“Laid Bare” actor Ethan Daniel Corbett

After a slight hiatus from acting, Ethan Daniel Corbett is back and turning heads with an unmissable, juicy new role on the OutTV original series, Laid Bare.

His newest project is one hell of a doozy: a murder-mystery comedy set at a gay nude resort. The fully queer cast of actors, Corbett included, give great performances that are hard to ignore, and not just because they’re all showing full frontal nudity.

Corbett’s layered portrayal of the resort owner’s slacker brother in Laid Bare is a strong showing from the charismatic performer. With several projects on the horizon, many of which he has called his favorites to date, Corbett has proven he’s ready for whatever challenge comes next.

From growing up on sets to dispensing advice for the next generation, it is clear Corbett has some wise words to share about life on and off screen.

​How’d you find the arts and acting?

​Ethan Daniel Corbett: It all started when I was very young. My father was in the industry. He worked for Winter Brothers. He was a best boy for Winter Brothers, and he worked on tons of different movies. My dad would occasionally bring me on set when I was a kid, when I was around 4 or 5. My dad took me on set of the second Dennis the Menace movie. I remember he introduced me to the director, and the director looked at me, toe to head. He said I looked like Dennis the Menace. The director asked if I could say the iconic “Oh, Mr. Wilson” line, so I did.

​After I said it, he looked at me with serious eyes, and he said, “I should have cast you.” Literally ever since then, becoming an actor was my entire personality. I knew that I wanted to do it. I remember telling my dad a few years later, and he just looked at me, and he said, “good luck” because he understood what that meant. I’ve always just loved it ever since I was a kid. So even though I’m in my 30s now and I’m on set, I still feel that inner child, and it’s always healing in a lot of ways. I love getting to explore different characters and doing things that I would never do in real life. I play a lot of villains, so I get to see myself doing these things that I would never do in real life. I just kind of love the creative energy of it. That’s what keeps me going and keeps me drawn to it.

​Did growing up around movie sets and then becoming an actor introduce you to the queer lifestyle and gay culture early on?

​EC: I was always in touch with all aspects of myself, and I kind of loved everybody. I think that has always been a part of me. Both my parents are very loving, very emotional, and aren’t afraid to show their feelings. They’re both crybabies. They’re also very touchy, huggy people, and I’ve always been that way too. That’s continued throughout my life, where I just love everybody and everything. I have so much of it to share. I’m definitely in touch with my own personal experience, and I always carry it through.

​How’d you find out about this super-gay murder mystery show?

​EC: Well, my manager sent me the breakdown for the audition and said, “Hey, let me know if this is something you’d be interested in, because there’s full frontal nudity and it’s a story about 10 gay men at a nude resort.” But it’s an interesting mystery and that sounded really fun to me. It was very unique. I thought, “Let me just check it out.” I honestly didn’t think I was going to get it; I was just focused on going in and having fun. When I read the sides for the audition, I realized how funny the scenes were. Tim O’Leary’s writing is so great. A few days later, I had an in-person callback and met Tim O’Leary and Robert Rice, who plays my brother. It was almost as if I already knew them; we got along so well.

I immediately felt a connection with Robert, and the chemistry was great. It honestly felt like we were actually brothers. Pretty much the next day, I was offered the role. It was really fun. I was really excited to do it too. I wanted to do something that would challenge me. Doing something like this, with full frontal nudity where literally anyone in the world can look up what my body looks like now, was definitely a challenge. Anyone, if they were so inclined, could look me up. But I thought that was cool and an interesting way for me to build more confidence as I move forward in my career.

​And do you feel that confidence?

​EC: I do. Honestly, having a good response to the show has helped my confidence. I was a little nervous, because I hate watching myself on TV. I hate watching my own movies. I’m my biggest critic. So I choose to trust other people when they tell me, “You’re really great,” or “You look great,” even if I don’t feel that way. But I’ve changed my perspective at work: I believe people when they say I did great, and then I just move on because I never want my ego, good or bad, to get involved in the work. I never watch playback when I’m working unless it’s a very technical shot. But I think anything you can do to remove your ego from the work is the best. I didn’t see anything from Laid Bare until the premiere of the show. I’ve been happy with it. So it’s good.​The premiere was totally sold out.

