April 2008 Archives

I told the adorable Christopher Gorham at the GLAAD Media Awards that the gay blogs - including this one - went nuts over the photos of him in his underwear during a fantasy sequence on "Ugly Betty."

So, does he know that he such a sex symbol to gay men? He laughed and said he did not know that but remarked, "It's great!"

But the whole sexy thing, that he's heard: "I have to say, when I found out that I was one of the sexiest men alive last year in People, that was awfully surprising. It's made for lots of jokes around the house. My wife is totally sick of it but I still think it's funny."

It's been so great to have "Ugly Betty" back on the air with original episodes. But fans of the show who are rooting for our heroine Betty (America Ferrera) to end up happily ever after with her endearingly nerdy boyfriend Henry ( Gorham) better wake up and smell the coffee. Henry's ex-girlfriend is pregnant with his child and he's being a stand-up guy about it. But he really, truly loves Betty.
"It's a mess," Christopher said. "Oh my God Greg, it's a hot mess. It is my baby, we know that. That is tough."

He wouldn't tell me what was next for the ill-fated lovers but hints: "There's a big cliffhanger that involves me in the season finale."

Christopher, 33, is mighty happy to be in a hit show after starring in such quality, but unfortunately short-lived, shows as "Popular," "Out of Practice," "Jake 2.0" and Oddessy 5." But "Betty" is a big Thursday night hit and will begin filming its third season at the end of June.

"I really like what we're doing coming back with this last bit of season two and then going
into season three thematically because they're really bringing the show back to Betty," he said.

"I felt like it got a little crazy in the beginning of the second season, there were a
lot of storylines. So we're really boiling that down in these last five episodes, everything
is coming back to Betty which is where everything should be centered. I think the show is
going to be better and also, it's coming back to being the more of the family show that it was in season one."

I did not mention Paula Abdul's massive screw-up in my 'Idol" recap last night because I wanted to focus on the performances and not to antics of the judges. But boy, Paula - who has different levels of lucidity on the show - gave a critique of Jason Castro's first AND second songs even though the dreadlocked singer had not yet performed a second time. When this was pointed out to her, she said: "Oh my God! I thought you sang twice! You know what? This is hard!"

Not really THAT hard Paula. I took notes during the show and kept up and I'm not being paid the millions of dollars each year like you are. This is getting a lot of attention already and I hope it motivates Paula to be more on-point and useful in her critiques.

UPDATE: Paula talked exclusively to ET.com about her flub: "It got very confusing ... the producers come up to us in the dark and said, 'We are not going to have you guys judge after each performer, we are going to have all the performers go once, then twice and at the end critique them.'"

Surprised by the last minute switch in judging procedures, Paula recounts, "I am feverishly trying to write notes for every performance. ... I was trying to give my critique for Jason Castro, and scribbled Jason's name, and that was David Cook's! ... We all just screwed up everything." She adds with a laugh: "This is live television. This is fun!"

Yeah, but she panned the second song! Was she panning Cook? Still doesn't make sense but at least she's not slurring.

I knew things were kaput between Reichen Lehmkuhl and Ryan Barry when I noticed Ryan had changed his relationship status on Facebook. But neither of these impossibly hot men had said anything publicly about the split until now.

Here is what Reichen, past winner of "The Amazing Race" and a cast member of "Dante's Cove" has posted about relationships on his MySpace page. It's clear that he is bitter about this latest break-up. His previous relationship were with singer Lance Bass and with activist Chip Arndt with home he won "Race."

Reichen's Dating Tips for Hollywood

1. Never believe them when they say they're in love with you.

2. Never believe them when they tell you where their heart is.

3. Never believe them when they say they're only going to sleep with you, especially when there is a social climbing opportunity in front of them.

