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This week, Louis Virtel is joined by comedian/actor Dewayne Perkins to discuss Alexander Skarsgård’s new film Pillion and to recognize the definitive list of their all time favorite Black actresses. Dewayne also talks about the joy of working with Seth Rogen and Catherine O’Hara on The Studio.

TRANSCRIPT

Louis Virtel And we’re back with an all new episode of Keep It. I’m Louis Virtel. I wanna say awards season is rolling along, but my God, we still have so much time until the Oscars. So I just wanna say, awards season has both postponed and currently happening. You may catch our tales of it, I don’t understand. Meanwhile. Our guest today is a returnee to keep it. And in general, fabulous all together. Love to hear where he’s coming from. And I want to talk about a movie he did in just a second. But first of all, Dewayne Perkins. Welcome back to Keep It.

 

Dewayne Perkins Thank you so much. It’s been so long.

 

Louis Virtel You, last time you were here, you were talking about your movie, The Blackening. And I just have to say about this movie, and I liked The Naked Gun. It is funnier than The Naked Gun.

 

Dewayne Perkins Oh my god that’s that’s saying a lot because Naked Gun is really that girl

 

Louis Virtel But like your spoof it lasted the entire way through the movie every character was popping And I feel like the naked gun sort of phoned it in with a few characters near the end

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, I feel like I really take comedy serious in a way that’s sometimes too serious. But like, I’m very happy that you said that because that was a film where I love horror, I love comedy. So to really imbue like, yes, this should be funny, but also it should be a horror movie. So like trying to really strike that balance, I think created kind of like a new lane.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. In a good way. And everybody in it was fabulous. Now also coming up, you have your dynasty typewriter, One Man Show. Tell us about that.

 

Dewayne Perkins I have a one-man show called How Being Black and Gay Made Me Better Than You and it’s about my experience growing up being black and gay and how that culminated in me being fantastic and better than everyone.

 

Louis Virtel No, okay. Let me just say when you title a special that I mean, it’s like shark tank. You have the floor I mean I want to know point a to point z

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, and I think from beginning to end, that the show was just truly me being like, look how great I am, and I’m going to keep doing things so that you agree. Like, and by the end of the show, how can you not? Like, you’re going to be like, wow, he did so much. And a lot of it is just doing things just because I can. There’s a full opening number, just because, why not? There’s much attack, like, there’s just a lot things that I wanted to be extra for just because… I can! And that’s the whole point of the show, we’ve been like, oh, yeah, like. Once you’ve gone through enough, the ways that you felt like you can be oppressed can then become a superpower. And it’s like, I learned that pretty young. And then I said, okay, I know how this works. Then I became fantastic.

 

Louis Virtel You know who this reminds me of? You ever seen the old Sandra Bernhard special without you I’m nothing? There’s like multimedia components and she also sings and there’s a whole part where she’s just dancing to Little Red Corvette. Some ideas for you.

 

Dewayne Perkins Okay, no, but I’m going to look at it, because I’m working on the show right now. I’m expanding it. Just seeing how many ways I can just add more.

 

Louis Virtel Just like different components different generally just a decathlon of common

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, I kind of wanted to feel like an amusement park ride. And this is where, from the moment you walk into the door, you’re like, what is going on? What is this? And once you leave, you just kind of have a full experience. And that’s fun for me to kind of play God in that way, being like, I want to control your brain from the the moment step into the the door. Where you’re, like, oh, I’m in his world. And so I’m just figuring out as many ways in which I can incorporate that.

 

Louis Virtel Now, do you have other comedians you kind of look to in this regard? Like who’s doing this sort of multimedia artie circus?

 

Dewayne Perkins I feel like a lot of it is inspired by coming up in Chicago. It was such an artful city where there was not a lot of capital, like there was a lot jobs. So you weren’t really doing it to try to get jobs. You were just trying to figure out a way to showcase yourself in the best way possible because you wanted jobs. You’re like, if anybody saw this, I want to be able to show as much of myself as I can as a calling card. Because the people that were coming into town were all from the coast. So you really had to like. Utilize your one moment, because that one moment could change your life. And I feel like I’ve just embodied that from early on. I’ve been like, you never know when you’re going to get another moment. So that moment has to be as shiny as possible, as polished as possible. So that it doesn’t, you’d never regret what you did when you had that opportunity. And so like I feel I’m inspired, but I’ve watched a lot of one man shows, and the hope would be to sell it as a special, but also to probably eventually do it on Broadway. So like The John Leguizamos, Whoopi Goldberg, Alex Hedelman. I’ve done a lot of research just to kind of figure out who has already occupied that lane, who am I, and how does this lane kind of morph with me being in it.

 

Louis Virtel Well, I’ll just tell you that Alex Edelman beat me for an Emmy when we were up for writing the Oscars and he did his one man special. So now not only am I rooting for you, but I’m bitter about this conversation. And actually it’s like, it’s twisted me into further congratulating you.

 

Dewayne Perkins Thank you. I think spite is a great motivator.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, the only motivator? I can’t believe people do anything for any other reason.

 

Dewayne Perkins That’s one of the big reasons of my show. I’ve been like, oh no, I just really need to show everybody what has occurred because you wronged me. And I’m only going to get better because how dare you doubt me. You said no to me. You’ll regret it.

 

Louis Virtel There’s a new documentary about the songwriter, Dianne Warren, and she literally talks about, she goes, the only reason I do anything is because somebody told me I couldn’t.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yes, because how dare you. And like her, I’m going to be nominated for things of much and probably not win. And that has been my story. It’s not Emmy Winner. Emmy nominated.

 

Louis Virtel That’s right.

 

Dewayne Perkins I did not win, but I was there.

 

Louis Virtel Now, speaking of nominations, you’re of course on the studio, which is up for best ensemble at the SAG Awards coming up next Sunday. I’m currently writing on the SAG Awards, but my God, what an incredible company to be a part of. And I’ll say this for a couple of reasons. One, it’s a great show. Two, the volume of straight people I actually love who are on this show, it has never been done.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Seth Rogen seems like a fucking fabulous man. And by the way, knows everything. He has like a gay man’s like pop culture vocabulary.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, I’m kind of obsessed with him. I really had to talk to myself morally, because I was like, I really looked at him as the blueprint of what I want to do. And I had to really just rectify, be like, this is a straight white man, and I want everything he has. And he’s just, he’s really great. He forces me to kind of look at my own biases, because in business, I think I come into space and just been like, what is this gonna be? Cause it could, things are good, things are bad, and every experience I’ve had with him from, because I met him as a writer on Sasha’s party on Amazon. I was a co-EP. Oh, of course. Food-topia, right? And it was just like a very, he was very easy, chill, low-key, we’d just like text each other like jokes and shit. And then every opportunity after that, he’s just, he is the same. And I’m always just kind of like, being like, oh, like this is just who, like you’ve really managed to … Create such a strong sense of self that’s rooted in good and niceness in an industry that’s historically not that, and he’s been famous for so long, he knows so many people. I feel like he could be insane, like the equation could equal insane person, and yet he’s not and he’s so pleasant, and I’m really happy to be a part of that show, and that is a good experience, I don’t have to like, lie. Like, it’s great, yeah!

