What was it like playing Margaret Cho’s girlfriend?

It was such an honor. I was sort of nervous the whole time. I just would sit at her feet and ask her questions. She’s just so full of love. She’s obsessed with her cats. She was really, really missing her cats. That was the main thing she was experiencing on set. And then she was just being the hottest butch you can imagine, and taking care of me, and lifting me up off the ground.

What was it like for you, as a trans actor, playing a role where you’re kind of a femme lesbian?

It was so much fun. This was the first job that I got, I guess … Well, I guess I was still Brigette when I was making the movie. I was still using my beautiful name. I would say getting into the costume got harder and harder every day because I was like, “Please God, not again. I can’t do it again. Those high-heel boots, that fucking bra.” The bra was the worst part because it really hurts to wear a push-up bra. And I had forgotten that, because I don’t think I’d worn one since I was like 15. And it digs into your little skin. But once I was in there, I was like, fabulosity. I was loving it.

I know that your character isn’t a drag performer, but did it feel kind of drag for you?

It is drag. And I have a character named Brigus, who’s a pop star, and I play her live, and she has a blonde wig. I actually brought in my Brigus wig and they were like, “This is disgusting.” And they gave me a real wig, so I was used to sort of playing that blondie girl.

How do you spell that character’s name?

It’s B-R-I-G-U-S. Yeah, [vaguely European accent] Brigus.

Oh, so it’s like a European sort of pop star vibe?

Yeah, but she says she’s from New York. But yeah, I don’t know about that.

Just watching the movie, it feels pretty clear that everybody involved had a ton of fun making it. What are some of your favorite memories from set?

I mean, anytime I would look at Tomás [Matos], catching her eye. Hearing Jaquel [Spivey] sing, also just like bliss. If I could have one thing, it would be hearing Jaquel sing, hearing Dominique Jackson tell stories about her life. Just like pure, statuesque, immortal goddess talking to us about the trenches with such grace. And Nina [West] and I have the same birthday, and we really fell in love. So it was just so much fun all the time.