The gay narrative isn’t common in Hollywood and you could say everyone is adjusting to it. Parker didn’t have that problem.
It was a sunny day when I was supposed to meet Parker Young – in a hotel Envoy, where he was staying while in Serbia. It is located in the heart of Belgrade, which is why I came early – you can’t predict rush hour these days. Turns out, I was early by almost 15 minutes, so I decided to wait for him in the hotel lobby. Charming place with excellent coffee, which one can appreciate.
“Man, this coffee is good”, I could hear Parker talking to me, just as I tasted it. “I adore this place! Who could say something this close to the city center could be so peaceful? I love it”, he says, as he orders a cup for himself. We decided to move away from the lobby to one of the conference rooms on the first floor and continue our talk.
Parker is young, indeed. That’s why he has a constant smile on his face. He is the main star of Comedy Fest, happening in Belgrade, which means he was constantly in front of the camera. But he doesn’t mind it. Along with his smile, came his movie, 4th Man Out, the story about four friends and how their relationship changes when one of them comes out as gay.
“When I read the script, I was in the plane. It was an instant love! I couldn’t stop laughing during my whole flight. I loved it cause, this was the story that needed to be told, but in a fun way. I love that type of friendship. As soon as I landed, I called the director and told him I am in”, said Parker.
The gay narrative isn’t common in Hollywood and you could say everyone is adjusting to it. But Parker says he didn’t have a problem accommodating to the story.
Parker is often perceived as the funny one.
He is okay with that.
“All the gay guys I know, I’ve met them after they’ve come out, but to some guys. it may be a little strange. Just like in this movie, the guys are coming from a small town, and they are not familiar with the topic. On the other hand, that’s what I liked about it, all our characters are a little bit uncomfortable with the situation, they want to make regular jokes but are afraid Adam, the gay character, will be offended. In the end, the most important thing is to stay true to yourself.”
I can see that he is not uncomfortable talking about this. I had a fair share of guys going blank when talking about LGTB+ issues. Not Parker – he is all about inclusivity.
“Maybe not enough, but at the same time, we’re going in that direction. It seems every year the Oscar goes to the actor who plays a transgender, gay or lesbian character. I think Hollywood is supportive of the LGBT community. Especially in the movies like this one, where we talk about such things and actual relationships between real people.”
This movie is a comedy and Parker is often perceived as the funny one. He is okay with that. His big break was in Suburgatory, in 2011, which helped him learn a lot about himself – and the job.
“I had excellent, experienced actors on the set, who helped me with their advice. The first time I had the opportunity to attend such enormous shootings, so I stayed on the set after I’d finished my scene. I looked at what my colleagues are doing, at people who are behind the camera and trying to figure out how to do the job, so I advanced myself.”
Young’s favorite thing to do at hotels is – not room service but swimming. He always tries to find a place where he can be active. Although he does prefer climbing, pools are also helpful.
“I’ve always been very active, I love to break through the limits to which they can go and why I like different things that have come out of the comfort zone, and improve themselves in different ways. I think it’s rock climbing more challenging, while on the other side of yoga calm. It was my goal to stand on my hands and I did it,” he says. But, he’s not bragging. You can see he is humble, even when he’s talking about his other talents, including – rapping. “I do that sometimes, when I’m joking with friends, but I would not mind doing it with some artist,” says Parker.