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, no, he’s like cut from the same cloth as like Jimmy Kimmel where it’s like there’s like a commandment that they’re going to stay the same, like unchanging after all these years. Maybe marijuana helps? I can’t explain it.

 

Dewayne Perkins And he still gets like nervous, he’s like super humble in a way that’s like so endearing. And I just like watch him and I learn so much. Like just him being in it, directing, just like all the things that he do. And like even from like the stoner stuff, I have my stoner face and by that I mean, I’m in it. And… But then like doing that, doing the studio, doing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, like just the range and that he’s able to kind of exist in this industry is like exactly what I want.

 

Louis Virtel Now, also, of course, on the studio, Catherine O’Hara also nominated for a SAG right now. You’re a co-star on that show. We had her on Keep It years ago, and I almost think there’s such a thing as being too nice. Like, she literally will just introduce you to her whole family if you talk to her for three minutes, like deeply, deeply. What was your experience working with this person who I described her last week as the Julie Andrews of comedy? Like, somebody we just beloved and reliable and.

 

Dewayne Perkins Something about her is just extraordinary. I agree, and I try not to lean into stereotypes because I’m like, that didn’t help me. But the whole Canadians are nice. I was just like, is this real? Because I felt the way about just being on set and being like, oh, this feels like a different kind of whiteness. This is ivory. Yeah, I said, whoa, what is this? Bring more of this, this is so nice, so pleasant. And I feel like exactly what you said where she just was casually nice in a way that was like, oh, you are treating me like somebody that you’ve known for a long time. You don’t understand like what that is doing for me as a fan. So she was just very, very nice. Like I remember just like at South by Southwest, we were drinking like margaritas and just like sitting on a couch and talking about like nothing in particular, but just like padding, and I just remember thinking like… I don’t know if you know like how I’m feeling, but I had to like play it now because I didn’t want to be like. And then on one of the last days of shooting, I asked for a photo because I was like, hey, I know I’ve been trying to be real cool and casual, we’ve been chatting, but I need this to go down in my history, I need a record that this is real. I’m pinching myself and it’s on my Instagram right now. We were both smiling. It was just such a joyous situation. She was great and I’m very, very grateful that I got to have that. Experience, yeah, that show, it has produced so much good for me in a very healing way, both as a person, but also just in this industry, so yeah, shout out to her.

 

Louis Virtel We’ll say, well, luckily it’s also just a fabulous show that’s extremely rewatchable. I mean, like the level of quality just in the production of it, before you even get to the fabulous performances is just so fabulous, you know? And we’ve got more of it to come. Okay, this episode, first of all, DeWitt and I were already reunited last night while we were in the movie theater preparing for this episode. So we’re going to talk about Pileon, the new Alexander Skarsgård movie, the new, I guess we would call it a BDSM romcom.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, yeah, you know, which.

 

Louis Virtel Which we weirdly have very few of. Yes, rom-com. If you will, rom, yes, right. And also, actually, that does make an appearance in it. Yeah, yeah.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, yeah very early on

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, we’ll get into that so we’ll be discussing that this episode and then also Checking my watch it is still black history month So we’re gonna be talking about the black actress Hall of Fame nice just some of our favorites. We’re gonna bring up And then otherwise we’ll getting to keep it the sauciest part of the episode We’ll force Dwayne to fill out his Oscars ballot and see what he’s into what he seen what he hasn’t seen

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, voter intimidation.

 

Louis Virtel What I was born for. This is my calling. We’ll be right back with more Keep It.

 

Louis Virtel [AD] .

 

Louis Virtel Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling lead the 824 film Pylia, directed by Harry Leighton in his first feature effort. Some are calling it a domcom, others are calling a psychological drama. I call it an hour and 40 minutes waiting until I can yell the closest biker bar near me. Dewayne, how did this film land on you and is it flying under the radar right now? What do you think of this movie?

 

Dewayne Perkins I would say I went to the theater late, and I said, I’m going to watch this movie, and I was a little tired. The fact that I didn’t go to sleep, I said wow, there’s something here.

 

Louis Virtel I have to tell you, I have a problem right now where I will fall asleep in a movie theater. There was no chance of falling asleep during this movie. And by the way, it’s not compulsively garishly entertaining. It’s not like there’s visuals flying at you the entire time. It really engrosses you into this story of just two people, really, and a story I had kind of never seen before.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yes, I think that there’s something interesting. There’s a line of asking what’s going on. And I think once it’s like, if it’s macro, just like, what’s goin’ on in this movie? Not great. If it’s micro, I’d be like, what’s goin’ on with these people? And that’s what I was feeling. They’d be, like, why are they making these choices? And I had questions about the characters, and I felt like that is what I feel like I want movies to do, is I’m in it enough to really want to know what’s happening. And I feel that’s why I. Was up because I was like, I need to know like, where is this going? Like, what’s about to happen? Like, I’ve never really seen a story like that. So I just didn’t know their take. So I was enthralled with being like, because movies are pretty formulaic. And I was, like, at some point this is going to go south. Yeah. How? What are they going to do? So yeah, I, I enjoyed it. I do think it’s flying under the radar in a way. I think with… The popularity of the gay stuff that’s out right now, like heated rivalry, that I feel like, this just felt more specific in a way that I think is harder for people to kind of.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. I also think, I first heard about this movie in conjunction with Heated Rivalry, that for these two kind of gay, I won’t call them phenomena, but exciting stories, where intimacy is a big part of it. And we’re just exploring the vibe between two characters and how it’s tenuous and how a could shift at any moment, how there are stakes. I think what was interesting about this movie to me is just I’ve seen very little gay BDSM in movies period. And when I see the A24 banner, I’m like, how much do they really know? Like how much investigative journalism have they done on this topic? Like, am I going to feel like this is purely for onlookers, you know, like straight people sort of curious? Um, and- A part of me watching this movie, actually, I don’t know that I’m disappointed by it. I’m questioning how quaint it was because it’s a very quaint story for a BDSM relationship, I think. But the two of these people, Harry Melling is just this guy whose life is sort of humdrum and then he meets this biker guy who’s always in full biker gear, like full leathery gear all the time, Alexander Skarsgård, who sort of picks him to be his partner. And by that, I mean, He’s like, Oh, you’ll cook for me. Oh, you’ll sleep on the floor near the bed. You know, it’s like this, like there are a lot of rules to the relationship that go unspoken, but must be followed.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yes. And I think that’s the part that I was most intrigued by because I was curious to know if they were going to like explore it more, but they didn’t. They just kind of like presented it and you just had to go with it. Because I just kept thinking like, why is he doing this? Like there was one moment in particular very early on where like he first like walks into the alley with a Alexander Skarsgård character. And he takes off his jacket and hangs it up, and then the other guy takes off his jacket, and it falls to the ground, and he says, leave it. And I was like, you gonna leave your jacket on this dirty alley floor? What is this? I feel like it was such a separation from my experience that I was intrigued. But I was kind of sad that they didn’t go deeper into kind of the whys. It just kind of was, this is what it is.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, because like he’s into it, he’s into being kind of told what to do, but you don’t really hear, not that you need to explain yourself, but like, we don’t, really, it’s just that he likes it. So he does it. You know, there’s like no answers otherwise.

