It’s the scandal that shook the arts community. A literary wunderkind with a secret so big, his extravagant hats and large shades could barely conceal his true identity. There were only three people who knew the real JT Leroy when he burst onto the writing scene in 1999, and Savannah Knoop was one of them. She was so close to JT because, well, she was JT. In my exclusive interview, I chat with the New York-based artist about living as a fictional celebrity for six years, her relationship with Kristen Stewart, and what she misses most about her androgynous persona, JT LeRoy. We begin:
I was amazed the persona of JT was kept up for six years! Was anything “Hollywoodized” for the sake of the movie?
We did all those trips to Paris and Cannes, there was a lot of travel If anything, we paired it way, way down. Although one Hollywood flourish was the moment JT was on the jumbotron [at Cannes]. I was never on a jumbotron.
JT was also known for his outlandish style and hats. Did you have a favorite outfit?
I’m a big believer in personal style. I used to make clothes and I’m an avid thrifter. I’m really into what it means and the signifiers of it. So in terms of accessing this character, I would start with- what would he be wearing? It was always about a lot of layers.
One of my favorite looks that Avery, the costume designer, got spot on was JT wearing three hats and the wig all at once. It was very maximal to me. JT style.
Which is interesting because JT was such a reserved person. It’s such a crazy cool contradiction of a character.
Right. It’s like a composition. One of the things that Laura [Albert] was always stressing was JT can be anyone. That was something that was always embedded in his interviews and when you go out in public. So the look of all these layers, it creates this composite of a layered person. Like, you could have 5 or 10 people in outfits with how many different outfits JT was putting on.
Meeting Kristen Stewart, knowing she would play you- did you instantly know she would keep this character safe for you?
That’s such a nice way to say it. I did feel that way when I met her. I felt immediate trust. I met her briefly before the film started shooting and then we had a few days before we were on set to get to know each other more. She had read my book [Girl Boy Girl: The Story of JT Leroy] and did a lot of research beforehand. She’s been amazing, she just has this presence.
My mom saw the film in New York and she said, “You know, she really gets you.” And my mom is the only other person that would know me as well as I do! My mom calls Kristen the James Dean of our time.
Being on set with Kristen and Laura Dern, watching this all play out again, must’ve felt like a very meta experience…
Yes! I’m just going to say yes. It was very meta haha.
Is that something you liked?
I was feeling many different things all at once, but I did feel really lucky. Being on set felt like a social experiment at first. It was this feeling that like, I was a holy cow. People were confused haha. It’s that thing where you kind of feel like you can’t be seen but also you’re seen too much, if that makes any sense? But that was just at first, we all got over it quickly.
The character is named Savannah in the script and so people on set would call me Sav, kind of a nice nickname. I don’t go by that necessarily, but I think it was, unconsciously, a way to make a distinction between the character and myself. I am not the same person that is in the script, so it is a nice way of keeping it clean.
Do you miss JT?
[pause]
I don’t miss JT anymore. I think at first, when the whole thing unraveled, I did. I’ve since found ways to sort the parts of JT that maybe I missed when it was first integrated into my life. Now I’ve found ways to find the parts of my own life that I missed. For example, making art after all these years- it’s nice to know that I’m still obsessed with the same stuff. Like, I would be in the same place whether I’d had that experience as JT or not. I’m still doing what I’m really passionate about. I try to invest in the things that bring me joy.
It might be different if I was an accountant- nothing against accountants haha- but if I wasn’t in a creative field maybe I’d remember those days more. But I have to say, it’s so lovely to not be young anymore. The older I get, the more I know myself.
