Hello everybody.

Well…you asked — I answered.

In this Ask Duke Anything episode of Duke’s Download, I’m diving into your questions about everything from the U.S. presidents I’ve met (yes, really!) to my daily wellness routine, my political origin story, and my favorite LGBTQ+ films of all time.

Over the years, I’ve either met or been in the room with Presidents Reagan, Carter, Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden — which still feels surreal to say out loud. I also share what it was like meeting Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip back in 2002 (a moment I’ll never forget).

We also get into:

• My current wellness routine (daily walking, weight training, high‑protein focus, meditation, and faith)
• Why mental health and movement go hand in hand
• Whether I’d ever make a documentary about my family and my grandfather, James Mason
• My thoughts on the upcoming book James Mason: The Star Hollywood Forgot (coming this September)
• How I first got involved in politics around the 2000 election
• My favorite songs from my mom’s career (you know I had to!)
• Thoughts on the war in Ukraine
• My all‑time favorite LGBTQ+ films like The Birdcage, To Wong Foo, and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
• Favorite travel spots, actors, and what’s ahead this summer

This one is personal, wide‑ranging, and honestly a lot of fun. I love doing these Q&A episodes because they let me connect with you beyond headlines and hot takes.

If you enjoy conversations about politics, Hollywood history, wellness, LGBTQ+ culture, and life behind the scenes — this episode is for you.

Drop your questions for the next Ask Duke Anything in the comments 👇

You can write to us at: Questions@DukesDownload.com

And follow us onInstagram:

• @jamesdukemason
• @PrideHouseMedia

This week, I sit down with actor and filmmaker Brian J. Smith (Sense8, Stargate Universe, Tony‑nominated for The Glass Menagerie) — but this conversation is really about something deeply personal and culturally urgent: his Fire Island documentary, A House Is Not a Disco.

And honestly? This film feels like a time capsule.

Brian and I talk about why Fire Island — a place so central to queer history, identity, and freedom — deserved a documentary that captured it not just as a party destination, but as a living, evolving community.

He shares how the film was shot across the 2022 season, with extraordinary access to residents, performers, and longtime community members. We get into what it takes to document a queer space from the inside — the trust, the archival material, the emotional responsibility — and why this moment in LGBTQ culture felt important to preserve on camera.

We also talk about:

• Why he moved from acting into directing and producing
• Capturing Fire Island as both sanctuary and spectacle
• The balance between nostalgia and forward momentum
• Why queer spaces must be documented before they disappear
• Self‑distribution in today’s indie film world

Of course, we also touch on Brian’s career — from moving to New York in 2002 to study acting, to navigating a “don’t ask, don’t tell” industry climate after graduating in 2006, to how Sense8 built a passionate global fanbase during the early days of streaming before algorithms began steering creative decisions.

But at its heart, this episode is about his extraordinary film A House Is Not a Disco — It’s about a chosen family, queer legacy, and what it means to document a culture while you’re still living in it.

If you care about:

✅ Fire Island history and LGBTQ culture
✅ Queer documentary filmmaking
✅ Independent film distribution
✅ Sense8 and LGBTQ representation in media
✅ Preserving queer spaces
✅ The evolution of LGBTQ storytelling

This one’s for you.

A House is Not a Disco is available for pre-order on July 2nd here Gathr.com.

It will be availblre for download July 9th.

For more information about the film go to ahouseisnotadisco.com

And be sure to follow at @ahouseisnotadisco

You can write to us at: Questions@DukesDownload.com

And follow us onInstagram:

• @jamesdukemason
• @PrideHouseMedia

Hey everybody, this week on Dukes Downloaded, I’m sitting down with someone who has truly lived at the intersection of queer culture, politics, and comics — Eric Orner.

You might know Eric as the creator of the iconic LGBTQ comic strip “The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green.” Or maybe you know him from his graphic biography “Smahtguy: The Life and Times of Barney Frank.” Or maybe — plot twist — you didn’t know he also worked on Capitol Hill, AND at Disney Studios out in Hollwood.

Yeah. We get into all of it.

Eric tells me how he went from being a political cartoonist in conservative New Hampshire (yes, really) to becoming a major voice in queer comics. We talk about how Ethan Green was born out of his own dating disasters — because honestly, what better source material is there?

We also reflect on Barney Frank’s legacy following his recent passing and what it means for LGBTQ political history.

This episode is really about how art and politics collide — and how queer storytelling shapes culture in ways we don’t always see coming.

If you care about:

• LGBTQ history
• Queer comics
• Barney Frank
• Capitol Hill stories
• The evolution of the gay press
• Graphic novels and political storytelling

You’re going to love this one.

Follow Eric on Instagram@EricSamOrner

You can write to us at: Questions@DukesDownload.com

And follow us onInstagram:

• @jamesdukemason
• @PrideHouseMedia