The out comedian is sweating his way through season three of Bravo’s hit reality series Work Out

BY CHRISTOPHER LISOTTA

Micah McCain has made a name for himself around town as an openly gay stand-up comedian who for years performed as the drag queen Bridgette of Madison County. These days McCain is juggling hosting and styling gigs while appearing in the third season of Bravo’s Work Out, which profiles the drama-filled professional and personal life of out gym owner Jackie Warner. McCain is one of a handful of clients at Warner’s L.A.-based gym, Sky Lab, featured this season. McCain was up for the challenge of transforming himself on TV, plus when he figured out he could do the same thing he was doing with his own trainer and not have to pay for it, he was really sold. Starting June 19, McCain is starring in A Tale of Two Sissies with Paul David at Casita Del Campo in Silver Lake.

FRONTIERS: So Jackie, is she on the express train to Crazytown, or what?

Everybody asks about her! To me, she is brilliant. She is funny, she is supportive, she is inspiring. I think she is a hysterical bitch, and that’s the truth. To me all the drama that has aired so far on the show or on past seasons, she might be like that with her trainers, but with her clients, she’s not like that. She is full of heart and charisma, and she really helps everyone reach their goals.

How scripted is this show? Do they set situations up or do they capture you?

I really feel the show is unscripted. They really are capturing what it is like to be somebody who wants to make their appearance look better and work out. You go to the gym and they film you. And there are weekend boot camps with Jackie and they film you. They are capturing the experience of an individual who thinks they don’t have the right image, or an image they want to obtain.

This is not your first reality experience. Is it different now from what it was a couple years ago?

To me being a part of Gay Hollywood—that was the show on AMC—that was more a documentary. The goals or the message of the project were different. That was showing you a slice of lives of Hollywood. With Work Out, you knew they were going to put you up against things you were going to have to compete against, whether that’s yourself or other members of Sky Lab, or there were going to be confrontations with our trainer. There was much more drama in it. In Gay Hollywood, the drama just was happening, you weren’t put in situations where things were going to happen. I always work on my career, and I’m always looking for the next job, and I’m always looking to make it. You need to be fit to work on camera. Work Out was more a tool to do what I was doing.

Did you feel the pressure to be the wacky gay guy?

I would say not intentionally. You never know how they are going to edit you, so I didn’t know if I would be the fabulous fag or bitchy queen. I didn’t feel any pressure to be the gay guy. I was being who I was.

I have trouble going to the gym when there’s a security camera, let alone a film crew. Did that intimidate you?

We got weighed often on a scale, and they would yell numbers out, and that hurts. For me, I felt like this was a process I had to do. I can’t be afraid of who I am or what I wear, how I look, especially if I’m working on it. To me it was a process. Doing it all on camera was a way to own it, and own up to it and go beyond it and work away from it into what I want to be. I admitted my self-esteem issues, and all this stuff I don’t want to admit, because I’m a Capricorn—dammit, I’m not supposed to!

What’s the gayer network, Bravo or Logo?

I would say Bravo. I feel like Logo is doing knock-off stuff that Bravo is actually doing. But maybe that’s just more of a money thing. I wish they could both be the gayest network out there so we could get more exposure.

Is it true you’re (presidential candidate) John McCain’s secret gay love child?

The only way we’re related is that I’m part of the issues he’s against.

Any chance you’re voting for your namesake this November?

Only if I were running would I vote for a McCain on the ballot