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If his career keeps moving in the same direction, Matthew Montgomery may end up being the gay Parker Posey. Having played leads in at least seven independent features in just five years, plus another handful of supporting roles, he has established his indie street cred at a time when gay cinema seems to be exploding. Fans of gay cinema will probably remember Montgomery from GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN, LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP and the supernatural-tinged BACK SOON.

Getting his start in REIGN OF THE DEAD, a living dead short lensed in and around “Zombie Ground Zero,” Pittsburgh, he’s made his way up the indie food chain and appeared in other genre films, including SOCKET (which I wrote and directed, natch), FEAR HOUSE and the upcoming PORNOGRAPHY.

But Montgomery isn’t just an actor in horror and sci-fi flicks; he’s a fan of them as well. A professed sci-fi nerd, Montogmery is that that rarest of breeds, the Hot Gay Geek.

SEAN ABLEY: I know you’re a big sci-fi fan. Any favorite flicks, authors, books, etc., that you think are must haves or must reads?

MATTHEW MONTGOMERY: Well, first, can I just talk about how much therapy I’m gonna need because they’re ending the BEST sci-fi television show of all time, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA?! If you’re into sci-fi, and haven’t seen this show—a Cylon should be sent to your door to come knock some sense into you. It’s incredible. Best. Show. Ever. I’m not nearly as well versed in science fiction literature as I’d like to be, but there are two authors whose books I’ve been collecting first editions and signed copies of, which are Robert Heinlein and Ben Bova. Robert Heinlein was probably the greatest science fiction writer of all time, seriously. At one point, they had it in the works to turn his most famous book, STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND, into a feature film. I believe they were in talks with Tom Hanks back in the mid-‘90s. This, obviously, has long since passed, but it’s an incredible book along with FRIDAY and many, many others. His writing was very much ahead of his time. Ben Bova, another one of my favorites, wrote a fantastic three-part series now titled THE KINSMAN SAGA, which is a great work of fiction. Many of his other works, including JUPITER, and also VENUS, are peppered with political undertones making them especially contemporary to the way the world is now. Finally, I love David Ambrose. He’s a bit more bordering on science fiction and unexplained phenomenon, which I really dig. COINCIDENCE and SUPERSTITION are two amazing books by him.

ABLEY: I could not agree more about BSG! I’m gonna mourn that show. I loved the Heinlein book ORPHANS OF THE SKY as a teenager. Do you have a copy of that? It was originally two separate novellas, UNIVERSE and COMMON SENSE, which were combined into one at some point.

MONTGOMERY: I’m totally putting that on my list! I don’t have a copy of that. That sounds like one of his many young adult novels that he published a copious amount of. Those are actually the ones I love the most. And a two-part series? Awesome. I really like TUNNEL IN THE SKY. That one and RED PLANET because it’s got this funny little Martian character named “Willis” in it.

ABLEY: One of your first on-camera gigs was a short called REIGN OF THE DEAD, which has a nice little cult following. What’s the 411 on that project?

MONTGOMERY: Let me first say that the short film, REIGN OF THE DEAD, is in no way related to the books of the same name that came much later. This was a short film intended to be a follow up to the George Romero series of zombie flicks. REIGN OF THE DEAD was something I did ages ago it seems (1999, I believe), but I love talking about it because it later became a pivotal moment in my life. At the time, I was a bit aimless and unsure of my direction like anyone at that age. I was studying at a conservatory in Pittsburgh and was contemplating throwing in the towel for acting and doing something completely unrelated, perhaps even in the political or science arena. I was at home flipping through a local rag and came across a very bland classified looking for extras. I needed the extra money and seriously just needed to get out of the apartment, so I went downtown, met the director who happened to be there that day at that time and before I knew it, I had one of the lead roles. Steve Parys, who directed REIGN, is an incredible guy to work with. He knew exactly what he wanted while also allowing so much creative freedom, and he had such an ease working with actors. Working with him really renewed my self-confidence and motivation in such a huge way, that within a matter of months, I’d packed up my stuff, saved up a few hundred dollars and moved to Los Angeles to give it a whirl. And here I am.

ABLEY: Of course I have to ask you about your stint as a gay Klingon in STAR TREK: HIDDEN FRONTIER. I’d never even seen any of the STAR TREK fan series until you auditioned for me for SOCKET. How did you end up playing an alien with a barbed penis?

