After being featured as the MMSCENE November 2023 Cover star, Zane Phillips has carried his momentum into 2024 with several new projects. His most notable recent role is in the off-Broadway production “Pretty Perfect Lives”, where he plays Tucker in a story that explores the complexities of social media and relationships. This performance highlights his continued ability to charm audiences across different mediums.
MMSCENE EXCLUSIVES
Phillips also returned to TV as Jay in the final season of “Good Trouble”. His recent work includes starring alongside Kim Cattrall in Netflix’s “Glamorous” and playing memorable roles in Hulu’s “Fire Island” and CW‘s “Legacies”. These diverse roles emphasize his range as an actor, and it’s the perfect time for Zane to catch up with our editor, Anastasija Pavic, and reflect on his journey since his last feature with MMSCENE.
Community theatre was an important part of your early years. What was your first community theatre role, and how did it impact your passion for acting?
I believe the first show I did with the theater was a production of Seussical – I was one of the monkeys, the Wickersham brothers. One of the biggest challenges when you’re a teenage boy starting to do theater is overcoming your need to look cool. This show basically threw me into the deep end in that regard, making me engage with a world that was overwhelmingly silly. If I hadn’t been able to let go of that intense self-consciousness, I don’t think I would have been able to continue acting much longer. Ultimately it helped me understand what I really want from acting, which is to forget myself and have fun.
As someone who has experienced both film and stage acting, do you have a preference between the two? What do you find most rewarding about each medium?
On the stage, you get to experience the character’s full arc, every performance. On the other hand, it’s the only arc you’ll ever take your character through. On film and tv, you have to experience that arc atemporally, but every day you do something new. There’s something precious about both, something that only exists for that day. That being said, I think I feel better on camera these days.
You’ve played a variety of roles, from Legacies to Fire Island to Glamorous. Which character do you feel has resonated most with you?
I mean, I have to give a shout out to Chad in Glamorous. Getting to play with the archetype of the “masc4masc” alpha gay isn’t something I get to do every day, even though he is such a present character in our community. The writers imbued a lot of heart in there through his arc – I really wish I could have gotten another season with him.
What role does your personal identity play in the characters you decide to take on?
The throughline I’ve detected through my characters is a sort of statement on masculinity, which is funny, because I don’t consider myself a particularly masculine person. I think by virtue of being a big boy, I tend to be an easy target of other people’s projections. And honestly, I don’t mind that. I love looking at masculinity from a sort of outsider’s lens.
What was the most rewarding part of joining the Good Trouble cast?
First and foremost, meeting my wife Sherry Cola. Secondly, it was so lovely being able to join something that has such a family behind it. Both onscreen and off, the support was immediately there.
Who are some actors, directors, or creators that inspire you?
So the two shows I’ve been watching over the past couple of weeks are English Teacher and The Haunting of Hill House, which crazily enough I hadn’t seen yet. Both Brian Jordan Alvarez and Mike Flanagan bring a kind of humaneness to their work, and that’s been something that’s really driven me in terms of what kind of work I want to do.
As an openly gay actor, how do you feel about the evolution of LGBTQ+ representation in media today?
Oh goodness, I’m not sure I’m the best person to answer this. The industry is in a risk-averse place right now, and I think in many executives’ minds, queer characters/stories/creatives are considered a risk. I just want to be able to work and also be open about something that, to me, is a very normal thing to be open about. I don’t want to go through all the hand wringing about whether it was the right move to be out – it’s taken up too much of my emotional energy already.
Are there specific types of roles you wish were more common in the industry?
There could always be more hot dummies, I think.
You’ve played both likable and more antagonistic characters. Do you find one more challenging or enjoyable to portray?
I mean, getting to play something close to your heart and your personality can be really fulfilling, and it often feels a little more sustainable, emotionally. In playing darker characters, or more caustic characters, I think the joy lies in finding the tether points. We would act a lot differently without the social contract, and so getting to explore what leads certain elements of that contract to break down is a fascinating artistic exercise. That being said, it can be a little less tenable, emotionally.
Is there a piece of advice you received early in your career that has stayed with you through the years?
Pretty early on, even before I was going to pursue theater in college, I was told that if I could imagine myself doing anything else, then that’s what I should do – that I should only pursue this if it’s the one major passion of my life. And strangely enough, I’ve always been able to picture myself doing other things. I have a lot of passions in my life! But I think this particular piece of advice molded itself in my brain to mean that I should always be very clear about my “why.” That there are going to be a lot of ups and downs, and that I need to be sure that I know why I’m putting myself through it. The past year has definitely been a test of that. And I think that’s the beauty of it – I’m always weighing what I put in with what I receive. And the moment that the imbalance becomes too much, I’m going to be comfortable stepping away.
Talent: Zane Phillips (@Zanethan)
Photographer: Tyler Chick (@itstylerchick)
Stylist: Peiwen Wang (@P3iwenwang)
Groomer: Abraham Esparza (@thisisbabe)
Production Assistant: Pavel Skalozubov (@pasha.mayz)
