OK, QueerSighters. I have to admit something. Deep breath, here goes: I heart Anthony Rapp (photo below). There, I said it.

From his movie roles in 'Adventures in Babysitting,' 'School Ties' and 'A Beautiful Mind' (among many others) to his Earth-shattering and career-defining role as filmmaker Mark Cohen in the original cast of the late Jonathan Larson's Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, 'Rent,' Anthony is one class-act of an actor with tremendous talent who's also captured a loyal and rather large fan base. And for the first time since he left 'Rent' on Broadway, he's back!

Now, I have my own history with 'Rent' and, well, it's kind of embarrassing. (Whatever.)

Some quick hits: I once saw the show twice in one day. (I know. Ridic.) The first day the 'Rent' $20 ticket giveaway switched from an overnight event to a lottery, I won and Anthony called my name. (MY name!) And I've discussed at length with friends what might be going through his head during Act Two when he has to sit silently on stage through two songs. (I mean, does he want to take a little snooze?)

Mind you, that was all when I was younger going through, what I call, my "Rent Phase."

But even now, I have to tell you, I was excited – and just a tad nervous – to climb the stairs backstage at The Nederlander Theatre and then sit down with the actor before a recent show in his dressing room.

What would I ask?
Would I stay composed?
Would I make a fool of myself?

You be the judge ... after the jump.

Sanford Marcus: So why did you come back to 'Rent' after being away from the show for so long?

Anthony Rapp: Honestly, they asked me. They told me [original co-star] Adam [Pascal] was thinking about coming back, too. And for me, the only condition I had to come back was that Adam would have to come back, too. Roger [Adam's character] is the most important person in terms of my performance in the show. So I called Adam to ask him if it was true, and it was. And it was perfect timing, too. Like Adam, I'm always traveling and working a lot and I wanted to be home again [in New York], so the circumstances were good. Having done the film, and the tenth anniversary concert in 2006, it was good to come back. I love the material and telling this story -- so all the right circumstances happened, as it always has been with this part in the show.

SM: How do you mean?

AR: I mean, things have always come out all right, and so many doors have opened for me because of the show. When I first got the show in 1994, I was working at Starbucks. If I had gotten any other job offers, I wouldn't have been available to do 'Rent.'


SM: The truth is, when the show first opened, all of you cast members were like Broadway rock stars!

AR: That's true. We all started to get stalked and recognized. But because it's theatre, it was never like we were Justin Timberlake.

SM: Well, you were pretty close. And I hear it's just as nuts outside the theatre after the show now ...

AR: Back then [when the show first started], there'd be, you know, a group of forty kids. But now it's crazy: The stage door now is like five-to-six people deep. And there are barricades; if there weren't any barricades, we'd get smooshed. The fans are very excited and they're screaming. It's sort of like Elvis or The Beatles and that kind of energy and frenzy. It's amazing. I guess it's all those years of people listening to the album and seeing the movie.

SM: Speaking of the movie, what are your thoughts on it?

AR: It's flawed. We did the best that we could given all of our intentions and desires and the talent involved. And I think we captured the essence of the piece, with all of its humanity and heart. But what you'll never get from the movie is the electricity of the live performance.

But I've met so many people whose first experience of the piece is the movie. And then they see the play, and they love it. So I know the movie is making an impact.


SM: The reviews for the show were out-and-out raves. But the movie, not so much ...

AR: What's interesting is that The Hollywood Reporter gave the movie a top-to-bottom rave. The next day, the Variety review came out and it was a point-for-point rejection of what The Hollywood Reporter wrote. So that and other reviews didn't help our case towards anyone who might have been skeptical of the show being turned into a movie.

But in the pre-release screenings, I'd never experienced the kind of response to anything; people were ecstatic. We were all like, "Wow, it's working." And then we got the first review and it went from there.

And once we knew we were going to do it together, we were pleased. And were able to add our own input and preserve the integrity of the piece and what we set out to do in the first place. But if any of us thought there would be any crazy corruption of the piece, we wouldn't have done it. Jonathan [Larson]'s family was behind it, and we were comfortable with [Director] Chris [Columbus].

SM: You've been in some of my favorite movies. How 'bout giving me a one-word reaction to some of the titles?

AR: (Hesitantly) OK, yeah ...

SM: OK, here we go. 'A Beautiful Mind.'