4. Never underestimate their need for celebrity, money, and fame.

5. Never believe you can fix it by being true or nice.

6. Never EVER believe love is more important to them than anything Hollywood.

7. Don't date in Hollywood. Realize that for them, it's all BUSINESS.

Reichen has also changed his status to "single" and posted the following headline: "You Shady Lying Sack of (expletive). You're BEYOND Gross. What an Idiot I Have Been!"

Ouch!!!

Good luck to Reichen. I don't know him well but he's always been very sweet whenever I've talked to him.

I'm watching "The View" (Elisabeth Hasselbeck is beyond irritating today but Whoopi controls her better than Rosie could) and they are announcing the Daytime Emmy nominations. Van Hansis walked out to announce the outstanding young actress contenders and when he was finished, it was announced that he had been nominated for outstanding young male actor. I have raved about his skillful performance as gay teen Luke . He makes us believe in Luke and care about him no matter how outrageous the storylines and no matter how many months pass without him kissing his boyfriend.

Also nominated in the talk show categories: Ellen DeGeneres nominated as host and her show got a nod as did "The View" and its five co-hosts - even Hasselbeck.

It's a day late but, as promised, here is my chat with Leslie Jordan that took place at the GLAAD Awards. Leslie just turned 53 yesterday and will be performing his new show: "My Trip Down the Pink
Carpet" at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Renberg Theatre on May 15th.

Can't wait to see his live show but wanted to know all about the "Sordid Lives" series based on the film of the same name:

Said Leslie: "We shot 13 episodes. We went to Shreveport, Louisiana because they offered us (incentives). We don't have a whole lot of money. We're in the editing process right now. It's a prequel. It begins early and goes up to (the film). So we have Peggy, who is the mother, out of the coffin and she's played by Rue McClanahan. Since Delta (Burke) wasn't able to do the show we have Caroline Rhea. Let me tell you something, it is brilliant. I sit in the editing bay and watch and I'm brilliant if I say so myself! (laughs)."

The show premieres July 23 at 10 p.m. on the Logo channel.

"We're doing a HUGE premiere in New York City the 15th of July and I'll be there. Olivia (Newton-John) has recorded eight original songs."

I asked if fans of the original film will be satisfied: "Are you kidding? They're gonna wet their pants!"
Here is a preview:

Jim Carrey is gay...on-screen at least in the prison break comedy "I Love You Phillip Morris." In case there is any doubt that his character is gay, the actor certainly appears to be camping it up in terms of wardrobe. A gold lions head belt buckle? Pul-eeze! He is pictured with co-star Rodrigo Santoro during filming in Miami but the love of his life in the movie is plaed by Ewan McGregor.

This is gonna be interesting. Based on a true story, Jim plays a con artist who is sent to prison where he falls in love with his cellmate Phillip Morris (McGregor) who is freed from jail. Carrey's character, Steven Russell tries to escape four times in order to be with him. What I wanna know is, why would he ever leave Rodrigo Santoro!

The season finale of "Brothers & Sisters" features an emotional commitment ceremony between Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty (Luke MacFarlane). I asked some of the actors who play Kevin's siblings on the show what they think of this rare television event:

Balthazar Getty (Tommy) : "We think it;s great. I wish it was a wedding, I wish it were allowed everywhere. We think it's great to have an opportunity to show that, to show mainstream America what's going on out there. It's telling great stories. It's not a show for gay people or straight people, it;s just a story for people, a story for families. Some people happen to be gay, some people happen to have addictions, some people happen to be straight. It's not some marginalized thing when our gay brother gets to get married, or have a ceremony. He's our brother and he's in love and he's having a ceremony and we love and we support him."
Rachel Griffiths (Sarah): "I'm very, very proud to be on a network show where very un-controversially where two people who happen to be the same gender are ready to declare their love, I think it's fanastic. Ten years ago it would have been unimaginable that it would happen without us having eggs thrown at us. It's wonderful. I wish it was recognized on a legal level in a jurisdictions all over the world. ...
What I love about our show is when we deal with politics, we do it through the personal, we don't kind of deal with the political then leave you to make the personal connection. We make you, hopefully, have great actors and great characters that you fall in love with and then through them we expose people through political ideas. You realize you can't reject that person you've grown so fond of. The combination of (Kevin and Scotty) and uncle Saul (Ron Rifkin) coming out I just think is a very real reflection of people's lives out there and hopefully will encourage some people to re-consider fixed ideas that are not really based on anything."

