Interview: Chatting With Torian Miller On Theater, Fire Island, and Pride!

Torian Miller is an actor. His roots in performing came from acting and improve. He has been in Abbott Elementary, Wool, and most recently Fire Island where he played Max.

Torian has visited Minnesota and went to the infamous Mall of America. He could not wrap his head around a full on roller coaster in the mall! He also found the Minnesota State Capitol to be stunning.

We chat with Torian on theatre, Fire Island, and Pride!

How does it feel to have live performances back?

It feels incredible to have live performances back! My roots in performing come from theater and improv, so to see live shows coming back and starting to thrive means the world to me. Especially in such a divisive climate as we are in today - live performances whether it be musicals, play's, standup comedy, etc are needed more than ever.

What inspired you to pursue performing?

My earliest memories are from going to see musicals and watching PBS with my grandmother when they'd show taped Broadway or West End performances. I just wanted to jump on stage or in the screen and join them. I also had a stuttering problem as a child but when I performed, it would go away. So performing truly helped me find my confidence in so many ways and taught me how to feel more comfortable in who I was.

Who were your inspirations and influences?

My biggest influences definitely were people who were considered multi-hypenates because I loved acting, singing, writing, etc. It's big list but folks like Raven Symoné, Jack Black, Queen Latifah, Ice Cube, and definitely Whitney Houston. My parents would put on a Whitney album and childhood Torian could not sit still! They all inspired parts of myself to be more creative. I am very lucky that my parents noticed and encouraged me early on to try everything in the arts that I wanted to.

Why did you decide to be a part of Fire Island?

I read Joel's script and immediately knew that I wanted to be a part of this world. To see a rom-com featuring queer people of color, I personally had never seen anything like it. It was so smart, thoughtful, playful and had so much heart that I couldn't pass up the chance to be in it. I met with Director Andrew Ahn and from that first meeting, I could tell he was going to lead this amazing project with such grace and vulnerability to allow his actors to fully form their characters and that further sold me on it.

What was it like developing your character in Fire Island?

Developing the role of Max was a pretty quick character study because there's a good amount of Torian within that role. I might not be as anal or quick to judge but there are certainly aspects of myself I was able to bring to him. As an actor, I always want to leave a bit of that magic for when I'm on set and lean into the intimacy and vulnerability of each take we film. Andrew really allowed us to play around with our roles and let us breathe the life into the characters as we saw fit. It was very special.

Did you face any challenges with developing your character or anything in the production?

The challenges I faced was getting out of my own way. I am a pretty confident person but being on set with my stunning cast mates, at first I had a bit of body image issues. Everyone was so sweet and inviting but my own inner saboteur was loud at times and telling me I was not meant to be there or that I wasn't good enough because I am not the typical body type you see in rom-coms. Once I realized that I needed to let that go and be present in this amazing opportunity, it allowed me to enjoy every second of filming. Hopefully my presence being on screen allows someone who looks like me to watch our movie and see themselves represented.

What is your favorite moment in the film?

I have two favorite moments, the establishing shot as our characters are on the ferry pulling into Fire Island and "Pure Imagination" plays in the background. It took my breath away the first time I saw it and took me right back to when we filmed that scene. Second favorite moment is Conrad's character dancing while Peppermint hosts. It just genuinely brings the biggest smile to my face every time I see it.

How was it working with the cast and the creative team of Fire Island?

It was amazing! Every single person on production from the Jax, Hulu, and Searchlight teams are the nicest folks. Our crew was so special, I really connected with every person that worked on our movie because this film was such a team effort. There were difficult shooting locations, long and very hot shooting days, and our crew did their jobs flawlessly. Truly feel so grateful to have gotten to work with them and they were a big reason I loved coming to set each day.

What do you hope anyone who watches the film takes away from it?

I hope people watch our movie and feel inspired to fall in love in whatever form that love may take. To be thankful for the wonderful friends they have in their lives and/or to go out and create the chosen family they've always wanted. For folks to realize that being queer is universal and yet realize that we as a community are not monolithic and that's ok. Lastly, I hope they feel joyous when watching Fire Island because it really was a labor of love intended to make people smile.

What does Pride month mean to you?

Pride month means to live as your fullest, most authentic self. To celebrate our differences and that we as queer folks have persevered through so much and are still here. To remember those who came before us and fought for the rights that we have today. And to never, ever shy away from who we are because being queer is an absolutely beautiful thing.

What message do you have for the LGBTQ+ community?

To continue to do what makes you happy, don't let others define what that means for you. And to all the young, queer, POC folks who may read this - YOU ARE ENOUGH! You might sometimes feel displaced or like an outsider but that's actually what makes you a damn superstar.

Thank you Torian!

Photo by Searchlight