Letting go of fear and judgement to create groundbreaking filmmaking with Jonah Blechman

Jonah Blechman

In this profile series, Revry is highlighting authentic contributors to the LGBTQ+ media and entertainment community. We ask questions to find out who they are and where they are going in the future. The questions remain the same but the answers tell their unique story. It’s time to explore and celebrate true representation beyond the limits of Hollywood. 

Jonah Blechman is an actor, producer, and director known for films such as ‘This Boy’s Life’ and ‘Another Gay Movie’. As a natural born talent, Jonah found himself acting from a very young age and later started venturing more into producing and other creative endeavors within the film industry. Jonah continues to invest himself in new projects following the release of his most recent TV series ‘Pet Peeves’ that you won’t want to miss here on Revry.

What are you best known for? 

I love this question! I’d have to say, I’m most known for my work (including an infamous kiss with Leonardo DiCaprio) in the film ‘This Boy’s Life’. There was also my turn as the archetypal queen, Nico Hunter, in the ‘Another Gay Movie’ franchise. One a true story drama with Robert DeNiro, Ellen Barkin and Chris Cooper, and the other a balls to the walls teen sex comedy with stars like Graham Norton, RuPaul, Lady Bunny and Michael Carbonaro. So, I guess it really depends on what you like to watch, and where I might pop up! 

What is the first thing you created? 

Well, I’ve been acting since I was a tot, but producing came later. It’s hard to get investors when you are 8 years old and just wrote a dancer and mentor script for yourself and Michael Jackson - which in retrospect, I’m very blessed I didn’t get too far with that project. Seriously, ‘Another Gay Movie’ was the first film I produced to fruition. And then, of course, I produced the sequel two years later.  I didn’t anticipate stepping into producing necessarily, but I had a fashion company for a couple of years that was doing very well, a bit of an initial fluke really, and I wasn’t able to audition for much of anything at the time. Honestly, I was looking for something I could “help” get made, as well as work my chops as an actor. Initially, I read AGM and thought, “I would never be a part of something so ‘crude’”. I had also never done a comedy at that point.  But it really bothered me how much it bothered me, and as an artist, I knew that was likely an area I should jump into. Walk into the fear. Once I let go of those initial judgements, I actually saw how incredibly groundbreaking the film was and could be, so, I asked if I could help produce….and the rest is history.

What are you working on that no one knows about yet?  

This year, I have a bunch of acting work coming out, like my role as the pet psychic felon in ‘Pet Peeves’ here on Revry, the Director’s Cut of ‘Another Gay Movie’ (15th Anniversary), a film that just got bought at SXSW called ‘Swan Song’ where I got to act opposite Udo Kier and Jennifer Coolidge, and then a horror dinosaur comedy called CLAW that comes out in the Fall.  Once it is really safe to film, I’m attached to two films that shoot in Prague from a wild director, Wiktor Grodecki (MANDRAGORA), and am looking forward to acting, directing and producing two projects I’ve written, too.  More to be revealed;)