Dave Annable (Justin) "I can't wait for it. I, as a viewer, love the Kevin and Scotty storyline. Every time they're there on screen I love it. They have great chemistry and Luke MacFarlane who plays Scotty is outstanding and he's such a welcome addition to us. We're lucky to have him."

I write a "Whatever Happened To..." column each week for my newspaper and thought Cindy Birdsong, the singer who joined Diana Ross and Mary Wilson in 1967 (replacing Florence Ballard) would be an ideal subject since she has mostly kept a low-profile in recent decades.

I sent a note to her via her MySpace page and received this prompt reply:
Dear Greg,
My name is Jim (Alias Motown Jim) here on MySoace and am managing Cindy's page for her. I spoke with her last night and she told me she wants to hold back for a while with anymore interviews, as she is still busy writing her final chapters to her book."

Jim said she would get in touch when the time is right. While I was disappointed to not snag an interview with this Motown legend, I'm so intrigued about her writing a book! What a story she could tell from being a member of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells then being plucked from that group to become a member of the most successful female singing group of all time.

Cindy, Mary and Diana performed and recorded together for three years before Diana left for a solo career. The group went on with replacement singers and Cindy, I believe, ended up being a Supreme longer than anyone other than Mary who stayed with the group in its various incarnations for close to 20 years.
I hope she will dish although I don't expect her to settle scores the way Mary did in her 1986 best seller "Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme." But, you never know! Cindy was on the stage 25 years ago at the group's first reunion in 14 years and Diana ended up shoving Mary and their medly of songs was cut short halfway into "Someday We'll Be Together."

The drama!

Then in 2000, there was the scintillating possibility of Diana, Mary and Cindy reuniting again for a concert tour but negotiations fell apart over money. Diana and Mary gave dueling interviews to Barbara Walters while Cindy stayed above the fray it seemed. Diana went on tour with two later Supremes who she had never performed with and her "Return to Love" tour was such a disaster that it had to be cancelled midway through leaving ticketholders (like me!) majorly disappointed.

Anyway. good luck with the book Miss Birdsong!

Here are a few clips of Cindy performing as one of the Supremes. The first is Diana's final TV appearance with the Supremes in 1970 on Ed Sullivan singing "Someday We'll Be Together" and the second clip is a post-Ross hit "Stoned Love" with her replacement, Jean Terrell, in the lead. It's terrific!

This week's episode of "How I Met Your Mother" featured Emmy-nominated Neil Patrick Harris shirtless! We don't often get to see how hunky he is! He's so smart, talented and witty that I don't think we objectify him enough! It's been a heady weeks for NHP with his "Harold and Kumar" sequel doing better-than-expected business at the box office.

Here is a clip from NPH's recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel:

NO GRACE UNDER FIRE: Brooke White better get a grip is all I'm saying. After Simon Cowell told her that her ridiculous version of Neil Diamond's "I'm A Believer" was "a nightmare." She yelled out: "No! No! Nooo! Absolutely not!" She was going for some kind of groovy 60s chick thing I think and it was painful to watch her on that song. Based on that performance, she'd be voted off tomorrow night. But, she came back nicely on "I Am, I Said" safely behind the piano. Simon told her it was "Well done but reiterated that he "hated the first song."

SLEEPWALKING: Let's face it, if Jason Castro were not so damned cute, he would have been gone weeks ago - certainly before Carly Smithson who was missed this week I must say. Jason sang "Forever in Blue Jeans" and "September Morning" just fine but did not challenge himself one bit. Very safe and maybe that will keep him in. His blue eyes and dreadlocks get him far more votes than his limited vocal range and complete lack of stage presence.

