Rewarding Journeys with Kieran Turner
Kieran Turner
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.
Kieran Turner (He/Him) directed the documentary JOBRIATH A.D., which released theatrically in 2014. He then created, wrote, and directed the online television series WALLFLOWERS, airing on streaming networks worldwide. His first film as a writer and director, 24 NIGHTS, was made as his NYU undergrad thesis, then later picked up for distribution. He is currently in production on the Docu-Series GHOST LIGHTS: RECLAIMING THEATER IN THE AGE OF AIDS.
What are you best known for?
Besides being the person to return more pairs of shoes to Amazon than anyone else, I suppose I'm probably best known for making the feature documentary JOBRIATH A.D. which tells the story of 1970s glam rock musician Jobriath, the first openly gay rock star. I was fortunate enough to tour the world presenting that documentary, and it was largely responsible for helping get his full music catalog back in print for the first time in nearly 40 years, as well as bringing his story and his work to a new generation. People are still writing about him, and I take a lot of pride in helping that to happen.
What is the first thing you worked on?
If I was to go all the way back to the very first, it would be the first commercial I ever appeared in, at age 4, riding a Romper Room Inchworm, which was a little phallic shaped vehicle with wheels that one bounced up and down on. But my first work as a filmmaker was the feature 24 NIGHTS, which was a gay-themed romantic comedy about a grown man who still believes in Santa Claus. It was done as my UG thesis at NYU, but wound up getting distributed by TLA Releasing.
What are you working on that no one knows about yet?
I am just finishing shooting a 6-part Docu-Series called GHOST LIGHTS: RECLAIMING THEATER IN THE AGE OF AIDS. It examines how the AIDS crisis completely changed the landscape of theater, how the theater community rose up both personally and professionally to combat the virus and looks at a handful of the over one thousand theater artists we lost to the disease. It's been a tough, but rewarding journey, and at times it looked like we were never going to see the light of day due to the ongoing pandemic, but this is a story very close to my heart and we were very lucky to be able to sit down with over a hundred Broadway professionals, every name you can think of, who told us their stories. I cannot wait to be able to share it.