I think someone's sexual orientation is great fodder for gossip. But again, it's non-news to me or anyone who knows me.
Paul MarcarelliI did one interview with the Atlantic. It was very interesting; I could write an entire book on that one experience. I've never had any type of public persona outside of the face recognition I have with this job, so I was really ill prepared to have this conversation. I think the real story was that it became a source for a flurry of other derivative stories. I remember the Post headline said "Marcarelli's Bizarre Life," which to me is code for gay, primarily.
Paul MarcarelliAccusations against gay schoolteachers figure really prominently in liberal news headlines, because they're attention-grabbing and ratings-getting. They last a news cycle and go away and then you never hear about them again.
Paul MarcarelliI feel very grateful. I wasn't raised with money. My parents were schoolteachers; I was raised on a small farm. It never dawned on me that I would have a job that someone would pay me to do. Much less a job like this. It would be ridiculous if I had any complaints about it. And look - I've had the opportunity to learn an entirely new set of skills, and I'm bringing them to the work I'm doing now in filmmaking.
Paul MarcarelliI've spent hundreds of days on commercial sets in the last ten years. If I didn't learn something along the way, I wasn't paying very close attention.
Paul MarcarelliI share with a lot of people who have seen The Green film at gay film festivals when you are the only gay guy on the block, you feel this responsibility to be this ambassador. You spend a lot of time making sure that other people feel comfortable with you. The perception that we project on that community, that gets in the way of a clear line of communication.
Paul Marcarelli