Armand Fields Talks Upcoming ‘Queer as Folk’ Reboot
Armand Fields is on a mission to make their mark in the entertainment industry, and they plan to do it in the most fabulous way possible.
The nonbinary actor, who has no shame in being unapologetically Black and queer, is primarily known for their work on Showtime’s dramedy series Work in Progress. This summer, they will appear as Bussey, a reigning drag queen and matriarch figure, in the highly anticipated Queer as Folk reboot, premiering on Peacock.
“To say I’m thrilled and extremely grateful to be involved with this project would be an understatement,” they say.
In addition to acting, Fields is also known for their drag persona Cleo Pockalipps, who is prominent within Chicago’s drag scene. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Fields moved to the Windy City for college where they pursued fashion design and conceptual performance art.
Fields took some time to talk more about Queer as Folk, their love of art, and performing in drag with OFM.
Let me begin by asking, were you a fan of the original Queer as Folk series?
To be honest, yes and no. I was grateful for the impact it had on society and television at the time because I remember seeing nothing like that on TV before, and it definitely paved the way for so many other things to come, but I kind of started to tune out because I felt like I didn’t see myself reflected on it.
When you first heard that there was going to be a reboot, what were your initial thoughts?
I was like, “Hell yes! Absolutely!” It definitely screams like it needs to be done. Out of all the reboots that have come out over the past year, I will say, this is one that was needed.
Do you think the reboot will have as much of an impact as the original?
Yes, 100%. One-thousand percent. Because it’s encompassing everyone that’s a part of that updated rainbow. We’re going to be seeing relationships that we haven’t seen on television before.
Can you talk more about your character, Bussey, and how you connect with them?
Outside of being an actor, I am a drag queen, so I was like, check! Bussey is sort of like this fierce mother lion who is not only protective of her group of friends, but of her community. That’s the thing about drag in general. In some ways, we are the gatekeepers of culture. From Drag Race to your local bar, drag queens are usually the first people that you see when you go into a gay bar, and if it’s your first time, you can be a bit overwhelmed. People who express that, we go straight up to them and introduce ourselves (laughs).
You are best known for playing King in Showtime’s Work in Progress, who is unapologetically Black and queer. Are you bringing that same energy to Bussey?
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Absolutely. With Bussey, she’s from the South, and she’s also unapologetically Black and queer. Sometimes with drag personas, we’re like a version of Superman and Clark Kent, but Bussey is Bussey when Bussey is not Bussey.
This reboot has quite a dynamic cast. What was it like working with them?
Oh, my God. It was amazing! From Devin Way, our lead, and I was familiar with Johnny Sibilly and Ryan O’Connell, and then of course, Kim Cattrall, Juliette Lewis, and Jesse James Keitel, it was so exciting to meet these people and work with them. Then outside of filming, we would watch Drag Race together, explore different restaurants in New Orleans—We truly became friends throughout this process.
Why did you initially audition for this role?
It’s funny because I originally got an audition for a different character, but I was just excited that a reboot was happening, and I wanted to be a part of this. I didn’t necessarily resonate with that character, but I at least wanted to put myself on tape for it. Then a week went by, and my manager sent me the breakdown for Bussey. I said, “That’s it! This is my way into this world.”
We are in the world of self-taping right now, so I got into drag and put myself on tape for it. Two weeks later, I got a call back, and after the call back, it was silence. It was silence because they had this whole world to build and all these characters. I heard something around three months later, but I’m grateful that it took that long and they chose me to bring Bussey to life.
Any memorable behind-the-scenes moments you would like to share with us?
Oh my gosh, so many! Most of the talent had already been cast and were in New Orleans rehearsing. I was one of the last few to be cast. I was originally supposed to arrive on a Tuesday night and was going to start rehearsals the next day. However, my plane had gotten delayed, so I had to stay the night in Austin. It was quite a journey to get here. Then they were like, “Are you OK with just dropping your stuff off at the hotel and going straight to rehearsal?” I was like, “Yes. Let’s go!”