KING DAVIDS: Paula Abdul called David Cook "the American Idol" after his rock solid performances of "I'm Alive" and especially "All I Ever Needed Was You." Cook has passion and confidence and is the consumate professional and that's why I think he deserves the win the whole thing. But he doesn't need to because he's already a really big star and I'd buy his album right now if he had one. As for David Archuleta, how can you argue with that amazing voice - especially when he knows how to use it so well, hitting all the notes on "America" and making the most of lyrics like "let freedom riiiiing!" His first number, "Sweet Caroline" was just fine but I was really excited about the second number. The knock I have on the younger David is that, especially on fast songs, he seems a little awkward standing on stage. He needs to figure out what to do with his body. Castro has the same problem and Brooke is a disaster in this regard. Syesha Mercado and David Cook on the other hand, total comfort with their bodies - on stage - and their gifts.

BEST OF SHOW: Give it up for Syesha Mercado! I'm lovin' this joyous and confident girl who would most certainly be in the top three if we were voting purely on talent and stage presence. I loved her first number, "Hello Again" which she sang barefoot sitting at the steps of the stage. She built nicely to a powerful finish and looks to have hit her stride big-time. Then she went into high gear like she did last week with a theatrical number: "Thank the Lord for the Nightime." :She was in full-flight, utterly confident, commanding the stage, knowing how to move, how to perform. She made Brooke and Jason look as stiff as corpses. Simon still thinks Syesha could be in trouble, didn't think the second song was memorable enough to close the show with. I hope not. She deserves to go on the top four and Brooke or Jason deserve to go home.

We will find out tomorrow!

God bless Luke Snyder. He finally realized that his boyfriend Noah Meyer has just put him through too much and it hit him - an epiphany - moments after moving in with Noah and his green card wife Ameera.

"I want to be alone with you Noah, not you and your wife, just you," he said after pulling away from Noah's lips twice resulting in two almost-kisses. (damn, can't he just make out first, get mad later?)

Luke storms out, barks to Ameera "You can have your bed back!" When Noah goes out to try and stop him, Luke says what I have been wanting him to say for months: "All we do is wait! For your father to accept us, for me to get better from the shooting, for Ameera to get her (immigration) papers. I am sick of waiting!"

Hooray! You go boy!

Then he adds: "I want to be alone with you right now but I know that can't happen. Until it can, I can't put myself in a situation that makes me feel worse than I already do."

The clip below plays it all out beautifully. My favorite Noah line is when he says to long-suffering Ameera: "I want you to go! I just want this charade to be over!"

I snagged this off Kennethinthe212. It's the love scene between Trevor Wright and Brad Rowe in "Shelter." For a pair of straight guys, I'd have to say they do pretty well here. Usually the whole thing fails because straight guys are afraid to kiss each other - they always end up sort of mashing their faces against each other. Gay men know the art of kissing. But these guys do OK, I'd give them a B-minus for authenticity in this scene but a soilid A for their overall performances in this fine film.

It was great to see Tuc Watkins after the awards show and to find out that his character on "Desperate Housewives" will be participating in a commitment ceremony in the season finale with partner Lee (Kevin Rahm).

Tuc Watkins has handsome leading man looks for sure. But he is also a terrific comedic actor who really has a way with a line. My all-time favorite was from an episode of "Brothers & Sisters" when gay TV exec character checked out a hot computer tech guy and said, "Hellllo lunch!" That was a Tuc adlib.

Gregg Plitt, one of the trainers this season on Bravo's "Workout," has stunning eyes in person. They look a little startling here but trust me, thjey are gorgeous - as is he.

Me and my handsome pal, Jim Key. He looks like a movie star but he's really head of communications for the LA Gay and Lesbian Center.