MONTGOMERY: Because I was already born with a barbed penis, I was sort of a shoe-in for the role, which helped. I really wanted to try something different, something I’d never done before. I have to admit, I’m not much of Trekkie kind of guy, but have seen some of the STAR TREK movies and I also liked VOYAGER (something that tends to get me booed by STAR TREK fans), but I just don’t know much about the TREK saga or much of its background. It was a bit of a challenge for me, even though it was only a fan-based web series of TREK. It’s key for me to immerse myself as much as possible with any role, so with the web series, I had my work really cut out for me. I had originally come across the series online, and when I saw a casting for it, I thought—what the hell? I remember I wasn’t right for any of the roles they were looking for, but I contacted them anyway in the event something came up down the road. And eventually, it just so happened they were looking for someone with a barbed peepee. And I was like—What do ya know! It was fate.

ABLEY: Weren’t you going to be in another STAR TREK fan series?

MONTGOMERY: Currently I’m in their limited run web series, STAR TREK: ODYSSEY. I play a Welsh doctor on a starship trying to find its way back home. Very much like VOYAGER, in fact. My accent stinks but I figured it would be a really great way for me to throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks in terms of my craft. Plus, the people I work with are all around awesome. It’s like a little family, with more gays. One of the things that drew me to it is that the series has an end game, which means that Rob Caves, the creator, clearly has a specific direction in mind. I’ve also heard through the grape vine that he has an original sci-fi web series that he’s currently developing, which I think is really cool. ODYSSEY will most likely be the end of my TREK fan series days, but hopefully won’t be the end of my sci-fi work in general. If there’s one genre I could always be working in nonstop, it would TOTALLY be sci-fi. And horror. Oh, and gay too, I guess. Sci-fi, horror and gay. Hmm, kinda sounds like a movie I was just in.

ABLEY: So when we auditioned you for SOCKET, I remember you told me that you made a point of really going after auditions for stuff that sounded interesting. Before we called you in, what interested you in SOCKET?

MONTGOMERY: Shit, this is easy. The part in the script where they surgically implant plugs in their friggin’ wrists, that’s what! But also, I have to say, SOCKET—never done before. It’s so rare these days that something comes along that you can honestly say has never been done before. This is gonna sound a bit brown-nosing since, well, you wrote it, directed it and all [laughs], but the writing really felt solid to me. There wasn’t any fat in the script as far as I was concerned. I was also really impressed with the arc of not only the characters themselves, but specifically their relationships with each other and their relationship with their addiction. Anyone who watches SOCKET is gonna take something different from it, and that’s what it was like working on it. I think all of us in the cast had a different perspective on this addiction and what it meant for our own characters, as well as the overall metaphor within the story. It left room for so much creative exploration that made the rehearsal process like an acting workshop—you just kept learning and learning and figuring new things out. It was really an awesome experience. Also, it helped that the characters’ sexual orientation was quite secondary within the plot. It was simply a nonissue, and I felt it was a brave and original way to tell a story within the gay genre.

MONTGOMERY: Working with Derek was incredible to say the least. He’s such a talented and experienced actor, but moreover, he’s just a really nice guy. No attitude, no drama, no bullshit. Even in some of the most awkward, challenging scenes involving nudity and simulated sex, he was so selfless and wanted to ensure I was OK and comfortable and all that. He is such a giving actor in general. You can’t really ask for more than that with your partner on set. He rocks.

MONTGOMERY: FEAR HOUSE, which was released to DVD in 2008 around the same time SOCKET was released, gave me a chance to create a character of sorts and play around with my own quirkiness that I, as Matt, already embody. FEAR HOUSE is a low budget indie horror movie that was shot in the middle of the California desert in this castle-like estate where we got to stay during shooting. Side note: There were a few crazies that were shacked up there, and they were completely cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. I think they were live-in hired hands for the property or something. But every night when the cast and crew would turn out the lights and be down for the count, we’d start hearing random arguing and maniacal screaming throughout the house. It definitely added to the creep factor. They were probably on meth or something. I’m rambling, but anyway, it was a pretty bizarre experience, but I had a blast, man. It’s definitely a toss up on what was scarier, though: the movie or the filming of it.

ABLEY: You’ve become a bit of a gay indie icon over the past couple years. What are your thoughts on working so frequently on independent gay films?

