When the History Channel miniseries television event Texas Rising premieres on Memorial Day, there will be no shortage of testosterone with a cast that includes Bill Paxton, Brendan Fraser, Oliver Martinez and LGBT favorite Trevor Donovan. The 10-hour series details the Texas Revolution and the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers, directed by the two-time Oscar-nominated Roland Jaffe (The Killing Fields, The Mission).
The series has Donovan playing the role of Kit Acklin, the best horseman of the Ranger clan, whose love story with Rebecca Pit (Molly McMichael), offers some emotional heart to the ‘guns blazing’ Western saga. As TV audiences fondly remember Donovan’s performance as the closeted Teddy on 90210 and that character’s struggle to come out, taking on a role in an Americana history saga was quite a challenge for the actor, who speaks candidly with Frontiers about the role, keeping up his buff body, his appreciation and support for the LGBT community and his humble beginnings on the soap opera Days of our Lives.
As for the casting process that landed him in Texas Rising, Donovan relates that it wasn’t as easy as one-two-three. “Coming from the projects I worked on, I knew it was going to take a lot of work to show them I could do it, because it’s so far removed from anything I’ve done or anyone has seen me do,” he says.
“The audition process was long for me. I went in four different times. I was taking horseback riding lessons throughout the whole audition process, just in case I did get it so I would be ready to rock. I just knew that it was going to take a lot of work on my part, looking at Westerns and how these guys presented themselves, and doing historical research. But it was all a lot of fun.”
For those who hope Donovan’s character will be a knight in shining armor and sweep one lucky lady off her feet, the actor admits, “Kit has definitely got a strong moral compass. He’s a guy who grew up with family values. The Texas Rangers were kind of vigilante misfits. Some of them were criminals and ex-criminals, but they were fighting for the greater good alongside the military. Kit is definitely the more level-headed and more educated, and I have a beautiful little side love story as well.” It’s that love story that Donovan teases might just pull at your heartstrings. “Keep your Kleenex nearby,” he laughs.
If you were hoping Donovan might have a shirtless scene or two during the run of Texas Rising, rest assured that your wish will be granted. “I wouldn’t have been a part of it if there wasn’t. That was in the contract, and actually in my lifetime contract,” he reveals with a laugh. “It’s also a nice motivation to keep myself in shape. But, seriously, we shot an impromptu scene. I don’t want to describe it too much, because it will give it all away, but while they were out scouting locations, they happened to come across this river, and we shot something there. So what I will say is, there’s me, a river and a horse involved, and it’s beautiful!”
Donovan admits he has no problem taking compliments on his good looks, as you might expect that he’s rather comfortable in his own skin. “You should be grateful for people’s compliments, and be nice about it. It’s coming from a great place, and it is flattering. Every time someone says something, I say thank you.”
With his kick-ass physique, Donovan does tend to get asked for workout pointers, too. “I just left the gym an hour ago, and I found myself coaching somebody over a workout, and I loved it,” he says. “They say that I am an inspiration for them, which I couldn’t be happier about. My younger brother is a firefighter, and he owns a CrossFit gym. He has elite athletes in his gym, but for the most part he focuses on people who are excessively overweight, or who are maybe older clients, or who are scared of this kind of work. He changes people’s lives on a daily basis, and that has been an inspiration for me. When I find people coming up to me and asking for tips, I may call my brother Jake and go, ‘Hey, Jake! What should I tell them?’”
Donovan truly appreciates the LGBT community’s support of his projects, which kicked into high-gear when he portrayed Teddy on 90210. “We focused on the difficulties of coming out and coming to terms with it,” he says. “I feel that had a lot to do with this support that I now have. I think it was respectfully done. I am just very happy to have been a part of that. I am so fortunate that people are still following me and seeing what I am up to!”
From his first acting experience on the daytime soap Days of our Lives, where he played the mischievous Jeremy Horton, Donovan feels he has come a long way. “To be honest, I wasn’t really ready to be in front of the camera, and every day was stressful to me, but it was bootcamp. I came out of there more solid, and knowing how to be in front of the camera and about memorization of dialogue. It was a huge learning experience.”
Now ready to take his career to another level with this dramatic turn in Texas Rising, Donovan shares what he hopes viewers will take away from the production. “You’ll see the most visually appealing epic ever presented on television, hands down! It’s very cinematic. I couldn’t be more excited, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”
Texas Rising premieres May 25 on the History Channel at 9 p.m.