Jim and I with the charming Billy Baldwin of ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money." I feel kinda short standing next to these very tall dudes...

...but that's nothing compared to standing next to John Amaechi. I could be a munchkin from "the Wizard of Oz." I'm standing with John, the former NBA player and author of the great book "Between the Lines," and the terrifically talented actor Wilson Cruz. My new interview with Wilson will be posted in the coming days.

Don't you just love sitting by the pool reading a good, dishy book. I'm reading Julie Andrews' "Home" right now, am looking forward to Barbara Walters' "Audition" out next week and most of all, John Barrowman's new book: "Anything Goes." Love, love , love John Barrowman whose book has been excerpted on Out.com.

Here is part of a story John tells about being invited by The Royal Air Force to be part of the Tattoo launch partly because Captain Jack is in the RAF:

I eventually emerged from the Hawk as if I'd been doing this all my life, which in Captain Jack's world, of course, I had. In my world, though, this was the experience of a lifetime. In fact, I was so high from the adrenalin rush and so in awe of the Hawk itself, I was almost speechless.4

This is what it means to be alive.

...the fabulous Leslie Jordan! The man best known as Karen Walker's nemesis Beverly Leslie on "Will & Grace" turns 53 today. He's one of the stars of the upcoming Logo series "Private Lives" (based on the cult fave movie). I will update this post later today with an interview I did with Leslie a few nights ago at the GLAAD Media Awards.

He had them at mango salsa.

When Luke MacFarlane's endearing character of Scotty sat down to dinner for the first time with the Walker clan on "Brothers & Sisters," it was a big outdoor party scene where Sally Field's Nora had just humiliated her late husband's mistress Holly (Patricia Wettig). The tension was incredibly high until Scotty piped up and asked, "Is this salsa mango?"

Scotty Wandell and Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys) had instant chemistry from the minute the financially struggling waiter-turned-chef walked into his law office on a legal matter. He cut through Kevin's veneer with quirky humor and charm and you knew he had Kevin's heart when he bit into a red velvet cupcake and smiled at the end of one of their early episodes..

"My whole experience on the show started off as just a few episodes and it's just become more and more and more and I'm so grateful for that," Luke told me Monday night when we chatted before the start of the "A Conversation With Brothers & Sisters" event at the Television Academy in North Hollywood.

Luke, 28, was among the 12 cast members who participated as he was recently promoted from recurring character to full-fledged series regular: "They are making a regular for season three. It's very, very nice. We all know in television it's hard to get a gig that lasts for a long time so when the agent calls up and says, 'You're guaranteed these number of episodes you feel very, very lucky."

Luke, who studied drama at Julliard, was previously best-known for his role as Pvt. Frank "Dim" Dumphy in the series "Over There." The Canadian actor had never given any interviews about his personal life until discussing his sexuality for the first time in an interview with the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail a few weeks ago 2008. He decided to share that not only is he playing a gay man on TV, but he is a gay man in life.

""It's been relatively simple for me," he said of the increased spotlight. "I'll say that I decided to do that interview, I decided to answer those questions in an effort to make my life simpler and that's going to contunue to be my motto. So, I'll have to say, it hasn't been that hot a light on me at all."

Even though through much of show's first season the writers had Kevin struggling with commitment issues and go on to have relationships with a closeted soap actor (Jason Lewis) and a minister (Eric Winter), Scotty had been a fan favorite from his first scene and audiences wanted to see he and Kevin together.

Said Luke: "Well, I do know that the fans had a lot to do with Scotty staying around as long as he has so I'm grateful for them."

I mention to him that now that Scotty is getting more airtime, the fans now want to get to know Luke himself a little better. He laughed a bit nervously and said, "In time."

We look forward to it.

Don't you just love all the drama of that "exclusive" headline? Well, I guess I'm feeling a little over-the-top after chatting-up both Kevin AND Scotty within moments of each other at a Television Academy event in North Hollywood last night. Oh wait! Kevin and Scotty are just TV characters - gay TV characters - played by actors Matthew Rhys and Luke MacFarlane.

