Highlights
- Kieron Moore broke down in tears during his Blue Film Zoom audition with co-star Reed Birney
- Moore was initially passed over for the role before Birney lobbied to get him cast
- Blue Film opens May 8 in the U.S. after being rejected by SXSW and Sundance
Kieron Moore isn’t someone who cries easily. But his audition for Blue Film changed that.
The 29-year-old Manchester-born actor, best known for Netflix’s Boots, has opened up about the raw, emotional audition that landed him the lead role in director Elliot Tuttle‘s provocative queer indie drama. Speaking to Attitude magazine’s May/June issue, Moore recalled the Zoom chemistry read with co-star Reed Birney: “I’m not a crier. When it says ‘cry’ on the script, I’m like, ‘Oh, God. Here we go.’ But I was bawling my eyes out on Zoom with Reed.”
The emotion clearly ran deep. Moore called his team immediately after, saying, “If I don’t get that job, it doesn’t matter, as that’s the best acting experience I’ve ever had. I’m so lucky I got to do it in real life.”
That job, however, was nearly never his. The production initially passed on Moore, prompting him to convince himself he had “dodged a bullet.” Birney, though, sent him a heartfelt email that read, “I will mourn the movie that we would’ve made together.” When the first-choice actor dropped out, Birney made his position clear: “I’m not doing the movie unless it’s with Kieron. He got me the job really.”
Moore plays Aaron Eagle, a cam-boy and sex worker whose $50,000 overnight appointment with a mysterious client unravels into something far more personal. The film also stars House of Cards actor Reed Birney as Aaron’s former high school teacher and convicted child sex offender Hank, who reveals he’s been “in love” with Aaron for decades.
Director Tuttle describes Aaron as “an amalgamation of many porn stars I’ve watched over the years,” along with “my experience as a young gay man written in. Feelings I’ve had, instability I’ve felt.”
For Moore, the role demanded total commitment. His acting coach framed the decision bluntly: “Do you want to be a famous actor, or do you want to be a dangerous artist?” Moore’s answer was definitive: “I want to be a dangerous artist.”
Moore told Attitude: “There’s so much reality in Aaron. The topic is scary. People will turn their face before giving it a chance. But the truth is, I was scared to watch someone else do it because I knew there was so much in me I was willing to explore.”
Blue Film premiered at Edinburgh Film Festival after reportedly being rejected by both SXSW and Sundance. The film opens May 8 in the USA, with a UK release to follow.
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