catalyst for me getting involved in television. Once she put her stamp on me, it opened doors to everything. I have done probably 12 or 13 guest spots and pilots because of it. Now I’m working on an HBO pilot with Ryan Murphy, it’s my tenth so far and if it doesn’t go, I’ll be zero for ten! Isn’t that kind of how it generally works with most actors and pilots? They say that Friends was Jennifer Aniston’s 12th and that for George Clooney
ER was his 14th, so I suppose that I have a few more to go (laughs). I am working on another one… Well, I can’t really tell you because it’s a secret, but I’ll say this much; I’m playing someone really rough and disgusting! I’m a bad guy on CSI and do horrible things to some very famous and beautiful women! TheCSI role sounds scary but very cool. I have always thought that roles like that must be the most fascinating to play as an actor. Very much opposite the roles and image you’ve had. They really are. You know its funny, for so long I was seen as the all American
blue-eyed sweet boy—that had been my image. I’m going to be 39 and up until 37 I had such a pristine reputation. And really, nobody is perfect. Because I was good at managing it so carefully, no one even knew that I had struggled with drugs and alcohol for 20 years. Then someone leaked that I was in a 12-Step program and that I had grown a
crazy mustache, shaved my head, which I had done for a role and that I had gotten a couple of tattoos…it’s funny, I still feel the need to justify. No one had really ever said anything bad about me and that was the hardest
thing.With everything that has happened over the last year and a half, all of the stuff in the press, I kind of got raked over the coals. As much as I like to pretend that it doesn’t matter, it did. I’m just like everybody else; of course I want you to like me. I am amazed how quickly the press can turn on you. It’s especially true of the gay
press at times. It seems we love to build people upas a cultureandin the media, then tear them down. Don’t get me wrong; the LGBT press has been incredibly supportive over the
years. It’s just been a few snarky blogs that I have had to stay away from. Mostly because of how much it hurt my family; they have been really affected by it at times. I guess it’s like RuPaul shared with me, “Your opinion of me is none of my business.” Great words to hear, difficult at times to remember, though I do think it matters when people in the public eye share their frailties and struggles—it normalized being human. Some have suggested that I shouldn’t be so open about my recovery. I have
always been drawn to the brooding-in-the-corner, James Dean kind of guy and I have often tried to emulate that. Which lasts about three minutes… (laughs) then I start doing my high kicks, being goofy and telling my life story, it’s just who I am. Sharing the struggles that I have had, all the difficulties that we all face, for me
even a really painful break up is what I do—it’s even in my shows. I can’t tell you how many men come up to me after and say thank you. It’s really been such a blessing. I am proud of my recovery; it’s making me better in every way. So let’s talk about your tour and the show. It all kind of started with my friendship with Sia (singer/songwriter Sia Furler),
she has been my champion and my muse. She was the first person, besides my mom, that told me I was a good songwriter. I had written songs and had a con- nection at Sony who loved them, so now not only am I writing for myself, we are writing for other people. I get to pepper my own shows with the music and travel around sharing them. There are three different shows, one is a movie/musical sort of thing calledShaken Not Stirred, one called The American Songbook and another called Hello Gorgeous, which has a little more of a gay slant! (Laughs) So tell me a bit more aboutMusic of the Mad MenEra you’re doing with the LA Phil. Ben Toth my music director, who I often say is my heterosexual life partner
(laughs) along with my teachers have all said I was born in the wrong era because I love that style of music so much. While recording from the American Songbook
26 RAGE monthly | APRIL 2014
with Michael Feinstein, I realized that it was something that I needed to explore. We put the show together, did it at Carnegie Hall and it was one of the most amaz- ing nights ever. My parents came in from Idaho, it was just ridiculous. It’s a mix of everything from Chet Baker to Frank Sinatra and Hoagy Carmichael we even throw in some stuff from Amy Winehouse, things that are still within that vein. I really enjoyed your albumI’m Blue Skies by the way, especially “Driving.” Thank you, it’s been amazing, the album is still charting and has sold really well.
I barely did any press for it and in spite of that it’s really had sort of a life of its own. I’ve been really lucky in that regard. I love all the work and I’ve been blessed to be able to do so much—it’s just great.
Catch Cheyenne Jackson and Music of the Mad Men Era with special guest stars Jane Lynch and Rebecca Romijn onSaturday, April 26 at 8 p.m. at The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Down- town Los Angeles.
Before the concert at 6:30 p.m. enjoy a Mad Men-inspired cocktail party; bring on your fedoras, skinny ties, party dresses, pumps and fancy pearls. Take advantage of a special offer for The Rage Monthly readers and get 20 percent off select sections when you use the code MADMEN. To purchase tickets or for more information go
tolaphil.com/madmen.
photography by adam bouska
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