We all love a great show to binge, the problem sometimes seems to be finding time for all of the amazing content out there. Without a doubt, “Eastsiders” (available on a number of platforms including Amazon Video) should go to the top of your list. The brainchild of actor and writer Kit Williamson, “Eastsiders” tells the story of Cal and Thom, who, while enduring their own roller coaster relationship during the first two seasons, also have a network of dazzling and vibrant friends who definitely have their own stories to tell. I sat down to chat with Kit Williams about what is in store for the third season of “Eastsiders”, LGBT storytelling as a whole, and what indie darling he would love to cast on the show!
You're back with your third season of “Eastsiders”! After a Kickstarter campaign and massive promotion, this season was definitely a labor of love, wouldn’t you say? We are so happy to be back ! It is so incredibly important to me that the show has been supported by the audience, because it wouldn’t exist if it was not for the audience demanding it. That has really been the most rewarding part of the experience for me.
One of the best parts of this season is that you got to venture outside and really feature the characters in very different atmospheres and locations. What is it like to really get to take Cal, Thom and the “Eastsiders” story on the road? It’s great since we have always filmed at apartments, friends of friends apartments, things like that. For example, we actually found the location for the house in Palm Springs because the owners watched the show and reached out to me on Instagram! I actually wrote the episode because they reached out to me and said that we could film at their beautiful mid century modern house. Taking the show on the road was just incredible, but it was also incredibly challenging as well. We never really knew where we would be able to shoot. I mean, we were able to map out a loose itinerary, but we didn’t have the luxury of location scouting before we showed up at different places. We would just kind of arrive and then figure out how to make the most of everything.
The tour you took of the United States was extensive, as you shot on location everywhere from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and California! Talk about seeing America! Oh absolutely! As a matter of fact, a lot of our campground and interior scenes were shot in Idaho because that’s where my Director of Photography lives, so it was convenient.
From “Fresh of the Boat” co-star Constance Wu to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alumni Willam to the up and coming Colby Keller, you certainly have an all star guest star roster this season! This season it really feels like a troupe of actors. I feel really fortunate to have these talented people create these characters with me; I feel very lucky. The strength of the show is definitely the acting. For me, that is what I come to the party for. As an actor, as a director, it’s all about giving the actors material that they can really sink their teeth into. That is my favorite part.
Is there anyone on your wish list for a potential “Eastsiders” Season Four that you would absolutely love to cast? I would absolutely love for Parker Posey to come on at some point. She is my idol, I have always absolutely loved Parker Posey! She grew up in Laurel, MS and that is something else we have in common, we are both Mississippi-ians. Other than that, I love so many actors, but I am so thrilled with the ensemble that we have created and I feel so lucky.
What can you tell me about the adventures of Cal and Thom this season? The boys go on a cross country road trip from New York to Los Angeles. Having fallen flat on their faces in New York City, we take a bit of a time jump between Seasons Two and Seasons Three. We follow Cal and Thom through sixteen states hauling a vintage camper trailer from the 1960’s. We actually did it too! We got to Idaho, stayed in Idaho for two weeks, and then it took four days to get to Los Angeles; we were shooting as we were going also. We also have two capsule episodes this season that follow some of the characters from Season Two. The first episode follow Steven Guarino and Willam’s characters as their convertible breaks down on the way to a drag gig in Cathedral City. They have a surprise week-long trip to Palm Springs also .We also have another episode set back in Silver Lake with John Halbach, Constance Wu, and Brianna Brown’s characters, which is an all straight episode of our gay web series. It’s kind of a fun little twist and turn, definitely a kind of a “meanwhile in Silver Lake” that centers around Kathy’s character returning from the non-equity tour of “Cats”.
So many shows that are streaming now let the fans know right from the beginning when the show will be ending, and the story is framed in a way that you can really see it evolve and play out towards it’s eventual end. Do you see “Eastsiders” in the same way with an ending already planned out? You know, I don’t know. I conceptualize each season of the show as if it is going to be the show’s last, I try to leave the door open enough for the possibility of a future season, but try also to tell a self contained story that has a beginning, a middle and an end. I haven’t ended any of the seasons on a note that I would not feel comfortable leaving the show on.
So other than the next season of “Eastsiders” what is coming up for you individually? I have been writing a lot. I sold a pilot to CBS, it was a great experience. It was being shepherded by Lisa Kurdow and Dan Bucatinsky’s company. It didn’t end up getting made, but it was a great experience. I sold two cable projects this year that I can’t talk about just yet also. I am very excited for them, one of which I have written a script for, and another that I am currently writing a script for. I had another project in the Sundance New Voices Lab last month also, which is also an LGBT project. It is kind of a “queer thirtysomething” set in New Orleans about a gay brother and his lesbian sister trying to start an unconventional family, a family where he would be the sperm donor to her wife. I think it’s important to always bush the boundaries of what a television show is also, I mean we are seeing that evolve so much.
The stories you tell are really fantastic LGBT stories which are so needed in today’s culture. What do you think the best way is to really tell a great LGBT story and what is really needed to tell them? I think we are entering a really interesting time in LGBT storytelling. It is no longer sufficient to just hit “the greatest hits of what is gay”; the coming out story for example. I think we are getting to a place where we want to get deeper and get to know LGBT characters in a really human way, know their flaws and complexities, and what really makes them tick. I am excited to see what happens next with LGBT stories in both mainstream and independent media. We are seeing so many more stories than we were five years ago, and such an array of stories. It is kind of frustrating that we only get one big television show every five years that really focuses on our experiences at the forefront, as we all have something in common, but we are also unique individuals. I think that is something I am really interested in portraying.
The first two seasons of EASTSIDERS are available worldwide on Netflix, where they have been translated into a dozen languages. They are also available on DVD and digital platforms through Wolfe Video. EASTSIDERS Season 3 will be available worldwide beginning November 28 on WolfeOnDemand.com and Vimeo, as well as through various streaming services including Amazon Video, Google Play and iTunes.
For more information, visit http://www.eastsiderstheseries.com