WATCH: A closeted bodybuilder falls for his coach in Brock Yurich’s deeply personal queer drama
The out actor channeled his own experiences as a bodybuilder into a new film about repression, shame & desire.
Mark
We all know the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but it’s not just books—that goes for bodybuilders, too!
While they work hard to get their physiques to superhuman levels of physical perfection, what’s going on inside might be a whole different story.
How about we take this to the next level?
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In the upcoming Sam McConnell-directed drama Test, Brock Yurich writes and stars as Eddie, a troubled bodybuilder who has his eyes on the prize.
So much so that he can barely cope with the emotional turmoil that comes from repressed same-sex attraction, religious shame, an overbearing mother, and secret relationships—not to mention an over-reliance on performance enhancers.
“I’ve always been fascinated by bodybuilding and the specific culture surrounding it,” McConnell shares with Variety. “We designed Test to feel like an authentic peek behind the curtain. I found the character of Eddie to be so compelling—he is on a mission to perfect his exterior at the same time his interior is crumbling around him.”
The film is a deeply personal one for Yurich, who reveals he’s been mulling over its story for the past decade. The out actor made a name for himself with guest roles on hit shows (like Succession & The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and as the lead of some hetero rom-coms (like The Boxer & The Butterfly), but Test marks his first feature-length screenplay.
“Making an independent film is a long painful process, but I knew the pain of giving up on it would be far greater,” he admits to Variety.
Given his own background as a bodybuilder, the role didn’t require too much of a physical transformation (unless you count shaving off his signature ‘stache and body hair), but it absolutely pushed him as a performer, showcasing a staggering depth of emotion beneath all that muscle.
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Set in small-town Ohio, the film follows Eddie as he attempts to take his career to the next level all whilelooking after his devout mother, Joanne (Tammy Blancard, who won an Emmy for her work in Life With Judy Garland: Me And My Shadows). What she doesn’t know is that, in order to help the family make ends meet, Eddie’s been making some money on the side as a camboy.
Things are finally looking up after he rekindles things with an old flame (West Side Story‘s Paloma Garcia-Lee) and starts working with a promising new trainer Mike (real-life fitness coach Mike Edward). But what he doesn’t expect are the feelings he begins to develop for his coach—feelings that threaten to destroy everything he’s worked for.
Struggling to understand his same-sex attraction while burdened with his demanding mother & the religious guilt of his pastor (Glee‘s Matthew Morrison), Eddie dangerously teeters on the edge of his breaking point on the eve of his most important competition yet.
A decade in the making, Brock Yurich’s Test is set to have its world premiere on June 3 at SXSW London, followed by its U.S. debut the next week at Provincetown International Film Festival, followed by a special presentation at San Francisco’s Frameline50 on June 25.
“This film is so special and personal to me, and I’ve had so much help and support along the way,” Yurich writes on Instagram in anticipation of his film’s debut. “I can’t wait to get my project out into the world and tell Eddie’s story.”
Check out a first teaser trailer for Test below:
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Still optional: wearing a jock strap.
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