AR: Prestigious.

SM: 'Dazed and Confused.'

AR: Fantastic.

SM: 'School Ties.'

AR: Well-meaning.

SM: And one of my favorites, 'Adventures in Babysitting.'

AR: To take a line from that time, hellafun.

SM: So how has your life has changed since you started in 'Rent'?

AR: I don't know how old you are, and I don't want to ask –

SM: - I'm 34.

AR: Well then, you know, being in your thirties is a very different world than being in your mid-twenties, and that has a multitude of factors. I'm happier now, I'm more at peace, and I'm more settled. I used to think that "settling" was a bad word, but I don't anymore. I mean that things sort of land where they should. There was a lot of crazy stuff when 'Rent' started: My mom was sick and passed away and I was in a relationship that wasn't working. Now, I'm in a happy relationship that's like night and day. It's not like the other guy was a bad guy, but our mixture was combustible. The mixture in my relationship now is harmonious.

SM: You wrote a book about all you were going through [called 'Without You']. How'd that happen?

AR: Rob Weisbach published the 'Rent' coffee table book, and we were hanging out one night when he asked me if I had anything to write about. He lost his father to cancer when he was in his twenties, and my mom was near the end of her life. And so he asked me if I would write about that.

It was way harder than I ever thought. I felt that I had to relive certain moments in my life, and it was hard enough to go through them the first time. I found it was hard to capture the truth of it, and it was so important for me to tell the truth. So it took me six years to finish the first draft of the book. And of course Rob moved to another publishing company when I was done and I had to pay back the advance.

SM: Oh no!

AR: Yes. But when I finished it, I called him – and I had no idea if he'd still be interested. But he liked it. Simon & Schuster wound up publishing the book. And as I was doing rewrites, the movie started to happen, so it all came together at the end.

SM: Has 'Rent' made your career any easier?

AR: It's easier and harder. I've tasted a big kind of success. I've reconciled over the years that I'll never have anything like it again, and that's fine. Everyone should have something like 'Rent.' And I thought the show would make it easier in terms of work, but certain doors have opened and other doors have closed. But I wouldn't trade it for anything.

SM: So you won't shun 'Rent' the way, say, Nancy McKeon has shunned 'The Facts of Life,' the show that gave her a career.

AR: (Laughs) No. I embrace the show. I've been working in this business for 26 years. But this show was and is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

SM: Is there any way to have prepared for this kind of success?

AR: I was in the play, 'Six Degrees of Separation,' and that was a big deal when it opened in New York. It didn't have the massive impact 'Rent' did, but it was a very big success, so I that helped prepare me for what was to come.

SM: Can one prepare, too, to be a gay role model? Because I certainly think you are.

AR: I accept responsibility to whatever degree of a role model I might be.

SM: Do you find it difficult to be an out-and-proud actor?

AR: Not at all. I don't know whether it's cost me any jobs. I've certainly played straight roles. One thing that's most encouraging and not negative – and something studio executives for any out, gay actor should know – is that a majority of people who seek me out at talks I might do or at the stage door after the show are young girls. They express love, support and desire. So my being out hasn't had any impact with their support of me, and I think that's very telling.

SM: And in this last year alone, three men in the public eye – Lance Bass, Neil Patrick Harris and T.R. Knight – have come out of the closet. Though, truthfully, I think they were pushed out.

AR: Honestly, I feel bad on a level of human compassion when people in the public eye are closeted, because that costs them psychic and emotional energy. One thing I loved about 'Brokeback Mountain' was that it showed the world how damaging the closet can be.

SM: So where are you now, relationship-wise?

AR: I'm with Rodney; he's an actor, too. I'd been out of my other relationship for a few months, and we met doing a misguided workshop of a show. And when I met him, it was the first time I was actively dating and not just jumping into another relationship. So we were friends first and, clearly, we were getting along pretty well and enjoying each other's company. After our first date, I thought, "OK, I don't want to date anyone anymore."

SM: That's awesome. Well, go do your show to pay some bills ... and your rent.

AR: You couldn't resist, could you?

SM: Sadly, no. I was nervous, what can I tell ya?

Anthony is currently appearing on Broadway in 'Rent' at The Nederlander Theatre through October 7th. For information and tickets for the Broadway show or the national tour, log on to the show's official site. 'Without You' is currently available in bookstores everywhere and on Amazon.com.