Noah's Arc: August 2006 Archives

No one can tell Darryl Stephens that portraying a gay man in movies and on television is professionally limiting. The actor, the title character in the hit Logo series "Noah's Arc," is not only beginning his second season on the show (the first came out on DVD this month), but he's also one of the main stars of film festival hit "Boy Culture" which will hit theaters this fall and appears in the current theatrical comedy "Another Gay Movie."

But in an interview posted today on AfterElton.com, Stephens is modest about his current hot streak.

"The only reason I'm in "Boy Culture" is that the director of "Noah's Arc" [Patrik-Ian Polk] knows Q. Allan Brocka," he said. "Allan was trying to cast that role black and couldn't find anyone. He mentioned that to Patrik, who said that he thought he had someone who would be really good, [although] Patrik was a little hesitant to hand me over. It just so happened that the line producer on "Boy Culture" was co-producing "Another Gay Movie," and she called me about an assistant director that she was interested in hiring that I worked with on the pilot. In our conversation she asked me if I had been in to read for Todd [Stephens, director of Another Gay Movie], and I said, “Who's Todd? I don't know anything about this.� She said, “Come in and read for this role.� It was completely about who I knew and who happened to mention me in conversation."

On being a gay, African-American performer: "I don't discuss my sexuality with the press. For me, it's a matter of you can see the work and make your own assumptions. But because of the stage I'm at in my career, I don't see any relevance in talking about my personal life."

On being considered a rising star:"It's almost surreal. [Laughs.] I drive a beat-up car in L.A. I'm not living a glamorous life at all. I've got my friends who I am very close to. In Los Angeles, Logo isn't that big — all the cable companies aren't carrying it yet. I feel like in Los Angeles, I still have some degree of anonymity. When I come to places like Philly or New York, where people are a lot more hip to the show, I feel like, “Wow! I am actually making an impact.