Out Musical Star Tim Draxl Scores as Buff Joe Gillis in 'Sunset Boulevard' Down Under

During rehearsals of the current Australian production of "Sunset Boulevard," out actor Tim Draxl was asked by director Paul Warwick Griffin if he was okay with a semi-shirtless scene. "Have you seen my Instagram?" the buff actor replied.

In the current production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Draxl plays down-and-out screenwriter Joe Gillis, who tops the second act with his open shirt singing the show's cynical title tune. Usually with beard, the 42-year old shaved to give the role authenticity (like the film it is adapted from, the musical is set in the early 1950s.) The plot centers on Gillis becoming the boy-toy of reclusive, former silent film star Norma Desmond, who plots her comeback with his help. He plays opposite British musical superstar Sarah Brightman, who was famously married to Webber when she created the role of Christine Daaé in "Phantom of the Opera" in 1986. She went on to divorce Webber and establish herself as a leading crossover recording artist, merging opera and pop, whose record sales along have made her the world's best-selling soprano. "Sunset Boulevard" marks her return to the stage in some 30 years. But the critics weren't terribly kind to her when this Opera Australia production opened in Melbourne in the spring, and she was plagued with injuries that led to her missing performances. There was even talk that this Sydney engagement would be cancelled.

On the other hand, Draxl has been receiving uniformly fine reviews. "Veteran performer Tim Draxl is outstandingly charismatic as jaded scriptwriter (and Norma's victim) Joe Gillis, with smoothly shining vocals and a confident, cynical stage presence," writes the Sydney Morning Herald in reviewing the production that continues at the Sydney Opera House through November 1. Limelight, a Sydney arts journal, wrote "Tim Draxl nails the role of washed-up screenwriter Joe Gillis, as conceived by William Holden in Wilder's original film – and his rendition of the title song is worth the price of admission alone. Draxl downplays the unrelenting cynicism that has crept into the part over the years, in favour of a desperate man who, like Norma, is still clinging to a pipe dream. He breaks our heart as he tries not to cross the line between decency and desperation – Betty (Ashleigh Rubenach) is as much a ticket to his success and freedom as he is to Norma, yet he wants to do good by them both."

And the Star-Observer, an Aussie queer publication, raved that Draxl "is an absolutely perfect fit for Joe Gillis. This is an extremely difficult role, with Joe required to be on-stage for pretty much the entire show, but Draxl bears the weight in a way that feels genuinely effortless. It's such a vast performance, and Draxl is able to switch between conniving and kind-hearted with the ease of pushing a button. Whether he's swaggering through one of the show's many incredible set pieces or taking breaths away with his big solo, the song 'Sunset Boulevard' at the beginning of Act 2, Draxl's take on Joe Gillis is absolutely remarkable and stands as one of the best musical theatre performances I've ever seen."

While Draxl has had success on Aussie television and films, he identified with the troubles that his character faces in the musical (based on Billy Wilder's poison pen letter to Hollywood that starred Gloria Swanson and William Holden as Norma and Joe). "I lived in LA for seven years, and I know what it's like to get down to your last dollar," he told the Star-Observer in a recent interview. "It's really ugly, not attractive or appealing. I felt like the character really needed that desperation, and it was a wonderful opportunity to bring my own experience in the industry to this role."

Ironically, Draxl came to "Sunset Boulevard" after he had told his agent he didn't want any more musical theater roles. "But then close friends told me auditions had started for 'Sunset Boulevard.' Joe Gillis is one of the ultimate male performances, so I called my agent and said I wanted to audition. And I have to admit, I was terrified; musical theatre auditions especially freak me out for some reason!" It was a role, he explained, on his bucket list. "I've always loved old movies, that's how my career started. My mum had a VHS tape of 'Singin' in the Rain,' and ever since I saw it I knew I wanted to dance and act. Sunset Boulevard is one of my all-time favourite films, and the aesthetic of 1950s Hollywood is so alluring to me."

He continued: "When I landed the role, I really listened to the score and realised the show is such a beautiful homage to what Billy Wilder was saying about the Hollywood machine. It's a love letter to the industry, but with all its downfalls and flaws on display too, especially how it treats women."

Draxl knew from an early age that he wanted to be a performer, a dancer specifically. In an earlier interview with the Star-Observer, he explained how his mom took him to see ballet at a very early age and how he was the only boy in a dance class – at the age of four. "I still remember having to try and get in my ballet tights behind the stack of chairs because there was nowhere to get changed. He added: "There was no question about it in my mind, there was no, you know, alternative. It was that. That was it."

Fortunately, his choice to want to be a performer was encouraged by his family, including his three older brothers – all athletes. He was always body-conscious and fit, but when he was 16 an encounter with performer David Campbell, to whom he auditioned and asked him to sing in his show, changed his perspective. "I started going to the gym and I have been, ever since, body conscious...body proud," says Draxl. "I have no shame in admitting that. I don't think there's anything wrong with being body proud."

He realized he was gay when he was a teen. He attended a performing arts school where it wasn't a problem; not so at home due to his homophobic dad. That and being told he couldn't be gay and have a successful career in show business kept him the closet. "I think for me what it did in the negative sense was it stopped me from being who I naturally was, or who I would have perhaps grown into had I not had to hide who I naturally was."

He struggled with coming out right up until 2019 when he performed "Love Is A Drag," a show in which he sang classic love songs usually sung by women and shared his experiences with the audience. "It was the first time that I actually spoke about coming out in public in a show. And it was incredibly confronting and liberating...I still get upset about it," Draxl told the Star-Observer with tears welling in his eyes.

Draxl winced at the notion that he's a queer icon, but at the very least acknowledged to be an influential mentor to younger queers. It is, the Star-Observer says, "a responsibility he fully embraces, having had a challenging time coming to terms with his own sexuality."

And though Draxl himself winces at the notion, many people consider him a gay icon. At the very least, he acknowledges that he is influential enough to be a proxy mentor to young LGBTIQ people. It's a responsibility he fully embraces, having had a challenging time coming to terms with his own sexuality.

"Sunset Boulevard" has brought Draxl back to Sydney, his home town. "I live in Sydney, my friends are in Sydney, and bringing it home is so exciting," he said. "I'm so glad to be home with my man and my dog, and it's so special to perform it in the Joan Sutherland Theatre. I'd really encourage everyone to come see it!"

Check out these pics from Draxl's Instagram: