Elizabeth Faith Ludlow as Stormé DeLarverie in ‘Equal’

Elizabeth Faith Ludlow is continuing to carve out her own path in Hollywood. Known for her portrayals of Arat in AMC’s The Walking Dead, First Lieutenant Lauren Griffin in Godzilla: King of Monsters, and Cas Isakovic in Netflix’s Another Life, her latest project is playing LGBTQ icon Stormé DeLarverie in HBO Max’s four part docuseries, Equal.

Complete with an all-star LGBTQ cast, Equal chronicles landmark events and honors forgotten LGBTQ trailblazers. The show uses archival footage along with stylistic depictions that bring to life the backstories of LGBTQ leaders and unsung heroes.

DeLarverie was an entertainer, bouncer, bodyguard, and one of the first reported drag kings. According to several eyewitnesses, her clash with police was the spark that ignited the Stonewall Riots. She volunteered as a street patrol worker to ensure members of the LGBTQ community were not being harassed or harmed. People began to call her “the Rosa Parks of the gay community.”

OUT FRONT had the opportunity to chat more with Ludlow about what it meant to play DeLarverie, why audiences should watch Equal, upcoming projects, and what we can expect from the next season of Another Life.Hi, Elizabeth! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me. How are you doing during these unprecedented times?
I am doing alright. Fortunately, I was able to continue working. I am in Vancouver right now filming, so I am doing okay.

You are in HBO’s new docuseries Equal playing Stormé DeLarverie. What does playing Stormé and being involved with this show personally mean to you?
Oh, it is hard to put into words. I am beside myself with the fact that I was a part of this. Stormé is such an icon, and I am so happy and elated that everyone is finally getting to see a little more of her story. What she did for the LGBTQ community was huge, and I don’t know if that many people really know who she was. I am so proud to be a part of this project because so many people are going to learn more about all these pioneers that helped pave the way.

Were you familiar with Stormé’s story before accepting the role?
Vaguely. I knew of her name and I had heard it in passing because I took a couple women’s studies classes back in college, and that was part of our focus, but I did not really know too much of her story. As I started to read and learn more about her, I was just blown away. Strangely, we have a lot of parallels in our lives, so it meant a lot to me. This project is very close to my heart, and her story is very similar to my own in a lot of ways, so it means the world to me to be representing her.

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What kind of legacy do you believe Stormé left?
It is hard to put into words. As far as I can tell from the research I read, she was one of the first drag kings to be successful during that time period, but also, people called her like a guardian of the village, of Greenwich Village. She took it upon herself to kind of patrol the village and protect members of the LGBTQ community. In a way, she was like a superhero. According to some things, she had a carrying license, so she would essentially walk around with her rifle or whatever she had on her and protect people from violence. I think that is probably one of the coolest stories I have ever heard in my life.

If you had the chance to meet her, what would you say?
Oh my God, thank you. I would just start off with a huge thank you. I don’t even know, that is actually very overwhelming to think about. I would just give her thanks and praise her for doing what she did without looking for recognition or any type of praise. It was just part of who she was, to protect the community. I so admire that.

How did you prepare yourself for the role?
A lot of research. I did a deep dive into her life and watched videos of her speaking. There was not too much footage of her, but I believe I found most of it. I studied her mannerisms, and I learned about who she was, what her life was like, and what it was like to be her during that time period.What do you hope viewers take away from Equal?
I think this is going to be a lot of new information for a lot of people, so I hope that it educates a lot of people on who these pioneers were and what they did for the community. Learn where the struggle came from, how it has evolved, and what we still have to do. I hope people can learn from that, and I hope people can relate to these pioneers and understand how and what they went through is actually affecting us today because we are living in very trying times. It takes people like them to continue this journey, continue the fight, and continue to be proud to live authentically and not be afraid to show or hide it.

Equal has an all-star LGBTQ cast portraying these significant LGBTQ icons. Do you believe only LGBTQ people should play LGBTQ roles?
Oh, that is a tough question. Personally, no. I do not actually feel as if we have to be typecast by our actual sexuality. The role I am playing now is a straight role and I don’t identify as straight, but that does not mean that I can’t relate to the character or bring to life their struggles as well. So, no, I don’t actually think that only LGBTQ people should play LGBTQ roles, but it is harder for LGBTQ actors to work in a sense and to get roles. There is a part of me that does want LGBTQ people to be able to play these roles just because statistically, it is harder for us to get roles, but at the same time, like as an actor and artist, I don’t think our sexuality limits us to what we can portray on screen.

Have you always had a passion for acting?
Yes, as far as I can remember. I have my theatre minor, but even before that, I was always performing around my house for no reason. I was probably annoying my family, but yes, I have always enjoyed performing and being theatrical in a sense.

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Currently, you are in Canada filming the next season for Netflix’s Another Life where you play Cas Isakovic. What can audiences expect?
It is very different from season one. I can’t say too much, but we have kind of shifted in a completely different direction, and I think the viewers will really enjoy where we are taking it.

For those who are unfamiliar, can you give a brief rundown of Another Life?
Yes. It is heavy, heavy sci-fi. Space, aliens, all the good stuff. I am playing an astronaut, and Katee Sackhoff from Battlestar Galactica is in it, and she takes me under her wing. I am like her little protégé. We travel around the universe trying to figure out where this alien artifact came from.

My first time seeing you was in The Walking Dead as Arat. What was your time like on that series?
Yeah, most people are like, you’re Arat from Walking Dead [laughs]. It was a three-year stint, and I was actually living in Georgia at the time. It was a really great experience. I really enjoyed being a part of that show. The whole atmosphere of the show, it was so much different than like walking onto a set or stage. We would basically be in the middle of the woods every day. It was such a fun experience and I truly enjoyed it.What more do you hope to accomplish as an actor?
Oh, man. In sense, I kind of feel like I have just begun in a lot of ways, but I want to lean more into roles like with Equal and telling stories that are very current to what’s going on. Just the way that the state of the world is right now, I feel very inclined to tell stories that need to be represented for minorities and people that are marginalized. I want to continue to tell those stories and lift them up. Give them the respect and praise they deserve. We could use that right now.

I saw that you are branching out into writing and directing, and you are currently working on a film based on your adoptive parents. Can you tell us more about that?
I have had a very interesting journey as well, and there is a lot of intersectionality that I live with every day, and I think that telling a little bit more of my story could, at the very least, I am hoping that it helps people relate and understand what it is like to be a person of color and in the LGBTQ community and growing up the way that I did in the south. I think there is a lot to learn from that. It is like a therapeutic thing for me to just kind of get out all the things that I have been through, and I want to be able to tell a story that can hopefully touch some people. That they can feel heard and seen in a sense.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects you would like to mention or plug?
Just that Another Life season two should be coming in the summer.

To stay up-to-date with Ludlow, follow her on Instagram. Equal is now streaming on HBO Max.

Photos Courtesy of Storm Santos