Jason Stuart is a Comedic Trailblazer

SoCal audiences have known comedian Jason Stuart for a long time. Popping up at gay events, emceeing Prides, performing stand-up at comedy clubs for gay and straight nights, making jokes on red carpets, stealing the spotlight at house parties, and flirting with boys at the bar is just a normal week for Jason. His comedy is just a part of his wildly colorful career. As an actor, he has over 265 film and TV credits to his name, from playing that funny character that always gets the zingers, to serious and even (gasp!) straight parts in films like The Birth of A Nation, to David E. Kelly’s Goliath (starring Billy Bob Thornton). You never know where his signature expressions will pop up next, he is just as home acting for a major studio as he is supporting an LGBTQ web series. You only need to meet Jason once, and his voice, his mannerisms, and his punchlines are engrained in your mind; there is no missing his sass and style. His co-star celebrity list reads like an Entertainment Weekly’s Who’s Who with names that include George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, J.K. Simmons, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Angela Lansbury, Damon Wayans, Jai Rodriguez, and on and on…always holding his own.

As a gay man, he does not shy away from using his dating life, flailing hands, and lilting voice as part of his routine. The comedy in his “gay” presentation should not be taken for granted, Jason is a trailblazer for the community who, this Pride season, celebrates the 30^th anniversary of his coming out publicly on the Geraldo Show declaring to the nation: “I’m gay, deal with it!” Long before even Ellen came out, there was Jason, setting the stage for entertainers to come out publicly, even at the risk of limiting his blossoming career. Our current boom in LGBTQ entertainers coming out and having a safer place and more opportunities are because of performers like Jason Stuart. Why did he do it?

I came out because I was extremely depressed and felt like I couldn’t find my voice as a comedian and move to the next level in my standup work. As a character actor in showbiz, people could only see me one way, and that was as a gay man that had no power. There were very few roles for me. I was always considered “unique” and told to be patient and wait for that special role to appear. It never did. Then I came out as a standup comedian, and I was able to tell my truth like I’ve never done before which made me successful and funnier. As a character actor, I was able to play both gay and straight roles with the confidence that I had never had before. All this made me very deeply grateful. It has not always been easy, but it’s been incredibly gratifying.

I always knew I was gay but could not put a name to it. I was very attracted to the boys in school. I remember looking up the word “homosexual” in the World Book Encyclopedia 1971, the kids call it the internet today. It said, “mentally ill.” I slammed that book shut. That caused me to have 10 years of therapy. It took me a long time to merge the idea of having sex and a loving partner together in the same person. I just didn’t see it anywhere in books, movies, TV, or even on stage as a kid…or in life for that matter. I just had to learn by doing.

Making people laugh was always a part of Jason’s life, it was just who he was.

I was always a funny kid. Both my parents are funny. Like most comedians, it was my way in. Lucille Ball was a considerable influence on me as a child, as well as all her TV shows. When she was pregnant on the show, I saw her have trouble getting in and out of chairs, and the audience would laugh. I thought, I can do that! I stole that idea when I was doing a play called Santa Claus for President and wore a fat suit. I acted as if I was Lucy, pregnant! I got all these laughs. The director of the play said to me afterward “You want to do this for a living, don’t you?“ and I said, with a Cheshire cat grin…”yes!”

His stand-up comedy has certainly evolved from his early years, but always stays sincere, even in the face of today’s political correctness directing cancel culture.

Most of my early years as a stand-up comic was about my weight problem, my punk rock girlfriend (I know, what was I thinking?), and my crazy family, as always. For me, I have always spoken my own truth, and talked about my own experiences without holding back, leading me to laugh at myself and make it MY joke about me. Political correctness has not always been an issue for me. Finding a decent boyfriend has!

Despite coming out before it was trendy, his career has thrived. To what has he attributed his success?

Showing up and being OK with being uncomfortable a lot of the time. Learning my craft as an actor and continuing to share my thoughts and feelings as a comedian. Always be open to learning new things and not be so hard on myself.

His personal crowning achievement would come from playing the opposite of who he was to the world.

It was when I was cast in the historical drama in a major supporting role in The Birth Of A Nation. Playing a white heterosexual Christian plantation owner in 1831, with everyone knowing that I was a liberal gay Jewish man. That experience changed my entire life as an actor and as a human being, to really connect to what has happened to black people in this country and to understand generational wealth. My motto has always been, you can always learn more in a deeper way.

With his Rolodex of high-profile celebrities he’s worked with, who has been a favorite?

I’d say working with George Clooney years ago on a series called Sunset Beat playing a club manager was so much fun. He wasn’t as famous as he is now, but he was still drop-dead gorgeous. He loved to improvise and was so incredibly supportive. Also, working with Faye Dunaway was an incredible experience – watching someone that famous still love and respect the work. People have said a lot of things about her, but I gotta say she really cares and worked as hard as she did on any of her big studio pics in her heyday. As did Kyra Sedgwick when I worked with her on The Closer. My worst experiences have always been with actors who felt like they didn’t get theirs – and most or all were not as famous.

