVG A ST OF GHOSTS REPRENTG SO MANY ERAS OF AMERIN HISTORY—AND THE BIAS THAT MAY HAVE EXISTED DURG THOSE PERDS— PORTRAYS THE UTOPIAN IAL OF HOW TIME AND MUNY N LEAD TO MORAL EVOLUTN AND ACCEPTANCE. EVEN WHEN TO ONE’S SELF.“I THK THERE’S A WORLD WHERE ISAAC PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW HOW THE RT OF THE GHOSTS WOULD REACT,” JON SAYS ABOUT ISAAC’S G OUT STORYLE. “HE PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW HOW HE WAS GOG TO REACT.” THERE’S ALSO A LOT ABOUT THAT ARC THAT LIGHTLY TOUCH ON TODAY’S SOCPOLIL DISURSE, WHICH PEOPLE STAND THEIR MORAL GROUND ON SO-LLED “NTROVERSIAL” ISSU LIKE LGBT RIGHTS BEE ’S WHAT THE FOUNDG FATHERS “WANTED.” ISAAC VERY WELL ULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE GROUP THAT MA THOSE CISNS—YET THE TTH OF HIS VERY SELF WAS MA TOO AGONIZG TO ACCEPT BEE OF THOSE VERY PEOPLE.“HE’S A GUY WHO EXISTED AT A TIME HISTORY WHEN HE ABSOLUTELY ULDN’T BE WHO HE WAS, AND HE WAS ALSO PART OF CREATG A LONGSTANDG LEGACY THAT PEOPLE STILL REFER BACK TO—REFERENCG WHAT PEOPLE THAT TIME PERD THOUGHT WAS RIGHT, NO MATTER HOW RIDICULOLY WRONG WAS,” JON SAYS. “I THK THERE’S SOMETHG SUBVERSIVE ABOUT THAT.”THERE’S A VALID ARGUMENT THAT ’S SILLY OR ANTIQUATED TO, 2023, TREAT A G OUT STORYLE ON WORK TV AS SOMETHG STILL PROGRSIVE AND MEANGFUL. IT’S BEEN S SCE ELLEN AND WILL & GRACE. OVER 10 YEARS HAVE PASSED SCE KURT STGGLED TO E OUT ON GLEE. LGBT CHARACTERS ON BROADST SERI HAVE BEEN STEADILY ON THE RISE. YET THERE STILL IS NO DISUNTG THAT WATCHG ISAAC E TO TERMS WH HIS SEXUALY AND HIS FORT LEVEL EXPRSG IS MOVG, EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME AND PROGRS. (TRY WATCHG THE GHOSTS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL OM EARLIER THE SEASON WHOUT TEARG UP.) GHOSTS, AGA, IS THE NUMBER ONE EDY ON TV RIGHT NOW, ON A WORK WH A WI, MASTREAM REACH THAT CLUS BROAD MOGRAPHICS. AND ’S VTG ONE OF S BIGGT STORYL A PERSON’S EXPERIENCE NAVIGATG THEIR SEXUALY— AN EXTREMELY POSIVE WAY, TO BOOT. “THAT’S WHAT BLOWS MY MD,” JON SAYS, REFERENCG AGA WHAT 12-YEAR-OLD BRANDON WOULD THK.JON’ MOST HIGH-PROFILE ACTG JOBS HAVE BEEN PLAYG GAY MEN, AND, THE OTHER TWO AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC, EMBRACG A EEG UNAPOLOGETIC ATTU AND FLAMBOYANCE. THGS ARE A B MORE UNRSTATED WHEN TO CAPTA ISAAC HIGGTOOT ON GHOSTS (GIGGLG AGA), BUT THAT’S THE POT—AND, FOR HIM, WHY ’S BEEN SO REWARDG TO PLAY.“I DON’T KNOW IF THE SEXUALY HAS ANYTHG TO DO WH THE APPROACH,” HE SAYS, THEN ONCE AGA LGHG. “THAT’S ANOTHER GREAT TLE FOR THE PIECE. ‘BRANDON STT JON: THE SEXUALY HAS NOTHG TO DO WH THE APPROACH.’”KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. KEV FALLON
