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On his inspirational and insightful documentary series Our Queer Life, Matt Cullen interviews and gives voice to individuals who represent all facets of the LGBTQIA+ community. From Drag Race alums to gay rodeo stars, Matt makes it his mission to give a platform to those who may not have another opportunity to have their voice heard.
We did a little role reversal and put Matt in the hot seat for another round of the Socialite Seven.
Who has had the biggest influence on you and why?
I think it’s a hybrid of Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. I love Andy Cohen because he created this huge franchise and he’s not afraid to have fun and the drama of it all, which I love. I love Anderson Cooper because of his legitimacy in the news and he’s really made a name for himself as a gay man and he is not looked at as only a gay man. That’s not even what you think of when you think of Anderson Cooper, you know? I always like to say my show is kind of like a Louis Theroux kind of show mixed with Anthony Bourdain, where it’s just about connection and about me diving deep into certain communities and really just connecting with people.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Oh, I think probably littering. If I see someone litter, it really irks me because our Mother Earth is precious, and who’s gonna pick that up, you know what I mean? That really frustrates me when I see someone just throw a bag of trash on the ground like it’s nothing, that’s a pet peeve of mine for sure.
If you wrote your autobiography, what would the title be?
Oh my gosh, this is so hard. Something about never stop believing because I think that that’s really been my motto. It’s constantly just believing in myself. Even with the series, the first six months of the series, it would get like 300 views on these videos and it was so much work and traveling and paying out of pocket to do this. You know, to any sane person probably, it’d be like, you’re crazy for doing this, you know? But I just didn’t stop believing in myself and kept going. And, you know, I’m finally feeling that it’s happening. I just never stop believing in myself.
What superpower or talent would you like to wake up with tomorrow?
Well, I’ve always been obsessed with Peter Pan, so I think I would love to be able to fly. That would be amazing to fly around and be able to just fly to my friend’s house or fly to New York or whatever by myself. That would be amazing.
What are three things you can’t live without?
Oh my gosh. My phone and my…I mean, it’s all technology. Is that what we’re getting to now? My phone, my computer and my camera. But it honestly, those are my three things that I use the most in my life.
What are you most grateful for?
I mean, right now it would honestly be my show. I’m so grateful for my show because of the opportunities that are happening, but also just because of the people that I’m getting to meet…it’s just like the stories I’m getting to hear. These are sensitive stories that have changed who I am and I know are changing so many other people’s lives for the better. So, I think that that’s what I’m most grateful for.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
I would say don’t be afraid to pivot. I think that that that’s a very important lesson is like, I have been on YouTube actually for way more years than you would see if you went to my YouTube channel – because all those videos are private, but I have always done different things. I mean, I tried to make dance videos to see if those would work. I’d make blogs if those would work. I acted and saw if that would work and I’d always just kind of pivot and, and with every pivot, I learned something new and I learned something new. I feel like I finally found where I’m supposed to be, but it takes time to figure that out. So, I would say never, never be afraid to pivot and to try something new.
New episodes of “Our Queer Life” are airing weekly on YouTube. You can follow Matt on Instagram.
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