Tue. December 13, 2011
Accumulating upwards and over 11 independent film-acting credits since 2004, gay entertainment/media professional and fashion/underwear model Jesse Archer opted to mix it up. Accepting a leading role in 2011's Into the Lion's Den, Archer traded the romantically gay comedic fare of the independent films in which he's previously appeared for a little gay thriller-slash-horror action—Into the Lion's Den being his first of the latter, his Psycho-esque stabbed cameo in this year's Eating Out 4: Drama Camp notwithstanding.
"Crossbows and ass clowns and electrocution rape, oh my," Archer shrills, alluding to some of the film's key scenes.
Into the Lion's Den headlines Archer playing opposite Ronnie Kroell as Johnny and Michael respectively who, with their benefactor buddy Ted, embark on a cross-country road trip from L.A. to New York. However, breaking before the Big Apple at a secluded backwoods bar in the boonies ultimately confronts the threesome's gay good times with a culture-shocked act two a la Priscilla Queen of the Desert meets Deliverance, sans drag. The film premiered at REEL Affirmations LGBT Film Festival and was selected for the opening-night screening of Reeling 30: The 2011 Chicago International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.
"Into the Lion's Den was a furious read," Archer says of his reason for accepting the role of Johnny. "It was one of those scripts you pick up and can't put down. I was like, ‘what?' because it starts off tart and sassy, like I'm used to, but then it just goes to very unexpected places. It's not cute or sunny, not like Australia, and at one point I ended up in a dungeon strapped to a rape table that, by contrast, would make Jodie Foster's pinball machine look like a goose-down Posturepedic."
Archer's mention of Australia references another of his recent mixing-it-up moves. The once seriously anchored in New York actor cut, crossed continents and relocated with his partner to the other side of the world, settling in his bf's native Australia over a year ago.
"Australia was a very soft landing," he says of his decision to go down under. "People are open and living is easy here. It's not like I had to learn a different language, though they do love to shorten every word longer than three syllables. ‘Arvo' equals afternoon and ‘Lino' is linoleum. They don't realize how cute and silly it sounds to hear the word "lino" spoken in utter seriousness when referring to linoleum. It's also gorgeous here. I'm lucky to have had the chance to come live inside a postcard for a spell."
Currently making the indie-festival rounds in close timely proximity with Into the Lion Den's initial film-fest circulation, Archer can also be seen in Half-Share—a comedy short series of his own design, filmed on location in Fire Island and starring Alec Mapa and Archer as two of five guys sharing a summer place in The Pines—and in the film adaption of Going Down in La La Land in which Archer plays "a sniggering bitch of a queen who's not nice at all to [the] sexy hero."
"The secret is, I really want to be him, or to be with him," Archer explains of his La La Land character's sniggering motivation. "Precisely the whys and wherefores of a bitchy queen: they can't have either."
Into the Lion's Den hit shelves on DVD December 6, 2011 via Breaking Glass Pictures. Special features include behind-the-scenes footage, deleted and extended scenes, director commentary, trailers and a blooper reel.
Updates on Archer's antics and acting roles are often colorfully posted to his website, www.jesseonthebrink.com.
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