 

Dewayne Perkins No, he just kind of leans in the way. He’s like, okay, cool. This is what we’re doing. I said, oh, this is, and because personally, it’s so far away from like something that feels innate to me. Yeah. I just want it more, but I think that is exactly why I leaned in, because I, it felt kind of similar, the relationship to the audience, that they had it been like, oh you just come with, like just come with me. Yeah. I don’t have to tell you. Just watch it. And that, I felt like that parallel was like intriguing. Because I kind of felt like, what’s the word I’m looking for? What’s the way where you like, this is crazy, like you like almost make somebody come, but then you stop. Oh, edging. Edging. There we go. Yeah. Don’t worry. I was like, I know the word.

 

Louis Virtel I like how you gooned that word out of yourself. No, that was interesting, because by the way, there are parts in this movie where the Harry Melling character, he has these parents who are very encouraging of him and like pro-gay, etc. But when it comes to this guy, they have lots of questions, namely his mother who is dying of cancer and she actually has a scene where she confronts the Alexander Skarsgård character. And in that moment, I almost didn’t like that she was. Acting on behalf of the audience, like ask, like, well, why are you acting like this? Why are you doing this? Then it became almost too on the nose for me. So in a way, I wanted the movie to explain itself more and explain itself less. So I think I can only applaud the movie for including these characters that are like, you know, all ambiguous about what’s going on, but also kind of just going with it.

 

Dewayne Perkins See, that felt like edging, too, because we still never got an answer. Yeah. And I was like, but like, who are you? Like, what is this?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, we don’t know what like his job is because I have the feeling he’s really good at his job.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, I guess by the end, maybe they want us to feel what he felt, but like that lack of information, I was so confused by. And then he just kind of disappeared. There was a moment where I got a little lost, where I was like, what’s real? What’s not? What’s going on? Where’d he go? Yeah. And then by the and, I just was jealous because then he got with some fine black man and I said, I want this.

 

Louis Virtel Never mind, it’s about me.

 

Dewayne Perkins Oh, oh, I am him. This is my story.

 

Louis Virtel By the way, I did not know what the word Pileon meant, do you know what that means? No. It’s the second seat on a motorcycle, like that you bring a passenger onto. I thought it was like a brand of something. He’s in the passenger seat on the biker, you know, what I mean?

 

Dewayne Perkins Oh, you know what’s crazy, until right now, I have this thing, and I did it when I was younger too, where like, if I don’t know something, I simply forget about it. And I did not for once think, what does the title of this movie mean? No, I thought it was maybe his last name or something. Literally, I said, that must be a person. Oh, yeah, I assumed that like, his name was like Ray Pillion, because his name is Ray.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right.

 

Dewayne Perkins Oh, that’s crazy. No, there was a lot of shots of him on the back of that bike. Now that makes sense.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. And by the way, I am deeply anti-motorcycle, so it took me a while to, like, get through that moment. Like, I can’t sit through Easy Rider. I don’t want to see these people. Why? But it’s frightening. What are we doing?

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah. We’re going fast on concrete. I am scarred. Yes. By trauma. And so there was a moment where he was riding on the bike without a helmet. And I said, this faggot’s finna die. I know, I know. This is the end for him. Please don’t make this this movie. I said oh no, this is where it’s going? Yeah. And then it didn’t. And I say, oh, oh wow, edged. Yes. What a ride. I’m on the edge of my seat. You really went through it. I was, I was in my seat being like, ah, I. This is why I love going to movies by myself. Because it’s just like, there’s nothing but me and my thoughts. And me being like, oh, is he going to see? What’s going on? And it was crazy.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I want to be clear that I ran into DeWayne at our screening of Pileon last night, and I felt like Siskel and Ebert, where it was just like we’re both watching the movie and I said bye to you when I left, I was like, I don’t want to hear what you think yet.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, I said we will talk about this later. I was one row directly in front of you. It just so happens we picked our seats very close, it was fate.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right, no, we belong here, et cetera. I will say this, again, speaking to the quaintness in the movie, which I feel like teetered a little bit safe. Again, I just wanted like a couple more unsafe moments in the move, but at the end, so you just said he and Alexander Skarsgård kind of break up and he disappears, we don’t know what happens to Alexander Skargaard, because everything about him is aloof, so it sort of makes sense. But he finds this new guy, and while he’s doing it, he’s putting together his Grindr profile and he’s saying. I’m very good at following instructions, basically taking all the lessons he learned from this past relationship and putting it into his new one. Who is that adult about what they learned from a relationship? If I were him, I would still be on MapQuest looking for Alexander Skarsgård.

 

Dewayne Perkins I think I’m that person. I think that there was something very gratifying of just being kind of being like, well, that’s over, I guess I’m gonna try to do this again. Cause like, basically I felt like that moment was him just being like oh, I’m the same except I have now one boundary, which is sometimes I want to feel loved. And I was like, oh well how else would you kind of get that out instead of him publicly writing it on an app to people? And I said, oh, okay, like. It was very hard to watch the movie and not think of it from like a filmmaker’s point of view to be like, oh, what device would you get this information out in best? And I thought that was nice of a character to kind of have a moment where they just have to deal with the reality of the situation, which is like, Oh, well, this man’s gone. I don’t know where he’s at. Tried to find him. What now? Guess I’m going to move on.

 

Louis Virtel I almost wonder, even though he states it explicitly when putting together the Grindr profile, it might’ve actually been better if he just went on a date with that guy and brought the dish he had made for him. I don’t know that he needed to state so explicitly, and I’ve come out of this relationship on top and with new information about myself. It felt a little kumbaya.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, um, and I think that’s for, uh, not smart people. Right. I think, uh- because that part really at least solidified for me. Like, oh, okay, they- we want to know that there’s some growth. If he just would have kind of like did it again, I would have been like, and the cycle continues. Yeah, which also would have been good. Would have been believable.