MONTGOMERY: The operative words here are “working” and “frequently” [laughs]. The way I see it, is that if I’m working and I’m enjoying what I’m working on, then all is good. I’m not gonna lie, though; there was a time early in my career when I had apprehensions about playing too many gay characters and getting typecast. But now it seems like such a regressive way of thinking. Would I like to play roles other than gay characters? Absolutely. And I have. Hopefully I still will. What’s more important to me right now though is creative honesty, confidence in my choices as an actor and allowing myself to not be hindered by outside judgments. I know this is soap box-ish of me, but I feel quite strongly about courage in trusting your own path. Plus, there’s something validating and encouraging when you have the support of your own community. It’s pretty cool.

MONTGOMERY: You mean, would I ever exclusively produce? Hell, no. Honestly, it was just something I sort of fell into that ended up working in my favor and also made me realize that I could have more control in creating a career for myself than I originally thought. It was something that, in hindsight, was a remarkable blessing. At first I was like, “Producing? Have I lost my mind!?” But I’m so grateful that I’m doing it now because it’s given me the tools and knowledge to eventually make my own movies, do my own stuff. Also, working with Rob Williams and Rodney Johnson, who I’ve lovingly dubbed “the boys,” has been an incredible journey. They’re such great people to work with and they’ve become family to me. I hang out with them socially, call on them for advice and my boyfriend and I have taken Vegas trips with them a few times as well. I love them. Here I go on a tangent again. But back to your question: first and foremost, I think I’ll always see myself as an actor. It’s where my passion lies. But I’d love to take a swing at directing down the road. And recently, I started my own production company, Proteus Pictures LLC. In association with Guest House Films, I’m hoping to shoot my first feature this year that I wrote and will produce and star in—but NOT direct—called STICKE FIGURES. I’m pretty excited about this new venture.

ABLEY: Nobody will have seen PORNOGRAPHY [formerly PORNOGRAPHY: A THRILLER so the actors and crew wouldn’t be afraid to put it on their resumes] yet when this is published, so I challenge you to describe the film to the FANGORIA audience.

MONTGOMERY: A super duper mind f**k that if you don’t walk out of the theatre going, “What the f**k?!” then you’ve probably watched the wrong movie. But here’s my pathetic attempt at sounding slightly more articulate. Although PORNOGRAPHY does involve delving into the adult film world, I think it actually has nothing at all to do with pornography. Explicit is a word generally used when speaking about pornography; sexually explicit material or situations. When something is explicit, it’s said to be clearly defined, actualized and formulated without any confusion or opaque residue. PORNOGRAPHY, to me, is a film that explores three separate individuals seeking clarity within their own psychological barriers. All three stories contain a self-reflective journey different from the others, but the thread they all share is simply put—fear. That and they’re all kinda gay.

ABLEY: Your character has to deal with some bizarre situations in PORNOGRAPHY. Is it hard to maintain a thru-line, character-wise, when you’re shooting on a low budget schedule (i.e. “Move FASTER!!”)?

MONTGOMERY: A little bit, but I try to do a shit load of homework before I walk on set, as any actor usually does. But, sure, it’s tough, especially when you got people hollering, “BE SCARED, BUT NEXT TIME DO IT QUICK LIKE!” [laughs] Surprisingly, with PORNOGRAPHY, I felt pretty all right with what I was doing. Because the story is so nonlinear, I knew I could totally fuck up and none of you would ever know it, just kidding. But seriously, anytime you’re shooting on a tight schedule with a skeleton crew, there’s a layer of anxiety that everyone on set is kinda feeling ‘cause we all wanna get the job done and have it done right. If you ask me, all of the actors were walking through a gold mine because we were shooting a movie where we could channel that anxiety into something tangible on screen. We could use it. I love shit like that! Bring it on!

ABLEY: I have to say, I’m really excited for people to see PORNOGRAPHY. I think it’s a really daring little film.

MONTGOMERY: It is daring, and unapologetically daring. I like that David Kittredge, the director, was just like, “Look, here it is. We can talk about it. We can dissect it. But in the end, I’m not gonna define it for you. That’s up to you and the audience.” I love that. I love that he was so willing to let the actors take control of what it meant to them personally. The creative juices inside me were like, “Holy crap!”

STEVE CALLAHAN: I had seen Matthew in the film LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP and thought he was a great actor, so I was glad to see that he had been cast in PORNOGRAPHY and was looking forward to working with him.

