Randy Harrison talks about his new film “Such Good People,” but misses the Berkshires

It was great to catch up with Randy Harrison briefly, just in time to ask him about his latest film, Such Good People, which was released on DVD and to streaming yesterday. For the film, he hitched up with long time fellow actor and pal Michael Urie to exercise his comedy skills, something the serious actor  has been developing for some time now. The film itself is based on a gay couple who find a million dollars while house sitting in L.A. The film came out April 14 on VOD and DVD.

In Such Good People, the gay Los Angeles couple must overcome greed, jealousy, sibling rivalry and labradoodles as the fate of the money hangs in the balance. During the past year it has played at various LGBT festivals in Atlanta, Portland, Miami, Washington and internationally.

Harrison’s last major appearance in the Berkshires was in The Who’s Tommy which played in July of 2011 at the Colonial Theatre. He returned in 2012 with his QWAN theatre company.

Have you ever “house sat” yourself?

No. Though I’ve sublet furnished apartments and I’ve done a hell of a lot of AirBnB.

Did you find anything interesting hidden away?

I usually find something interesting. But to me a child’s drawing tucked in a drawer is fascinating, an underlined passage in a book, the little personal details that reveal things about the space and the people who ordinarily occupy it. I’ve never found cash.

Did the cast bond off-set, and if so, who ended up being your soul-mate during the filming process?

I was actually usually on my own when the day ended. It was a civilized schedule and I would go home and work on the next day’s scenes and watch House Of Cards and go to bed early. We bonded on set. I loved Ana (Ortiz), James (Urbaniak) and Carrie (Wiita) and of course Michael (Urie), who I knew from New York. They’re all wonderful.

Working with a primarily gay cast on a gay themed film had to be a change from some of your other theatre gigs from Shakespeare to Beckett. Was it?

Every gig is pretty different. I don’t usually pay attention to the sexuality of my coworkers too closely and am not sure how it changes things or if it does. Honestly, just being on set for two weeks was something I hadn’t experienced in over a decade, so that was refreshing and also a bit nostalgic. Also, doing a comedy like this was very liberating. I think I need a few years away from the more serious fare.

Do you think we will ever see you on stage in the Berkshires again? What happened?

I want to come back to the Berkshire! I miss it a ton. Berkshire Theatre Festival was such an extraordinary artistic home to me, and continues to be for so many incredible artists. I’ll always be grateful to Kate Maguire for the opportunities she afforded me. And those amazing Berkshire audiences. Its a magical place, I come back whenever I can as a friend and audience member and just to chill out and recharge.
What happened? Well, of course the theatre has changed significantly since my time there, it even has a different name (Berkshire Theatre Group) and I have had other jobs in New York every summer since I was last in the Berkshires, and those take precedence. But I would come back at the drop of a hat.

At Berkshire on Stage we still get lots of readers interested in reading about Queer as Folk.

It feels like a time capsule when I come across it on Netflix, but I’m so happy that people are discovering the show and I’m definitely interested in doing more camera work. My theater work has been deeply valuable to me but I know not as many people can access it.

What’s your next project?

I shot a short film in the winter called Photo Op. I think they’ll be submitting to festivals soon. I also cowrote and co-directed a web pilot with Jenn Harris in the fall and we’re aiming to shoot a full season this summer. I’m excited about being on the production end of things, and creating new media and web content. I’m performing improv a fair amount in the city. I miss performing music -kind of like the stuff I got to do on Our Hit Parade – so I’m hoping to get a show together and find a venue for that soon. Oh, and QWAN has a new show we’re hoping to develop soon and perform in the late fall. We’ll see.

About Randy Harrison

Randy Harrison (Alex Reardon) is an extraordinary talent. He made his television debut playing Justin Taylor, a gay teen, in Showtime’s groundbreaking LGBT series Queer as Folk. The series became a mega-phenomenon, running for five seasons, and introducing Randy to fans all over the world.

In addition to his television work, Randy has a substantial background in theatre, most prominently in Broadway’s original production of Wicked, plus the 2011 off-Broadway production of Silence! The Musical, as well as his acclaimed performance in 2013’s production of Harbor, at Primary Stages.

His impressive regional theater resume includes roles with Berkshire Theater Group, where he played Alan Strang in Equus (2005), the title role in Amadeus (2006), Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (2007), Frank Gardner in Mrs. Warren’s Profession (2007), Lucky in Waiting for Godot (2008), Osvald Alving in Ghosts (2009), Nagg in Endgame (2010), and the title character in The Who’s Tommy (2011), and Ken in the George Street Playhouse’s production of Red (2012).

Randy’s other film work includes a cameo appearance in 2012’s hilarious Gayby, an indie production of Julius Caesar, playing Brutus, and starring in the thriller, Bang Bang You’re Dead, a made for tv film.