Charlie David is a multi-talented entertainer who’s quickly become
a gay box office phenomenon. His steamy supernatural soap opera Dante’s Cove was the No. 1 show for the here! Television Network, with strong continuing DVD sales. He also stars in Logo’s travel series, Bump! But that’s not all, the young actor released three more features the past two years: A Four Letter Word, Kiss the Bride, and Mulligans, which he also wrote and produced. The film went on to more than 65 international film festivals. Currently he stars in the film Judas Kiss, which makes its Southern California premiere at the Long Beach QFilm Festival this month. The offbeat contemporary drama takes place on a college campus
alive with magical realism. Zachary Wells, who Charlie David portrays, is a recent college graduate who moves to L.A., twirling on a nosedive into the gay party scene and in and out of rehab. The journey finds him returning to college to judge a film festival, where he meets and views elements of his past to gain perspective and the chance to make changes to impact his present. Only in Hollywood and on the film screen can one find the chance of a lifetime—a place where you can grab a second chance at your future—offering a window into a fresh destiny. Charlie David admits to The Rage Monthly, such an opportunity sounds enticing, but given the opportunity would this very ground- ed, purpose-filled, self-dubbed “storyteller” jump at such a chance to change his past?
Your character in Judas Kiss – “Zachary Wells” – has the amazing opportunity to go into his past and potentially make changes that will impact his present. Of course, I must ask if you’d go back and change some things if you could? In terms of myself I wouldn’t. I mean certainly my life hasn’t been without mistakes,
but at the same time I believe the world is the world we’re supposed to be a part of. There is nothing we can do here that is a wrong choice – especially if you look at every- thing as an opportunity. So, I wouldn’t go back and change it. When I look back at my life some of the most challenging times have been the times in my life are when I’ve learned the most. How did you prepare for such a role? Reading the script, I was going through similar reflective times as Zachary Wells.
Last year as I was making my transition into my 30s. I was very much looking at my life and asking myself several questions: Have I accomplished what I set out to do? Do I want to continue down this path, in terms of film and television, or even being in en- tertainment? Where in the world do I want to live? Who do I want my friend-base to be? What kind of relationship do I want to be in? I think that’s kind of a typical process for someone when they come upon such milestones, usually at the end of a five-year mark or the end of a decade. It’s a time when you kinda look back and just reflect on what’s transpired and look forward on what you want to do next. And what is that for you? While currently I’ve chosen to continue in this industry doing film and television, I
don’t know if that’s what I’ll necessarily do forever. I like a lot of things. I like the business side of this industry, probably as much—if not more—than I enjoy being in front of the camera. So that’s gonna affect things on a really personal level. Like I said, there were a lot of similarities between myself and the role I have in Judas Kiss, I think that’s why this script resonated with me. While you wouldn’t change anything in your life, were you still able to authentically step into the role in a natural way? I would say so. There are certainly parts of the character that I have no experience
with. I’ve been lucky that addictions don’t run in my family and I’ve never been ad- dictive myself. It gave me a chance to look at and explore these issues personally. I think there are parallels, however, that I could draw upon to bring to the role as well. Essentially, it’s about a guy searching for love and acceptance and a sense of place and purpose in the world. I think he has this sense of simply being human on this journey and I think that is something we can all understand, because I believe that at the core everybody that’s what we’re feeling as the motivation for each of us. What did you take away from the opportunity given to you with Judas Kiss? As I continue with life I’m learning more with each film I do that the story is the most
important thing. I’ve had to learn to let go of the vanity that comes with the industry all too often. That’s also within the core of the niche of gay indie films as well. It’s often about the abs and “the look,” something women have to deal with in their careers as well, I think it’s an opportunity to knock me back in many ways. It gave me an
“There is nothing we can do here that is a wrong choice – especially if you look at everything as an opportunity. So, I wouldn’t go back and change it.
When I look back at my life some of the most challenging times have been the times in my life are when I’ve learned the most.
SEPTEMBER 2011 | RAGE monthly 39 ”
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