As it turned out, we only had one scene in the movie together, so we ended up only being on the set together once. That night, we sat around and talked and got to know each other. I already thought he was gorgeous and an amazing actor, so I was really happy to discover that he was also a really nice guy too. After leaving the set, I started to wonder if he was single and if he’d be interested in going out on a date. I had tickets to see the Joan Rivers show at the Geffen, so I called and asked him if he’d like to go with me. He already had plans for the night of the tickets, so he couldn’t go. He turned me down by saying, “I wish I could have gone. I bet it’s good. I like Joan Rivers.” That’s it! Not “I would have liked to go out with you,” “Let’s do it another night,” etc. So I assumed he wasn’t interested and let it go.

Weeks later I saw him again at the wrap party for PORNOGRAPHY. We talked all night and had a really good time. As he was leaving, he said, “We should do something sometime.” I ended up asking him out and we had our first date. We were at dinner and he said, “This is a date, right?” I was a bit confused and said, “Umm…yes.” Then he admitted that he hadn’t realized that I had asked him out on a date to the Joan Rivers show. He thought that I was just trying to get rid of the ticket. That cracked me up.

It was such a great first date. We hit it off really quickly and started dating. We moved in together a few months later. So, yes, we will always be able to say that we met doing PORNOGRAPHY.

MONTGOMERY: The first thing you have to know about me is that I’m kind of a dufus sometimes, and oblivious, constantly oblivious. So there’s my disclaimer. I do have you to thank for that, Sean. You’re the one who slapped some sense into me at the wrap party. I remember trying to have a serious conversation with you, and I could tell you were like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever, but more importantly, I know someone who has a crush on you!” You were like a schoolgirl playing matchmaker that night. It was pretty funny. Things have been great ever since. But I never got to see Joan Rivers, so I think we need to sit down and have a talk.

ABLEY: For the record, I’m like a schoolgirl in many situations. You guys have both chosen to be out as actors. Was that a tough decision for you?

MONTGOMERY: It wasn’t. I did have some reservations in the beginning when I actually cared what people thought of me, but not so much anymore. If you ask me, being out is easy. It’s living a lie and trying to convince the world what you’re not that’s tough. It requires entirely too much energy to be closeted. So I guess you could say I’m just lazy.

ABLEY: What are your thoughts about moving up the budget food chain into bigger Hollywood movies? I know whenever I think of working on some studio movie, or even a larger budgeted indie, I just think of the hassle from too many cooks…

MONTGOMERY: There’s no getting around it—it would be a hassle. But, seriously? What a great problem to have, right?! I would love to have that problem! Gee, my life is so tough that I’m torn between working in smaller indie movies or big budget ones. Shit, I’ll take it! I will say, though, there’s definitely a comfort I feel with the scale of work that I’m in now. I know the ropes, can figure out what will make it run smoother for me and feel secure in my experience within this environment. But it’d be great to take a dive in the ocean, so to speak. It would be incredibly challenging, just in a different way. I don’t think I’ll ever be done with indie filmmaking though. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

ABLEY: Tell me about THE REDWOODS.

MONTGOMERY: I like to call these kind of movies “slit-your-wrist-love-stories.” It’s a love story about two men who meet when one of them passes through the other’s town in the Redwoods. The one passing through is a writer attempting to finish his book, that’s me. The other dude is a sort of family guy, Everett [played by Brendan Bradley], who has a partner and is raising a family. While his family is out of town for a couple of weeks, the two guys meet and spark an instant connection. It’s a great story about family, love and choosing love, or sometimes losing it, depending on whose eyes you’re looking through. Don’t worry, I’m not giving anything away here. It has an unexpected ending. It’s a beautiful and moving script and working with David Lewis, the director, was quite incredible. He’s such an actor’s director and was really adamant about making this as collaborative experience as possible. Brendan Bradley is a remarkable actor, and we had such natural chemistry working together. I think it’s coming out in the summer of 2009 sometime. I’d work with David again in a heartbeat.

ABLEY: And finally, anything you’ve seen or read lately that you’ve loved?

MONTGOMERY: I’m enamored with Danny Boyle, and a while back he did this movie called SUNSHINE that I thought was so impressive. The characters are so rich in the world of sci-fi, and I felt just as mesmerized by their relationships as I was by the overall story itself. And, if you haven’t seen SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, stop reading this interview and go watch it NOW. I know, I know, the interview is already done. So why are you still reading?!

(You can find out more about Matthew Montgomery on his website, www.matt-montgomery.com)