‘School of Rock’s’ Billy Wr About Beg Labeled “The Gay Kid” – The Hollywood Reporter

gay kid in school of rock name

Ahead of the film's 15-year anniversary this fall, Brian Falduto opens up about growg up beg viewed as "a young gay figurehead" and how he's fally found peace wh that.

Contents:

‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’S’ BILLY WR ABOUT BEG LABELED “THE GAY KID”

* gay kid in school of rock name *

In a 2018 say, Falduto wrote that playg Billy led him to be lled the "gay kid om 'School of Rock'.

'SCHOOL OF ROCK' ACTOR BRIAN FALDUTO WAS HOMOPHOBIC TOWARD HIMSELF AFTER PLAYG 'THE GAY KID'

Mean Girls alum Daniel Franze jos Falduto on The Gay Life Coach Podst to celebrate Pri and discs the issu of portrayg a queer character while still a youth alg wh issu of sexual inty. * gay kid in school of rock name *

Years later, durg his senr year of llege, he me out as gay. "This movie me out and I got lled 'gay' and then someone told me that's not ol so I jt was like 'Oh OK I'm not gay. No, but uld be former child actor said he was receivg negative msag surroundg gayns so often that his nial grew before he even unrstood what meant to be homosexual or queer.

"By the time I realized I was potentially gay, I was already homophobic toward myself, " he said. "In llege I met a bunch of gay people and I was like 'this is awome and they're great but this isn't an optn for me.

Brian Falduto, an actor and mician bt known for playg Billy (or “Fancy Pants”) the Jack Black mil film School of Rock, opens up about his experience growg up as “the gay kid” om the film an emotnal say for The Advote. Sayg that he’s now “OK wh , ” he explas that, bee of his role the film, which me out 15 years ago October, he was labeled as “gay” early on.

CHILD STAR STGGLED TO E OUT AFTER PLAYG ‘THE GAY KID’ ‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’

He explas that, at the time, “there also weren’t seasons of The Voice like the current one where sexually diverse and genr-fluid talents are reprented or openly gay Olympic figure skaters like Adam Rippon. ” And, he says, “The add element of beg a young gay figurehead when I didn’t have any personal role mols to pend on, well, plited thgs, to say the least. The film is makg history as the first mastream stud movie to feature a gay teen romance.

SCHOOL OF ROCK’S ‘GAY KID’ DIDN’T E OUT BEE OF TERNALISED HOMOPHOBIA

Brian Falduto (aka Billy, the gay kid om School of Rock) weled Daniel Franze (Damian Mean Girls) to episo 24 of The Gay Life CoachPodst where they discsed Pri and their experienc growg up as queer characters major motn pictur before they had e to terms wh their sexual inti real life. In fact, seemed to Falduto that everyone knew he was gay before even he knew . "The Gay Life Coach Podst is one of my many attempts to make the wellns nversatn more accsible wh the queer muny, " Falduto ntu.

Falduto says he felt particularly honored to wele Franze to The Gay Life Coach. "You n stream Brian Falduto and Daniel Franze on The Gay Life Coach Podst here or across all streamg platforms.

AFTER PLAYG THE GAY KID SCHOOL OF ROCK, AN ACTOR ADJTS TO LIFE OFF CAMERA

"I was nyg before I even had a notn of what [beg gay] was, " School of Rock actor Brian Falduto said of playg "the gay kid" the 2003 movie. The former child actor, 29, recently opened up about how playg "the gay kid" the 2003 movie ma difficult for him to e to terms wh his own sexualy. "Thk about : I was the fifth gra when this movie me out and I was lled gay, and then someone told me that's not ol, " Falduto ntued.

"So I was jt like, 'Oh okay, then I'm not gay.

"I was nyg before I even had a notn of what [beg gay] was, " Falduto reunted. "So by the time I realized I was potentially gay, I was already homophobic towards myself, sentially. That’s all great, except that once the film me out, Brian was bullied as "the gay kid om School of Rock.