How was it experiencing the show with the cast and community?

​EC: Honestly, the entire cast and crew, it was almost like we formed a trauma bond, even though we had so much fun shooting the show. We all became friends very quickly, and everyone was so supportive and loving. Every single person was themselves. Everyone was so confident in who they are, and that encouraged a great energy on set, where we knew we were all in this together, loving and supporting each other. That shoot was one of my favorite experiences ever. After that, I felt so much more confident not only in my acting but also in myself, because everyone was so supportive. Being together again to watch our work on screen with a live audience, seeing it for the first time, was amazing. We got laughs; people were even whistling and reacting. I thought, okay, we did a good job. We had fun shooting it, and I think that fun comes across on screen.

​It definitely seems like you all had a blast. How was the resort experience?

​EC: Well, we shot a handful of things before we went to the resort, like the dinner scene. We all arrived maybe two days before shooting at the resort, and we all kind of stayed there as guests. We filmed at an actual nude resort called Desert Paradise in Palm Springs. We acted like guests, so we were all nude even before we started shooting. It was a way to get comfortable with each other, and when you’re in a state of undress, you’re already very vulnerable. You can’t hide behind anything. That’s kind of the theme of the show: even though it’s a silly comedy about 10 gay men at a nude resort and it’s a murder mystery, at its heart, it’s about not being afraid to be vulnerable and opening up to people, even when there’s a murderer on the loose. It felt so right, and we all became close very quickly.

​Were there any moments outside of shooting where you got to all bond?

​EC: Every single day, we’d hang out by the pool before shooting. There was one night in particular when we all had a day off, so a bunch of us got together to play board games for three hours. It was just so much fun, playing games and hanging out as friends. That was probably my favorite moment, just because we all got to relax and appreciate being at this beautiful resort. We were just enjoying the summer, being tan, and having a good time.

I know you said you played villains in the past, and in this show, you’re the slacker brother. What role are you hoping for next?

​EC: Anything that really challenges me. I recently filmed two or three of my dream roles. The movies aren’t out yet, but I always want something different that really pushes me to my limits, whether that’s physically, mentally, or both. I’ve done a lot of physically taxing work, but I always try to use that difficulty in my performances. When you’re an actor and scenes are too easy, it can come off as wooden. I always welcome challenges. For example, in this show, we were completely naked, and it was also about 115 degrees outside. It was very difficult conditions. But I thrive in that, so any role that pushes me past my limits is what I want.

You mentioned some future projects on the way?

​EC: I have two feature films coming out this year. One is called Death and Life. It’s a horror rom-com set in purgatory. I play an ethereal version of Death. I’m a cloaked figure who is very pompous and a lone wolf. Think of someone like Loki from the Marvel Universe. My other film this year is called Astrolatry, where I play the epitome of toxic masculinity: a “nice guy” you feel sorry for, but who’s also a little creepy. The whole movie is a commentary on incel culture and the manosphere, and how men can go down that dark path. It’s honestly beautiful. I think it’s one of my favorite roles. I shot it a few months ago, and I recently saw a rough cut of the film, and it’s absolutely stunning.

​Any advice for up-and-coming gay or queer or questioning actors who are trying to navigate the industry?

​EC: Honestly, don’t be afraid to be yourself. There are so many people in the industry. Early in my career, I always tried to be what I thought others wanted, but it wasn’t until I came back to the industry, after leaving for several years and returning in 2018, that I discovered who I was and was able to be true to myself. Only then was I finally able to start working and being authentic. Being an actor means you have to be real and comfortable with who you are. It sounds cliché, but it’s so true. I feel like I sound like an old man telling the younger generation this: you’ve got to be yourself, because the moment I started doing that, everything started changing for me.​

ethandanielcorbett.com