I wanted to get their thoughts on this wonderful plot development that has Scotty and Kevin - an on-and-off-again couple since the beginning of the show - tying the knot in a commitment ceremony in the second season finale in a few weeks.

On the commitment ceremony:
Matthew: "It was great, perfectly put together. We didn't get there easily, there's no wasn't an easy road there up to the last few second, just like the turbulent path that we've had. There's a lot of drama before getting there but then you know, it's all resolved. And about time I think."
Luke: "It means that the audience is ready because, you know, in television we make sure people are ready before we foist anything upon them by sort of testing it and stuff. It means that the world is ready and it also means that the characters in their lives are ready too. It's a beautiful thing that's happening but also a very appropriate thing."

On working together:
Luke: Matthew's a wonderful actor, he just oozes charm. From day one it's always been super simple with him.

Matthew: "We do have (chemistry). It's a real joy to work with him, a pleasure. As much as (Kevin and Scotty's) drama came from their turbulence and the conflict in their relationship, being now in this (committed) relationship opens up a world of drama for them to play out. So, it's all exciting times.
"What's great is they really have picked two very diverse characters, the two of us compliment us very well as characters. Kevin can be a little bit uptight at times whereas Scotty, is a little bit too much of a free-spirit. So when the two meet, it makes for humorous times.

On Kevin's growth as a character:
Matthew: "It's been great to over two seasons have this arc, this sort of turbulent arc, and somewhere that he's reached which is what you want. You don't want to be ping-ponging back between old stories. So I'm glad the character's evolving."

On a lighter note, one of the pre-strike episodes had Kevin and Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) joining Scotty and his friends at a karaoke bar. Kevin, tired of being known as uptight, gets real drunk and begins singing to Scotty from the stage. Did Matthew have fun filming such a silly scene?

"It was fun. For me, as a Welshman, to desecrate a Tom Jones song like that, it was I found painful. And then to do the same to a Willie Nelson song, it was painful to be that bad! It came very naturally, of course. What I did was pretty unforgiveable."

Tomorrow: The Walker siblings talk about Kevin and Scotty. I get reaction from Rachel Griffiths, Calista Flockhart, Dave Annable and Balthazar Getty.

The answer seems pretty obvious to me: nothing.

Straight couples enjoy a kiss in public and that's great. If they are making out like crazy then they deserve a few remarks like "Get a room!" But I don't think anyone would call the police on 'em!

Make that couple a pair of guys and it's a different story. Last Friday night, ABC's "20/20" did one of its always intriguing "What would you do?" segments where they hire actors to do something provocative - for hours sometimes - as they film the reactions from passers-by.

Check out the clip:

I'm such a sucker for Mario Lopez photos. I mean, c'mon. Look at that smile, those dimples, those biceps. He's so perfect I could slap him! What makes it worse is the few times that I've met him, he's been unfailingly polite and chatty and the first time, he didn't even know I was a journalist!

Mario, weekend co-host of "Extra," "Dancing With the Stars" runner-up and Slater on "Saved by the Bell," is in NYC appearing on Broadway in "A Chorus Line" and is also taking time to promote his new fitness book. It's obvious that he's pretty much the best advertisement there is for the book!

I chatted up "Grey's Anatomy" star T.R. Knight Saturday night at the GLAAD Media Awards in Hollywood and wondered how much his life has change since a year ago when he was given one of the most heart-felt standing ovations in the history of the event.

"That was embarrassing," T.R. said.

But it shouldn't have been. People, myself included, we applauding him for his grace under fire. For matter-of-factly coming out after former co-star Isaiah Washington used the f-bomb, referring to T.R., during an on-set squirmish with Patrick Dempsey.

So how has his life changed since a year ago?

