Darryl Stephens Returns to a Role He Created 17 Years Ago in ‘Boy Culture: Generation X’

In 2006, the gay independent film Boy Culture hit the scene, part of the trailblazing content of that time that has led to our current boom in LGBTQ content and storytelling in mainstream culture. Starring Derek Magyar as “X” and Darryl Stephens as Andrew, the film centered around themes of love and sex, as X and Andrew find their love despite X’s work as an escort, bringing the complexities of gay dating culture to the screen. During a time when quality LGBTQ content was scarce, it made a mark in LGBTQ cinematic history, welcomed by critics and audiences alike.

Boy Culture is back, with the original leads and creative team, with Boy Culture: Generation X. We find our two leads, now broken up, dealing with themes of aging, finding their place in life, the power of love, and the gratification of instant hookups. Told in episodic scenes, X is still escorting, though the entire culture has changed. Both X and Andrew are trying to manage living together while broken up, trying to find their place as older gay men in the modern dating world. Rewatching the original film prior to watching Generation X, the film is a welcome return to characters audiences fell in love with more sex, more comedy, and more guest stars. With the time between the two films, we see how much our culture has evolved, despite social and political obstacles. Same-sex marriage and PrEP were not on the horizon during the first film. This film questions what love has become with the dawn of hookup apps and escort online services. Yes, we are in a sexual revolution where we are out and proud and gratification can be instant, but has that come at the sacrifice of romance and real love?

Darryl Stephens, returning to a role he created almost 17 years ago, was front and center during those early years of independent gay filmmaking. Not only was he in Boy Culture, but he also starred in the popular series Noah’s Arc, celebrating the gay black community. The show became Logo’s highest-rated show during its run. Darryl reflects on how it feels to have been part of those pioneer projects and his current take on LGBTQ representation. 

I love that this generation gets to experience all this queer representation. I think one of the reasons young people are so fierce and fearless is because they grew up with unapologetic queer folks on television. LGBTQ characters who weren’t presented as tragic or “illicit.” It’s remarkable how profoundly the culture has shifted, not just in my lifetime, but in my career. And to consider that some of my work made space for this era when so many queer people finally get to see themselves reflected back on screen will forever be wildly gratifying. Kinda surreal, if I’m honest.

You know, I give Shonda Rhimes a lot of credit for the mainstreaming of LGBTQ characters. Right around the time when all the gay-centered cable shows were going off the air, LGBTQ characters were popping up on her shows. I mean, by then lots of network shows had “very special episodes” when a straight series regular would realize her high school friend was a lesbian, insert stunt cast guest star, or whatever. But a sexy primetime soap with queer series regulars? Seems like seeing us integrated into those kinds of stories helped to normalize us to TV audiences in a whole new way. Suddenly people didn’t need to be watching “a gay show” to have gay people visiting their living rooms every Thursday night. Which helped expose our humanity to people who weren’t necessarily looking to see it. Since the advent of streaming, queer characters can be found populating all kinds of shows. We’re everywhere. And sure, every now and then it feels like we’re shoved into stories that have nothing to do with us just to fill a diversity quota… but I’m excited to see more queer folks of the global majority representing complicated and fully developed characters. 

Darryl has enjoyed an extensive career with roles in both independent and network projects. His range has taken him from projects like Another Gay Movie to Pee Wee’s Big Holiday to Saved by the Bell to a long-running stint on Chuck Lorre’s B Positive. Yes, he’s played gay characters but has avoided playing the same stereotype often given to openly gay actors starting their careers when Darryl did.

Did I avoid the stereotypes and limitations placed on openly gay actors? There was actually a point when I felt like I rarely got to play anything that wasn’t a “sassy” stereotype. But I guess you’re right. The year Noah’s Arc premiered, I also played “Boy Next Door” Andrew in Boy Culture and Angel the go-go dancer in Another Gay Movie. All gay men, but totally different types. Then a few years later, I did a show called DTLA where I played a lawyer named Lenny, who was kind of a prick and a hot mess. Noah was the only femme in the bunch, but he was sweet, not sassy. I tried to be intentional about choosing work that allowed audiences to see different types of Black gay men in my work. But I eventually learned that if I was going to make a living, I would have to learn to serve that “sassy” stereotype. For whatever reason, that was what audiences seemed to respond to. Mainstream audiences, especially. I probably could have gotten in my feelings about that, but I know how hard it is and how rare it is to be a working actor. I’ve been extremely fortunate. I’m just as grateful for those “sassy” TV gigs as I am for those indie projects that have allowed me to explore other colors and touch people in different ways.

