Having breakout roles in indie darlings such as We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Perks of Being a Wallflower,Ezra Miller is at the forefront of a new generation of young Hollywood.
His most recent film, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, was released on DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, and PPV on Tuesday, and it centers around a freshman named Charlie (Logan Lerman), a beautiful, free-spirited girl he's in love with (Emma Watson as Sam), and Miller as her fearless stepbrother, Patrick. We got the much-buzzed-about actor to talk about the film, his "heavy meadow" band, being queer, and that "very tricky and beautiful thing" called love.
The Advocate: So you're in New York right now?
Ezra Miller: Yeah, I'm here playing a bunch of shows with my band, Sons of an Illustrious Father.
How would you describe your band's music?
We started out writing folk and Americana, but lately it's been more electronic, so now we are under the made-up genre title of "heavy meadow." It's the metallic variety of folk music. I play the drums, sing mostly, and play some keys ... hitting things is probably how I would describe my role in the band.
So you've said that Perks has had a bizarre correlation with your life. Tell me about that.
I would say almost borderline metaphysical. I was given this book when I was Charlie's age, by two older friends of mine that were incredibly helpful -- the most wonderful people who got me through that time. Coming to be exactly their age four years later, get this script, then being able to play Patrick in the film, it's almost this strange endless loop.
Last year you came out as queer. Why did you choose to identify yourself that way when most celebrities, when they come out, come out as gay? Do you feel it's generational? It's generational in the way that that term is newly available in a certain way. I think it feels the most open and inclusive and that's what makes it apply for me, personally. I think there are a lot of people who fall on this open spectrum of sexuality. My friends and I use that word as an all-encompassing banner and for every human being. There should be an ongoing question and investigation of who you love and everything that's involved with that very tricky and beautiful thing.
There's a great Rocky Horror scene in the movie. Were you a fan of the Tim Curry film before you shot Perks?
Huge fan of the movie. I've been to a few of the shows before and always held great admiration for what goes on there. It was a wonderful honor to be able to step into those large high-heeled shoes. That was one of the highlights of this whole experience.
Have you kept in touch with cast?
Yes, very much so. The whole group from that film, will be a group of friends in my life forever. I think we'll be having a class of 1992 high school reunion 20 years down the line, even though I was born in 1992 [laughs].