THE “GAY KID” FROM “SCHOOL OF ROCK” IS NOW A HOT SGER AND LIFE COACHFEEL OLD, YET? BY LAWRENCE FERBERDECEMBER 28, 2018/10:43 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:625PX;WIDTH:1078PX;}SUB-URBAN PHOTOGRAPHYBY LAWRENCE FERBERDECEMBER 28, 2018 / 10:43 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"THE “GAY KID” FROM “SCHOOL OF ROCK” IS NOW A HOT SGER AND LIFE COACH","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2018-12-28T15:43:04.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2018-12-28T15:43:04.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"LAWRENCE FERBER"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SCHOOL OF ROCK’S BRIAN FALDUTO IS SGG A VERY DIFFERENT SONG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AFTER A FIRST BSH WH FAME AT 11-YEARS-OLD, ORIGATG THE ROLE OF LIZA MNELLI-LOVG, SASSY BILLY “FANCY PANTS” 2003'S SCHOOL OF ROCK—WHICH SCE SPIRED A BROADWAY SHOW AND NICKELOON TV SERI—FALDUTO ADMS HE WAS BULLIED S WAKE AND STGGLED WH HIS SEXUALY DUE TO A NSERVATIVE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN 2017, HOWEVER, HE REEMERGED AS A FULLY OUT SGER-SONGWRER TERMED TO EMPOWER OTHERS WH THE EP, LOVE ONE ANOTHER, AND A NOVEMBER 2018 FULL-LENGTH BUT ALBUM, STAGE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AT THE SAME TIME, FALDUTO LNCHED A REER AS I.C.F. CERTIFIED LIFE ACH TO NSULT AND GUI LGBTQ CLIENTS WHO MIGHT BE EXPERIENCG LIFE’S STGGL. IN PREPARATN FOR A DECEMBER 30 LIVE SET AT NYC’S ROCKWOOD MIC HALL (AT 9PM), FALDUTO SPOKE WH NEWNOWNEXT ABOUT THE FAMO, NTROVERSIAL GAY SELF-HELP TOME THAT SPIRED HIS ALBUM, LIFE ACHG, AND THE PL SI OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I UNRSTAND THAT STAGE TWO WAS SPIRED BY DR. ALAN DOWNS' THE VELVET RAGE. HOW DID YOU GET TO THAT BOOK?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT WAS REMEND BY MY THERAPIST, ACTUALLY. IT WAS HELPFUL TO FD A LANE MY MIC ULD TIE TO AND CI WH THE BS I LNCHED. NONE OF THE SONGS WERE NECSARILY SPIRED BY THE BOOK BEE THEY WERE WRTEN BEFORE I READ , BUT THE BOOK TALKED ABOUT STAGE TWO, A PERD A GAY MAN’S LIFE WHEN THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME OVERPENSATG FOR STAGE ONE, WHICH IS THE PERD OF SHAME THEY LIVED . FOR ME, THAT WAS ELEVEN TO TWELVE YEARS OF BEG UNFORTABLE WH WHO I WAS AND SEEKG VALIDATN ALTERNATE SOURC. I WAS SEEKG VALIDATN OFTEN THE FORMS OF ADDICTIVE RELATNSHIPS, AND THERE ARE BREAKUP SONGS. BASILLY, THE OPPORTUNY TO NAME THE ALBUM AFTER THE BOOK WAS MY WAY TO DIRECT PEOPLE TO READ , AND HOW TO GET TO STAGE THREE, WHICH IS GENUE THENTICY AND LIVG AS YOUR TE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ARE BREAKUPS GOLN FOR SONGWRERS, THOUGH?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THEY’RE SO GOOD! THEY FEED WRG LIKE NOTHG ELSE, ’S REALLY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HOW ARE YOU WH RELATNSHIPS NOW?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I’M AS SGLE AS THE DAY I WAS BORN, AND HAVG A RELATNSHIP WH MYSELF AND HAVG A GREAT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHAT’S THE SOP ON YOUR LIFE-ACHG REER?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MY PRIMARY GOAL IS TO WORK WH LGBT CLIENTS THE PROCS OF OVERG THE SHAME THEY GREW UP WH, AND VELOPG NFINCE SO THEY N LIVE THENTILLY AND NOT THIS WAY OF OVERPENSATG FOR THE YEARS SPENT LIVG THE CLOSET. IT’S SOMETHG I’M REALLY PASSNATE ABOUT. MAKG SURE YOU’RE CLIVE OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ARE ANY OF THE ORIGAL SCHOOL OF ROCK MOVIE ST AND CREATIV SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR E?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I’VE NOT REALLY REACHED OUT TO ANYONE. THE KIDS AND I ARE IENDS AND HAVE AN ACTIVE GROUP CHAT. BUT I’VE NOT BEEN TOUCH [WH THE ADULTS] SCE THE RNN. JACK BLACK IS SO KD, I’M SURE HE WOULD DO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IS A STAGE THREE ALBUM NEXT?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I JT RERD A LIVE MIC VIO FOR A NEW SONG LLED “ALRIGHT,” AND THAT’S MY FIRST THOUGHT FOR WHAT I WOULD PROBABLY LL STAGE THREE OF MY LIFE. I DON’T THK I WOULD LL THE NEXT ALBUM STAGE THREE, BUT I’M STARTG TO WRE SONGS A PLACE WHERE THERE’S MORE STRENGTH. THE SONG WILL BE RELEASED ON DECEMBER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR THE DECEMBER 30 PERFORMANCE?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WE’RE SO PSYCHED. IT WAS A REALLY EXCG YEAR FOR ME. WE’RE DOG A FUN SET AND UNTG DOWN MY TOP TEN MIC MOMENTS OF THE YEAR AND PERFORMG THE SONGS THAT ACPANIED THOSE MOMENTS. A OL LTLE UNTDOWN. AFTERWARD, WE’RE HAVG A LTLE PARTY BEE I’M HEADG TO L.A. JANUARY FOR PILOT SEASON, SO ’S A GOODBYE TO THE EAST AST FOR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

I was lled gay. I didn’t even know what beg gay meant. By the time I realized I potentially was gay, I was already homophobic—bee of the stigma associated wh and not wantg to be pigeonholed.

I'd never been given the opportuny to blend then, when you realized you were gay, thgs got really plited, right?

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY KID IN SCHOOL OF ROCK NAME

School of Rock's 'gay kid' didn't e out bee of ternalised homophobia .

TOP