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Showtime presents

Scott Lowell
"Ted" on "Queer As Folk"

March 4, 2001

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Spider: What attracted you to the role?

Scott Lowell: He's kind of an everyman. Like I mentioned earlier, I share a lot of his neuroses. I also like the fact that I felt he was a character who gay and straight, men and women, could relate to. There are a lot of Teds out there. And I hear time and again "Oh, my God, I relate to Ted!" or "Oh, my God, I AM Ted!" And I always say, "I'm sorry." He was the only character I wanted to play in the show. The only one I was even interested in.

ROFLing: Is it difficult to film the love scenes? What is the biggest challenge with these scenes?

Scott Lowell: The biggest challenge is getting over the fact that you've got a boom operator's stomach growling two inches from your ear, while you're trying to be sexy! Just the fact that, especially after working with these crew members and cast for so long, they're all your friends. I don't know if you've dropped your trousers in front of your friends, but it can be a little unnerving! But we have such a safe environment on our set, and every sexual scene is discussed fully beforehand, so before we get on the set we know exactly what we're doing and why - why we're showing any nether regions, if we are. So, by the time we get to it, we're comfortable and focused on the scene. I've done a lot of sexual scenes in this show - some raucous and fun, some romantic and sexy. You just have to adjust yourself and believe in the situation. It does get a little technical sometimes, so you can't get too swept away in the emotion of the scene, but it can be a lot of fun.

Giantman: Do you have other future projects in the works?

Scott Lowell: Well, I'll be working for NASA this summer, putting the new O-ring on the space shuttle. Alert the press! It's true! (laughing) Nothing at the moment. I'm just focusing on finishing up the season in the next couple of weeks. Once I get back to L.A. - and whether or not there will be a strike this summer - we'll determine future projects. But I hope to have time to fit in a film before we head back for next season.

Cookie Monster: What feedback have you gotten about the show and your role?

Scott Lowell: COOKIE! Nothing but enormously positive feedback about the show and especially my role. There are a lot of TedHeads out there (or Teddies - whatever they're called). I was in New York recently, and on the train a gentleman sat next to me (which was a little odd, as the train was empty at the time) and we talked for about an hour because he was a fan of the show. It was touching for me to realize how many people relate to it, and to see a character like Ted on television. A gay character like this has never existed on TV before - a guy who's average, who could be sitting in the cubicle next to you, who isn't overly flamboyant or asexual. He is a sexual person; in some ways, a sexual addict. That's groundbreaking and that's new. It's wonderful that people enjoy seeing a character like Ted finally portrayed on TV without any apologies.

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