Being An Out Gay Actor: Ben Baur Makes a Difference
December 22, 2015 - Announcements, Awards, Careers, Featured
鈥淲hat was I going to do as a business major? I don鈥檛 even know. I had all these weird ideas of being an event planner.鈥�
Casually sitting in a room at 六合彩资料 LA, alumnus Ben Baur laughs when asked what wild notion brought him to the world of entertainment. 鈥淚 never considered working as an actor. Business just seemed logical. It seemed like something I could do to 鈥榤ake money,鈥� 鈥榟ave a career,鈥� all that stuff.鈥� He pauses. 鈥淚 never really thought acting was a thing.鈥�
So says the man who has lived in both Los Angeles and New York City as a successful actor since graduating from 六合彩资料鈥檚 Studio Conservatory, having performed on both coasts in multiple TV series, shorts, movies, web series and plays. In fact, Ben Baur has gained more credits and experience than many his age, with appearances in such shows as 鈥淭he Following,鈥� 鈥淢ythos,鈥� 鈥淣ip/Tuck,鈥� 鈥�#Adulting鈥� and ABC鈥檚 reality series 鈥淲hat Would You Do?鈥� He鈥檒l also be starring as Jace Holden in the upcoming movie Something Like Summer, an indie romance currently in post-production.
Ben is best known, however, for starring as the lead in the award-winning series 鈥淗unting Season,鈥� which earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the Indie Series Awards. Ben plays Alex, a writer/bachelor who blogs under a pseudonym about his sexual exploits within New York City鈥檚 LGBT community. While an explicit role, Ben notes that the message behind Alex鈥檚 story鈥攂eing honest in one鈥檚 sexuality and orientation鈥攈as had a profound impact on viewers.
鈥淸Alex] wasn鈥檛 able to fully embrace this life he鈥檚 living. I think that鈥檚 true for a lot of people. It鈥檚 finding your authentic self, and having the bravery to live that truth. It鈥檚 something that a lot of people can identify with, and especially a lot of people in the gay community, which is another reason that I was so into this project.鈥� With immense media attention, hosting of the series by Logo TV, and an enormously popular second season fueled by Kickstarter, the show has reached a vast audience. As the first episodes went live, letters began streaming in from youths and adults alike who, though still in the closet, were finding strength in Alex鈥檚 story.
Audiences weren鈥檛 the only ones impacted by the role.
鈥淲hen I finally decided I was going to be an actor, the decision was always to play it close to the chest,鈥� says Ben, referring to being gay. 鈥淭he reason I eventually decided, 鈥榊ou know what, I can鈥檛 do that鈥�, was when I read for 鈥楬unting Season.鈥� Here鈥檚 this character who鈥檚 being so brave鈥攊t made me really want to be that brave, that honest. The thought of having to lie about his stuff and be so careful with what I say in interviews...it sounded so exhausting. It just wasn鈥檛 me.鈥�
In 2012, therefore, Ben decided to write and in the Huffington Post about being an out gay actor, wherein he expressed his concerns about stigmatization, getting typecast in caricature roles and the inexplicable (yet inextricable) association audiences make between characters onscreen and actors鈥� private lives. While many would fear such a bold move, Ben鈥檚 never looked back from the choice.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a decision that I don鈥檛 regret at all. I am who I am, and the more people can voice these things, the more commonplace it鈥檚 gonna be, and the less anyone is gonna care. It鈥檚 just gonna be about acting.鈥�
Ben鈥檚 voice hasn鈥檛 gone unnoticed. The attention 鈥淗unting Season鈥� has acquired, combined with the critical praise for Ben鈥檚 performance, recently landed him on Out Magazine鈥檚 , which honors the top 100 actors and public figures making a social impact on behalf of the LGBT community.
That social impact, Ben reveals, is the key motivation behind his acting. Ben cherishes roles that allow him to connect to his audience through universal struggles. 鈥淚 like to play characters who are struggling with some form of accepting who they are, and accepting truths about themselves and the people around them. That鈥檚 something that really interests me, 鈥榗ause that鈥檚 something that a lot of people go through, and something that I feel is very relatable. I want to show audiences someone going through similar struggles.鈥�
鈥淚t was definitely an honor being included on a list with amazing people who are doing amazing things,鈥� Ben adds. 鈥淚t really made me feel powerful in a way. It made me feel like I had a voice, and people ended up listening to it, so I should use that voice in a positive way. That鈥檚 what I intend to do.鈥�
Looks like being an event planner will have to wait.