 

Louis Virtel It would’ve. By the way, I do think good tension that is established in the movie, though, is when he’s got this relationship with Alexander Skarsgard and it’s not a loving relationship. In fact, the word love has come up and Alexander Skargard swats it away and continues reading his book. When he makes his plays for more affection, like sneaking into the bed, and you know it’s going to go poorly, but you also know he has to do it. So it’s just a very believably cinematic moment. That to me, I had not really seen in a movie before and I thought that was Really cool.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yes, specifically the one time where he did it twice, like back to back.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, he’s like, oh, I’m the queen now. And I was like.

 

Dewayne Perkins And I was like, oh, oh no, this is crazy. It’s because they, like, for his birthday where he was like oh, he got fucked in missionary and I said what a birthday gift. Like that moment where he like seeing the other kind of like submissive guys kind of like have moments of like tenderness with their partners, that moment I felt was like really interesting. And that’s why I wanted to just know more because I’m like, Oh, so there is a dynamic where like this can exist. But there are factors that are more intimate, and he’s just not getting it. And I was like, I wonder what is making Alex’s character make that choice when the other guys are not.

 

Louis Virtel Right. No, and also, yeah, near the end of the movie, like he makes some concessions. He’s like, yeah we’ll try a romantic date one time. But a part of you in the back of your head is going, this is the beginning of the end. This is not what he does. This is a man who wants his eggs cooked for him and then he sleeps in his bed and you sleep on the floor.

 

Dewayne Perkins So in my mind, maybe because I did smoke a little before I went to go see this movie, was that real? What? Oh, you’re right, maybe it wasn’t. I just wasn’t sure. Like the cinematography totally changed. Yeah, I feel like a lot of it changed. And there was just certain shots and things that I was like, I don’t know what I’m supposed to be feeling, because he was like on the bike and then it just cut to him like on The Porch. And then I was I don’t know if this is real. Because then once they do like the nice cutesy date, then he just disappears. Yeah. And it cuts to him like lying on the floor, holding his phone. And I didn’t know if that was like a fantasy sequence, if that the moment it was always supposed to be. So that’s when the movie kind of took a turn for me.

 

Louis Virtel But that’s also good because it’s like he thought he was satisfied with this relationship, but if he in fact was fantasizing about how it could be, it’s like the relationship was reaching its natural end anyway, you know?

 

Dewayne Perkins Yes, and I think that’s what it represented to me of like, oh, this is the end, because for him to get that version of it, that is inherently changing what the dynamic is. So that can’t continue. So I didn’t know if that was like an actual, like Alex’s character giving him like an ending, to be like, oh, this is over. Or if that wasn’t the ending he created in his head, knowing that that was over.

 

Louis Virtel Do you have a favorite sexual dynamic between two characters in a movie? I can’t even remember the last time I talked about what was happening vibe-wise between two characters in relationship like I have this movie. Like a queer movie I happen to love is Carol. And there’s an older movie by Andrew Haig called Weekend I Really Like. I was literally about to bring.

 

Dewayne Perkins Oh, that bad bitch. I remember watching that and being like, oh, this is what queer said. Like it really changed my idea of like how gay people can be portrayed. Yeah. It was fantastic. It was fantastic.

 

Louis Virtel It was clearly a gay writer and director.

 

Dewayne Perkins I loved it.

 

Louis Virtel Yes, those actors who by the way, I don’t feel like I’ve seen since were like fabulous

 

Dewayne Perkins secret. And it’s so good, and it really displayed like a kind of like intimacy and love that felt so real. And I was so invested and yet it was so like such a short time within the film. So I feel like that’s probably my favorite dynamic I’ve seen on screen.

 

Louis Virtel Also, in that movie, you just said it, what they have is very momentary, which is similar to the characters in this movie. And I like that too, like exploring romance as sort of like a whim or as sort of a comma before you move on with the rest of your life. Yes.

 

Dewayne Perkins And that feels like I’ve had those moments where I took a trip to like Mexico City and I had like a three day love affair and I was like, oh what a movie. It felt, it was so lovely and beautiful and to be able to kind of share that and then be like, I may never see you again. Well, I’m back.

 

Louis Virtel Here I go. But that’s also having a productive, like fabulous life. Like literally I cannot hear the fucking pedam pedam Kylie Minogue song without being zapped back to Fire Island 2023 and I’m like.

 

Dewayne Perkins That lapsed Mormon. Yeah, like it creates beautiful memories. And I think that that helps you become a better person because you have just like experiences of love that are not, that aren’t tied to like time, that aren’t tied to kind of these- Kind of a heterosexual norm, really, you know? Yeah, it’s just like, that feels like freedom to me, being able to like love in these like moments of time and then still care that like, if I saw that guy today, I’d be like, oh, we share such a special moment. Yeah! And being able to have that.

 

Louis Virtel It’s not awkward.

 

Dewayne Perkins And then just having to be the hat. Like there’s nothing more than that moment that we shared that we’ll have and then life happens. But like, so yeah, I feel like those moments are beautiful. And I think there were moments in this where I wanted more of that, but I got like enough and I thought it was interesting. And this is going to sound kind of shady, but even like the way that they looked. Like, I felt like that. I’ve been like, oh, like, I think queerness is seen through such a lens at times that has a certain esthetic. And it was cool to see kind of this guy who isn’t like traditionally what I think people would think is like the gay esthetic. Or a movie star or something. And that was really nice because in my youth when I was a whore… And, um…

 

Louis Virtel Well, thank God that’s over.

 

Dewayne Perkins I know what a time and I was like and to cruise in like kind of that Space the fun was kind of knowing that like these are people with full lives kind of stepping out of that moment to kind of have This moment of like scandals like oh wait, we’re doing this thing. I don’t know where you were before this I don’t know where your going after this. Yeah, but in this moment, this is what we’re Doing and so that felt real to me in a way that that also helped me like lean in more I felt like somebody who at least wrote it like knew or like experienced that before. Like that Ali scene, I was like, oh yeah, like, who hasn’t watched an Ali with a stranger? And it was like this, I could die or I could come.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. Yeah. And the answer is it’s usually both. Yeah. Tell me what you think of Pillion, a movie that I would say is a three-star movie. I really enjoyed it. And I recommend basically everybody would see it. There’s nothing too ultimately extremely graphic either. Bring the whole family, honestly.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, um, beware of them. I dig it hard like twice. I said, oh, oh! The movie gets two ohs. And he has to say, oh. And I was like, all right, well, now we’ve moved on. Now we’re less like Cisco. Yeah, because it would be like sexy, sexy, then it’d be like, now my mother’s dying of cancer, and I’m like, oh…

 

Louis Virtel Soft you were doing so well

 

Dewayne Perkins I know.

 

Louis Virtel All right, before our next segment though, DeWayne, you have to fill out your Oscar ballot for us. Tell us what you think, who your favorites are, et cetera.

 

Dewayne Perkins Best picture, there’s so many.

