Now that I have your attention, wanted to share with you my impressions of the two star-crossed lovers from the first season of "Dante's Cove" played by straight actor Gregory Michael (the blonde) and openly gay actor Charles David (the brunette).

Met Gregory Michael, just last month at the Outfest opening night VIP party. At that point, I had not seen a single second of "Dante's Cove" since I (gasp!) had not ordered Here! TV. But I figured he was an actor because at a party filled with 10s, he was like a 12 (judge for yourself, see the picture at right). I told hom about this new blog and we had a little chat.

"It's an amazing opportunity," Gregory said of being cast on the show, a gothic gay soap. " I think it's really great to see a show like this actually on a gay and lesbian channel."

I asked him for a preview of season two.

"Something is always happening on 'Dante's Cove.'" he said. " Do you want to know who I'm going to do this time?"

Um, sure.

"I have a boyfriend on the show, Charlie David plays my boyfriend, and this year you're going to see us get involved in some fiascos. Who's going to cheat on who and who reaps the benefits of cheating? That's what I want to know?"

Hmmmmm. Sounds intriguing. So what's it like for a straight man to play a gay man - especially a gay man who gets as much action as your character does? Gregory admitted that he was a little afraid to take such a sexual role on because, frankly, he didn't really know how to do convincing love scenes with another man.

" I'm a straight man. But Charlie's gay and I think if he weren't gay, it would be two straight guys who are kind of lost. Especially on the sex things, he can kind of teach me the right way. We work it out," he said.

That brings me to the terrific Charlie David who is the real heart and soul of Dante's Cove. I met almost a year ago in Chicago where he was promoting the show at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Convention. We were at a huge club in Boys Town and he was being introduced around. Somehow, Charlie and I ended up having this maybe 30 minute conversation about relationships, about choosing to be out in your professional life, and, of course, a bit about "Dante's Cove."

This guy is a class act. Since I wasn;t taking notes duing our conversation in Chicago (this was pre-blog days), here are some comments he makes on a documentary included in the DVD of Dante's Cove: "I've decided to be out because that's important to me as a person regardless of my career. Regardless if I was an actor or a basketball player or a dentist or a librarian."
He adds: "Although I've taken into consideration the effects, positive or negative, that it might have on my career, that's the not ultimate deciding factor...I would not be a happy person to be living in the closet."

Check out a clip of Charlie and Greg in action on Dante's Cove!