That line about the past being another country could have been written with writer/director Alan Ball’s ‘Uncle Frank’ in mind. The 1970s-set drama arrives on Amazon Prime this week, starring Paul Bettany in the title role as a university lecturer with a private life he keeps secret from his traditionally-minded South Carolina family.
Living in New York allows him to be himself, a gay man sharing his life with his long term partner, but he finds himself forced to confront the truth about himself and an incident in his past when his father suddenly dies. Travelling back home from the city, he’s accompanied by his niece Beth (Sophia Lillis) and his partner Wally (Peter Macdissi), both of whom are more than just travelling companions for a few days.
In our interview below, Peter Macdissi, who is originally from Lebanon, explains that he was immediately attracted to the film because of its portrayal of a gay man from the Middle East, this time Saudi Arabia. He describes the character as a force for good, a complete contrast to the other, more intense roles he tends to play. And Sophia Lillis reflects on why, like her character Beth, she looked up to both Paul Bettany and Peter while making the movie. She also reveals, while her various projects are on hold because of the current pandemic, she’s picking up a few new skills – as well as celebrating finishing high school.
Uncle Frank is on Amazon Prime from 25 November.