 

Louis Virtel I know, I would prefer it be a five thing instead of 10.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, okay, let me see, okay. Ooh, F1, Sexy Men. Hamnet, very sad. I say for best picture, my top two would be Sinners and Frankenstein. Sinners, because I thought it was great. Also, love my blacks. Frankenstein, similar. I love me a genre film, and I think it’s a lot harder for genre films to be acknowledged. So Guillermo, that’s my guy. But overall, I think I would pick Sinners because Ryan Coogler, love you daddy. Best actor. Okay, this gets a little harder. Timothy, such a young star.

 

Louis Virtel The original clavicular. He’s all clavicle.

 

Dewayne Perkins I know, and he’s been doing it for, like, since he popped out, I said, wow, this kid’s onto something. I watched Wonka on a plane once and I said- Oh my- I didn’t realize this was a musical. But I’m going to pick Michael B. Jordan because I feel like it’s Black History Month. And to not is bad. Also dual roles, I mean- Dual leap. Yep. Dual roles. And he did a great job.

 

Louis Virtel Yep, yep.

 

Dewayne Perkins Best actress, okay, so I’m obsessed with a couple of these people. I think Emma Stone, star, and she was great, and Begonia. Rose Brynn, I think her range is something that I want. Like I want to like do what she does. Like she’s so fantastic. Kate Hudson, I met her at the GLAAD Awards once. She was so nice. And then she had like a QR code for her album, and I said, girl, you got an album.

 

Louis Virtel She’s a really good singer.

 

Dewayne Perkins I know, and she performed that year and I said, oh, this is great promo. I do have the album on my phone. So shout out to Kate Hudson. I will not pick you though. I’m gonna pick Emma Stone.

 

Louis Virtel Another genre film, though, you know?

 

Dewayne Perkins Agreed, and my friend was in that film, Savros. Shout out to you. But MSO has 97 Oscars now. So I think, okay, for that, I think I’m gonna go with Rose Brynne because I think it’s time she be acknowledged for how great she is.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, give one to Australia.

 

Dewayne Perkins Hello. Best supporting actor. I’m of course going to give that to DelRoy Lindo. I thought he was fantastic. Also, I think he’s a good actor generally because I did not know he was not American.

 

Louis Virtel And also he is amazing in everything. I mean, he was so great to the Five Bloods and, um…

 

Dewayne Perkins He was great in Crooklyn. Everything I’ve seen him in, he’s like an actor’s actor. He’s just great. Best supporting actor. Oh, okay, so this is a little more difficult because I really did enjoy Amy Madigan. I thought she was ridiculous in weapons. And I love that she got torn the fuck apart. But I also love Wumi and Tiana. Okay, I’m going to go with Wumi because I just think she was kind of the glue of Sinners and why I think the film is as good as it is. She really grounded it, and she grounded the fantastic in a real great way. So best director. Okay, okay. Shout out to Chloe, just because I think that it’s great what she’s been doing.

 

Louis Virtel I love her, yeah, great interviewee too.

 

Dewayne Perkins She’s really occupying a lane in a way that they have not allowed women. So shout out to her. But of course I’m gonna have to go with Ryan Coogler because he’s the best. And I’m just very happy of what he’s been able to achieve. Like coming out of the huge blockbusters and then being like, oh, I’m doing my own thing and for it to be comparable, I think it’s just a skill that I’m trying to learn myself. Then best casting, I’m going to go with Sinners as well, but I think one battle after another is like a very close one. I think that the amalgamation of that cast, like who they were all over is really great, but I’m gonna vote for Sinners, but I feel like that would be like a very, very close second. Cause I also love that they discovered new talent, and I’m obsessed with that. But I think as an ensemble, I really enjoyed Sinners. In like a real way.

 

Louis Virtel Honestly, all of those are qualified casting options. I think they all did something pretty amazing. Now, I have to make you shove this in my box.

 

Dewayne Perkins Oh, our very own Pylian dynamic right now.

 

Louis Virtel Alright, we’ll be right back with more Keep It.

 

Louis Virtel [AD].

 

Louis Virtel Listeners, it’s both awards season and Black History Month, and while not all of the nominees for Best Actress and Supporting Actress are black this year, that won’t stop us from doing a whole segment spotlighting the most formative and impactful black women whose work on screen stays with us and sets the high bar for their peers. So Dewayne, where should we begin?

 

Dewayne Perkins Oh, this is tough, because I feel like there’s a generalness and then there’s my personal feeling. Sure. I think there’s non-starters where you just know your top actors. You have your Viola Davises, your Regina Kings, and the people who have obviously been rewarded. We just know, oh yes, this the best. They’re at the Oscars. Yeah. Um, but like personally for me, I would say like my favorite black actress, I- probably would say Regina Hall. I think like, I just think she is like my number one general like comedian actor. I just thing her range where she’s able to embody I think is very, very impressive. And then my second would be Nicole Bahari. I was just thinking about Nicole Bahar. I don’t know why she is not more a word. I feel like she should be on like that top. Because I think the way she acts, just everything that she does, there’s just such a lived in-ness. I like watch her before I do stuff because I’m like, oh, I just want to be as good as her. She’s on my vision board right now that I made for this year because I just think she is fantastic. So those are where I would start. The ones who have been here, but I feel like those are the ones that I’m, oh if where to push some people up. Those two in particular are the ones that I would

 

Louis Virtel We were talking about how Rose Byrne kind of can do anything, any kind of role, but it’s like not everybody gets the opportunity to express that level of diversity within like the range of what they do. And Regina Hall is somebody where we’ve gotten peaks into different directions. I mean, if you, there’s a movie called support the girls where she’s the lead of, and by the way, how often is Regina Hall the lead? Not very often, but she is just the, the normalist character in the movie. And if you know her from the scary movie franchise, you would think that is impossible. But in this movie, she’s figuring out how to run this restaurant, this Hooters type restaurant. All of the people she works with are head cases and she’s the level headed one who’s therapist and boss and her own life is spinning out of control. And to see her capably just navigate that movie as in not only is she good in the movie, but some actors just make you feel like you’re in safe hands. She is that actress.

 

Dewayne Perkins I don’t know how like that was not a greater conversation, especially based on what she did prior like before that just kind of I think there is like a kind of clout that comics and comedians get when they like pivots like drama where you’re like oh you can do that and I feel like she did it so well and I was like yelling from the roof like hello why is no one like this is very important give her everything she wants.

 

Louis Virtel No, I mean, it’s that combination of indie movie and like, you know, it was sort of an unassuming movie in certain ways, like it wasn’t saying like it didn’t end violently or it didn t end, you now, it wasn t comic in like a garish way or anything.

 

Dewayne Perkins It was, like, surprisingly very pedestrian in a way that I felt really showcased her acting in a that she wasn’t showcased before in that way. Yeah, I think she’s just a fucking star.

 

Louis Virtel And she also has been on Keep It. The next person I’m going to bring up was on our podcast a few years ago. Miss her terribly. She is so fabulous. Queer woman also. Are you an ingenue Alice Taylor, Stan? Yes. This woman can do fucking anything.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, I just finished a deck for this show that I’m trying to sell and she’s in it and I just have this like fantasy of working with her. I think similarly it’s the ability to kind of fall into these roles and be good in everything like that range is also insane. She’s just these are like actors like I think there are celebrities who they’re I think who they are is bigger than like the product that they sell. And these are people that, when I think of them, I don’t know anything about her actual life, except that she’s like a queer woman. All I know is like how good she, like what she does. And that is like, to me, like the mark of a good artist is like I can’t, I’m so like distracted by how great you are. Like that’s all I see. She’s been like, oh, like your resume, like what you do, the work that you do and what she’s willing to do. I think being able to jump from like small things to bigger things to TV. I just feel like she really encapsulates like a working.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, no. I mean, if you look at her catalog, I mean like she was on Quantico for a while, you know, she like did all these sorts of different projects. But the difference between two of her most high profile moments, which are she played Oracene Williams in King Richard, the wife of Richard Williams who raised the Williams sisters. This always happens with a certain kind of class of actor where they’re saddled with the role that on the page feels very normal. Like the supportive mom, you know, she has to tell the the stubborn dad to like improve his ways and she’s got to raise these kids. Everything she does in that movie is 100% exceptional, not a cliche at all. And yet feels very real. This is a very weird parallel, but if like the mom on Malcolm in the middle, that vibe of you are a Midwestern mom and you inhabit all of these ideas I have about being Midwestern, except you are not a cliché at all? God damn.

 

Dewayne Perkins What an icon like oh my god Malcolm in the middle was my shit that I would say like on the studio Brian Cranston was like by far the person I was like starstruck by

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yeah, and he’s also just as nice as Catherine O’Hara, yeah.

 

Dewayne Perkins How was my ideal of a father? I was like, I grew up. And for me to be a black boy from the South Side of Chicago, man, like this white family, like, oh my, like they are, like we are them. Like, so yeah, I think like comedic action, like I think she is, I’m so glad you brought that up because I have not thought about that. I just watched a clip of her having a conversation with Bryan Cranston on the show. Like that character was talking about how he loves her more than him. Because she was like, you don’t think about girls? You don’t look at people? And he’s like, no, you’re all I want. And it was so, to watch that scene and knowing that this is on Malcolm in the Middle, it was such good acting for this show about this family, just dealing with these ridiculously behaved boys. It’s so impressive. And I hate that comedy does not get as much love as it should, because it’s not easy. It’s hard.

 

Louis Virtel No often the best serious material is light-hearted because you know what like comes in under the the guise of of pure comedy And then you actually like oh

 

Dewayne Perkins You struck a nerve. Yeah, and that feels real to life because a lot of people do use comedy as a way to process things, as a to deal with things. So it’s a lot harder to kind of play this lightheartedness knowing that there’s something underneath it than just playing the thing that’s underneath it.

 

Louis Virtel Right. Back to Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, I want to say, by the way. So she played that role brilliantly. And then did you happen to see the Ava DuVernay movie Origin?

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, I make the mistake of watching it on a plane and be like, ahhhhhh!

 

Louis Virtel There’s a lot of

 

Dewayne Perkins Oh my god! She is going through it!

 

Louis Virtel But also a purely intellectual movie, it’s about a woman writing the book that would eventually win her a Pulitzer Prize, Isabel Wilkerson’s movie. The book is called Cast, but first of all, the woman is going through a lot in her personal life, which is one half of the movie. But then otherwise, her just explaining the ideas that comprise this book. And it’s like, when is the last time I watched a movie just about ideas and someone expressing them and convincing people. To understand where she’s coming from. It was just a completely different character. I am so in awe of her. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

 

Dewayne Perkins Same, that movie was difficult for me because of that exact reason. Be like, oh, this feels very intellectual. And I’m watching this woman who is very smart talking about this thing. And she made that person very human to me in a way that made me care about what she was saying because I cared about her. And I use them just like, what are you talking about, girl? And watching that, I’m like, oh, that woman really cares about her work. And to see how that interacts with her personal life. And be like, oh, you’re still working. Even though this thing just happened. Oh, okay, this person died. Oh shit, this thing happened. And seeing a person really grapple with like, I’m doing this work that I find very important and that I love, but also my personal life’s falling apart. And I said, damn, I know that. I’ve experienced it. I feel like that’s such a human experience trying to keep your stuff together because you have to occupy so many hats. And to see her juggle like Okay, like, that was masterful. And I was on that plane, crying, and being like, oh, I think people think I look crazy. I just, because I was like, oh, I need to watch something, like I’m going to support it. But then in the midst of it, I was, like, uh, I had no fucking clue this is what this movie was about.

 

Louis Virtel And also, it’s not like any other movie either, so it’s like hard to explain genre-wise. It’s a movie that would be difficult to sell to viewers because it’s its own thing, you know?

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, like it kind of reminds me of like a mix between like a drama, but also what’s that movie with Tom Hanks and he’s like trying to find like Jesus or something?

 

Louis Virtel Uh, not the Polar Express. They’re da Vinci code. Yes, okay. We got there. Yes.

 

Dewayne Perkins I was like, I read the book.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, you’re right, there’s a little bit of like sort of mystification in there.

 

Dewayne Perkins Kind of like, she’s walking around talking to people, doing this thing, and it feels kind of like a mystery in a sense of trying to come upon this intellectual ideal. And then people just kept dying. And I just kept being like, everybody in your life is dying.

 

Louis Virtel By the way, also Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor was in that Ryan Murphy-ish movie a couple years ago with like, Andra Day and Glenn Close. Oh, that was Lee Daniels? No, Lee Daniel’s! Yes, yes, yes. Uh-huh. That has the highest concentration of good performances in a batshit movie I have ever seen. Why is Andra day such a good actress? She was like, purely a singer, and then she said, no wait, I would like an Oscar nomination.

 

Dewayne Perkins Literally, I agree. I feel like that movie was, it was such a like, Monique, isn’t it? A fun time. This was similar to what I was saying earlier, I mean like, what is going on? But like a fun way of being like, what is goin’ on? Oh my god. Glenn Close talking about nappy pussies.

 

Louis Virtel She sure was.

 

Dewayne Perkins Aunjanue said, yeah, I can, I’m a passer. And I said, love that. Okay, she’s going to do a little exorcism.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right.

