Director Joel Edgerton reimagines masculinity
Through his roles in movies like "Warrior," "Exodus: Gods and Kings," and "The Gift," Joel Edgerton has cultivated an image as one of the industry's most reliable tough guys. But in real life, the director, screenwriter, and costar of "Boy Erased," has developed a different idea of what true strength looks like.
"I grew up in the eighties, when the bigger your muscles, the bigger a movie star you were," Egerton told Salon’s Mary Elizabeth Williams on “Salon Talks.” "One of the myths about masculinity is that you're not allowed to show your sensitivity. It's the stereotype of the silent father. As a young man I identified with that. I thought strength was silence and stoicism and only speaking when necessary, and that weakness the opposite. Weakness was being open about feelings, about having words to describe what was going on for you internally."
Now, he says, "I realized at too late an age that those definitions should be flipped. Strength should be expression, and weakness is limiting one's expression."
It's that respect for the courage of open expression which drew Edgerton to taking on the film adaptation of Garrad Conley's 2016 memoir of enduring gay conversion therapy as a teenager, “Boy Erased.”
Listen to this episode to learn more about Edgerton’s vision as a director on “Boy Erased” and his take why gay conversion therapy is so hard to abolish.
About “Salon Talks”
Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com.
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