ERIC HUFFMAN PLAYS THE BELOVED GAY CHARACTER DAMIAN HUBBARD
by tony reverditto –
Mean Girls hit the movie theatres almost 20 years ago in 2004, and the coming-of-age story became a cult classic. Worldwide, it has grossed $130 million and catapulted much of the cast into stardom.
Mean Girls is now a ferociously funny new musical collaborated by an award-winning creative team that includes director Casey Nicholaw of Aladdin and The Book of Mormon, composer Jeff Richmond from 30 Rock, lyricist Nell Benjamin from Legally Blonde, and book writer Tina Fey, of SNL, 30 Rock and Bossypants fame.
The plot centers around one thing — insecurity! Teenager Cady Heron was educated in Africa by her scientist parents. When her family moves to the suburbs in Illinois, Cady plunges into public school and gets a quick education on the cruel, unspoken laws of popularity that divide her fellow students into tightly knit cliques. She unintentionally finds herself in the good graces of a self-designated exclusive group of “cool” students, led by ruthless Regina, known as “the Plastics.” Cady quickly realizes how the shallow group of new friends earned this nickname. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.
Out actor Eric Huffman portrays Damian Hubbard, one of the central characters. Damian first weaves into the story in Cady’s homeroom, along with Janis. The two befriend her, skip class together, and try to guide her through how high school life usually is. Over time, as Cady becomes included with the Plastics, she becomes more distant from the two. Damian goes with Janis to an art show that Cady was supposed to come to. However, Cady lied that she had to go away with her parents, so she could stay behind and host a get-together to talk to Aaron that turns into a huge party. Damian drives past the party, later realizing that Cady had lied to them. At the Spring Fling, as a united front, Damian and Janis wear matching tuxedos. As Cady throws pieces of the Spring Fling Queen crown, Damian catches a piece of it. Cady apologizes, asking for the three to be friends again, and they make up.
Huffman was on the National Tour of The Book of Mormon and is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
The RAGE Monthly caught up with Huffman amid the national tour of Mean Girls, coming soon to San Diego and Orange County.
When did you first realize that you had a love for musical theatre?
Honestly, I was very, very young, probably 3 or 4. Before I even went to preschool, I would sit in my mom’s bedroom, and she was doing her hair and makeup in the morning. She had this old CD try that would rotate between three or four CDs and Les Miz and Phantom of the Opera were the only two CDs she had in there. I learned those by heart, and by the time that I was 4, I was performing Les Miz in my mom’s bedroom.
Let’s fast forward. You get cast as Damian in Mean Girls. How do you most identify with the character?
We had a lot of discussions about Damian in rehearsals and his purpose in the show, and we settled on him being the heart of the show. He represents what being a good friend and warm person is. His whole purpose is to show what a good friend is versus Regina. For me, I think that is how I am in life. I am a people person. I love to get to know people and get along with just about everyone, almost to a fault, and I think that is Damian’s thing also.
Now, on the flipside, how do you least relate to the character? What is the biggest challenge to make him believable?
He is very outgoing and I seem to be outgoing, but I am very much an outgoing introvert. I have to break that shell sometimes. He’s — I wouldn’t say in your face — but he’s very “out there” and I just have to tell myself, it’s OK, I know you may not be comfortable, but let it go and put it out there.
Why do you think the Mean Girls theme remains relevant today?
The Mean Girls movie script was written in 2004, based on the book written in the ‘90s, and it deals a lot with bullying in those teen years. Specifically girls, but it applies to everyone and I think now with the advent of social media and the fact that everyone has a cell phone, so not only does bullying still exist, but it’s on a whole other level and a hundred times faster than it ever been before. The idea that the burn book is a physical book in 2004, but the burn book now is tweets and Instagram, which go out instantly. These days it has reached the turbo level.
Damian has some of the best one-liners in the show. Which is your favorite and why?
Before I did the show, my favorite was “She doesn’t even go here.” I used to say that in conversation all of the time. Now, that I am in the show, I am so self-conscious about that because it is so iconic. The lines have blurred from when I use the quote on and off stage, and it remains intimidating.
What message does the cast hope that the audience takes home from the musical?
I think the ultimate message of the show is this idea of embracing who you are as a person and that every person has value and something to be proud of. Not being afraid to be yourself, even in the face of bullying and not fitting in with the clique that you think you want to. If you are true to yourself, you will end up where you are supposed to be, with the people you are supposed to be with.
Can you share some of your future goals?
I have been thinking about that a lot recently. I am going to be finished with the tour in May. It has been part of my life for three years now. It’s been a crazy journey, and my future goals are pretty simple at the moment. I am going to be in New York and just see what theatre opportunities present them and follow that. Kind of chase the dream like everyone does.
Mean Girls will be staged Tuesday, February 28 through Sunday, March 5 at San Diego Civic Theatre (broadwaysd.com or 619.615.4000). It will then be performed Tuesday, March 7 through Sunday, March 19 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa (scfta.org or 714.556.2787).