Jared is an out actor, model and up-and-coming author
known for a couple of movies I adore - Scenes From a Gay Marriage and More
Scenes From a Gay Marriage. You
can see his full bio at the bottom of this post. But now without further ado,
please welcome Jared Allman to my blog.
It's
pretty incredible to think that the film and my friends/actors swept the awards
when you think about all the notable talent that was also nominated. I was both
surprised and humbled to have won. To be honest I did not expect it.
~Would
you mind telling us a little about yourself? Do you have any siblings? Pets?
Did you sit in the front row of your school classroom or did you prefer the
back? Were you into sports or drama or band? Basically anything you'd like to
offer up would be awesome.
I do
have siblings. I've got 3 brothers and one sister. No pets. Def a back of the
room kinda guy in every way. I like to go unnoticed. Haha, that’s the shy boy in
me.
~As I've
explained a little above, the hop is working in conjunction with the
International Day Against Homophobia to spread the word about hope for a
prejudice-free world—specifically regarding homophobia & transphobia. How
did homophobia affect you in your younger years? I understand you came from a
religious family, did that affect how or when you came out?
Coming out for me was a challenge and something that haunted me for
most of my youth. I was terrified of being rejected by my family and being
truly alone in the world. I got called “fag” and “gay” pretty regularly in high
school. Because it was obvious I wasn’t interested in girls. Becoming aware of
yourself is a task and loving yourself when you feel alone and misunderstood is
even harder.
~I
think you already know I'm a big fangirl for your movies, Jared. I adore Scenes
From a Gay Marriage and More…" How did you get into acting? And
your more recent accomplishment - modeling? Congratulations, by the way.
Well I have been acting/modeling for probably about ten years or so.
It was always a hobby I enjoyed. Intially, I liked it because I could be
someone else. I hated myself. I hated living a lie. I hated not being honest
with myself and my family. I hated feeling dirty and unworthly of love. And if
I was acting I didn’t have to be myself.
~I'm
a sucker for a Happily Ever After ending in the movies I watch and in my books.
That's one of the things I really like about your films. They take a more
light-hearted approach to life. There's been a trend toward sad endings in a
lot of gay films and I've read articles about the importance of dealing with
reality in the gay community. Don't get me wrong, one of the most powerful
films I've seen recently (& with a box of Kleenex at my side) was The
Normal Heart. Do you believe both ends of the spectrum are important to portray
and if so, why?
I love a good happy ending too. But the older I get, I realize that
true happy endings are just a fairytale, and it's up to us to grow and learn
from the disappointments that is life on many levels. I think Leonard Nimoy
said it best when he said, “A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had,
but not preserved, except in memory.” So I think that both endings offer a version
of the truth. We all want the fairytale. I want the fairytale. J But reality is
that tragedy is very much the end. And for us to learn from history, sadly, we have to be reminded or we forget and make the same mistakes that end in the
same way.
~Does
homophobia still affect you in your day-to-day life or your chosen profession?
Do you think society has changed its attitude over the years? Is acceptance
more common now?
I don’t deal with it in my day-to-day life. Luckily, my profession is pretty open and
accepting. In the artistic world differences are celebrated not shunned. But I
think the overall climate is changing.
People are much more accepting because people are living more honest
lives. I'd say that nowadays everyone has someone that is LGBT in their family.
It's hard to hate when it's yours. Love usually wins.
~I
live in Calgary, Alberta and over the past few years more mentoring programs
for gay teens have sprung up in the city. Have you ever been involved in
mentoring, either for yourself or as a mentor? Do you think these programs are
a good step toward helping the youth of today?
I can't say I have been involved directly as either, but any time I
can speak and make a difference I do. Whether it goes noticed or unnoticed. I
think those programs are vital especially in the rural communities that are off
the beaten path.
I think coming out is your own story to tell. I think it should be
respected and no one should pressure you or take that away from you. In many
ways I would compare it to running a successful Presidential campaign. First
you have to decide you want to be president and come to terms with it yourself.
Then you have to build a team of supporters—your close family and friends—before
you can start winning over key states—be open to the world. And now you're not
alone. Reach out to someone you look up to. Someone you admire. Tell them you
feel alone and ask them for help. I can nearly promise with 100 percent
certainty that they won't let you go through it alone.
~Now,
before I let you off the hook, I like to do a little game with my guests at the
end of an interview. Here we go.
Beach
or mountains - Beach
Coffee
or tea - Coffee
Apple or orange - Orange
Long-stemmed
roses or wildflowers – Long-stemmed roses
Pecs
or abs - Abs
Smile
or eyes - Eyes
Dog
or cat - Cat
Top or
bottom J - Top
Thanks
so much for stopping by. I look forward to seeing more of you on the silver
screen.
~*~*~*~
In
the TV world, Allman has appeared in several country music videos and
docu-series on the Travel Channel and Disney Channel. He made his biggest
small-screen splash as a key player in season two of the Sundance Channel's
reality series, Girls Who Like Boys Who
Like Boys: Nashville -- the highest-rated original series in the network's
history.
Allman
relocated to Atlanta in 2012 following a year-long stint working at WME's
office in Nashville. An East Tennessee native, Allman is also in the final
stages of turning his unique life story into a memoir, Kinda Good at Everything: Growing Up Southern, Mormon, and Gay.
~*~*~*~
Thanks for joining Jared and I, everyone. My giveaways are still up for grabs so check out the Rafflecopter instructions and leave me a comment if you're so inclined.
Keep on hoppin'
Great post. Thanks so much for the interview.
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