- THE RISE OF BRANDON STT JON: THE GAY REVOLUTNARY WAR SOLDIER GHOST STEALG HEARTS
THE RISE OF BRANDON STT JON: THE GAY REVOLUTNARY WAR SOLDIER GHOST STEALG HEARTSFABULOUSLY DEAD“GHOSTS” STAR BRANDON STT JON TALKS ALL THE HILAR AND HEARTWARMG PERKS OF PLAYG CAPTA ISAAC HIGGTOOT ON THE H CBS EDY SERI AND HIS HUGE BREAKOUT YEAR.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDPUBLISHED JAN. 19, 2023 4:51AM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY LUIS G. RENDON/THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYDPE BEG A “GHOST”—AND NTRARY TO THAT KD’S REPUTATN FOR CG A CHILL—BRANDON STT JON DO NOT ENJOY THE LD. YET HE HAS ENOUGH WTER WEATHER GEAR TO PETE THE IDAROD.THE LOS ANGEL-BASED ACTOR HAS BEEN EXPERIENCG WEATHER WHIPLASH OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, AS HE TRAVELS BACK AND FORTH TO THE MONTREAL SET OF THE CBS EDY GHOSTS. IN THE SERI, ABOUT A BED AND BREAKFAST OWNER WHO HS HER HEAD AND WAK UP DISVERG THAT SHE N SEE AND SPEAK WH THE SPIRS OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED ON THE PROPERTY, JON PLAYS CAPTA ISAAC HIGGTOOT, A REVOLUTNARY WAR SOLDIER WHO DIED OF DYSENTERY. ISAAC AND HIS FELLOW GHOSTS OM OVER THE S—A PROHIBN-ERA JAZZ SGER, A NATIVE AMERIN, A DOUCHEBAG VTMENT BANKER—SPEND A LOT OF TIME OUTSI TRAVERSG THE GROUNDS OF THE MANOR’S SET, PERHAPS THE ONLY ASPECT OF SHOOTG GHOSTS THAT HASN’T BEEN A JOY FOR JON.BACK OCTOBER, JON WALKED TO A NORTH FACE STORE MONTREAL. “I SAID, ‘HI, I LIVE L.A. I AM NERVO ABOUT THE WTER.’ THE WOMAN WAS LIKE, ‘SAY NO MORE,’ AND SHE BROUGHT ME TO A BACK ROOM WHERE WAS, LIKE, KEVLAR SUS,” HE SAYS. “SO I HAVE THIS BIG, BULKY BLACK AT. I AM OBSSED WH . IT IS KEEPG ME ALIVE.” THE PURCHASE MIGHT HAVE BEEN FOR WEARG ON A TELEVISN SET, “BUT I N NOW WHSTAND WHATEVER IS A BIATHLON ATHLETE DO.” PHOTO BY JONATHAN WENK/CBS VIA GETTY IMAG WHEN JON PHON THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, HE’S TAKG SHELTER OM THE LD WHILE SHOOTG GHOSTS’ SEASON 2 FALE. ASKED TO REVEAL EVERYTHG THAT HAPPENS, HE LGHS. “SURE. JT TELL ME YOUR LAWYER’S NAME AND I’LL BE ASKG HIM TO REPRENT ME.”IT’S A B OF A SURREAL MOMENT JON’ REER. NOT ONLY IS HE WRAPPG A SEND SEASON OF HIS SHOW, BUT WHEN WE NEXT TALK TO HIM, ’S THE BALLROOM AT A HOTEL LOS ANGEL, WHERE THE CRICS CHOICE AWARDS HAD JT TAKEN PLACE. HE HAD SWAPPED HIS FLUFFY PARKA FOR A BONAIR GOLD TUXEDO JACKET WH BLACK TRIM, AS BOTH HE AND GHOSTS WERE NOMATED—HIM FOR BT SUPPORTG ACTOR A COMEDY AND THE SHOW FOR BT COMEDY SERI. IN BETWEEN CHATS WH HIS BT IEND AND DATE FOR THE NIGHT, D’ARCY CARN (THE GOOD PLACE, A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN), AND