Actor, singer, Texan Kevin Cahoon is looking forward to season 2 of the Fox nighttime soap

GREGG SHAPIRO | Contributing Writer
GreggShapiro@aol.com

Fox’s new musical nighttime soap opera Monarch is to country music as the network’s Empire was to hip-hop. Complete with over-the-top, exaggerated characters, familial intrigue, infidelity and tragedy.

Oh, and there are a few queer characters, too.

Among those queer characters is hair and makeup artist Earl, played by out actor and singer — and Texan — Kevin Cahoon.

In addition to occasionally being the much-needed source of comic relief, Earl also is the irreplaceable best friend of country music queen Dottie Roman, played by none other than Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon.
Fortunately for us, Kevin was kind enough to make time in his schedule to answer a few questions.

Dallas Voice: Kevin, I first became aware of you as a performer via your music and your band Ghetto Cowboy. Your debut album Doll won an OutMusic Award in 2006. When you look back at that time, how do you feel about it? Kevin Cahoon: That’s one of the proudest achievements I’ve ever had in my life; it really is! It’s on every bio, every résumé. I was so proud to have received it because, in a way, I was coming from the theater, and to do this as my first foray into music, creating rock and roll and pop songs; it just felt like the warmest embrace. I was so honored to receive that. … The LGBTQIA community is still moving forward, trying to gain equality across the board. But at that time this was [during] “don’t ask, don’t tell.” This was before marriage equality.

“It was even before RuPaul’s Drag Race. The culture had no understanding about this music and these people that really were making this music. So, it really felt like the outsiders were crashing their way through the door. … It was an incredible moment, and it was so exciting, and it was one of the greatest times of my life.

Have you had the time to work on any new original music? I haven’t, and I want to. I think about it all the time. It’s coming, I promise. I have an idea for the long-awaited second album.

As you mentioned, at the same time you were making this music, you were doing a lot of theater and have continued to focus on your acting career. Would you say you’re a singer who acts or an actor who sings? I would say that I’m an actor who sings. Even with the rock and roll, it was coming from a place of character and a place of story. I felt like I was playing a character when I was fronting my band.

What was it about the character of Earl that appealed to you as an actor? First of all, it’s a network series with Susan Sarandon and Trace Adkins. That was a giant appeal! As an actor, I was connected to the world because I grew up in Texas, I grew up in the rodeo, and I have a real soft spot for it. If there’s a pair of cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, I’m gonna grab them and put them on. I love the whole aesthetic. I love the world. I love the outsider going out into the plains and staking a claim for himself. That’s the world of Monarch. It is the juiciest of fun soap operas you could ever imagine.

It’s very much in the mold of a classic nighttime soap opera. It is! In the greatest way. Who doesn’t love that? We all loved Desperate Housewives, Nashville, Dallas and Dynasty. [Earl] was inspired by a real person named Earl Cox. He is the premier hairstylist to every country star you can ever imagine. So the [Monarch] creator, Melissa London Hilfers, saw his place in their world and thought, “Let’s create a character that is inspired by him.” So, it’s loosely inspired, but she ran with it. In the show, I have worked for the family for decades. I have been the best friend of Dottie Roman, played by Susan Sarandon.

The series evolves when you get to episodes six, seven and eight, more is revealed as to what Earl knows, and how long he’s been around. He lives on the ranch [The Brambles] with the family. We shot on this incredible 140-acre ranch right outside of Atlanta. It was a dream. The job was a dream. I’m praying that I continue to have more of that dream. We’ll see what happens when it gets to season two.

Is there any possibility of Earl having a love interest? There is. If a season two happens, I think that that is in the pipeline.
The queer energy in Monarch is powerful with you and singer/songwriter Beth Ditto, who plays Dottie’s and Albie’s (Trace Adkins) daughter Gigi, representing for us. What is it like working with Beth? We fell in love immediately. I’m from Texas; Beth is from Arkansas. We fell in love over Zoom. That’s how much I love her. She said to me over the Zoom, “Oh, I can tell I’m gonna fall in love with you.” And I said, “Well, I’ve been in love with you for years because I know who you are. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for the rest of your life.”

Could there someday be a creative collaboration between Kevin and Beth? Yes! Come on. I would just die and go to heaven. That would be a dream. Maybe we can come up with a song for the show.

Monarch is set in Texas. As a Houston native, how do you feel about the way Texas is depicted in Monarch as well as in other shows set in the state? Texas is such an interesting place. Because you have these hotbeds of liberal progressiveness — Austin, Houston, Dallas. Then, on the outskirts, it’s pretty red. But I do have to say that within those red pockets, LGBTQIA people are there. They are part of the fabric. They are accepted; they are beloved. They are part of the world.

But when a midterm election is coming up, they drag up all the stuff again to push these buttons to get people voting for them.

I do feel like we are making strides today. I hope the protection of marriage equality passes in Washington. I think that would be huge. But we have to keep up the fight and we’ve just got to keep moving forward. There’s no choice.

In terms of your personal musical taste, where does country music fall when it comes to your playlist? It’s high on my playlist. I listen to a lot of country music. Brandy Clark is one of my favorites. And Shane McAnally is also. I know Brandy and Shane very well because we’re working on a Broadway musical together that they have written. I am an actor in it. And Robert Horn, who’s an incredible writer; the three of them have written this incredible show. Brandy and Shane are responsible for this rebirth of love that I have for country music. Especially the music that they create. And Kacy Musgraves, of course. … She is a great champion of the LGBTQIA community.

When does the show open? It’s not announced yet, but I will tell you this. It could be on Broadway in the spring of 2023. We’re actually going to the Pioneer Theater in Salt Lake City. from Oct. 28-Nov. The show is called Shucked [and] It’s directed by Jack O’Brien. It’s an exciting, completely original American musical comedy. I’m really excited about it.