Spilling the tea and dishing should be listed on Jason’s resume under special skills. He put these skills together with his life story for his autobiography Shut Up, I’m Talking!, now in its third print. It was a rave-reviewed hit.

I read several biographies and love learning about people who are in the process of life. How they handle trauma and move on to the next place is very important to me. So, when the reaction to my book came in, I was thrilled that through my experience, strength, and hope in life, people were actually interested in the story of this gay Jewish kid who has been losing the same 10 pounds for 40 years!  I had a story to tell, and it made people feel less alone. It made me happy.

In addition to being a gay man, being Jewish also plays a big part in Jason’s comedy. Proud of his heritage, he learned a lot about life from his father, who was a Holocaust survivor.

My dad‘s life was mostly like the film starring Adrien Brody The Pianist. He lived with his parents and brother in barns, basements, attics, and ghettos. Having an immigrant family taught me to have more sympathy for people. It taught me not to give my opinion about other people’s experiences, and just shut up and listen. And to know sometimes folks just need to be heard.

His mother also plays a big part in his stories. Having recently moved to Palm Springs, Jason resides next door to his 86-year-old mom. This funny-as-hell mom-and-son routine wasn’t always so hilarious.

My mother took me out for my 24th birthday and I was all set to tell her that I was gay. But I couldn’t get the words out. So, I maneuvered the conversation so she would ask me, and she did: “Have had ever had sex with a man?” I said, “What do you mean?” She said, “What do you mean?!” And we both laughed out loud. It was very hard on her and took her a number of years to learn to accept me. She would stop speaking to me at one point, which was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me. I had to learn to make my own decisions without worrying about what she would think of me, to learn to become a man. And now with lots of forgiveness, my mom and I are very close. She is in Ross Dress For Less right now! I have to pick her up soon. [Laughs]

This last year has been full of recognition of Jason’s work. This past year he won the Worldwide Comedy Award for Best LGBTQ Comedian and was honored in the 100 Out for Out Magazine. He also won the Best Actor in a Comedy title for the Indie Series Awards, recognizing his performance in the comedy series Smothered. Delivered in short, deliciously funny episodes, Smothered is a “hysterical and sobering look at a gay, Jewish middle-aged couple trying to salvage their hideous relationship in therapy hell.” The show has become an instant hit with Season 2 having just dropped, featuring a bevy of recognizable faces from the entertainment community.

I co-created the series with my pal Mitch Hara. It’s taught me more than I’ll ever know about collaboration, focus, and willingness to get things done no matter what stands in your way. We both have a motto that we live by: “We don’t wait for other people to create.” I’m extremely excited and proud of this accomplishment. Both Mitch Hara and I agreed that we wanted to make a show that was funny, real, and had dramatic moments. Our goal was for the work to be good first, and to have a good time doing it. Also, to get it out to as many people as possible. Revry.tv got us on all platforms and you can read all about it on Smotheredtv.com. I think have accomplished all that, especially with the support and love of our director Carlyle King and editor Robb Padgett.

Did Jason have any idea that Smothered was going to be such a big hit?

I thought the gays and the Jews would love it, and I was over the moon when it went viral. But the idea of a self-involved couple who hate each other and can’t afford to get divorced becoming a hit really proved to me to just do your best work. Build it and it will come. Our characters’ [Ralph & Randy] dysfunctional relationship seems to be universal among many couples. As Amazon fans are saying, we are comedy gold.

As the first season of Smothered featured the couple with a variety of therapists, Season 2 turns to a more episodic formula, featuring an even bigger roster of actors.

Everyone from Amanda Bearse from Married with Children to Armand Fields from Queer As Folk to Aida Rodriguez from her popular HBO special, and Jai Rodriguez from Bros are in it.  It’s more real and down to the bone of Randy & Ralph’s marriage. It takes you down the path of their hateful relationship, but also shows the love that they have for each other. And all that comes out in the form of laugh-out-loud comedy – and you may even shed a tear.

Jason’s favorite thing about doing the show?

What I learned most is that I have the confidence to create a TV show (with Mitch Hara) for a second season that has the quality of a network or streaming show. And if you are over 50, you are not dead yet!

Jason has been a part of and witness to the evolution of LGBTQ representation in Hollywood. He states that while his groundbreaking has paved the way for younger generations of artists to walk, so too, does he get to walk that walk. What is Jason’s view on Hollywood today?

We are now being included in many of the stories, and a lot of us are now able to play the big gay roles as we are as successful as some of our white counterparts. I still think there is a bias against actors who appear to be gay. People can only see what they can see. And a lot have been not given the opportunity to show that they are capable of playing more than one type of role.  I am an actor who happens to be gay, and I am now playing straight roles. You have to be prepared when opportunity hits! You must have the craft to be able to do that. I work extremely hard to accomplish that …so thank you, Ivana Chubbuck and Larry Moss.

And Jason’s message this Pride season?

Come out, come out, wherever you are. And if you’re struggling, find somebody who’s safe, and tell them your truth one day at a time.

You can follow Jason on IG: @theJasonStuart

Check out Smothered at smotheredtv.com