BILLY EICHNER (BROS, BILLY ON THE STREET), HE MARVELED WH OVER THE UNEXPECTED SUCCS OF BOTH THE SHOW AND OF HIMSELF.THE SERI HAS BEE A HEADLE-MAKG H FOR CBS— S ANNOUNCEMENT LAST WEEK THAT HAD BEEN RENEWED FOR A THIRD SEASON, THE WORK TOUTED GHOSTS AS THE TOP EDY ON TELEVISN LIVE AND STREAMG VIEWERSHIP OVER A WEEK. ALONGSI ABC’S ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, ’S BEEN HERALD AS AN EXAMPLE THAT THE BROADST EDY ISN’T JT MAKG A EBACK TERMS OF VIEWERSHIP, BUT CRIL AND MEDIA BUZZ AS WELL.IT’S ALSO THE BIGGT SHOWSE JON HAS HAD TH FAR HIS REER. AFTER PERFORMG WH THE UPRIGHT CIZENS BRIGA THEATER BOTH NEW YORK AND LOS ANGEL, HE BEGAN BOOKG RECURRG ROL ON SERI LIKE THE GOOD PLACE AND THE OTHER TWO. HIS MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH WAS A MEMORABLE SUPPORTG ROLE THE REBEL WILSON-STARRG SATIRE ISN’T IT ROMANTIC, PLAYG WILSON’S FLAMBOYANTLY GAY NEIGHBOR AND NFIDANT HER ROM- FANTASY WORLD. GHOSTS IS HIS FIRST REGULAR SERI ROLE, AND, BEYOND THE PLATFORM ’S GIVEN HIM, RRI SPECIAL MEANG.WHILE, Y, GHOSTS IS A VERY FUNNY EDY CENTERED AROUND THE HIJKS THAT ENSUE WHEN A MORN WOMAN SUDNLY MT AL WH THE MANDS OF GHOSTS OM DIFFERENT ERAS OF AMERIN HISTORY, ’S ALSO SURPRISGLY POIGNANT. THE SHOW EXPLOR WHAT MEANS FOR PEOPLE OM DIFFERENT GENERATNS (SPANNG HUNDREDS OF YEARS) TO BE FORCED TO EVOLVE THEIR VIEWS ON THE WORLD—AND OF THEMSELV—AS THEY GROW ACCTOMED TO CHANGG TIM. THE EMOTNAL RE OF THAT IS ISAAC’S STORYLE, AS HE FALLY ADMS TO HIMSELF, AND THEN TO HIS FELLOW GHOSTS, THAT HE’S GAY, RECKONS WH 250 YEARS OF BEG CLOSETED, AND FALLY STARTS A RELATNSHIP WH ANOTHER (AD) SOLDIER.“IF YOU WERE TO TELL 12-YEAR-OLD BRANDON THAT THIS IS THE CHARACTER HE’S PLAYG ON TELEVISN, WOULD BLOW HIS MD,” JON, WHO IS GAY, SAYS. “I JT DIDN’T SEE TOO MANY CHARACTERS LIKE THIS ON A S. OR IF YOU DID SEE THEM AT ALL, A LOT OF TIM WAS VERY, VERY DRAMATIC, VERY, VERY PAFUL STORI.” FOR JON, THE PAST TWO YEARS HAVE FELT LIKE BEG SHOT OUT OF A NNON TO A DIFFERENT ECHELON OF THE ENTERTAMENT DTRY, AFTER A REER AS A JOURNEYMAN CHARACTER ACTOR AND EDY WRER. IT’S BEEN AN UNMOORG EXPERIENCE, BUT ONE THAT HAS RONATED AND PIERCED THE DISORIENTG CHAOS OF PRS JUNKETS, TALK SHOW APPEARANC, AND, NOW, WALKG DOWN RED RPETS OF AWARDS SHOWS AS AN ACTG NOMEE BEE OF HOW PERSONALLY SIGNIFINT ISAAC’S STORYLE HAS BEEN.STILL, THAT CHAOS HAS BEEN…CHAOTIC.