 

Dewayne Perkins Uh kids were being possessed they were it was

 

Louis Virtel It was not wild. Yeah, I saw it on a vacation and my vacation became worse. I mean, it just, it’s…

 

Dewayne Perkins But the commitment to the performances, I’m like, oh, I watch that stuff and be like, I gotta be a better actor. I gotta do more. They just commit it in a way that is so admirable.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, I agree. Yeah, as in there’d be no reason to watch it if they didn’t go that 150%.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, I feel like you have to do that in order to kind of make that genre work.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Do you have other, we talk about Danielle Deadwyler on this podcast all the time. I don’t want to exhaust viewers. We had her, but she is like, when she was on the show, I said, it’s not that you’re talented. It’s that you are fucking sick. Like when this woman is on the screen, something happens to me. From Till to that, that fucking carry on movie where she was like an action star. She could do anything. She was great in the piano lesson.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, she was really good in The Woman in the Yard.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, that’s right, when we gave her a starring role, yes.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, and it was another movie that I was like, oh, like, as a film, I have some thoughts. But as a performance, I said, she hit that down, like the first time I saw her was in Atlanta. And she was great in that, like and again, it’s kind of, you never know who she’s going to embody. And she does it very well.

 

Louis Virtel Very casual sense of range. Yeah.

 

Dewayne Perkins I’m trying to get in that bag, yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Also, what are your favorite Nicole Bahari credits?

 

Dewayne Perkins I really liked her in what’s the movie with Jessica Chastain.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, scenes from a marriage or whatever?

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, like they’re like married and she’s like, and there’s like a scene where she’s at a table talking about her husband and like her issues. She’s great in that. I really like her in that Black Mirror episode. Um

 

Black Mirror has a lot of great acting in it that sort of, because it’s like episodic television, ultimately, we sort of forget to talk about in the canon, you know.

 

Dewayne Perkins She’s also great in this movie called Miss Juneteenth. And she’s a lead in that. Also, she’s great in the morning show. Everything I’ve seen her in, she just is really great. Oh, first saw her in Sleepy Hollow.

 

Louis Virtel Of course.

 

Dewayne Perkins And I was like.

 

Louis Virtel Christina Ricci was the first actress I was ever obsessed with because I was Wednesday Adams too as a child.

 

Dewayne Perkins Mmm, I love Sleepy, like the movie, fantastic. And then when she was on the show, I was like, oh yeah, like she should lead a television show, like where’s her television show? Yeah. So that’s something, that’s a goal of mine. I would love to work with her at some point because I just think she’s a star.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, well, viewers at home, you have to offer your favorite actresses in this canon. Who would you like to discuss more? And then should we just have them on Keep It? Because I’ll just call them on their cell phone. I’ll find the number.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yes, you should do a Hollywood roundtable of who we think is the best. Yeah, okay. And I just want to be there to be like.

 

Louis Virtel Coming right up, yeah. We’ll be right back with Keep It.

 

Louis Virtel [AD].

 

Louis Virtel  And we’re back with the saltiest part of the episode, it’s keep it. I’m gonna start with mine because it has taken up all of my time this past week and I need to get over it and we’re gonna do it with this conversation. Some sort of meme emerged from, I’m going to guess Brazilian Twitter because I can’t imagine it coming from anywhere else.

 

Dewayne Perkins And they be on twitter saying things.

 

Louis Virtel I just saw Wagner Mourad, the actor from The Secret Agent, nominated for best actor. They have statues of him in the street like he’s Jesus Christ. It’s crazy. Anyway, they’re at it again with their old tricks. There’s this meme where pop stars are ranked in a hierarchy, a seven level tier, and on the top level, level seven, it says, the legend’s on the hill. This includes people like Madonna, Celine Dion, you got Mariah Carey there, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, and that’s it. Below that… It’s called the main stars. This is people like Lady Gaga, Beyonce. I just want to say, before I get into why I’m obsessed with this, I love that Lady Gaga and Beyonce aren’t on the top layer yet. I love there’s still room for them to grow because it’s true. They’re still active.

 

Dewayne Perkins They’re still very

 

Louis Virtel I just want to say before we continue my keep it is to the fact that once I started looking at this fucking thing I became addicted obsessed with who made it and also mad. So there’s no resolution to any feelings I have let’s talk about level three, which is main testing phase. We got Chappell Rhone. We have got Dua Lipa, Tate McCray main testing face meaning they’re testing to be a main character in the pop world And then there’s a niche testing phase where people like Addison Rae belong and I believe that’s Ethel Cain

 

Dewayne Perkins Okay.

 

Louis Virtel So which is to say you’re trying out to be a niche star, which is more someone like Charlie XCX. Got it. Or like Lord, though honestly, Lord is listed under niche peak. Does she deserve that? I don’t know. I remember 2014 loving her, but this past album, I’m not sure.

 

Dewayne Perkins I definitely feel like at some point she was there, but yeah, I think talking about like relevancy to like right now I feel like that kind of changes things. Yes, because like I’m still stuck on Iggy’s. Oh, yeah, that’s crazy. Yeah

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, Iggy Azalea is hurting me too. It’s hurting me, too. If we could scroll up for a second to level five, there’s also the most amazing level on this whole strata is museum leaders, which is Katy Perry, Avril Lavigne, Kesha, Fergie. That’s a bit generous to Fergie, I would say. And Kelly Clarkson. So they have a bunch of hits and they play them well.

 

Dewayne Perkins Fergie was my shit. Like, my go-to karaoke. Like, there was an era where Fergie simply was that girl. Like, she really was the black eyed peas. Like, it’s one of the things that I have to like really contend with myself is saying that like, unfortunately, they dig it better when they edit this white woman. Because there was a black woman that they said, we’re going to replace you with Fergie. I remember the old black ey- Jane, that’s crazy! And then I said- actually this kind of eats, I shouldn’t be saying this during Black History Month, but I thought Fergie was great. And then her solo album.

 

Louis Virtel THE DUTCHEST

 

Dewayne Perkins FANTASTIC!

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, also number one hit after number one head. No, yes. Don’t cry. Yeah, right Oh my god, you could not avoid that fuck it. If you if you were dating somebody in 2007, unfortunately, the anthem was big girls Don’t write

 

Dewayne Perkins I’m glamorous.

 

Louis Virtel Yes.

 

Dewayne Perkins London Bridges, all fantastic. Clumsy? Clumsy. Yeah. Fantastic. Fantastic! Okay, never mind. She is a museum lady.

 

Louis Virtel Okay, never mind, she is a museum leader. Never mind, She is a Museum Leader. But I have to say, you can tell this has to be a Brazilian person because what is Bjork doing in Niche Peak? That’s a completely different rubric. I see Bjork on this list and I just want to tell this person, stay out of adult’s business.

 

Dewayne Perkins These categories are kind of wild yeah, but like I would say some of this I do agree I’m like hey, they’re on to something

 

Louis Virtel No, the reason I’m obsessed with is they they mainly got it

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah!

 

Louis Virtel Also, my last complaint about this list on level four, which is just called supporting acts are shady. Miley Cyrus being there next to Demi Lovato, I think Miley has given us more than that. And also Cardi B is on that level, not a supporting act to me.

