‘Life’s A Drag” Actor Ian Verdun Speaks With Glambergirlblog About His New Series

Photo: Mayhem Entertainment PR

Ian Verdun is an actor on the rise with a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts, training from the British American Drama Academy, and a drive that will take him far in this industry.

The Los Angeles native, who landed guest star spots on ABC’s Last Resort, General Hospital and Grey’s Anatomy, spoke with me, in his first telephone interview, and we discussed breaking into the entertainment industry, what he wished he learned prior to starting, his series Life’s A Drag, and more!

“I think that the art and the business are completely different trains of thoughts. I wished I had known that earlier,” Verdun said about what he learned about the entertainment industry. “For a lot of actors, especially the ones I went to school with, the creative side of this business comes so easy to us, we’re so engaged and we’re so fulfilled by it, but the reality of it is your are actually spending about 2 percent of your time doing your art and the other 98 percent is the hustle.”

Photo: Mayhem Entertainment PR

Breaking out of the comfort zone was a challenge for Verdun but it stretched him into a better actor and stronger person, leading him to create his series Life’s A Drag. Under the direction of Sebastian La Cause, Life’s  A Drag, a series created and written by Verdun, will follow the life of Melvin Everman, aka Melle, a down on his luck actor, who turns to a life as a drag queen named Kara Melle to earn extra money. The web show will focus on every aspect of the drag queen lifestyle and Melle’s journey in discovering himself.

“Life’s A Drag has been really fun. The stars kind of aligned and everything has been coming together, and people have been really excited about it which is very exciting for me,” the writer and star of the show said. “I have this idea about, because I’m a big fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, I called my friend Sebastian La Cause, he’s the director of Life’s A Drag, and he had done his own series called Hustle in New York for three seasons. So I talked to him like, ‘I wanted to do my own web series, and I really think I want to make it about drag queens.”

Ian Verdun describes his two characters starting off with Melle. “This character is straight-ish, and after he goes through drag and enters into this world, he’s discovering himself,” he said, adding, “He comes to terms with questions he has with his own sexuality. His sort of need for the spotlight and what he’s willing to do to get there and what he sacrifices for success. It’s an interesting journey and I think a lot of people are going to relate to it.”

Photo: Mayhem Entertainment PR

Verdun then described the vivacious Kara Melle, “I think Kara is kind of like the fantasy of what Melle could be, or what he deems as a performer or somebody who is at the spotlight and is drinking in fame. Melle is full of self-doubt, broken, beaten down and jaded, and Kara is the complete opposite. Kara is confident and she’s sexy. She lives for the stage and spotlight. It’s what Melle sees as everything he really wants to be on the inside but he has a hard time admitting to it. Melle is the ego and Kara is the id.”

Along the way, La Cause and Verdun stumbled into everything they needed to create the series including a location to shoot, an experienced crew to drape the set, talented make up artists, the ability to walk in heels, thanks to his mother, and a stellar cast including friend to GGB Santana Dempsey. 

“It was actually a lot of fun. I’ve known Santana for a couple of years now, we’re really good friends, and we have a lot of the same experiences when it comes to our race and our experiences in Hollywood,” Verdun said about Dempsey.

“She has this amazing passion to get out there, to say something, and to be a face for people who don’t really have one and that’s something that I identify with. As far as working, the way that she throws herself into something, even though she might not be that comfortable she’ll do it anyway and I love that bravery that she has.”

Outside of Life’s A Drag, Ian Verdun is working on a screenplay close to his heart called “Worthy,” about the effects suicide has on the people left behind. He’s a talent to watch and GGB will have our eyes on this rising star.

Follow Ian Verdun on Twitter and Instagram @IanVerdun for all updates on his projects.

You can see Ian Verdun and Santana Dempsey in the series premiere of Life’s A Drag Wednesday, April 1 online.Watch the teaser trailer below and share your thoughts with me in the comments.

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