Source:Island
The Billionaire actor-producer Gehan Cooray on
Los Angeles-based Sri Lankan-American independent filmmaker and classical singer Gehan Cooray, recently unveiled his debut feature length film ‘The Billionaire.’ The film is a contemporary, gender-swapped adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s 1930s play ‘The Millionairess,’ set in the modern day context of gay marriage and asexuality, but pays homage to the style of Classical Hollywood films. The film has been submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in late 2020, after becoming eligible for both Oscar and Golden Globe awards nominations. Previously the film was awarded the Best Comedy Feature Award at the Burbank International Film Festival. The film has received favorable reviews from select critics in the industry.
The film was directed by Michael Philip, but it was Gehan Cooray who wrote the screenplay and had final creative control. ‘The Billionaire’ was shot on location in Ontario, Canada and the cast includes the seven-time Emmy Award winning actress Heather Tom (from ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’), Jordan Belfi from the hit TV series ‘Entourage’, Davi Santos known for his work in the ‘Power Rangers’ TV franchise, and Randy Wayne from ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ and numerous Hallmark channel films.
The story follows Victor Ognisanti di Parerga, an exceedingly prudish young gay billionaire of Sri Lankan descent. He seems to be the ultimate narcissist too, but is in fact quite the old-fashioned romantic at heart. His late, beloved father had set daunting conditions for any man who wished to marry Victor, the suitor must turn $10,000 into $3 million in 6 months. Victor subsequently meets a handsome and almost ascetically religious French American doctor who strikes him as spouse material for being very pure and chaste, and indeed the attraction is mutual. Surprisingly, Victor also finds out that the would-be suitor’s deceased religious mother has set her own daunting conditions for any man who wished to marry her son! As things get complicated Victor and the doctor try to find out if they really are soul mates despite the striking incompatibilities between the two personalities.
Born and raised in Sri Lanka, Gehan Cooray is a past pupil of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo and a graduate of the University of Southern California (USC). He is a multitalented and multifaceted artist who made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2019 with a solo concert in New York, with the Chef de Cabinet to the United Nations Secretary General looking on as Chief Guest. Gehan’s love for the cinema began when he was introduced to Classical Hollywood films like ‘My Fair Lady,’ ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘Mary Poppins’ at a very young age. Gehan has produced and acted in short films that have been praised at many film festivals and ‘The Island’ was fortunate enough to speak to the talented actor-producer.
Q. How did you get involved in the world of cinema?
A: I grew up performing on the stage, but I didn’t consider becoming a filmmaker until I attended the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, which has the best cinematic arts school in the world and has produced Hollywood greats such as George Lucas.
I took as many film classes as possible and built an excellent foundation on cinema. Years later, a chance meeting with the famous director Jon Favreau got me into this field. Seeing my USC sweatshirt, he asked me if I’m a filmmaker, and at the time I was only an actor, I hadn’t produced or written a script. I made a few short films, which got into some famous film festivals and with the level of recognition I had received for my work, it was my mother who suggested I take the plunge and make a feature film. Making a feature film is an entirely different experience from making short films, and I believe that making feature films is what takes you to the next level as a filmmaker and an actor. I believe that filmmaking in this day and age, can help leave your mark. Immortalizing a performance on screen can benefit future generations.
Q. Why did you make The Billionaire?
A: To start off I’m a big fan of Bernard Shaw and his works, and one reason I began work on adapting the play is because I was drawn to the type of rich English language that Shaw used in his work. If you compare modern scripts, they tend to be very conversational, informal and sometimes profane, which is why I wanted to work on this particular project. In addition to the language aspect, I wanted my adaptation to relate to the modern era. I switched the genders around and renamed it ‘The Billionaire’ and while Shaw’s play had very sexual characters, here I bring in the theme of asexuality. In the film, I portray the role of the billionaire and chose the role because normally, when people hear the term, they immediately picture a white, heterosexual man, be it Donald Trump, Elon Musk or Bill Gates.
I wanted to step away from the norm and present a brown gentleman, who is also asexual. I’ve also addressed the stereotypical view where people assume that the rich and wealthy engage in promiscuous acts, by offering audiences a title character who is very pure and chaste. I wanted to present a complex character, who is pure and virtuous on the one hand, but is haughty and conceited on the other. Being an operatic singer, I incorporated singing into the film. For me, when singing opera, the emotions are grand, epic and larger than life and in the film the singing is a transcendent experience. One could even say that the singing is even better than sex.
