Out Movies: March 2008 Archives

There could be a lot worse things that looking a lot like and sharing a first name with Brad Pitt.

That has been the unique experience of the handsome Brad Rowe, a busy actor with a lead role in "Shelter," a gay love story set in a surfing community that opens in limited release on Friday.

"It's definitely been something that's referenced a lot," Brad told me last week. "I wouldn't venture to guess whehter it's hurt or hindered me. It's been something people have latched onto but I think it's waned as I've gotten a little older. Physically, I have changed and he has changed. But anytime people have a little hook to think about, it can never be a bad thing."

Brad, 37, got his first big break 10 years ago in another gay-themed indie film: "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" opposite a pre-"Will & Grace" Sean Hayes. In between has been roles in major feature films ("National Treasure: Book of Secrets"), television series ("Leap of Faith," "1-800-MISSING" ""Wasteland") and scores of TV movies and parts in lower-budget films.

In "Shelter," Brad has, in my opinion, one of the best roles of his career. He plays a Hollywood screenwriter who returns from Los Angeles after a break-up and begins surfing with his younger brother's best friend Trevor Wright.

The two men begin an unexpected romance and embark on an emotional and sometimes exhilarating journey that involves family, artistic dreams and choices.Brad is so good in "Shelter" - winner of the audience award at several film festivals in 2007 - that I found it astonishing that he was brought on board just a week before the movie was due to begin production.

"I didn't have a whole lot of time to mull it over," he said. "I read the script and instantly fell in love with it. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't going to be some beefcake surf film, you never know. I met with (director Jonah Markowitz) and he had a specific vision...Jonah was remarkable. He gave everyone a lot of leeway to bring their own thing. He had a pretty amazing maturity for a first-time feature director. When you go in to doing a project like this, someone who has written it is so invested. But Jonah said, 'This is by all means not my story.'"

So how were two straight actors able to pull of the love scenes in the movie which was shot in just three weeks?

"When you get to the love scene, the physical part on the stairs and on the bed, it's very intense but it was really fun," Brad said. "We had a great time with it. Trevor and I committed to it as actors, the producers committed to making it a safe place with a closed set, and Jonah gave us the freedom to figure it out. He said, 'You guys make it happen in the way that you make it happen' then just sort of let us have at it."

Brad and Trevor's off-screen bond helped the performances: "It's always a crap shoot when you put two actors together who don't know each other. Trevor is a really open, fun goofy person from Southern California and definitely fit that surfer skater punk kid vibe. We just had a great time. We had a light-hearted fun time hanging out and being friends outside of work. It was totally easy and totally fun and I think that does translate onto the screen."

Here is a clip:

Married to Lisa Fiori since 1999, Brad got a bit of a late start in Hollywood because he had an earlier career as a finance manager for political campaigns in Washington, D.C. He's made up for lost time though. In the past year alone, Brad has guested on some of the most popular series on television including "CSI: NY," "How I Met Your Mother," "Ghost Whisperer" and "CSI: Miami."

While those gigs pay the bills, he is trying to be more than an actor for hire and taking a shot at producing, co-writing and acting in the upcoming screwball comedy "For Better or for Worse" that is set to begin shooting in June.

"It's in the vein of 'The Anniversay Party' and 'The Big Chill' - a weekend event film that all takes place in one house," he said. "Rather than being a funeral or a birthday party, the central event of the weekend is a gay wedding."

Here is a another trailer from "Shelter" ....

A gay wedding is the setting for an independent screwball comedy called "For Better or for Worse" that is set to begin shooting in June with a terrific cast that so far includes Chad Allen, Janeane Garofalo, Rebecca Gayheart, Soleil Moon Frye, Patrick Muldoon and Brad Rowe who is also writing and producing.

I'm always happy to see Chad Allen cast in a project because he is always good and I want out actors like him to enjoy as much success as possible. As for Patrick Muldoon, sheesh, I've had a crush on him since before he did "Melrose Place." Those blue eyes are to die for.

I talked to Brad last week about the movie (our interivew will be posted on Sunday) and he is really excited about the project which will be directed by Joshua Tunick: "It's in the vein of 'The Anniversay Party,' 'The Big Chill' - a weekend event film that all takes place in one house," he said. "Rather than being a funeral or a birthday party, the central event of the weekend is a gay wedding."

Frye, best-known as television's "Punky Brewster," will play the lesbian minister presiding over the ceremony at the home of one groom's mother (Ruta Lee). The guests include the jilted ex of one of the grooms and his new beau (Muldoon and Allen), a closeted neighbor (Stanley Kamel), a wallflower sister (Gayheart), a family-man brother (Rowe) and his nanny (Garofalo), who has a bombshell to drop.

There is still a key role to be cast - one of the grooms - but Brad's lips were sealed on who it might be.