16th Annual FILMOUT SAN DIEGO LGBT Film Festival:
An Interview With Such Good People
by chris carpenter Michael Urie
ne of America’s favorite queer funny men, Michael Urie, plays half of a sweet but schem- ing gay couple (Queer as Folk’s Randy Harrison is his other half) in Stewart Wade’s Such Good
People.The Rage Monthly will be presenting the comedy’s West Coast Premiere during the 16th annual San Diego LGBT Film Festival on Sunday, June 1. Urie spoke with us last month as he was driving from San Francisco to San Diego for screenings of a new documentary he directed,Thank You for Judging.
You are doing it all: movies, TV, theatre, online. How do you feel about your success and career to date? I’m always looking up and onward. I don’t feel I’m on the out-
side looking in; I’m on the inside looking up. There’s so much more I want to do but I’m so happy. I’ve had such luck but also hard work that’s paid off. This documentary I have coming out
“Independentmovies take a long time to develop. When I read it, I thought thescriptwas adorable.”
12 RAGE monthly | MAY 2014
has taken years but it’s probably my proudest moment. My partner and I were bummed when your series Partners got can- celled. I’m sure that was disappointing for you. It was disappointing. You know, I grew up watching
sitcoms—real sitcoms with three cameras—and to actually work on one with the creators ofWill & Grace was amazing. Once we were on the air, though, we were fighting for our lives. We started with five million viewers, which is huge! But in the television ocean; we were plankton (laughs). So many people remember you fromUgly Betty. How was that experi- ence for you? Pretty life changing, it was one of those wonderful, rare
opportunities. I loved the people I worked with. And then we were cancelled! (Laughs) I think that show easily could have gone on a few more years. Do you keep in touch with Vanessa Williams or other cast members? I keep in touch with pretty much all of them. I see Vanessa
and Judith Light the most since we’re in theatre, but I keep in touch with America (Ferrera) and just saw Tony Plana (who played Betty’s father) in a play. And Ana Ortiz (who played Betty’s older sister) is in Such Good People. It’s been a chal- lenge to keep in touch; it’s been four years since the show ended. How did you get involved inSuch Good People? I don’t remember exactly because I was attached for such a
long time. Independent movies take a long time to develop. When I read it, I thought the script was adorable. And I loved the kind of movie it is, a caper movie. They really were great at
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