It's a nuts day with Directors Guild of America award nominations this morning and the People's Choice Awards late this afternoon. But I had to quickly post a little chat I had awhile ago with Bill Condon, the openly-gay director of "Dreamgirls." Bill got a much-deserved DGA nomination for his work on this hit musical which everyone knows I LOVED.
Bill is so down-to-Earth. I told him I had watched him on Charlie Rose's show last night and he asked, "How do you think it went?" I thought he was just fine. Then i asked him if he felt any special pride, being a gay man and being nominated for one of the biggest prizes in the movie business.
"I'm always thrilled to be identified as such," he said. "I joke that 'Dreamgirls' is the gayest movie i ever made (laughs). Part of the challenge is you were living up to the Broadway show and I felt I needed to live up to people
s memories of it. Gays and African-Americans are the two groups to whom the show meant the most to and who embraced it in such a personal way. It's the thing about being on the outside wanting to be accepted by the mainstream and not wanting to give up your authenticity."
As good as his movie is, and it is very, very good, Condon says he's quite sure the DGA prize will go to Marton Scorsese, director of "The Departed."
"Martin Scorsese is the great American director who is way overdue," he said. "I'm thrilled to be included with him and I'll be thrilled to stand and applaud for him."
Condon is a class act.