The film A Beautiful Now is a beautiful experience and part of the main reason is the performances. Abigail Spencer sparkles as a dancer named Romy, and Cheyenne Jackson is a revelation as her friend David. He brings a gravitas to the role that makes the experience even stronger. We spoke with the American Horror Story actor by phone from his home in California.

Scene Creek: Why do you gravitate towards indies?

Cheyenne Jackson: There aren’t as many rules. It’s where the most interesting stories are, and really TV right now is so rich, the writing and the taste level is so tremendous right now. It’s just a different world than it used to be. So a film can either be like big, animated, Avengers and blockbusters, things like that, or comedies and then it’s indies. It’s not like it used to be, so the really interesting stories to me, are in independent film. Also, it’s not as big a commitment in terms of time, it’s three and four week projects, you can fit them in between your hiatus, if you’re on a TV show, if you’re on a Broadway show, so it just seems to work with my schedule.

SC: What do you bring from your experience? How similar are you to your character?

CJ: Um, there’s definitely some similarities. I mean, there are a lot of similarities that stuck with me personally, about where I came from, and about my relationships with my girlfriends, when I was coming out, and figuring out who I am and where I fit in the world, my sexuality, yeah, there was a lot I could pull from.

SC: What did you enjoy so much about working with Abigail Spencer?

CJ: Abigail is so talented, so present and just a real bright light, so you know my stuff with her was very alive. It’s a small little world. She’s great. I’m so happy for her, for her new show, and for her success. She worked so hard and she’s so talented, and it’s nice when big things happen to really talented people, because as we know, that’s not always how it works. We would love to work together again. It would be fun to do sort of like a Rock Hudson / Doris Day kind of musical comedy thing. It would be nice.

SC: What kind of roles do you see yourself taking on in the next few years?

CJ: That’s a great question. I don’t really plan out what’s going to happen. I’m open to what comes my way, and then it’s really an intuition thing, but I guess what I’m focused on doing is really stretching myself. I’m open to doing more stage work and you know, right now we’re halfway through season six of American Horror Story, so that’s a really fun, kind of different outlet for me and I’d love to do more comedy on television and definitely do a couple more great indies. I shot a great very cool little film in January. So as long as I get maybe one or two a year, it really satiates me, so as long as I do I guess my goal is do more of the same.

SC: What other projects do you enjoy?

CJ: I absolutely loved American Crime Story. Not just because a lot of my friends are in it, but because I thought it was some of the best television that I’Ve ever seen, and Sarah Paulson…you know we shot both shows on the same lot so she would go to our set, and then she would go to the O.J. set and do both shows in the same day! It was just tremendous. I have such respect for those people. I love Homeland, House of Cards, Veep is all-time favourite show, it does not get any sharper or funnier.

A Beautiful Now is available now on Digital/DVD/VOD.