
Adam’s ‘man unit’ includes Chord Overstreet (from Glee) and Parker Young (from Suburgatory, Arrow, and the criminally-cancelled Enlisted). 4th MAN OUT Out is really about friendship, and Parker’s character leads the charge to make Adam feel comfortable and succeed in his new situation, and even get laid. The film releases today on VOD and in select cities theatrically (NY, LA, Atlanta, Phoenix, Chicago, Boston, SF, DC, Houston, Toronto, and Portland).
I got a chance to talk with Parker about the film, potty humor, and given the timing, the super bowl.
BEARS: How did the script reach you and what were your impressions reading it?
PARKER: I was taking a trip and had a long flight ahead of me, like 25 hours, and asked my team to find me a bunch of scripts to read. 4th MAN OUT was the first one I read and I remember laughing from beginning to end. I’ve worked on a lot of PG comedies for television, and I was so impressed that the amount of “potty humor” in this film mixed with an incredible message. It was the type of dick and ball potty humor that one of my agents found childish and offensive, but I think that’s why I loved it. It’s the stuff me and my buddies laugh at.
BEARS: The film does a great job of making you feel like a group of friends, just having a great time, what did you do on set to keep loose and keep the energy up?
PARKER: Trouble was we had never met (well, I knew Chord prior). So from the moment I got on the plane with Chord and [Jon] Gabrus, I made it my goal to be best friends with these guys. We met Evan Todd in Albany as he lived in NY at the time.
It’s not that we had to force an artificial friendship, its just that we allowed ourselves to open up and have fun with each other as if we had truly been best friends our whole lives. We gave ourselves that permission. We knew who these guys were. They are a bunch of bachelors that get drunk and crack jokes and sleep with chicks. So in the couple of days we had together before filming we allowed ourselves to be that to the best of our ability.
First night together in Albany we went out and got drunk, and had plenty of laughs. There may have been some weed involved. We’d work out together everyday and sit in the sauna all night like a bunch of idiot best friends. I think ultimately we just got really lucky that we all hit it off so well. As far as on set goes, that was the easy part. We had already found out who we were to each other. On set we just let Gabrus run his loud mouth cracking jokes all day and that keeps everyone loose and laughing.
BEARS: I always describe this film as an LGBT film that not only could I take my parents to, but they could take their friends as well. It’s a very uplifting story that is as much about friendship as it is about coming out. But last year was probably the most important year ever for gay rights. How did you feel touring the festival circuit with a film covering these issues in this climate?
PARKER: It was an honor to be a part of. People would come up to us and shake our hands and thank us for making this film. They would tell us that the film provided an opportunity to have the “gay conversation” with the people in their lives that may be slightly less receptive to the idea.

PARKER: No, I have never been surprised by someone coming out. The people that I know that have come out, I always suspected were gay. But hey maybe this film will inspire some people I know to come out and I’ll be completely shocked. That would be awesome.
BEARS: I know these guys are more hockey guys than football guys but the Super Bowl is this weekend – who are they cheering for and why?
PARKER: Chord and Gabrus’s characters are rooting for the Panthers – because they are probably going to win, and Cam Newton is young and cocky, and they both want to be black. Mine and Evan Todd’s characters are cheering for the Broncos -because we have a heart, and think it would be beautiful for Peyton to win one last time before he crumbles. But the Panthers will win.
BEARS: I’m still not over “Enlisted” not getting renewed. It seems like one of your strengths as an actor is finding your place in an ensemble of guys.

Written by Aaron Dancik and directed by Andrew Nackman, 4th MAN OUT is available TODAY on iTunes VOD and out in theaters throughout the country – in Houston at the AMC Studio 30. For more on the film, check out my interview with director Nackman when the film was the Opening Night Film for Agliff.
