We'll start with Ryan Carnes, who is arguably the most recognizable by face. And character type. His first two major roles were the gay boy next door in 2005's Eating Out and the gay roommate of John the gardener on Desperate Housewives. Carnes was spotted at a casting call in the Midwest after his sophomore year at Duke, and consequently left college to pursue acting in Los Angeles. The studly screen star chatted with recess about his GPA, kissing Eva Longoria and playing gay.
recess: Rumor has it you were a straight-A student at Duke.
Ryan Carnes: (laughs) I did have a 4.0 a couple of semesters, but my overall wasn't quite that. It's funny that you ask that because it comes up in conversation-people say did you go to school? And I say, yeah, 'I did for two years and then I quit, but I was doing okay.' I don't want people to think I couldn't hack it.
You were doing so well-have you ever regretted leaving Duke?
Never.
That's pretty straightforward.
That's not to say anything negative or derogatory about my experience at Duke. It's just I'm very happy. Although the stresses of this career are very present and always there, they are very different. I was a good student-. I worked my butt off while I was there, and I didn't really stop-to be cliche-I didn't stop to smell the roses. I put a lot of pressure on myself. Out here it's such a different lifestyle and mindset altogether. When you first move out here to do this, you have to step completely away from the achievement-oriented mindset that school tends to breed in people. I was very achievement-oriented, sort of craved the tangible results. [In college], I wanted to get As. In this industry, there's no way to measure your work and success like that. I've very intangible, very different.
Couldn't you measure it in getting roles?
To a certain agree. I can say, "I'm achieving some degree of success." That's positive. Those are achievements. Whereas if you study for a test, most times, if you study enough for a test, you know you're going to do well. There's some exceptions of course. I was fortunate enough never to make it to Statistics or Orgo. The flip side of that is that there's so many subjective things that can keep you from getting a role. Your hair color, your eye color, your height. The list goes on and on- For a while when you start out, it's hard to not take things personally when you don't get a callback or don't get a role-you end up beating yourself up and driving yourself nuts.
How did you get cast in your first movie, Eating Out?
I'd already read the script, and thought it was really funny and charming, so it became the decision of do I want my first role in Hollywood to be a gay role. My managers and I talked about it and decided, why not? It's a role. It is what it is. It's just like any other role. There's no reason why whether it is my first role or not, there's no reason why I shouldn't do it. [Especially] considering I'm from a town of 4,000-Pittsfield, Illinois, where things are very backward, and homosexuality and a variety of races are not present.
Have they had any bad reactions to your role?
No. My friends I went to high school with, their first reaction was, "Whoa, Ryan's playing gay." They didn't know how to take it. As time has gone on, I've been fortunate enough to have some success and continue to work and people have realized, "Ryan is serious about his work." I can play the president of the United States or a drug addict, that doesn't make me the president of the United States, that doesn't make me a drug addict. A role is exactly that.
You've become something of an idol to the gay community.
(laughs) I'm happy that people have enjoyed what I've done, and enjoyed my work, and I'm really thankful. I don't care, gay, straight, bi, whatever. A fan is a fan. Anyone who appreciates my work I'm thankful to.
So Desperate Housewives. What's it like working with those women?
It's fun. It's nice. (laughs) Eva Longoria is every bit as beautiful in person.
And you got to make out with her.
I did. I still remember what her lipstick tasted like.
Was it hard that you had to resist her and couldn't kiss her back?
(laughs) Yeah. The day we shot that, we were rehearsing it. In the script it says she begins to leave, turns back, looks at Justin, comes straight at him and kisses him, then says, "Did you feel anything?" and I say, "Nope, not a thing." So I say to the director, when she kisses me, 'What do you want me to do? Should I engage her, embrace her then say, Whoa, nothing?' And he said, 'No, don't do anything. Just stand there.' And he said "No, don't do anything. Just stand there." I remember the first take I instinctively put my hand on her hip. And he was like, "Uh, Ryan, don't do that."
Are we going to see you back at all this season?
I think so, at some point. We keep on hearing from them. I'm friends with one of the writer/producers and periodically he'll say, Justin came up in one of our pitch meetings today. Justin is definitely still alive and will be back, and we haven't figured out exactly how. I've got my fingers crossed.
If you had to pick any Desperate Housewife, who would it be?
Ooh. I'm going to have to say Eva Longoria.
You've already had her!
What, I can't have her again?
Okay, fine.
I've only ever worked with Eva and Teri [Hatcher]. I've got to say, when I met Teri and worked with her, this was right after the Golden Globes, she was so charming and sweet. I came home and told my buddies, 'I think I might want to marry Teri Hatcher.' I wanted her to be my wife. I'll take them both.
Okay, one last thing. Were you actually in the Duke marching band?
It's true.
I played the drums.
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