HOT: Andra Fuller Discusses His Role on "The L.A. Complex"

GIF/SCREENCAPS: SON OF BALDWIN/ALAYE MEN

The L.A. Complex has become must-see Monday night television ever since the Canadian series made its stateside debut. One obvious reason: The ample servings of beefcake and the scorching same-sex love scenes featuring actor Andra Fuller.

The Toronto-based series has also attracted a cult following among Black gay and bisexual men because of its delicious narrative and characters. Black Enterprise chats up Andra Fuller who portrays the "volatile gangsta rapper Kaldrick King... who also happens to be gay [and] closeted. ... Fuller had no trepidations about taking the part, but those around him were leery about his decision."

"When I accepted this role and what it entailed, my family and friends were like, 'Why do you want to play a gay dude?' They also wanted to know why every time a Black man is shown on TV as gay; he has to be on the down low. But they didn’t look at the ramification: I’m playing a very successful down low rapper on a network television show. That’s never happened before."

Fuller's impeccable performance is buoyed by sharp writing [and] navigates it all — from suicide attempts to intense love scenes — with incredible ease. "As an actor, you don’t run away from a role because it doesn’t coexist with your personal lifestyle," he explains. "If I take a role as a mass murderer, I don’t think I would ever have the gall to kill someone in my real life. But I’m not going to run away from it because I don’t believe in murder."

Very refreshing to hear a Black actor embrace a multi-dimensional gay character with such intensity ... and will not shy away from the sexual component. .

Television depictions of the LGBT community remain overwhelmingly white, according to a recent report by GLAAD. CW remains the top broadcast network for LGBT impressions and has the most diversity—thanks to programming such as The L.A. Complex and America's Next Top Model.

"The gay and lesbian community has been super-supportive and appreciative of what I’ve been putting into Kaldrick," Fuller told Black Enterprise. "It’s definitely an honor to be chosen to play this character in this storyline. I try my damndest every day I step on set to do it justice."

The L.A. Complex will air tonight and Mondays at 8P through October 1. Very much looking forward to tonight's episode after last week's scorcher with the legal fierceness. Kaldrick has met his match. Yasss.

Watch a video clip from last week's hotness AFTER THE JUMP ...

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Comments

[John]

OH MY GAAAWD! He's already my favorite show! Oops! I mean, this is already my favorite show! Umph, umph, umph!!

[poe]

i cant get enough of this show!

[Nichael]

I'm definitely feeling Mr. Fuller now, especially since he seems to understand and embrace the importance of this role. He appears comfortable in his manhood. Unlike another particularly sexy actor (Omari Hardwick) who had to keep insisting throughout a recent interview that he could not understand or embrace his character in For Colored Girls Only because he is NOT gay !!!! Ok, Omari, we get it. Don't believe anyone actually believed you were!!!

[BLACK]

I think Andra Fuller brings everything that is needed to this role and then some. He is an awesome actor the way he brings the anger and then vulnerability to his obvious confusion to accept his sexuality in all aspects of his life. I have a love hate relationship with his character because I disagree with the abuse he brought to Tariq's life but then I find myself pulling for him to find the strength to accept who he is and love not just in private but to the world. That is hard to do because many gay men are private and don't feel the need to advertise their personally lives and sexuality and I agree 100%. But I want the entire gay community to be able to live their lives the way they choose with out being bashed by family, co-workers and society on a whole. I hope Andra get's an EMMY and many other awards for his acting skills on this show that has me hooked to this storyline.

[Vince]

I have to say this has become one of my favorite shows on TV. Andra's character, as well as the others, are surprisingly complex for a tv series (and well acted). Of course, it doesn't hurt that Kaldrick is fine as hell...and that body!!!

[Procrastination_Xtravaganza]

I'm glad I'm not the only person watching this show (still hasn't saved it's cancellation.) Can't wait to see how it wraps up! Love Andra's character and his portrayal. The rest of the cast has grown on me too. Hope it lives on in Canada and I can download em!

[harlemboy]

Kudos to Andra Fuller for taking on this role. He's a charismatic actor and all, but I always get the feeling that -- as a straight man -- he can't quite bring himself to completely immerse himself in his character's gayness. (Even a closeted gay man would be convincingly gay in those private, one-on-one moments with his partner.) In the episode when he first met the hot lawyer (before their first kiss), I did not pick up on Kal's attraction to the lawyer. Did anyone else feel as if there was some chemistry between them prior to that first kiss? And whenever Kal kisses a man (Tariq or the lawyer or whomever), it always looks like a straight guy is trying to play a gay character. As a gay man, I'm not entirely convinced. But Fuller is hot, and it's fun to watch. The show is really great, and I'm sad that it never found an audience in the U.S.

[Procrastination_Xtravaganza]

@Harlem, I think it's more the character than Andra. Either that or Andra can't kiss.

I agree I didn't see any hint of anything with the lawyer,..which made me think the lawyer was hella brave or foolish to kiss Kal with zero invitation, but maybe our gaydar isn't as good as his!

With regard to the passion in his kiss, it was equally as sloppy and aggressive when he kissed homegirl from the mission in the car. I think it says less about how believable Andra is as a gay man, and more about how the character Kal expresses emotion. I'm hoping he reunites with Tariq and they for once have a tender kiss instead of this face mash that we keep seeing.

Lastly, it could possibly be the show itself, or CW's editing. The closest Ive seen to a good steamy kiss would be Abby and some of the men shes fooled with, but no one really has hot believable kisses in the entire cast.

[Colin]

Hearing this had the lowest viewership of a season premiere, but the repeat had a bigger audience. Just discovered this. Wow! Thanks, Rod.

[KayCee]

Kaldrick beat the tar out of Tariq - why would Tariq take him back?

[Kase]

I knew nothing about this show..thank you so much.

[Osiris]

I love this show.