Kat Harlton
A captivating new series Two Brothers had its premiere on Amazon Prime and OUTtv this June. The series follows the very real struggles of brothers Aaron and Aiden as they strive to fit in a small-town community not only as visible minorities but with Aaron being gay as well.
When Aaron played gets a full scholarship to one of the best Music Theatre schools in Canada, the brothers relocate to the small town of Borrowwoods. Being people of colour makes it hard for them to blend in, and Aaron identifying as gay doesn’t make it any easier. As they try to make themselves at home and form new friendships as well as unexpected relationships, they also deal with racism, homophobia, and colourism.
I had the opportunity to chat with creator and star of the show Andrew Meikle about his goal of making sure that the black queer community are seen and heard, and how this show is his way of doing it.
Kat: What does it mean to you, to have your new series “Two Brothers” make its premiere on Amazon Prime and OUTtv?
Andrew: Honestly it’s amazing! When we were filming my goal was to always get it on OUTTV, that was the platform I had my eye on. When they finally said yes I was so happy. Then When we were approved for Amazon Prime US and UK I was even more happy. We are still working on getting it on the Canadian Prime. Then we chatted with the owner of Fearless and I was over the moon happy with excitement when they wanted our show on their platform as well. Having the show on three different streaming services means we will hit different groups of viewers!
Kat: The show centres around the story of the very real struggles of brothers Aaron and Aiden as they strive to fit in a small-town community not only as visible minorities, but with Aaron being gay as well. Why was it important for you to share Aaron’s story?
Andrew: It’s very important for me to share the story because when I was growing up there was never any black gay guys on my screen. Now it’s gotten a lot better with shows like True Blood and films like Single all the way. But I wanted to create the show to show that we do exist and that it’s okay.
Kat: What do you hope the audience takes from the show?
Andrew: I hope they are educated and entertained. There’s a lot of stuff that happens in the show that people might not realize actually happens in the world because they’ve never experienced it themselves.
Kat: What has been your biggest challenge thus far in the entertainment industry?
Andrew: My biggest challenge so far has been funding the projects. Originally the episoded were around 45 minutes long but because of funding and other factors, we had to cut them down to 10 to 15 minutes.
Kat: Do you have any role models or mentors that you look to for inspiration?
Andrew: Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson are two people that I look to for inspiration when it comes to writing and directing. In terms of acting, Keiynan Lonsdale is someone I have admired ever since I saw him in Love Simon. He was someone who looked like me and he played a gay role, and he’s part of the LGBTQ2+ community. It was so amazing that I actually got to work with him when I was in the film My Fake Boyfriend.
Kat: What are you looking forward to for the rest of 2022?
Andrew: My goal is to book a lead role in a television show or movie. So if there’s anyone reading this who’s looking, please cast me! (haha)
Connect With The Series On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twobrotherstheseries