“I TEND TO GET OVERWHELMED VERY EASILY, SO I SOMETIM END UP SHRKG A LTLE B,” HE SAYS. “I REMEMBER THE DAY OF COMICCON, WAS ALMOST LIKE A LUCID DREAM. LIKE, YOU WAKE UP AT FIVE THE MORNG AND YOU’RE GETTG YOUR HAIR AND MAKP DONE. CERTALY, YOU DIDN’T SLEEP WELL THE NIGHT BEFORE, SO ALREADY SORT OF FEELS LIKE YOU’RE ASLEEP. AND THEN YOU’RE ON A ROOFTOP AND YOU’RE HAVG REALLY NICE FFEE WH ONE OUTLET, AND THE NEXT THG YOU KNOW, YOU’RE ON A YACHT AND YOU’RE DANCG. AND THEN YOU’RE WALKG TO THE NEXT EVENT, WATCHG PEOPLE PASS BY YOU DRSED LIKE STAR TREK CHARACTERS.”“IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR MY BRA TO PROCS WHERE I WAS,” HE ADDS. “IT’S SORT OF LIKE WHEN THE SHIP ME OVER THE HORIZON TO THE NEW WORLD: WHAT PEOPLE MT HAVE THOUGHT SEEG THE SHIPS RISE OVER THE HORIZON. IT’S LIKE, OH MY GOD, LIKE AN ALIEN WORLD.” OR, PERHAPS, SUFFERG A BAD FALL AT THE BED AND BREAKFAST YOU N, WAKG UP, AND SUDNLY THE GHOSTS OF A REVOLUTNARY WAR SOLDIER AND A BOY SUT LEAR WH AN ARROW HIS NECK ARE TALKG TO YOU. AT THE TIME THE PILOT SCRIPT FOR GHOSTS ME HIS WAY 2021, JON HAD BEEN WORKG ON A PILOT HE HAD SOLD TO NBC THAT HE WAS GOG TO STAR , BUT WHICH HADN’T GONE FORWARD AT THE WORK. HE REMEMBERS THKG HOW FUNNY THE GHOSTS SCRIPT WAS, BUT ALSO THAT HE WOULD NEVER BOOK THE ROLE: “THEY’LL NEVER THK OF ME AS A SOLDIER. NO ONE WOULD BELIEVE THAT.” BUT THE SEND HE STARTED READG THE L FOR HIS DN, JT FELT RIGHT. THE STYLE OF REMD HIM OF THE MOVIE CLUE, “LIKE AN ENSEMBLE PIECE OF SANE CHARACTERS NNG AROUND THE HOE TOGETHER.”WHILE WAS OBV OM THE WAY ISAAC SPOKE AND BEHAVED THE PILOT THAT HE WAS CLOSETED, THERE WAS ONE THG THAT WASN’T REVEALED RIGHT AWAY: THAT HIS LAST NAME IS HIGGTOOT. JON ONLY FOUND THAT OUT WHEN SHOOTG STARTED AND THERE WAS A PROP WIKIPEDIA PAGE THAT HAD BEEN CREATED FOR ISAAC ON SET, REVEALG HIS FULL NAME AS CAPTA ISAAC HIGGTOOT. “I THOUGHT WAS SO FUNNY.” (EDOR’S NOTE: IT IS. I’VE GIGGLED EACH TIME I’VE WRTEN THIS PIECE.)WHEN ME TO TRYG TO UNRSTAND WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE TO BE A CLOSETED GAY SOLDIER THE REVOLUTNARY WAR, THERE WASN’T EXACTLY A TROVE OF FIRSTHAND ACUNTS TO ME AS REARCH. “I TRIED TO THK OF THIS TERMS OF, IF NOT THE CHARACTER THAT EXISTED THEN, BUT AS ONE WHO HAS ALSO EXISTED FOR 250 YEARS,” JON SAID. “LIKE, WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN OVER TIME?” PHOTO BY KEV WTER/GETTY IMAG AS A BASELE, HE LLED ON WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT REVOLUTNARY WAR SOLDIERS THROUGH POP CULTURE, OM PROJECTS LIKE THE PATRT, THE JOHN ADAMS MISERI, AND, OF URSE, HATON. (A HILAR NNG JOKE GHOSTS IS ISAAC’S PAST RIVALRY WH ALEXANR HATON AND HIS BTER BAFFLEMENT THAT HE BEME SUCH AN INIC FIGURE THROUGH THE BROADWAY MIL.) GROWG UP BEL AIR, MARYLAND, JON ALSO VISED COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG OFTEN AS A KID, SO HE WENT THROUGH HIS BRA’S FIL OF WHAT HE LEARNED