Queer as Folk

Background:

“I like to think I'm a masculine guy, but I think that it's when I made my peace with the part of me that can be feminine - that was girly, that is sensitive, that cries at romantic comedies and Hallmark commercials - that I came into my power as a man.” Peter Paige

Peter Paige is an American actor of stage and screen, director, writer and producer. He is best known for his role as the eccentric Emmett Honeycutt on Showtime’s hit series “Queer as Folk” (2000-2005). He also starred as Steve in the animated series “Rick & Steve the Happiest Gay Couple in All the World “ (2007-2009), opposite Will Matthews. Paige has guest starred in television shows like “Suddenly Susan,” “Caroline in the City,” “Undressed,” “Will & Grace,” “Girlfriends,” “Grey's Anatomy,” “Related,” “CSI: Miami,” “The Closer” and “Bones.” Paige made his feature directing debut with “Say Uncle” (2005), which he also wrote, produced and starred. He won a Newport Beach Film Festival for his second directing effort, “Leaving Barstow” (2008). In 2010, he created the reality TV series “Fly Girls.” Paige has appeared at major regional theatres throughout the country as well as in many off Broadway productions.

Paige's other interests include politics, sushi, watching tennis, and contemporary art.

Summa Cum Laude

Childhood and Family:

Peter Michael Paige was born on June 20, 1969, in West Hartford, Connecticut. He discovered theater in middle school and immediately knew that he wanted to become an actor. He continued to pursue acting, directing and writing throughout his high school years. Although he constantly moved before finishing high schools, Peter was a superior student, and got a full scholarship to Boston University's prestigious School of Theatre Arts. While in college, he used to spend 12 to 15 hours a day in the university's classical theater conservatory. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree summa cum laude in 1991.

Leaving Barstow

Career:

After graduating from Boston University, Peter Paige relocated to New York City and joined a touring theater company. The following year saw him tour the country performing “Moliere's Tartuffe” (in two languages). Paige next moved to Portland, Oregon, where he spent two years working in the city's Equity stages. It was while in Portland that he was discovered by a manager and brought to Los Angeles.

Paige scored a humorous guest spot in the NBC sitcom “Suddenly Susan” in his very first audition in L.A. He offered a well received portrayal of Neil Pomeratz, the neurotic undertaker, in the episode “Next Stop, Heaven,” which aired on October 13, 1997. In the following year, Paige ventured into film by starring in the award winning short “The Shooting,” which was helmed by Kaile Shilling. Also in 1998, he made a guest appearance in an episode of NBC's “Caroline in the City.”

In 1999, Paige landed a recurring role as Kirk in the first season of MTV's “Undressed” and appeared as Roger O'Neil in an episode of NBC's “Will & Grace” called “Whose Mom Is It, Anyway?.” Besides, he worked with Martin Landau, Kris Kristofferson and Shawn Hatosy in the indie drama “The Joyriders” and with D. Guy Baker, Lisa Brink and Bear the Dog in the indie darling “Pop,” by Brian Johnson.

Paige's big break arrived when he was cast as Emmett Honeycutt on the Showtime drama series “Queer as Folk,” which was adapted from the British series of the same name. He stayed with the show throughout its five season run from December 3, 2000 to August 7, 2005. The cast also included Michelle Clunie, Robert Gant, Thea Gill, Gale Harold, Randy Harrison and Scott Lowell.

During his tenure on “Queer as Folk,” Paige also took other acting jobs, including guest starring in such TV series as “Movie Stars” (2000, as Nick), “Time of Your Life” (2000, as assistant) and “ Girlfriends” (2002, as Zellner), and playing the supporting role of Gary Covino in the award winning made for TV film “Our America” (2002, Showtime), which was helmed by Ernest R. Dickerson. He co-starred with Amie Carey and Shane Edelman in a 21 minute short called “The Four of US” (2001) and played Tim in the comedy film “Childstar” (2004), which was directed and written by Don McKellar (also the film's star).

In 2003, Paige started a production company, Best Little Boy Productions, and two years later, he made his first film, “Say Uncle,” which he directed, wrote and produced, in addition to starring in. A dark satire about a child-like gay man with an intense interest in children, the film premiered at the Los Angeles Outfest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival on July 10, 2005, and received mostly negative reviews from critics.

After “Queer as Folk” ended, Paige had a recurring role in the comedy/drama series “Related” (2005-2006), playing Patrick, the son Renee gave up for adoption years ago. He next guest starred in “Gray's Anatomy” (2006, as Benjamin O'Leary) and then “Without a Trace” (2007, as Lucas Blumenthal) before starring as Steve Ball, opposite Will Matthews as his 30 year old Filipino American genius husband, on the stop motion animated sitcom “Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World,” created by Q. Allan Brocka. The show ran on the LGBT focuses Logo network for two seasons from July 10, 2007 to January 27, 2009.

In 2007, Paige was cast as Gerald Harcourt in the comedy film “Ping Pong Playa,” centering on an Asian ping pong family with a zany and irreverent son. The film was directed by Jessica Yu and written by Yu and Jimmy Tsai. In the following year, Paige directed and starred in the award winning drama film “Leaving Barstow.” He won Audience Award for Feature Film from the 2008 Newport Beach Film Festival. 2008 also the actor write and serve as co-executive producer on the TV series “The Katie May Show.”

Paige made guest appearances in “CSI: Miami” (as Glenn Wagner) and “Raising the Bar” (as Sean Graydon) (both 2009) and “The Closer” (2010, as Rick Zuman). In 2010, he co-created the reality TV series “Fly Girls.”

Recently, in 2011, Paige made a guest appearance in an episode of “Bones” called “The Bikini in the Soup.” He will star in the Roberto Jabor upcoming comedy film “ Copacabana,” opposite Thea Gill and Jim Verraros. The film is set to be released in 2013.

As an accomplished stage actor, Paige has worked in several off Broadway productions such as “High Concepts” (with Robert Sean Leonard), “Somebody,” “ Eastern Standard,” “Landscape Of The Body” and “Tartuff” as well as in regional theaters like “The History Boys” at The Ahmanson Theatre, “ Eden Lane” at La Jolla Playhouse, “ A Midsummer Night's Dream” at Portland Center Stage, “Pantophobia” at HBO Workspace, “Twisted” at The Lex, “The Rivals” at Portland Center Stage, “Blue Window” at Edinburgh Theatre Festival, “Secret Agents” (Premiere), “You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Charles Playhouse and “Twelfth Night” at the Huntington Theatre. He also wrote and performed in the two man show “Pantophobia,” co-written and co-starring Abraham Higginbotham.

Awards:

• Newport Beach Film Festival: Audience Award, Feature Film, “Leaving Barstow,” 2008