Gorgeous actor Ben Bonenfant stars in Joseph Graham's standout film Strapped as a hustler who begins to look at himself differently one stormy night when he finds himself lost in a maze-like apartment building.

We spoke to Ben about shocking the audience, filming gay sex scenes, identity and role-playing. 

Tell me a little about Strapped. What can we expect?
Strapped is kind of a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing. It sets itself up to be one thing, a film you've seen before, and then (hopefully) catches you unaware and becomes something else entirely. This, in my opinion, is in total keeping with the over-arching themes of the movie - identity and personas, the various masks we wear in various situations.

A young hustler goes about a game he's always played, wearing a different mask with every man he meets until the mask comes off and he has to face (or figure out) who he really is. And all of that takes place in one night and in one apartment building.  

What was it that first attracted you to the film?
Initially, I was attracted to the acting challenge - playing a character who is constantly playing characters. The Hustler is supposed to be very good at adopting many different demeanours and personalities, and that just sounded like fun.

But also, I was very moved by the scene with the Hustler and the older tenant, Sam, when I first read it, and I found more that spoke to me every time I went back for another look. I was really just attracted to the story that Joe was trying to tell.

Tell us a little about your character of the Hustler.
The Hustler is a young kid who has a talent for becoming whoever he thinks people want him to be. He is a chameleon of sorts, and he uses this ability as a means for his ends (money, a bit of fun, and often both). He likes his job, and he's good at his job. However, as would be the case with most anybody, after playing so many different parts for so long, he has lost touch with himself and avoided true intimacy at all costs.

Do you mind that he doesn’t have a name?! What’s the thinking behind this?
He used to! The Hustler's name was eventually cut from the movie. There was a scene at the end where he wrote his name and his phone number on a scrap of paper for Gary who looked at it and said, "Adam?" to which the Hustler thereafter replied, "My name is really Adam." It was the only time in the movie that his name was ever spoken, but in the script the character's name was Adam, and all throughout the shooting process that was his name as far as all of us were concerned.

It wasn't until late in the editing process that we realised that scene, while good, needed to go. It was a hard choice, but it was the right one, and from then on Adam was known only as the Hustler. Since then I've come to see more reasons why it's better this way. Within the context of the movie, the many names that the Hustler uses are only trappings of the personas he portrays - when the persona falls away, the need for a name does to.

"When you are stripping for someone, it isn't sexy unless you believe it is, and believing that you are sexy, no matter what anyone else tells you, is often a very hard thing to do."

So how similar are you to him?
Not much. I mean, there are small ways in which I connect to him, but they are mostly ways in which I connect to each of the various personas. The Hustler keeps everyone at a great distance, alienating them with his role-playing. I like to have good, close friends, people who know me better than I know myself. However, I do think that everyone is like the Hustler to some degree. Everyone wears different masks around different people.

What or whom would you want to be strapped to?
A jetpack would be fun.

Do you think it’s going to shock a few people?
Certainly - it already has. 

What was the most challenging scene for you in the film?
Actually, the scene where the Hustler dances for everyone in Leon's apartment was probably the most challenging. I'm not much of a dancer, at least not with that kind of dance, and I felt very self-conscious for a while. It took a lot of focus for me to achieve what we needed for that scene. When you are stripping for someone, it isn't sexy unless you believe it is, and believing that you are sexy, no matter what anyone else tells you, is often a very hard thing to do.

And what about one that you’re particularly proud of?
I really like the scene where Gary welcomes the Hustler into his apartment and they sit on his futon together while sipping wine out of Mason jars. It's casual and loaded, comfortable and tense, all at the same time. Nick is a terrific actor, and working with him kept me on my toes. I enjoyed our dialogue a lot, and I think it's now my favourite scene to watch in the movie. 

"I thought it was a great opportunity to learn and grow and make some pretty cool art. But, honestly, I didn't think of it as a gay film. I connected to it on a multitude of levels."

There’s a fair amount of bare flesh on display. How do you feel about getting your clothes off on film?
I don't really feel one way or the other about it at this point. "Bare flesh" is a part of who that character is, and so it was something that was pretty easy to accept. It didn't ever seem gratuitous in a way that it shouldn't be.

Do you mind that a lot of the guys watching the film will be lusting after you?
Not really. They're lusting after the Hustler - not me. The Hustler wants to be whoever they want him to be. Who wouldn't lust after that? 

How did you go about filming the sex scenes – what’s the process?
We did rehearsals for all of them, marking through them so we would all know what was happening, where everyone would be, what the camera angle would be like, etc. As you can see in the movie, the camera work is very specific in the sex scenes. Joe had different focuses for each one and a lot of detail went into them.

You’re an attractive guy. What would you say is your best asset and if you could change one thing about your body, what would it be?
Well, like most people I'm not crazy about my body. I don't know what my best asset would be. I think I have okay arms, though. Something I'd change? I don't think I'd actually change anything if I could, but since we're being so open here, I do think I have pretty unsightly nipples.

So have you ever been chatted up by a guy before?
Who hasn't?

Ever been tempted?
Truthfully, not really. I think I like what I like.

"The Hustler wants to be whoever they want him to be. Who wouldn't lust after that?" 

As a straight actor, what was the appeal of working on a gay film?!
I thought it was a great opportunity to learn and grow and make some pretty cool art. But, honestly, I didn't think of it as a gay film. I connected to it on a multitude of levels, and I don't know how much of a push or pull factor was there in its being a gay film. The appeals and apprehensions I had would have been there if it had been the same movie told in a heterosexual context.

So what’s in your closet?
I'm definitely a big Lady Gaga fan.

Are you a boxers or briefs man?
Boxer-briefs!

Can you remember your first date – where did you go and did you kiss later that night?!
Totally. I was in eighth grade and I wasn't actually allowed to date. I went out with some friends who wanted to help arrange a date between me and this girl I liked without my parents thinking that's what I was doing.

We went to see Daredevil, that superhero movie with Ben Affleck. I still don't remember much about the movie. I just remember holding her hand the whole time and sweating like crazy. Unfortunately, no kiss that night.

So what comes first for you – sex or love?
Love. I've always been a big romantic. Ever since I read Romeo and Juliet when I was 12 I had always wanted to fall in love like that. But seriously, who doesn't love sex?

And finally, what’s next for Ben Bonenfant - can we expect to see you play gay in the future?
Don't know what's next! I'm finishing up school for another year or so, and then I'm off to who knows where. I love theatre and I want to continue pursuing it at all costs. I had a great experience working on Strapped and would certainly like to do more film if the opportunity arose (and I'd especially like to work with Joe again).

I don't have any plans to play gay or not to play gay in the future, so you'll just have to wait and see!