Actor, writer and director Max Talisman seems like he was destined to be in the spotlight – even his name sounds like it should live on top of a marquee. Talisman says that he always knew he was meant to be a performer:

“It’s just been my only path since I was born. If something ever tried to divert me, it would only bring me back on this path stronger than before.”

That makes sense – with several shows and projects like Super Dark Times and Orange is the New Black already under his belt, Talisman is now making his directorial debut with his first written film, THINGS LIKE THIS.

Born and raised in the suburbs of DC, Talisman grew up working in musical theatre before moving to NYC. He gushes about his childhood and especially about his family, who did everything they could to support him in his creative endeavors.

“My parents are both incredible people, and our family was full of love and support. My dad would even work the soundboard when I did musicals. I don’t know how he found the time.”

His family showed him that same love and support when he came out the day after he arrived at college:

“I called everyone in my life and came out to them. It was a new beginning for me, and I think I needed that little bit of separation to feel like I was able to begin again, but this time as an openly gay guy. I’m incredibly lucky that I had a very easy and very accepting coming out. Once again, I really have a spectacular family and a great group of friends.”

As he grew up, Talisman noticed that there were limited options when it came to stories about the queer community. He’s pointed out that many shows and movies with queer main characters tend to have a narrow focus, often framed with a sense of tragedy. Most of the time, these stories are focused on young teens coming out or older gay couples who have been together for a long time. The other options for queer characters historically include being treated as a punchline or reduced to a trope.

While LGBTQ+ representation has improved recently, Talisman wants to see more stories about the community that weren’t around while he was growing up:

When I was growing up, a lot of sitcoms that I even love to this day used jokes about manhood, or lack of masculinity, that would now rightly be flagged for being extremely homophobic. I think content now is way ahead of that, but still, we need more of it.
As a young person, seeing your stories on screen makes you feel valid. When I was young, if I had seen positive portrayals of the queer community on the content I was watching, instead of gayness being a punchline, then that would have changed everything for me. I want to see more LGBTQ+ content that isn’t tragedy. I want to see love on screen between two queer people. A pure and deep love that anyone can connect with. Much more queer content.”

Ever the trailblazer, Talisman decided to become part of the solution by writing and directing his first film, THINGS LIKE THIS. The romantic comedy is about two men who seem like they’re meant to be...at first. The film explores the natural turmoil that happens in nearly every new relationship and is based on Talisman’s experiences while dating in New York City:

“The idea came from the feeling that a romantic comedy like this one doesn’t exist. I needed to create something that had to be put into this world. The truth is that a movie about two gay men falling in love [where] coming out isn’t part of the picture, doesn’t exist yet. It needed to and so, I wrote it! I wrote the first draft in a week. Once I decided to write it, it just poured out of me.”

The film depicts Talisman alongside a stellar cast, including: Academy Award Nominee Dyan Cannon, Grammy Award-Winning T-Boz, Eric Roberts, Terry Moore, Willam Belli, Mitchell Hoog, Charlie Tahan, Diane Salinger, Michael D. Cohen, Margaret Berkowitz, Jake & Romy Reiner, and Jasmin Savoy Brown, to name a few.

“Our cast is across the board a shocking level of talent for one film. It took a lot of strategy in tune with luck for our team, and we couldn’t have done it without Andrew Burrill (my agent). He’s packaged this movie from the ground up and together this cast has bloomed from these intense efforts. If I had seen a film like this, with a cast like this when I was younger, I would have felt a lot more welcome in this world.”

The media still has a long way to go when it comes to queer representation, but Talisman is admirably taking those first steps towards a more inclusive landscape. He points out that representation could be improved just by telling as many different stories as possible:

“The queer community is gorgeous, but it’s beautiful because it’s so multilayered. There are so many stories waiting to be told, and I feel what will shock the world is how universal these stories are. How at the end of the day, we’re all people wanting our stories to be told. It’s time we start giving a platform to as many stories as we can.”

Talisman has also spoken about his experience with being a plus-size actor and handling body shamers in Hollywood and the queer community. When asked about his dream role, Talisman immediately mentioned that he would love to play the iconic Batman villain The Penguin, doing a deep dive into his backstory. While he admits that Penguin is one of the most fascinating villains of all time, Talisman realized he had quickly pigeonholed himself without realizing it:

“A few questions ago, I was asked my dream role and I told you Penguin. Why am I pre-programmed to say Penguin instead of Batman? What’s telling me that in this industry I cannot be a superhero?”

The stigma around weight is alive and well in Hollywood and in the queer community:

“Just last week, a gay news reporter in my hometown of Washington, DC tweeted something fatphobic about how overweight [people] shouldn’t get the vaccine ahead of anyone else because it’s their fault that they are overweight.
Back when I was single, I used to constantly feel judged for my weight in the queer community. Sometimes the comments would be blunt and in my face. It’s exhausting and debilitating, but we need to start talking about it because if we don’t, then this body-shaming will continue in both Hollywood and the LGBTQ+ community.”

Of course, Talisman doesn’t let the stigma keep him from accomplishing what he wants to do. In fact, it seems to fuel his drive for inclusive representation in all aspects of the media, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. When asked what other projects he wants to work on, he beautifully states that he simply wants to work on projects that inspire him both as a creator and a person. His dream collaborators include Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Issa Rae, and Jordan Peele – creators whose work can’t be boxed in as just one genre.

He’s also an ardent fan of Serena Williams, citing her as his role model and inspiration muse: “She’s the greatest inspiration in the world. She lets us all in on her astounding journey, and she wears her heart on her sleeve while she does it.”

When he’s not working, Talisman enjoys playing tennis and ping pong, and is also a huge sports fan. He recently moved to LA, and though he enjoys living there, Talisman still considers himself an East Coast boy through and through. When asked why, he bravely pulls out some fighting words:

“Let’s start with the fact that the food is so much better on the East Coast. Finding a decent chicken Parmesan in Los Angeles is an adventure unto itself. Don’t get me started on the bagel situation. If you haven’t realized, this opinion is mostly food-based, but I stand by it.”

Clearly, Talisman’s passion shines through in everything he does. His career trajectory is bright, paving the way for future LGBTQ+ creators to make their mark on the world. His advice to them is simple, but powerful: “Keep fighting for the stories you need to create. There’s a reason you’re on this journey so keep fighting. Know that I support you, and I’m rooting for you, along with millions of others in our community. Tell your story. It makes a difference.”

Wherever Talisman goes from here, it’s clear that someday soon, we’ll see his name in its rightful place at the top of a marquee.

Learn More about Max on his Platforms
https://www.instagram.com/themaxtshow/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/themaxtshow?lang=en https://www.maxtalisman.com/

Meet the Author

Jamie Imperial is a freelance writer and pop culture enthusiast living in Los Angeles. After a few detours into digital marketing in her career, Jamie realized that she wanted to focus on her main passions, entertainment and writing. At the end of 2020, she took the plunge and left her job in marketing to pursue writing full-time. She’s terrified, but loving the journey. When she isn’t working, Jamie likes to curate monthly Spotify playlists, browse FB marketplace, and scroll through TikTok. She does also venture outside to do outdoor things, like hiking and eating tacos. You can find her on Instagram at @jamie.wavy

Trailblazer Max Talisman chats with Rival about his Directorial Debut of the LGBTQ+ Film, 'Things Like This'

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