"In many ways that I'm still trying to figure out I guess," T.R. said. "The obvious change is I'm seeing somebody now, that's different from last year."

He was referring to boyfriend Mark Cornelsen who was standing patiently nearby as T.R. did press before the awards. There have been lots of photos of the couple popping up on various sites and I wondered if this was a pain in the neck: "Most of the time you're not aware that people are taking photos when they do unless they're obvious and being very stinky about it."

A few pesky photogs aree nothing though compared to the good that has come of his higher profile as an openly gay television star: "I've been lucky to have been invited to lend my voice in support of organizations that I believe in and IK look forward to doing that more. I want to concentrate on helping illicit change. I look outward a lot more."

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SHORTEST SPEECH: Janet Jackson was clearly moved and emotional by the reception she got from the crowd at the Kodak Theatre Saturday night but she wasn't rendered speechless - just speech-lite.

"Thank you so much ... I love you too," she said at the beginning of her brief remarks. "I am really humbled that GLAAD would honor me in such a way tonight. I hope I can always walk worthy of this award that I hold in my hand and in my heart."

Then, she was finished! That was it!

Some folks grumbled but most agreed that they enjoyed Janet's brevity to the longer speech given last year by Jennifer Aniston - a choice that still had people scratching their heads a year later.

BIGGEST LAUGH: Kathy Griffin brought her 87-year-old mother - who most in the audience know from her appearances on "My Life on the D-List" - onto the stage for a cute little mother-daughter Q&A. Kathy joked that her mother says: "Why can't you be clean like Ellen (DeGeneres)? Ellen doesn't have to swear. Ellen's nice."

Then the fun began with Kathy asking her mother a series of questions. No matter what her mother said, it was funny because of the way she would say it. The final question was this: "Who's the gayest person in the room tonight?" Mrs. Griffin scanned the room and answered: "Ryan Seacrest?"

Brought. The. House. Down.

BEST LINE IN AN ACCEPTANCE SPEECH: "Ugly Betty" creator Silvio Horta, whose show won Outstanding Comedy Series: "I wanted to make a show with Latino characters, African Americans and gay characters. Those pesky network execs had me add some straight white people too."

SWEETEST LINE BY A PRESENTER: Billy Baldwin walked out with his gorgeous "Dirty Sexy Money" love interest, transgender actress Candis Cayne and said: "So, whaddaya think? Do I know how to pick a love interest or what?" Billy then went on to point out that Candis is the first transgender actress to play a recurring transgender role on network television. Added Candis: "I really feel like the luckiest girl in the world."

MOST SHAMELESS PLEA FOR WORK: Actor Leslie Jordan, who just wrapped filming on Logo's "Sordid Lives" series, walked out to present with Garry Marshall and said: "I've been through 12 miles of bad road. My HBO series has been kicked to the curb and I'm not working." He then suggested himself for Julie Andrews royal role in the "Princess Diaries" movies if a third one is ever made: "We could change the character to an evil little queen." (NOTE: HBO paid for production of the Linda Bloodworth-Thomason series "12 Miles of Bad Road" then inexplicably decided not to air it. I have the episodes and plan to watch them and post a review)

COOLEST TRIBUTE: Presenter Sharon Stone said of honoree Rufus Wainwright: "Rufus is actually so out that he's never even seen the inside of a closet!"

MY FAVORITE LINE: Rufus Wainwright in his acceptance speech: "An artist's decision to live an authentic life should go hand-in-hand with success."

We already know they are gonna have a sweet commitment ceremony at the end of the season so it was amusing to watch the lead-up to it on last night's episode of "Brothers & Sisters." Scotty (Luke MacFarlane, above) cuts his hand at work and has to pay $2,500 for an emergency room visit. Kevin (Matthew Rhys), somehow, did not know that Scotty was working 70 hours a week without health insurance. He later comes up with a solution: "Why don't we file for domestic partnership?" Then he lists all the reasons why: health plan, other benefits etc.