ON THOSE TRIPS. EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS A EDY SERI, “I WANTED THERE TO BE A SKELETON OF TTH TO THE HISTORIL EXPERIENCE,” HE SAYS, MAKG HIMSELF LGH. “THAT’S GOG TO BE THE HEADLE OF THIS ARTICLE. ‘BRANDON STT JON: A SKELETON OF TTH.’”ONE OF THE REMARKABLE THGS ABOUT GHOSTS IS THAT, BY HAVG A ST OF GHOSTS REPRENTG SO MANY ERAS OF AMERIN HISTORY—AND THE BIAS THAT MAY HAVE EXISTED DURG THOSE PERDS— PORTRAYS THE UTOPIAN IAL OF HOW TIME AND MUNY N LEAD TO MORAL EVOLUTN AND ACCEPTANCE. EVEN WHEN TO ONE’S SELF.“I THK THERE’S A WORLD WHERE ISAAC PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW HOW THE RT OF THE GHOSTS WOULD REACT,” JON SAYS ABOUT ISAAC’S G OUT STORYLE. “HE PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW HOW HE WAS GOG TO REACT.” THERE’S ALSO A LOT ABOUT THAT ARC THAT LIGHTLY TOUCH ON TODAY’S SOCPOLIL DISURSE, WHICH PEOPLE STAND THEIR MORAL GROUND ON SO-LLED “NTROVERSIAL” ISSU LIKE LGBT RIGHTS BEE ’S WHAT THE FOUNDG FATHERS “WANTED.” ISAAC VERY WELL ULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE GROUP THAT MA THOSE CISNS—YET THE TTH OF HIS VERY SELF WAS MA TOO AGONIZG TO ACCEPT BEE OF THOSE VERY PEOPLE.“HE’S A GUY WHO EXISTED AT A TIME HISTORY WHEN HE ABSOLUTELY ULDN’T BE WHO HE WAS, AND HE WAS ALSO PART OF CREATG A LONGSTANDG LEGACY THAT PEOPLE STILL REFER BACK TO—REFERENCG WHAT PEOPLE THAT TIME PERD THOUGHT WAS RIGHT, NO MATTER HOW RIDICULOLY WRONG WAS,” JON SAYS. “I THK THERE’S SOMETHG SUBVERSIVE ABOUT THAT.”THERE’S A VALID ARGUMENT THAT ’S SILLY OR ANTIQUATED TO, 2023, TREAT A G OUT STORYLE ON WORK TV AS SOMETHG STILL PROGRSIVE AND MEANGFUL. IT’S BEEN S SCE ELLEN AND WILL & GRACE. OVER 10 YEARS HAVE PASSED SCE KURT STGGLED TO E OUT ON GLEE. LGBT CHARACTERS ON BROADST SERI HAVE BEEN STEADILY ON THE RISE. YET THERE STILL IS NO DISUNTG THAT WATCHG ISAAC E TO TERMS WH HIS SEXUALY AND HIS FORT LEVEL EXPRSG IS MOVG, EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME AND PROGRS. (TRY WATCHG THE GHOSTS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL OM EARLIER THE SEASON WHOUT TEARG UP.) GHOSTS, AGA, IS THE NUMBER ONE EDY ON TV RIGHT NOW, ON A WORK WH A WI, MASTREAM REACH THAT CLUS BROAD MOGRAPHICS. AND ’S VTG ONE OF S BIGGT STORYL A PERSON’S EXPERIENCE NAVIGATG THEIR SEXUALY— AN EXTREMELY POSIVE WAY, TO BOOT. “THAT’S WHAT BLOWS MY MD,” JON SAYS, REFERENCG AGA WHAT 12-YEAR-OLD BRANDON WOULD THK.JON’ MOST HIGH-PROFILE ACTG JOBS HAVE BEEN PLAYG GAY MEN, AND, THE OTHER TWO AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC, EMBRACG A EEG UNAPOLOGETIC ATTU AND FLAMBOYANCE. THGS ARE A B MORE UNRSTATED WHEN TO CAPTA ISAAC HIGGTOOT ON GHOSTS (GIGGLG AGA), BUT THAT’S THE POT—AND, FOR HIM, WHY ’S BEEN SO REWARDG TO PLAY.“I DON’T KNOW IF THE SEXUALY HAS ANYTHG TO DO WH THE APPROACH,” HE SAYS, THEN ONCE AGA LGHG. “THAT’S ANOTHER GREAT TLE FOR THE PIECE. ‘BRANDON STT JON: THE SEXUALY HAS NOTHG TO DO WH THE APPROACH.’”KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. KEV FALLON