 

Dewayne Perkins No, I feel like four needs to be broken up, like three, like there’s different… I would say, because growing up I was like a Disney person, my attachment to Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and Miley is kind of… It’s been consistent in a way that I didn’t even realize. I think Demi, Lovado, I may have like every album she’s had on my phone, like there’s just been like a kind of like a, oh, if you come out with something new, I just kind of support it, because like, oh I just know you. And without knowing, I think I built like a relationship, like a parasocial relationship to them without even like knowing, but just been like, oh, I’ll support you because you’ve been around my whole life. How do you feel about the Hilary Duff resurgence then? Great. That’s how I feel. I’m sure. Yeah, right? I’m just like, hey girl, welcome back. I’m going to do a little choreo.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, I’m sorry, but it’s giving museum leader. It’s giving Museum Leader.

 

Dewayne Perkins There’s just been periods where Demi came out with her rock album, I said, fun! I’m on board! She came out then with a rock remix of a lot of her songs, and I said also great! I thought Miley’s last stuff, great!

 

Louis Virtel All of her stuff is great. I often don’t stan certain albums of hers, but there’s always great material on the album. And also just her personality, too, I think keeps her a cut above.

 

Dewayne Perkins They’re trying to kill your favorite bitch!

 

Louis Virtel Oh

 

Dewayne Perkins Even when she did that little she said I’m gonna be black flag a little bit. I said girl This is weird. Most of these girls had that face. Some of these songs are kind of great We won’t stop fantastic

 

Louis Virtel Right, yes. My last complaint, Kylie Minogue is nowhere to be found on this. Excuse me, put Kylie on the list. Yeah, yeah. It’s confusing. Anyway, what is your keep it this week, DeWayne?

 

Dewayne Perkins Oh, my keep it is, it’s kind of personal, but I’m really tired of like seeing gay movies that I’m not in. Oh, sure. I think it’s insane. I feel the same way. They keep asking people to do gay stuff and I’m on that roster. Like, Heat of Rivalry, cute. Was I in it? No, that’s crazy. Pilean, I said, oh, this is cute. You know what would have been better if Dwayne Perkins was in it.

 

Louis Virtel And there’s certainly a role for you somewhere in Pilly.

 

Dewayne Perkins I agree I could have had on a leather jacket. Oh, please. I look great in leather

 

Louis Virtel I absolutely know you own one.

 

Dewayne Perkins I do. I have a full leather outfit. I could be on somebody’s bike being cute. I can do gay things like ice skate. Put me in it. But I had a meeting recently with an executive and they were like, how do you feel about like straight men playing gay roles? And I was like, I don’t necessarily have a problem with it in a world where it would be equal. Like, I think everybody should be able to play everybody. But that’s not the case. And I literally, this morning, a friend of mine sent me a clip from this show that I auditioned for and he was like, why is this not you? And it’s like, this guy that I know straight, because I know him, and he’s like doing it, but there’s like just like these like affectations that are just like so put on to try to display like gayness in a way that I hate it, you know, just like… And it just makes me think, what is it that you want from this role that you think you’re going to get from this person, that you can’t get from somebody who has a lived experience that can bring something to that role? And I just feel like it would be very different if it was the other shoe. I feel like if I ever play straight, it’s because I’ve written myself that way. Because I don’t think that I’ve been given many opportunities to portray that. Like there’s not many. Neil Patrick Harris’ and that was the case when he wasn’t out like there’s like being able to kind of straddle both lines I think is a privilege that’s one sided. And so though as a queer person I think that like oh this is cool that like these things are created personally I’m just like if I’m not in it keep it.

 

Louis Virtel Great answer. That’s crazy. No, I mean, I’m always a little confused about how I feel about who should be playing certain roles. Like every once in a while, like some straight guy will like dial in and I’m like, well, I know that gay guy. Like he created somebody that feels real to me and like belongs in the role or whatever. But other times, it’s like you’ll see a straight guy doing a gay performance and I guess there’s no accounting for taste on the level of casting here, you know? And it’s, like, should I blame casting? I wonder who I should blame.

 

Dewayne Perkins Yeah, and like, and I know that there are a lot of straight men who are good actors who could play game. I just When you have such

 

Louis Virtel good skin and you bring experience to the role.

 

Dewayne Perkins I’m like, well, I’m sure a gay person would if they let somebody do it. Like, and you should take one for the team, like, quit. And then say, give this to Dwayne Perkins. Like, I don’t under, like I think there’s a very clear path to fixing this issue. And that’s them giving me all those parts.

 

Louis Virtel Right, right. I will say one straight guy who can always play gay no matter what, Mr. Ray Fiennes. Whatever you want, sir. He’s my pillion. Whatever you want baby. I’ll sleep on the floor. Because Voldemort definitely gave.

 

Dewayne Perkins I said, this is a gay man. Duh. A gay man with really bad work, because that nose is gone. No. Right. No nose. Something went wrong. Like literally, I feel like the first moment he was on screen, he did something like very like, cunty, like… Oh. And I was like, ugh.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, Conte straight men, dying breed, the British.

 

Dewayne Perkins Because I feel like Stanley Tucci played a really great gay man. I said, he ate that, but there’s still a part of me that’s like, oh, we just can’t see how gay people could eat because they’re not just getting the opportunities. I’m like, oh, what could that have been? Had that extra something. Generally, I don’t care. But I do care now because I’m not getting those rows. Right.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. No, it’s like, it it’s hard to blame any one person, but all those experiences add up. You know what I mean? It becomes this wave of certain people are more likely to play a role that is literally written to be me.

 

Dewayne Perkins And I just don’t think it would be a conversation if there wasn’t such a scarcity aspect

 

Louis Virtel because people wouldn’t be talking about it. Dwayne Perkins, thank you so much for joining us today. Where can we find you on social media if we want to find you in all of the roles you will be stealing from other actors?

 

Dewayne Perkins Thank you so much. I am going to be the hamburger

 

Louis Virtel of Hollywood.

 

Dewayne Perkins Um, you can find me at Dewayne Perkins, that’s D-E-W-A-Y-N-E, Perkins on I think pretty much everything. It’s the same thing.

 

Louis Virtel And thank you for joining us. We’ll see you next week on Keep It. And don’t forget to follow Crooked Media on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. You can also subscribe to Keep It on YouTube for access to full episodes and other exclusive content. And if you’re as opinionated as we are, consider dropping us a review. Keep It is a Crooked media production. Our producer is Bill McGrath, and our executive producers are Louis Virtel, Ira Madison III, and Kendra James. Our digital team is Delon Villanueva, Claudia Sheng, Rachel Gaewski, and Jay Banks. This episode was recorded and mixed by Jerik Centeno. Thank you to David Toles, Kyle Seglin and Charlotte Landes. For production support every week. Our head of production is Matt DeGroot. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.