Scotty points out that domestic partnership "is our version of marriage, for now at least. At the risk of sounding like a 12-year-old girl, I want my wedding to be special."

You go Scotty!!!

American tennis star Robby Ginepri gets a lot more attention for his looks and his physique than his results these days. But the 2005 US Open semi-finalist, pictured below playing in Barcelona on Monday, is still out there trying. Maybe if his game doesn't improve, Robby can find work as a model. He looks pretty terrific in the picture above which is from a photo shoot for an Atlanta tennis publication. Another picture of Robby in action after the jump!

Billy Baldwin and I were just about to do an interview on the red carpet before the GLAAD Media Awards over the weekend but first he had to answer a very serious question from someone working for one of those In Touch/Us Magazine/Star rags. "What do you think of the Star Jones divorce?" Good sport Billy gave the silly question a go: "I don't know anything about it, i saw it in a headline. I know it was pretty quick, she wasn't married very long? That's too bad. I just had my 17th anniversary so I'm very excited about that."

Billy, of course, is married to singer Chynna Phillips who has been low-profile professionally in recent years as the couple are raising ther xx children. Billy, on the other hand, is more high-profile than ever with a juicy role on ABC's new hit drama "Dirty Sexy Money" as well as two new movies in release.

"I did "A Plumm Summer" and I was in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," just a little cameo but I'm great in it," he jokes.

I mention what a breakthrough his "Dirty Sexy Money" storyline is since Billy's state attorney general character is carrying on an extra-marital affair with a transgender woman who is portrayed by Candis Cane, a real transgender actress.

"It's been great, it's been a lot of fun," Billy said. "It comes very easily. i don't know what that means but it just comes very easily and very naturally. They write the scripts, we have the scenes, we play the scenes, we have this incredible affection for one another and sensitivity in our relationship and it just comes very easily for both of us. I think it's great. I love it."

Billy, who became a movie star at a young age in such films as "Backdraft," "Flatliners," and "Three of Hearts," had been looking for a regular TV gig for awhile: "I took a shot at a couple of pilots before and this was the first one that got an order and now we're off to the races. If we do what we did last season, it looks like we're going to be around for awhile so I'm very excited about that."

We also talked a little bit about Billy's very-public disagreement recently with his conservative Christian brother, actor Stephen Baldwin, about gay rights. I wondered if they usually duked it out this way. "The fights we have in real life are a lot worse than the quotes," Billy said. "We let each other have it all the time, Daniel and Alec and Stephen and I. That's the nature of a raucous, rowdy, Irish-Catholic upbringing. We sat around the dinner table and we talked about a lot fo things and fought about a lot of things."

Billy (pictured above with Stephen and Alec Baldwin in the late 80s) was doing an chatting with "Brothers & Sisters" writer Greg Berlanti while posing for the cover of Out Magazine when he was asked about some of his brother's conservative views which included being against same-sex marriage.

Billy said of his decision to publicly disagree: "I told him earlier, look I love what you're doing with your Christian agenda. So much good has come out of it for you and I'm really proud of you. But when you start mixing it with Christian right politics and the Bush agenda, you start getting into war and you start getting into issues that I find offensive and if you're going to that publicly, just be prepared because if I'm forced to, the gloves are gonna come off. And they did."

This is pretty shocking. Rebecca Romijn, who has done a solid job as transgender magazine editor Alexis Mead on "Ugly Betty" will be reduced to a recurring character when the show returns for its third season next fall.

In an interview with the New York Post over the weekend, Rebecca said: "They made a tremendous amount of changes, especially with the writing staff [during the writer's strike], and while I know I'll be coming back next season, with all the changes, I'm not sure they can take care of my character they way they have been. So I'll be leaving, back in a recurring capacity, but it's time for me to leave and find something else."

"Ugly Betty" won the GLAAD Award for outstanding television comedy Saturday night.