Q. What is the significance of the theme of asexuality?
A: As someone who identifies as asexual even in real life, I’ve never seen a single movie or TV show in America or around the world that focuses on asexual characters. I wanted to champion that in my own art. I think that a small percentage of the population identifies as asexual but some aren’t even given the opportunity to discover that about themselves. Many are lead to believe that sex is the norm. Even in my own life I’ve received questions like ‘Oh Gehan, how are you going to find someone who doesn’t want to have sex?’ and my answer is that, if two people can connect emotionally, psychologically and romantically, sex doesn’t have to be the defining characteristic of a relationship or marriage. Today almost everyone is aware about heterosexuality and homosexuality, but asexual individuals have been left in the dark and, going forward I’d like to portray more asexual characters and provide role models for asexual individuals in society. I hope that people in the industry see colored people differently and engage in making the playing field more diverse.
Q. What challenges did you face?
A: Perhaps the first challenge was finding a good director who could bring my vision to life. My acting coach suggested I take on the role of director initially, but my mother actually pointed out that since this was my first time working on a feature length film while playing a lead role, it would be best that I find a good director. Eventually I found Michael who had his own production company in Canada, so we were able to shoot on location in Canada and gather a cast and crew as well. Michael was willing to give me a lot of freedom and control in the way I portrayed my character, and he allowed me to rehearse with the other actors on my own. His view was that since I wrote the script and since I knew the characters well, I could guide the other actors in their respective roles in order to bring my vision to life. Everything worked out beautifully as he directed everyone on set and gave me suggestions that made a significant difference.
Another challenge for me was getting to know the cast and crew, because this was my first time working with them. I had to discuss technical details, like how to ‘light’ a brown skin person in contrast to a white skin person. It was also challenging to explain my vision for the characters to some of the actors who took on the respective roles. As we worked our way through shooting, we came to really respect and admire each other more. Overcoming whatever challenges were thrown our way, the cast and crew really came together to create this masterpiece.
The real nightmare was post-production. The footage was held up in Canada for a long time and it took a while to get it down. I wasn’t happy with the post-production so I had to take it to Warner Bros. Studios and get it re-done. I felt like I would never reach the finish line but through perseverance and believing that the end product was going to be something of substance and quality, we made it. Winning the Best Comedy Feature Award at the Burbank International Film Festival, validated all our hard work and effort that went into creating this film.
Q. When will the film be released?
A: The film is yet to have its theatrical release. Ceylon Theatres reached out and is interested in distributing the film in Colombo and other areas as well, hopefully by the end of February or early March. While I was studying at USC, in one of my very first introductory cinema classes, we were told that movies were meant to be seen on the big screen, so I really didn’t want to take the Netflix route with this film. Big screens have a certain grandeur and it allows audiences to truly appreciate a good work of art. I’m old-fashioned that way but I’m happy with streaming on Netflix, after the theatrical run. I hope that audiences in Sri Lanka and in Los-Angeles will be able to see the movie on the big screen sometime soon. In Los Angeles, the Laemmle Theatres have chosen to release the film on its virtual platform, seeing as the cinema halls are still closed.
Q. What projects are in the pipeline? Will we see you as a director in the future?
A: With ‘The Billionaire’ reaching new heights, it brings in good exposure. I’ve managed to get in touch with a few big names in the industry. They are aware that a ‘Gehan Cooray’ exists, but getting an Oscar nomination will surely pave the way to working alongside veterans in the industry. I’m very happy about being given the opportunity to submit the film to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. It’s a great honour.
On a more independent level, I’m looking to work on a project that could be shot in Sri Lanka and engage our young and aspiring filmmakers, actors and cinematographers as well. I’m envisioning a project that will feature a big Hollywood actor or actress, but will promote our country at the same time. We have so many talented people in Sri Lanka, and while I’m in the country I hope to have some acting workshops for local groups of actors. I’d like to unearth some of our hidden talents and show our potential to the world, and bring in more Sri Lankans to the Hollywood film making industry. In addition, I have also recorded my first album, which will be released in 2021, which I cannot wait to share with everyone.
Directing is an art form in and of itself and going forward I do have certain story ideas where I might not take up the role of an actor. I wouldn’t necessarily direct on my own, in the coming years, but I might take on the role of co-director. Maybe when I’m in my 40s I’ll take up the role of a director and aspire to be like Jon Favreau.
The Oscars is around the corner and it’s certainly a nail-biting wait for Gehan and the cast and crew who worked on ‘The Billionaire.’ We will be seeing more of Gehan and his talent in the days and years to come as he plans his future projects with the hopes of creating a special place for Sri Lankans and for more representation for asexual individuals in Hollywood.