Boy Culture and Boy Culture Generation X are directed by Q. Allan Brocka, who has created an extensive library of LGBTQ content with projects like the Eating Out series, The Big Gay Sketch Show, and the animated series Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World. His return to the Boy Culture franchise is why Darryl signed up for the sequel.

I’m a Allan Brocka fan, so I’m always excited when he calls. I’m pretty sure I said yes to this before I even read the script. I really loved the first movie, and I thought if there was any chance of capturing some of the magic we had back then again, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

What was it like returning to the character of Andrew after such a long break?

Andrew is a character I always wanted to see more of. I really appreciated where we got to see his character go in the first movie. He was the only character whose family we got to meet, which is pretty special in gay movies. It’s like when you’re dating a guy, and he suggests meeting his parents. You suddenly realize he thinks the relationship is really going somewhere so you start to take him more seriously. The way the first film honored the character Andrew made it important to me to tell more of his story. So, I really saw this as an incredible gift… to be able to explore his emotional life. Who would that guy be ten years later? After the dissolution of the relationship that he’d allowed to define him? 

For Darryl, his personal time between the original and sequel was also a journey.

Many moons ago, I had my heart broken the way Andrew has. Heartbreak brings you closer to your emotional center. It demands that you sit with yourself and live through all of those feelings, whether you want to or you’re ready to or not. Pulling yourself out of that can’t help but expand your sense memory. Deepens your well. 

In Generation X, we see Andrew all grown up, yet still finding his way. What advice would Darryl give to Andrew?

It’s the forty-year-old existential crisis when you realize you’ve been so focused on your career or your relationship, that you haven’t bothered to figure out who you are or what you actually want. I think that’s very real. I had a slight meltdown around forty and I think it was because I suddenly felt like I was supposed to have stuff figured out that I did not. The reality is, you’ll figure it out when you figure it out. Or maybe you won’t. But rushing or resenting that process because of an external factor like age or societal expectation is a waste of time and energy. Give yourself some grace and trust that you will find what works for you. Because only you can.

The West Hollywood Cheerleaders are Making History for the Future

And what is Darryl’s take on X and Andrew? Will they find love with each other? Should they find love with each other?

I want to see Andrew and X join forces in a third movie, but just as friends. They drive up to Seattle to rescue Joey from the sex cult he’s fallen into, only to learn that Joey is actually the cult leader! By the end, Andrew and Alex have gotten married and adopted a kid. Or they stay single, move Joey and Chayce into a bigger house, and they all grow old together like the Golden Girls. However it works out, they’re family. They’ll stay in each other’s lives. 

With all the modern elements of dating featured in Generation X, this film has a different energy than the first. It is frenetic, it dives into issues without trying to solve them. It’s a snapshot of our current culture, with all the bumps and bruises. What is the message of the film?

The digital age has brought us all closer in some ways and in other ways it’s made us lonelier and incapable of maintaining lasting intimacy. No, I’m kidding. You know, the first film was about X and his one trick, Gregory, teaching him not to waste his life being afraid to seize love. This version has X learning lessons from six different tricks, and they’re all ultimately teaching him that it’s okay to love himself. But if you mean the Boy Culture universe has gotten more diverse, I agree that this structure does allow for more voices to be included. And Allan and writer Matthew Rettenmund both understand the importance of representation.

Both X and Andrew deal with aging in the gay community. While they were the hot young boys in the first film, they have matured. Is maturity a good thing when going back to the dating world, or is that an impediment when dealing with the twinks and Grindr? What has it been like for Darryl, with audiences literally seeing him grow up on screen?

I think my transition from “young hot thing” to “middle-aged man still holding it together okay” is going splendidly, thank you for asking. But seriously, it was actually around that transition for me that I started feeling like I was only getting called to read for “sassy” gay dudes. I guess once you’ve reached a certain age, you’re expected to have some skills and sensibilities beyond being sexually attractive. And thank goodness I’ve managed to develop a real perspective and some comic timing. Because you know, youth is sexy. Especially in Hollywood. I just don’t feel particularly driven to pursue sexiness at this stage in my life. That doesn’t mean I won’t be involved in projects that require sexiness. But I’ve been doing this long enough now to know there needs to be a lot more to it than that to be worth my time. With age hopefully comes discernment. You know, I’m also a dad now. I can’t just be flashing ass all over the place. So yeah, maybe “sassy” gay dude is kinda my lane after all.

Yes, our hot twink is now officially a daddy in real life. It’s exciting to see where Darryl’s career has taken him and what lies ahead. Actors like Darryl have paved the way for actors from our younger generation to take the spotlight as openly LGBTQ.

Boy Culture: Generation X is now streaming wherever you watch movies.

All Photos by Matthew Rettenmund