It was so funny because I went to the rehearsal stage, and I saw the group because they were on break. Everyone was gathered around the trailers and talking, and once they cast me, we started following each other on Instagram so they kind of knew what I looked like, but they didn’t know when to expect me. I got out of the van, sneaked up on them, and was like, “Did somebody order a drag queen?” Everyone was all, “Yas!” It was instant chemistry, and we went right into rehearsals.
Have you always had a passion for acting and storytelling?
Absolutely, ever since I was a kid. I acted in my first play when I was in third grade, and I never really stopped. In a lot of ways, it’s an escape for me. I love TV and movies and being able to quote them. I would just study them and try to figure out how the characters would say certain lines. I could probably do a one-person movie (laughs).
Later in my teenage years, I became interested in fashion design, so I was studying fashion design, as well as conceptual performance art. Experimental theater, theater avant-garde, stuff like that. As I step into characters now, I am still bringing that sort of fashion eye. I’m always curious, what does this character wear? What is their daily armor? What is their heightened armor?
You have made a name for yourself in Chicago’s drag scene as Cleo Pockalipps. Can you tell us how drag came into play with your art?
I may be a queer actor, but I was always hesitant to drag because I was afraid to really tap into that divine feminine energy because of the way I was raised. I remember doing a play about Milli Vanilli, and I was one half of the dynamic duo, and we had to wear wigs and makeup. I was like, wow, this is kind of like drag. We were also lip syncing! This was around 2012, so YouTube videos were new, so I started to look at YouTube videos on how to do drag makeup and playing around in my bathroom.
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At that time, I was also learning how to tap into clairvoyance. I told one of my teachers about me doing drag, and he was like, oh my gosh, what if you were like a psychic drag queen. I was like, like Miss Cleo? So, that’s how Cleo kind of came to be. I’m also a huge fan of Queen Latifah for her role in Set It Off, who is Cleo. She has one of the most amazing death scenes. She’s going out like a gangster, and that’s Cleo to me. She’s going to go out like a thug!
I was also going through my own sort of Saturn Return, where there’s sort of this destruction and evolution that you go through. I was trying to incorporate that because there’s that Lady Gaga song, “Marry the Night,” and she talks about marrying that dark side of you. I was like, “How can I incorporate that in my name?” I was looking at synonyms for destruction and I came across apocalypse, which is chaos or destruction to create room for rebirth. That’s perfect, and that’s how Cleo Pockalipps was born.
I initially didn’t start doing the nightclub rounds because I was hesitant, but I also quit drinking and I didn’t want to be in that atmosphere. I was doing drag in theatrical shows or people would ask me to host events, but when I moved back to Chicago in 2017, I was like, “What if I quit my job and pursue drag and acting full time?” I was in the restaurant industry for 15-plus years. So, I quit my job and started entering every competition I could. I eventually became mainstage in a lot of the nightclubs in Northalsted.
What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your career?
Oh, gosh. Where to start? I am so grateful for this because this is such an iconic role, and I’m curious as to how much more I can do with drag, TV, and film. This kind of takes the cake in a lot of ways, but I hope to do drag for a high budget film someday, in addition to continuing to play Bussey and getting to tell more of her story. I also have a pilot that I’ve written that’s loosely based on my life and that whole Saturn Return time that I’m hoping to get made.
I just want to keep making art. I would love to produce big production drag shows and perform those across the country, perform more as Cleo, and really continue to hone my arts and be able to entertain others. I’m such a theater nerd and there is no better feeling than watching a live performance. I love TV and film because of the things that we’re able to do with it, but theater and live performance is such a lovely experience.
Stay up-to-date and connect with Fields by following them on Instagram @armandbcfactor. Queer as Folk will begin streaming on Peacock on June 9.
Photos courtesy of Armand Fields and Peacock
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