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Ryan Murphy's Close Call With Gay Therapy Makes The Prom So Personal For Him
The Emmy-winning director and producer reflects on the relevance and power the upcoming Netflix film has — and how it relates to his own past.
Are you ready for The Prom?
Netflix's upcoming Ryan Murphy-produced adaption of the Tony-nominated musical is gearing up to be one of the cinematic events of the season and in a recent interview, the powerhouse producer revealed the film means more to him than just another project: it's personal.
The plot follows two Broadway stars whose latest theater show suddenly flops and flatlines their careers. Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (James Corden) decide to revamp their public images by heading to small-town Indiana and assisting a high school senior named Emma Nolan (Jo Ellen Pellman), a girl who's been banned from attending prom with her girlfriend. As you might expect, their self-serving mission backfires.
In a recent interview with the star-studded cast for The Hollywood Reporter, Murphy reflects on the relevance and power this story has, and how it relates to his own past. "If only I would have had this feeling of acceptance and belonging, how different my life would have been."
He even revealed that his parents attempted to cure him of his homosexuality when he was in high school.
"I went to my junior prom and the next day my parents took me to a psychiatrist to cure me," Murphy said. "Thankfully, I had a really good shrink, who at the end of our several sessions called my parents in and said, 'You have a choice here: You can try and change him and lose him, or you can accept him and love him.' I was very blessed."
A wise therapist didn't solve all of Murphy's problems though. He still wasn't allowed to bring the suitor of his choice the next year. "When I went to my senior prom, I had been through that but I still took a girlfriend because I wasn’t allowed to come in with my fellow."
For Murphy, that's why "The Prom is very emotional for me, as you can tell.”
The Prom premieres December 11 on Netflix. Watch the trailer below!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
