My night at the Outfest's Legacy Awards...

I've written a little bit about last night already but now, finally, some time to tell you ALL about it. Well, most of it. I thought the Wednesday night AFI event was gonna be my week's highlight what with chatting up Kirk Douglas and Clint Eastwood within moments of each other and talking to Angela Lansbury about "Gypsy." But last night at the Director's Guild of America theatre would be impossible to top. Outfest's Legacy Awards were too much fun.
I'm so grateful to Karen Ocamb of In Los Angeles Magazine who is THE best political reporter in town when it comes to LGBT issues, but who also can take a good picture and was kind enough to snap some for me with her camera and send them to me today. [Click HERE to read Karen's account of the evening on her blog] My favorite picture is this one with David Duchovny who I first met at the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas a few years ago but didn't have a camera with me to record the meeting. So, thanks to Karen, I have our second one.
When I stumbled on the name of his new Showtime series "Californication," he said, "C'mon, you can do it. Ca-liforn-ic-ation." I'm gonna save our gab for a weekend post but let me just say that he was utterly charming and sweet in teaming with Marlee Matlin in presenting a legacy award to Showtime's Robert Greenblatt. Duchovny is one tall drink of water.
The arrivals line outside the DGA was better than I had hoped with Duchovny, Matlin, the wonderful actress Foinula Flanagan ("Brotherhood"), Jane Lynch, Wilson Cruz, a mini "Queer as Folk" reunion consisting of Peter Paige, Scott Lowell and Thea Gill, three cast members of Showtime's "Dexter" including the very cool Erik King who I gabbed with about his show both outside then at the after-party.
Erik could not have been nicer and my full interviiew with him will run Sunday in my HOLLYWOOD JOE blog. His character of Sgt. James Doakes on "Dexter" is fierce and fascinating and is the nemesis of series star Michael C. Hall's character. I'm not sure if Doakes is a good guy or a kinda bad guy but Erik King (pictured with me) is one cool guy.
Honoree Judith Light, always gorgeous, posed on the red carpet with "Ugly Betty" co-star Michael Urie who was very un-Marc like in presenting her with her award. Judith came over and gave Karen a warm hug and me a kiss on the cheek before they rushed her on in.
I headed to the very front because that's where I like to sit (plus, didn't bring my glasses, OK?) and found myself next to Steve Kmetko and one of his friends. Steve had planned to be in Chicago teaching this fall but instead is sticking around awhile to sell his house and is working as a freelance reporter for FOX 11. It's great to see him back on the airwaves. He's fit and trim and handsome as ever. I wanted to know if he knew what had ever happened to Kathleen Sullivan with whom he launched "E! News Daily" with in the early 90s. He lost touch with her which isn't surprising since she seems to have fallen off the radar at least professionally.

The program itself was fast-paced, full of great movie clips and wonderful presenters and speeches by Light, Greenblatt and outgoing Outfest exec. director Steven Gutwilleg. But Caroline Rhea, the hostess, was a RIOT! Funny, funny woman down to the core...and naughty too.
The hilarious Rhea, far more potty-mouthed than on television, hosted the event and no celeb not in attendance was safe. She shared her addiction to "Dancing With the Stars" but joked: "I voted for Wayne Newton...I thought it was Marie Osmond." She also told an unflattering story about an Oscar-winning actress who she refused to name (She said her name rhymed with "Gay Runaway") who she met at last year's event and said to Rhea that she was directing a film and "I need a younger, thinner version of you...we're not young anymore."
"She's 119 and I'm 38!" Rhea said, the audience roaring."I wanted to be nice to her because everyone says she's evil and maybe everyone's wrong."
"They were RIGHT."
Rhea described honoree Light as "my favorite prostitute in the history of television - ever. She made me the hooker that I am today." She was referring to Light's celebrated run as housewive-turned-prostitute Karen Wolek on ABC's "One Life To Live," a role that won her two Emmys.
The audience was shown brief clips from "The 25 Films that Changed Our Lives" which celebrates such groundbreaking LGBT films as "Parting Glances," "Making Love" "Desert Hearts," and "Longtime Companion." The Outfest Legacy Project is dedicated to film preservation and restoration.
I saw the restored "Parting Glances" in the same theater this summer during Outfest and it is a night I will never forget.
The after-party was really hopping and showed no sign of letting up when I left around 11. I hung out with a new journalist friend, Naz (there we are in that little picture) and he was doing his first arrivals line. He said my chatter relaxed him since he was a bit nervous about it all. I'm sure he'll do great. I also made a new actor friend named Daniel Hepner and he told me so much about the local LA theater scene which was helpful since I am going to the Ovation Awards next month for local productions. We were hungry so I showed him my trick of non-chalantly planting yourself near the door where the trays of appetizers are coming out of to have your pick. It worked like a charm.
Just a fantastic night and from it I promise interviews with Wilson Cruz, Erik King, David Duchovny, Jane Lynch and Fionula Flanagan that wil either appear here or in Hollywood Joe (I'll tease here with a link if that's the case). Congrats to Judith Light and Showtime's Bob Greenblatt and to Outfest!