Margaret Cho: Proud To Be A ‘Fag Hag’

LAS VEGAS (TNA) – It’s a good time to be a "fag hag." It is, at least if you’re a fag hag named Margaret Cho.

The popular comedienne is currently celebrating her self-proclaimed "fag hag" status via the new DVD comedy, "Bam Bam & Celeste," which hit stores August 14 and centers on the relationship between a gay man named "Bam Bam," and his straight gal pal, Celeste, as they escape their Midwest hometown to go on a road trip to New York.

Margaret Cho, fag hag

Cho not only stars in the film, she also produced it and wrote the script. And while the film is being marketed as a fictional comedy, Cho says the relationship between the two lead characters is close to the real-life one she has with her leading man, Bruce Daniels.

"I’m his fag hag," Cho admits, adding that the normal fag hag relationship is something that isn’t sexual but has an intimacy that is far deeper than just being good friends.

"If I’m in a relationship with a guy, he has to understand that my gay friend comes first," Cho laughs.

Writing the film was an enjoyable challenge for Cho, who says coming up with funny lines for all the characters, not just Celeste, was the goal.

"It’s hard to write a script – it’s hard to write anything. But it’s exciting when you bring the script to actors to see what they bring to it," Cho says. "For example, there are times when I don’t write a laugh line for an actor, but they make it funny anyway."

One role that wasn’t hard to write was the character of "Mommy," an older Korean woman who is based Cho’s own mother, and is played by Cho herself.

"Writing for my Mom’s character was very easy," she says.

Writing the script actually took longer than making the movie, which Cho says had to be filmed in only 20 days. However, the time constraints actually played to her strengths.

"Since my main focus is live performance, I prefer single takes and that’s my instinct."

But even the most prepared actors can be forced to do multiple retakes. Cho says she spent the last day of shooting doing nearly 20 takes of a scene with Kathy Najimy, who is best known for her roles as a singing nun in "Sister Act," and as the voice of Peggy Hill in "King Of The Hill."

"The last scene we filmed, she kept burping during the takes, but I couldn’t stop laughing," Cho says. "We did 20 takes. I was tired. I was punch drunk, but she continued to burp every time on cue."

Cho is keeping her fingers crossed that "Bam Bam & Celeste" will become a date night film for fag hags and their friends, but it’s not the only project on her plate.

Starting in late September, Cho will bring her theatrical variety show, "The Sensuous Woman," to New York for an off-Broadway run.

She says the show, which features her surrounded by a cast of comedians, belly dancers and other burlesque superstars, is a case of everything old is new again.

"It’s like one of those old Las Vegas revues Debbie Reynolds would do," Cho says. "There are dancers, comedy sketches. It’s actually like one of those old TV variety shows from the 1970s. It’s kind of anachronistic."

Cho commissioned some of the show’s musical material, but admits music isn’t her forte. Still, she sees similarities between it and comedy.

"How music works is mathematical. Like comedy, it’s all about rhythm and timing," Cho says.

For more information, check out http://www.margaretcho.com.