It just shows the importance of having queer actors playing queer roles and how that informs the material. Part of the joy of Brothers sees so many LGBTQ+ icons in the spotlight – my screening audience was so excited when Harvey Fierstein showed up.
And Harvey is an openly gay man who has Song of the Torch Trilogy made into a movie at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s. People like Ts Madison and Dot-Marie Jones have been in the business for decades but rarely get a chance to shine on the big screen. Amanda Bearse was a star on primetime television and came out in 1993 before Rosie O’Donnell! Before Ellen DeGeneres! But they’re not just historical figures, they’re blossoming artists who should still have opportunities.
One of the biggest laughs of Brothers That’s when Debra Messing appears, playing a very large version of herself. How did this cameo come about?
I met her when I did a really funny segment on Billy in the street called “It’s Debra Messing, you gays!” I remember coldly calling her and saying, “I know you don’t know who I am, but I’m doing this thing on the street and you’re so prominent among gay people watching. will and grace for years. I think it would be funny to poke fun at your image and celebrate that! She was one of the first celebrities to appear on the show before we got any big viral clips. We ran up to people in Chelsea and I was just yelling, ‘It’s Debra Messing, you gays!’ We had so many celebrities on the show doing absurd things and I’m grateful for that, but some got really scared. Most celebrities aren’t used to interacting with the public, but Debra was so up for it. She immediately agreed to make fun of herself again in Brothers and I’m thrilled because she’s hysterical.
What do you hope queer audiences will take away from Brothers?
It’s very important to me that other people in the queer community relate to it and see that I’ve done my best to create something authentic in our lives. I am not one who shy away from a bold political statement, but Brothers is not meant to be a bold political statement. Our priority has always been to make a hilarious film. And this movie should have been made years ago. There are so many more talented people than me in the LGBTQ community who should have had this opportunity. On some level, I’m just in the right place at the right time, and it’s not lost on me.