Unveiling Christian Weissman: From Actor to Author of "Her, Him and I"
It’s not often that we come across an effervescent talent like Christian Weissman. Hailing from Chicago, Weissman spent his childhood performing the Hannah Montana soundtrack for his parents at dinner and participating in school plays. His career set into motion in early high school when he moved to LA to pursue acting full time but it wasn’t until earlier this month that he became a published author.
I sat down with Christian to discuss the process of writing “Her, Him and I” and the deep catharsis he experienced while working on the project.
Tell me about your experience writing the book. Like, what was what was the inspiration? Why did you decide to write a book?
Well, I was very gay and very sad. And I needed to put that into something, or else I was going to spontaneously combust. I think, when I was younger, I was really into writing as a form of like, catharsis and expressing my feelings without having to be so blunt about what I was feeling. I just started, you know writing little stories. I was 19 years old, and in the closet, and I was only really out to my therapist, and they were like, You should keep writing and really use that as a form to, like, get more comfortable with who you are. And I really took it to heart. And I kept writing. And as I came out, I kept writing. And as I started exploring my experiences with dating men, I kept writing, and it became something that made dating less scary, and being a queer person less scary. I realized that I need to live so that I can continue to create, and I need to create so I can continue to live.
Was it always poetry or was it ever journal entries too?
yeah, oh, my god, definitely journal entries. I mean, I actually have a couple poems in the book that are called journal entry 12 or something andI wanted to leave them untouched, because a lot of these were journal entries from when I was 18. I would write little stories and experiences like “I went to the beach with this boy, and I really liked him. And I liked the way he looks at me, it makes me feel like I'm dancing on clouds.”
When do you think you knew that writing a book was the right route to take?
I think I knew I should make it into a more fleshed out project when I realized how right it felt when I was writing. You know I'd be sitting in bed for like, six hours at a time just writing. I just realized I truly could do this for the rest of my life and I would be so fulfilled.
What are you hoping others (both those who are part of the LGBTQ community and aren’t) can take away from this book?
I hope they can relate to it. This book is a rollercoaster just like how the queer experience is a rollercoaster. It’s very hard to learn how to get comfortable in your own skin. We live in a world where we're inherently discriminated against. And people, whether it's in America, or all over the world are just constantly trying to take away our rights, and not give the representation and the acceptance that we are so deserving of as the LGBTQIA+ community. I hope that when people read this book, they feel less alone in their experiences, and less alone in the fluidity of it all. I think when I first came out of the closet, I really struggled with the binary of gay or straight. Queerness is this sort of thing that ebbs and flows, but doesn't need to go from point A to point B. And I really hope that people can see that in the book and, you know, be encouraged to embrace that sort of fluidity and their own experiences.
Christians debut book, "Her, Him and I," not only offers a raw and honest portrayal of his personal experiences but also serves as a beacon of hope and understanding for readers navigating their own journeys. Weissman's story is a powerful reminder of the importance of embracing one's identity and using art to connect, heal, and inspire.
