The penultimate day ofĀ Hollywoodās HottestĀ is here and weāve got two more rising Hollywood stars to put on your radar.
Todayās spotlight is on actor Sean Hemeon who has racked up an enviable resume with his theatre and TV work. More recently heās become known as one of the stars of hit online TV seriesĀ Husbands.
We caught up with Sean to find out more aboutĀ Husbands, talk about his career, and find out if he thinks the equalized world ofĀ HusbandsĀ will ever become a reality.
How are you today? Where does this email Q&A find you?
I am doing really well ā just got back from NYC Comic Con where we had many opportunities to meetĀ HusbandsĀ fans and sign autographs! Oh and we got to meet Elmo!!Ā I feel very cool now.
You are one of the stars of web series āHusbandsā which is currently in its second season. What can you tell us about it?
HusbandsĀ is a marriage equality sitcom that follows the two characters Cheeks and Brady. I play Brady ā a pro baseball player who recently came out and has been dating Cheeks ā an out actor ā and in this world the federal marriage amendment passed. So Cheeks and Brady decide to celebrate in Vegas and end up drunk married! So rather than be the first celebrity divorce they decide to make a go at it. Itās likeĀ Mad About YouĀ orĀ I Love Lucy.
How did you come to be involved with the show? What attracted you to the project?
I immediately loved the writing ā it was just so well written and thatās always a dream for an actor. I loved the idea behind it and most of all I loved that I hadnāt seen anything like this ā thatās always exciting to get behind.
I was the one wild card ā the one part they needed to audition and they tried for a month to find the right Brady. I was the last guy to come in and right off the bat Cheeks and I had this chemistry that was palpable and well that was thatā¦
Your co-star Cheeks aka Brad Bell is also the creator of the show. Whatās he like to work with?
Heās fantastic to work with ā a very giving performer and all around really generous human being. It always amazed me how he could step into the many different hats so flawlessly. Heād be giving his opinion on setting up a shot, or dealing with some mini crisis and then the director, Jeff Greenstein, would yell āactionā and Cheeks would be right there with me in the scene!
Jane Espenson of āBuffyā fame is co-writing āHusbandsā along with Brad. Whatās it like working with a cult TV legend?
Oh I geeked out when I realized who she was. I am a hugeĀ BattlestarĀ fan!! I watched the entire series a few months before the audition and felt so lucky just to have the opportunity to say her words. Itās so much fun going to all the conventions to see how many people she inspires ā there are a lot of writers out there that claim her as the reason they write. Thatās cool. Oh and she happens to be an amazing human being on top of that. Her, Cheeks and I have way too much fun together!
During a time when America is deciding their president, gay rights are at the forefront of the debates. How do you feel about the current state of gay rights and do you think weāll ever reach the equalized world of āHusbandsā?
I absolutely believe we will reach the equalized world ofĀ Husbands. Simply because itās the right thing. I mean the world can be unfair but TRUTH always comes through ā always! Gay rights are just following suit to the womenās rights and then civil rights movements. I know a lot of people donāt look at gay rights as a civil rights issue, which is fine for them but still doesnāt change the fact that it actually is a civil rights issue.
In my lifetime, in my state, and in my country ā as a gay man I completely believe that I will marry the right person for me and it will be a right. We all deserve the same opportunities as any other citizen in this country ā or in this world.
Now back to you. Tell us how you got into acting. What was your first break?
My first break was playing the character Max onĀ As The World Turns. It was all a big blur from beginning to end. If people donāt know, soap operas shoot on a very tight schedule so itās mostly all about hitting your mark and getting the line out ā thatās it! So from audition to filming it was all over in like two days and I really got lucky to land the part. But it was enough for me to think that I could possibly do this.
We see from your ever-expanding resume that youāve guest-starred in āTrue Bloodā and āCriminal Mindsā. What were those experiences like for you?
I love vampires!!! Canāt wait to play another one!! Those experiences were just that ā experiences, opportunities for me to grow my resume, and to experience being on a real TV set, which for someone starting out can be really intimidating and scary. I was blessed though because every time the other actors I worked with were just the coolest; they took me under their wings and walked me through everything. I love Denis OāHare who I worked with onĀ True BloodĀ and Kirsten Vangsness fromĀ Criminal MindsĀ was my Angel!! She shared her experiences with being on set for the first time and really brought all my fears down and just smiled and held my hand through it. Honestly, I was lucky and grateful to have someone like her! Now sheās becoming an amazing friend.
Youāve also done a lot of theatre work. Is that something you intend to do more of or would you like to shift the focus to TV?
Oh I was just in NYC and was able to check out a few Broadway shows. I definitely want to pursue theatre ā absolutely!! I feel itās where I really get to stretch myself as a performer and really go for things that I otherwise wouldnāt be able to. With all the rehearsal time that goes into theatre productions, I get to work me ā my instrument ā and see what I can do. On set I may get no rehearsal and only a few takes and sometimes after its shot only feel like I am just warming up. Theatre is like camp ā or school ā and it can really feed me creatively. On top of that ā the audience is responding in real time and nothing can beat that.
What other projects do you have coming up this year?
I have three things I am working on right now.
First: the most important one to me right now isĀ HusbandsĀ is headed to SLC on Nov 11th. We had some fans reach out to us from SLC (Salt Lake County) and see ifĀ HusbandsĀ could do something to support the Homeless Youth Resource Center there āĀ Team HusbandsĀ knew that I was the ārecovering mormonā so the group handed me the reins agreed to whatever I could come up with. SoĀ HusbandsĀ is headed to SLC for a viewing and panel discussion afterwards. We want to bring awareness to the at risk LGBT youth there in Utah and raise funds for the Homeless Youth Center which is actually disproportionately LGBT kids who have been kicked out because of their sexuality. Trevor Project ā a national LGBT suicide hotline ā is coming with us to expand their reach. It turns out that thereās at least one suicide a week because of LGBT issues. Itās really sad. I feel very grateful though that my experience in my life can actually contribute in some way even if itās just sharing my story or help raise awareness. These kids are the future and I want them to know we stand behind them!
Hereās the info:Ā http://www.sbdance.com/husbandsunity.php
Also Iāll be guest starring in the Second Season ofĀ Bloomers the SeriesĀ http://bloomerstheseries.com/
And working on a new online series calledĀ My Synthesized LifeĀ http://www.facebook.com/MySynthesizedLife
For all the latest news on Sean follow him on TwitterĀ @SeanHemeonĀ and check out his websitewww.seanhemeon.com. You can watch āHusbandsā online atĀ www.husbandstheseries.com. Check out the first episode below: