Matthew McKelligon

“You’re Killing Me”

The sexy, gay Matthew McKelligon, known for his role on Logo’s “Eastsider’s”, and “Interior Leather Bar”, has taken the lead role in the brand new dark gay comedy entitled, “You’re Killing Me”, set to be released on March 8th, on WolfeOnDemand.com, iTunes, and Vimeo, as well as on DVD via Wolfe Video.

McKelligon portrays the role of Joe, an irresistible serial killer. When the narcissistic George begins dating Joe, his friends tell him that Joe is strange, however George doesn’t notice this until his friends begin to disappear.

Get Out spoke to Matthew, who was not only a blast, but almost similar to the character, minus the serial killing….I think

So how did you get this role?
I knew Jim the director. Jim and I were actually almost neighbors. He had seen me in “Eastsider’s”, and Jim knew how sadistic and dark I was. I’ve always had an unhealthy obsession with serial killers. While he didn’t write it specifically for me, they didn’t re-write it specifically for me. Originally my first murder victim in the movie, was reading for my part. They just didn’t think he was completely right.

The trailer was so funny. 
Everyone has been open minded about the movie, but hard core enthusiasts, and I guess gay hard core movie enthusiasts, are a little upset because they want more sex, or they want more gore. We straddled the line.

You were originally planning to be an architect, so how did you get into acting?
Well so I moved to LA to work for an architectural firm. Design is very susceptible to slow down. I think I’ve been laid off probably about 4 times. Through necessity, I got a job with a pool and landscape company, as the head designer. Then when the Great Recession hit, that business went under, and I was out of a job. My friend ran an extras casting service, and he just sent me out. I started doing that and up until that time, I hated Hollywood, I hated actors, I hated the entire world…I had never been on any proper film set before….I would show up and the ADs would point at me and say, “you, are going to have the girl come to you to do the scene”. That just kept happening, so I figured that I might as well audition. I started booking stuff, and wound up with an agent and manager. So it was kind of accidental, and other acters hate it when I tell that story.

I bet! Did you prepare for the role?
Yeah. Like I said, I already had an unhealthy obsession with serial killers. I started to seriously focus on serial killers. I was reading a lot of books on them, but I was specifically taken by the ” Hillside Strangler”, they were actually 2 guys in LA, in the late 70s, early 80s. They were very active not far from my place. I went to a really dark place. I would find where their dumping sites were, and hike over there. I think I went a little overboard. With a horror comedy that’s perhaps not 100 percent necessary. My character Joe, is very much a child. He’s very innocent. He means no wrong. So delving into the minds of a very vicious serial killer, is not necessarily the best thing to do. It gave me a morbid edge.

I hate to tell you, you are very believable in the role. I would hesitate to hang out with you alone. 
Thank you very much. Everyone says that.

Tell me a little about Matthew.
My father was in the Marine Corp. so we did move around a little. We spent several years growing up in Okinawa Japan, which was magical. After I graduated high school, I took a year off to be an exchange student in Switzerland. In college I went to Berlin, so travel was hugely important to me. That’s probably one of the hardest things for me about being an actor and living in LA. I would really prefer to be living abroad.

If someone gave you the choice to play any role in the world, what kind would you want to play?
It’s so hard to say because everyone says serial killer. I would almost say like a serious serial killer. I’ve been thinking about that a lot. I definitely feel comfortable in comedy, however, I look sad, so I’m cast in dramas a lot of the time. I’m exploring that right now. I just played a teacher that gets HIV, for a short film, and that was very heavy, and emotional.

What’s your favorite scene in the movie?
I would say the murder scene that gives me the chills the most, is the double murder. It was fun to shoot, but extremely stressful to shoot, because we were crimped on time. I ended up getting flung against a wall so hard that my butt went though the dry wall. I created a hole in the wall, with my butt.

What a waste of a butt!
I felt really bad because we were shooting on location at the production designers apartment. So that was something that we had to remedy. We also got blood all over his bedroom, which was of course furnished in white. It was fun. But every time I see it, I shudder a little. It was creepy. People have walked out on that scene…..so naturally I like it.

Naturally. Did you have a good connection with your boyfriend in the movie?
JEFFREY and I didn’t know each other too well before the movie. We made a concerted effort to spend time together to establish whether we liked each other. JEFFREY is great. We really got to know each other well. It’s like family now, for sure.

Do you have a next project in the works?
My short is going to be coming out this year. I’m starting to write a script for a feature I’d like to shoot in Brazil. I just got back from Brazil.

Do you have a boyfriend?
I don’t.

Do you want one, should I put it out there?
Yes I do! Please. I’m tired of being alone.

Hear that guys…