Troye Sivan’s Very Gay Conversation with His ‘3 Months’ Director
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Troye Sivan has a very gay conversation with Three Months director Jared Frieder over at Interview Magazine. Sivan stars in the movie that involves an HIV scare that is streaming on Paramount+ now.
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Unlike most queer coming-of-age films, Three Months, written and directed by Jared Frieder and starring Troye Sivan, is not about the struggles of being queer. Instead, it’s about the private moments of strength and joy in the process of coming into one’s own. If Juno‘s wit and charm emerged out of the harsh reality of teen pregnancy, Three Months’ clever tenderness reflects the solitary journey of self-discovery for queer teenagers growing up outside of LGBTQIA+ hubs. The film centers on Caleb [Sivan], an openly gay Jewish teen living with his grandmother [played by Academy Award Winner Ellen Burstyn], over the three pivotal months after he is exposed to HIV. This three-month sentencing period—it takes that long to accumulate enough antibodies to test positive for the virus—is what gives the film its name.
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While the semi-autobiographical film does touch on the usual subject matter—strained relationships, rejection, traumas—these are not its focal points. Instead, Frieder relies on tenderness and humor to paint a portrait of a queer teenager who is learning to fall in love, trust friendships, and find joy in family, even when faced with potentially life-altering news. Three Months marks Sivan’s first performance in a leading role, and Frieder’s directorial debut.
FRIEDER: Were you nervous to play Caleb at first? And if so, what made you the most nervous?
SIVAN:I was so nervous. First of all, not auditioning makes me feel like a fraud. I have imposter syndrome at the best of times. I remember before we started filming, I sat on the floor upstairs, and I read a scene. I had already gotten the part. I did, basically, a self-tape of the condoms monologue.
FRIEDER:You sent me the video.
SIVAN: I think that was probably the most nervous I was throughout the entire process because it was my first time showing how I imagined Caleb to be. I was terrified. There’s so much personality on the page with Caleb, and bringing that to life was stressful. He was so good on the page that I wanted to make sure that he was like that in real life—charismatic and endearing. He’s a little shit, but I fell in love with him. I wanted to make sure that everyone else did as well.
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