The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo
| The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Brian Jordan Alvarez |
| Written by | Brian Jordan Alvarez |
| Directed by | Brian Jordan Alvarez |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Justin Berns |
| Editor | Brian Jordan Alvarez |
| Original release | |
| Release | January 4 – September 2, 2016 |
The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo is an American comedy web series created, written, directed by and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez, who plays Caleb Gallo and executive produced by Justin Berns. The series features actors Stephanie Koenig, Jon Ebeling, Antonio Marziale, Ken Kirby, and Jason Greene. The series ran for five episodes on YouTube from January 4 to September 2, 2016. The series explores LGBTQ themes, featuring genderfluid and gay characters.[1] The show's style has been described as absurdist and surreal.[2][3] As Jude Dry of IndieWire describes, "Brian Jordan Alvarez uses the traditional sitcom as a foundation to imagine a world a few marbles short of reality."[4] Steven Horowitz of Paper notes that while the series "may stretch beyond the limits of reality, it's actually deeply rooted in it."[3]
Production
[edit]The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo was funded without a production company, but by an investor. The $10,000 received was split between the first three episodes.[5] Instead of being produced on a schedule, the webseries was made at its own pace.[6] Creator Brian Jordan Alvarez served multiple roles while making the show, including actor, director, producer, writer, and editor.[6] As he explains, "Essentially, I love doing everything myself, so as the production grows, it's a process finding people who I trust to take on parts of the workload that I am no longer capable of doing."[6]
LGBTQ representation
[edit]The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo includes many LGBTQ+ characters and topics, including non-cisgender characters.[6] According to cast member Antonio Marziale, the show's representation is unique in that "[i]t doesn't have to be this big thing."[6] As Jude Dry of IndieWire explains, "Dates are walks, siblings are different races, gender is whatever, and sexual preference is something to be tried on like a fabulous hat."
Cast and characters
[edit]Main
[edit]- Brian Jordan Alvarez as Caleb
- Stephanie Koenig as Karen
- Jon Ebeling as Billy
- Ken Kirby as Lenjamin
- Antonio Marziale as Benicio
- Jason Greene as Freckle
Guest
[edit]- Jimmy Fowlie as Chris (episode 1)
- Michael Strassner as Mike Wake (episode 2, 5)
- Judilin Bosita as Jury (advisor) (episode 2, 5)
- Punam Patel as Panana (advisor) (episode 2, 5)
- Danièle Watts as Tatiana (episode 4, 5)
- Curtis Tyrone Scott as Jarius (episode 4)
- Brian Sounalath as Johnny (episode 4)
- Satya Bhabha as Andy (episode 4)
- Toby Abatemarco as Juan (episode 5)
- Loretta Fox as Andrea (episode 5)
- Nick Jandl as Malcolm (episode 5)
- Matthew Lynn as Jeff (episode 5)
- Austin Dale as Cousin Marlon (episode 5)
Controversies
[edit]In August 2024, Alvarez's co-star Jon Ebeling, who played Billy in the series, posted an Instagram Story alluding to having been sexually assaulted by Alvarez, comparing his experiences working with him to the plot of the Netflix series Baby Reindeer.[7] Ebeling filed a sexual assault report against Alvarez with the Los Angeles Police Department the following month. A story published by Vulture in December 2024 alleged that Alvarez sexually assaulted Ebeling by performing nonconsensual oral sex on him during the shooting of a 2016 episode. Alvarez denied the story through a spokesperson alleging that "all interactions with Ebeling were always entirely consensual" and that he believed the 2016 incident to be consensual because of their prior sexual history.[8][9][10]
References
[edit]- ^ Glenn, Garner (2016-01-06). "Brian Jordan Alvarez Leads Hilarious New Web Series". Out. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
- ^ Dry, Jude (2016-11-07). "'Will & Grace' On Speed: Gotham-Nominated Web Series 'The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo' Is A Surreal Ride". IndieWire. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
- ^ a b "Catching Up With the Creator of the Best Queer Web Series Out There". Paper. 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
- ^ Dry, Jude (2016-12-21). "Jerry Seinfeld, Demetri Martin and Female Bros: The 16 Best Web Series Of 2016". IndieWire. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
- ^ "Brian Jordan Alvarez invites us into 'The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo'". The Daily Dot. 2016-01-10. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
- ^ a b c d e "Brian Jordan Alvarez brings his vision to life with The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo". The Daily Dot. 2016-06-16. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
- ^ Kelly, Keegan (August 9, 2024). "Former Co-Star of FX's 'English Teacher' Creator Accuses Him of 'Baby Reindeer'-Type Behavior". Cracked. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ Jung, E. Alex (December 17, 2024). "Friends Like These". Vulture. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ Fu, Eddie (December 17, 2024). "English Teacher creator Brian Jordan Alvarez accused of sexual assault by former collaborator". Consequence. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ Morrow, Brendan (December 17, 2024). "'English Teacher' star Brian Jordan Alvarez accused of sexual assault: Report". USA Today. Retrieved December 28, 2024.