David Marshall Grant was at Outfest 2007 over the weekend to talk about "Brothers & Sisters," the show where he is a writer. But it is Marshall's other career as an actor - and one role in particular - that dominated the discussion for awhile: a gay man on "thirtysomething" who was shown in a 1989 episode in bed with his boyfriend "the morning after." Advertisers pulled out, there was mega-controversy...and they didn't even kiss. Poor Kevin Walker wouldn't get any on-screen action on "Brothers & Sisters" by 1989 standards.
"It wasn't even a kiss!" Marhsall said of the scene with Peter Frechette. "We were simply in bed and under the covers. That's what cost ABC $10 million in ads that night...The rule was we couldn't touch. There were touching police on the set that day."
A clip of the scene was shown or the audience and compared to a clip that aired later of Kevin smooching with Chad, this was so G-rated.
"I don't remember it being particularly hot," "Brothers & Sisters" producer and "thirtysomething" co-star Ken Olin told Marshall. "You're hot. It just wasn't a big deal...Can you believe the network almost shut us down for that?"
Grant is still acting, most recently on the big screen as Anne Hathaway's father in "The Devil Wears Prada." The out actor and prolific stage performer has also played gay in "Bent," and was nominated for a Tony Award for his role in "Angels in America."