* brandon scott gay *
His major breakthrough was a memorable supportg role the Rebel Wilson-starrg satire Isn’t It Romantic, playg Wilson’s flamboyantly gay neighbor and nfidant her rom- fantasy is his first regular seri role, and, beyond the platform ’s given him, rri special, y, Ghosts is a very funny edy centered around the hijks that ensue when a morn woman sudnly mt al wh the mands of ghosts om different eras of Amerin history, ’s also surprisgly poignant.
The emotnal re of that is Isaac’s storyle, as he fally adms to himself, and then to his fellow ghosts, that he’s gay, reckons wh 250 years of beg closeted, and fally starts a relatnship wh another (ad) soldier. “If you were to tell 12-year-old Brandon that this is the character he’s playg on televisn, would blow his md, ” Jon, who is gay, says. )When me to tryg to unrstand what would have been like to be a closeted gay soldier the Revolutnary War, there wasn’t exactly a trove of firsthand acunts to me as rearch.
THE RISE OF BRANDON STT JON: THE GAY REVOLUTNARY WAR SOLDIER GHOST STEALG HEARTS
As the ghost of Capta Isaac Higgtoot, Jon is gettg to explore a new way of tellg gay stori. * brandon scott gay *
“That’s what blows my md, ” Jon says, referencg aga what 12-year-old Brandon would ’ most high-profile actg jobs have been playg gay men, and, The Other Two and Isn’t It Romantic, embracg a eeg unapologetic attu and flamboyance. His major breakthrough was a memorable supportg role the Rebel Wilson-starrg satire Isn’t It Romantic, playg Wilson’s flamboyantly gay neighbor and nfidant her rom- fantasy CBS’ ‘Ghosts’ Brought Network Comedy Back From the DeadGhosts is his first regular seri role, and, beyond the platform ’s given him, rri special, y, Ghosts is a very funny edy centered around the hijks that ensue when a morn woman sudnly mt al wh the mands of ghosts om different eras of Amerin history, ’s also surprisgly poignant. The show explor what means for people om different generatns (spanng hundreds of years) to be forced to evolve their views on the world—and of themselv—as they grow acctomed to changg emotnal re of that is Isaac’s storyle, as he fally adms to himself, and then to his fellow ghosts, that he’s gay, reckons wh 250 years of beg closeted, and fally starts a relatnship wh another (ad) soldier.