Jason Stuart

Lacking any connections in the entertainment industry, Stuart called every agent listed in the Players Directory (a directory of talent and casting agents, published twice a year). He had a head shot taken, and sent the photograph to the producer of every television show he liked.[2]

His first acting gig was as an extra on the comedy series One Day at a Time in 1977. He played a student, and had to exit through a door. He was so nervous that not only did he slam the wrong door, but he slammed the door so hard that its molding fell off.[2]

Stuart supported himself by taking a wide range of odd jobs. He also took acting classes and studied under such prestigious teachers as Nina Foch, Harvey Lembeck, Roy London, Allan Miller, and Lawrence Parke. His first credited role on television came on the syndicated series The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts in 1980.[2]

Stuart struggled to find work, however. Casting directors told him that he came across too gay[1] and that no one would hire him.[11] His agents did not know what parts they should have him audition for.[11]

With acting gigs not forthcoming, Stuart's agent suggested in the early 1980s that he try stand-up comedy instead.[1] Although he received neither encouragement nor financial assistance from his parents,[9] he began a career as a professional comedian in 1983.[13] He began touring in 1985.[2]

Numerous comedy club gigs followed,[13] and soon Stuart was headlining at mainstream venues.[1] By 1987, Stuart was considered a major comedy star. That year, he appeared on the nationally syndicated talent show Star Search. Judges voted him superior to three other comedians, but Stuart lost in the fourth showdown to Martin Lawrence.[13]

Stuart came out publicly in the spring of 1993. His comedy act consisted of him acting heterosexual, even though he dressed outrageously or androgynously. He grew increasingly unhappy with his act, feeling he was lying to his audiences about who he was.[2] Stuart realized he needed to come out while leading a class on self-esteem for young performers. After being heckled one day for coming off too effeminate, he told the heckler "I'm not gonna let you make me feel bad for being myself." When the teacher thanked him after the class for saying that, he realized he needed to come out professionally.[2]

He first came out in early 1993 to an audience at The Laff Stop in Houston, Texas.[2] Shortly thereafter, Geraldo Rivera invited him to appear in a segment on "Unconventional Comedians" on his nationally syndicated talk show Geraldo. Stuart not only came out of the closet during the show, but kissed Rivera on the air.[13] Coming out made Stuart one of earliest openly gay comedians to be performing nationally,[9] and according to journalist Connor Keaney he was widely said to be the first openly gay stand-up comedian.[5] Stuart himself says such claims are inaccurate.[5]

Stuart has described being an openly gay comedian in the 1990s as fraught with difficulties. He feared that coming out would cost him his day-job, and he was constantly aware that homophobes might physically attack him on stage or as he left the club. He worried that doing pre-show publicity would draw attention from those who might do him harm. Four times, he was picketed by members of the virulently homophobic Westboro Baptist Church.[5] Bookers and other comedians would make fun of his sexuality, or openly harass him to get him to quit. Hosts would introduce him to audiences in crass or offensive ways.[12]

In June 1994,[14] Stuart performed his act on Broadway at the Town Hall theatre in OUTrageous Comedy '94, a benefit for the Gay Games hosted by Sandra Bernhard.[2] He continued to do small roles on television, appearing on The John Larroquette Show, Murder, She Wrote, and seaQuest DSV, among others,[2] but many casting directors openly refused to hire a gay man (and told him so to his face).[15]

Stuart performed for more than 100,000 people at the Millennium March on Washington in 2000.[16] He appeared on the groundbreaking comedy Will & Grace in 2000, and reprised his role in 2002.[5][8] He released his first comedy album, Gay Comedy Without A Dress, in 2001.[17]

In 2002, Stuart had what was described as a semi-regular role playing a gay therapist on the Damon Wayans comedy My Wife and Kids.[8][18]

Stuart wrote, produced, and starred in his first film, 10 Attitudes in 2004.[18] The same year, he appeared on House.[19] His first televised comedy special, Jason Stuart: Making It to the Middle, aired on the Here TV cable network in 2005.[19][8] A year later, he appeared in the comedy crime film Puff, Puff, Pass[19] and was nominated for a Gay International Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 2006 independent film Coffee Date.[15][20] 2008 saw him guesting on Everybody Hates Chris, and in 2009 he appeared on the television series The Closer,[8] in a gay-themed remake of The Pit and the Pendulum, on Logo TV's comedy series One Night Stand-Up,[19] and an episode of the comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.[12]

By 2010, Stuart was one of the most in-demand character actors in the United States, and was a favorite of casting directors who wanted a gay or sexually ambiguous performance.[19]

After spending two decades primarily as a stand-up comedian, Stuart decided to refocus his career on acting in 2012.[1] After learning about the tax breaks that some U.S. states offer production companies, he hired an agent in each of these states and began auditioning nationwide.[11] He portrayed the officiant who marries John Lithgow and Alfred Molina in the critically lauded 2014 film Love is Strange,[5] and appeared in the highly praised 2015 independent feature Tangerine, an innovative production shot with three iPhone 5S smartphones.[21] That same year, he had a guest shot on the TV series Sleepy Hollow,[8] and toured the country with a new stand-up show, I'm Only Gay on the Weekends.[16] The show found a permanent home for a year at the Purple Room, a Palm Springs supper club and jazz venue.[8]

Stuart found his most prominent role to date in the 2016 dramatic period film The Birth of a Nation.[16] In the motion picture, a fictionalized version of Nat Turner's slave rebellion, Stuart plays Joseph Randall,[22] a white, racist plantation owner and rapist. He was deeply disturbed by the racism and violence in the screenplay, leading him to only read it through once.[1][6] To prepare for the film, Stuart read books on slavery in the Antebellum South[1] and worked for a week perfecting his scenes with actor friends.[11] Stuart told San Diego Jewish World that the role was life-changing, and he rededicated himself to being honest and truthful in his performances.[9] Stuart says it is his favorite role.[4]

In January 2019, Stuart's streaming independent comedy series Smothered premiered. Co-created and co-written with co-star Mitch Hara,[4][23] the series is about two gay Jewish men who have been married for 30 years but now find their relationship falling apart. Unable to get a divorce for financial reasons, the neurotic men struggle to find an accommodation.[4] Stuart and Hara were both nominated for Best Digital Performance and Smothered for Best Series at the 2021 Queerty Awards.[23] In April 2022, Stuart won the award for Best Actor in a Comedy at the Indie Series Awards.[24] A second season of Smothered began airing on Amazon Prime in the fall of 2022.[24] Stuart also starred as the title character in the 2019 short film Hank,[21] and had a small role in the 2019 independent fantasy anthology film Immortal.[23]

Stuart published his autobiography, Shut Up, I'm Talking: Coming Out in Hollywood and Making It to the Middle, in late 2019.[4] The title of the book came from a phrase his mother repeatedly said while he was growing up.[21]

As of March 2021, Jason Stuart had more than 150 acting credits.[23] That year, he appeared in an episode of the streaming legal drama Goliath, That month, he released his second comedy album, I'm the Daddy and I Have Candy.[23]