What a Trip DREWSTARKEY

Along with his capital-Pperformance as bad guy Rafe in Outer Banks, Drew Starkey has scored his big movie break. He tells us about his buzzy role in Queer, based on the William S. Burroughs novel.

- Devin Gordon

ELLE: Queer is funnier than I expected-it has madcap energy.

DREW STARKEY: Yes. In the true nature of Burroughs and his wittiness-that's definitely something we found along the way.

ELLE: There's a wild scene where you and Daniel Craig's character drink ayahuasca together, and it's almost like modern dance. How do you rehearse a scene like that? DS: We had started rehearsing that months before we shot it. We started in New York with these brilliant choreographers, Paul Lightfoot and Sol León, and it involved this kind of interpretive dance to poetry and movements. It started off very poorly. [Laughs] But after that first day, we were comfortable with each other. I mean, it's such a great way to bond with someone.

ELLE: Have you tried ayahuasca yourself? DS: I feel like it's one of those things that has to be calling you. It hasn't called me yet.