ABC Family's theme is now "a new kind of family" and what's cool about the cable channel is that "family" also includes a gay character or two on some of its shows. On the new college-set drama "Greek," Paul James plays gay fraternity pledge, Calvin.
I chatted with the 22-year-old James a few days ago at the ABC Press Tour event about his latest role and he was quite thoughtful and articulate about that and other topics:
Q. Is your character going to be different from any gay characters that we've seen on television before?
James. That's the idea. It's going to be different just in the fact that [openly-gay creator and co-executive producer Sean Smith] doesn't want it to be, 'Oh, I'm gay, I have a headache, it's so hard to be me.' It's supposed to be something that is just an aspect of his character but then when you're navigating fraternities and sororities, it's gonna come up, it's gonna be an important part of the character. But we're trying to stay away from stereotypes."
Q. So is he going to have a boyfriend?
James. He does. He does for the first season, the guy who you see me with in the first two episodes ends up being sort of my boyfriend. He's a pledge in another house. So it's two people trying to find a relationship and he is much less comfortable with himself than my character is. So it's two very different people.
Q. This is ABC Family, so are there any kissing scenes or anything?
James. There hasn't been. I don't know what they're gonna do. I wouldn't have a problem with it.
Q. Any hesitation on taking a gay role?
James. The reason I don't have any hesitation taking gay roles is because as a black actor, a young actor, it's really hard to find good parts. There are just not good things written so when you see a role that's written really well, you want to do it. And a lot of times, the well-written roles for black actors are gay roles. They have some depth, something beyond I'm a thug on the street. I have no qualms about it at all as long as the material is good which it is."
Q. How did you research for the role? Did you talk to any gay friends?
James. I went school for theatre, I've had a lot of gay friends and I worked at a restaurant where I had a lot of gay friends so I talked to them about it and they were excited and there would be things I would ask them about. And I ask Sean.
Q. Can fans are very loyal. Is there anything you want to say to them?
James. Keep watching and hopefully, I represent you guys well. The most important thing that Sean wanted to do with this, and it's real important to me too, is to show little kids who are gay that you don't have to be afraid of who you are. You can be happy. That's why the character isn't going to be angsty about it."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've been off the Rosie beat somewhat due to Outfest absorbing much of the last two weeks. Now that she's done with the True Colors Tour and off the gay cruise, Ro is now in Los Angeles reprising her amusing role as Dawn Budge on the FX drama "Nip/Tuck." Dawn is a trailer park dweller who won the lottery and the money has taken her life for some unexpected turns...including bedding the dreamy Julian McMahon's plastic surgeon character.
Anywho, Rosie (pictured above in character) writes a little something on her blog about her experience so far:

Oliver platt is fantastic playing freddy prune dawns true love here in hollywood... still tingles driving thru the paramount gates, golf carts and bikes zip past on the lot, muscled men with headphones, thin women in heels,
adorable girl grips AD’s & PA’s knocking with time cues: "10 minutes" ...this is what i dreamed of in bed on rhonda lane...julian and dylan charming as ever, stunning to look at, they make me smile...

On Big Brother: "turn on the tv, big brother. “i am not who evil thinks i am” said cale - crying...
On Lohan: lindsay fell, some will not recover...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Any fan of the late, great HBO prison drama "Oz" remember the twisted, tortured but ultimately genuine romantic relationship between inmates Beecher (Lee Tergesen) and Keller (Chris Meloni). I just read a terrific story about the relationship on AfterElton.com which interviewed series creator Tom Fontana who says: “The Keller/Beecher thing really grew out of the dynamic between the two actors, Chris and Lee, in the sense that my original intention was simply for Keller to be a classic sexual predator, using the Beecher character. But the chemistry between the two actors onscreen was such that I went, ‘Well wait a minute, there's more here and it's much more interesting than anything that I would have conceived of.' [...] It was exciting to see the dynamic between them, so that's why I stayed with that story in terms of Beecher 's development as a character.”

To read the story, go over to AFTERELTON.COM.

Here is a YouTube video I found in Keller and Beecher with more after the jump...

Continue reading "Looking back at Oz..." »

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lucy from the UK wrote a nice note of congratulations on Out In Hollywood's one-year anniversary and took the opportunity to make a few suggestions one of which is: more lesbian news and pics. She singled-out my not posting about Portia De Rossi inking a deal to appear on "Nip/Tuck" next season which, truth be told, I had planned to do yesterday but got distracted (honest!).
Lucy, I'll try harder and thanks for reading the blog every day!
As for Portia, I'd like to point out that while she is best known as Ellen DeGeneres' girlfriend these days, she has been a regular on both "Ally McBeal" and "Arrested Development" and was terrific in both shows. On "Nip/Tuck," Portia will be playing a manipulative lesbian mother, who wants her teenage daughter to get plastic surgery. Her appearance is in addition to the previously-announced return engagement by Rosie O'Donnell who made quite an impression as a trailer park woman who wins the lottery and wants the full plastic surgery treatment...and she ends up bedding Julian McMahon.
So not fair.
AfterEllen.com quotes an NBC Blogger with this description of Rosie's storyline: Here's the gossip on Rosie's role, according to an NBC blogger: "Rosie will come to Dr. McNamara and Dr. Troy for a procedure where she will end up having to have her mouth sewn shut! She's forced to communicate with them through a dry erase board. She'll appear in episode four, which will begin filming in mid to late July. They want her back for more episodes after this but they have not been written yet and need to check Rosie's schedule."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The gay television network here! said Tuesday that the first season "The Lair" will debut Jiune 1. The series will include six original half-hour episodes with a new one airing every other week. Here is the basic plot: suspicions arise when young men turn up murdered with vicious, mysterious wounds on their necks. Determined to solve the crimes, a young journalist discovers clues leading him to a private gentlemen’s club called “The Lair.” As he closes in on the truth, he becomes ensnared by a coven of vampires led by the enigmatic Damian.

The Lair stars Peter Stickles (below), who gathered a following this year from his work in the critically-acclaimed indie Shortbus, as Damian, as well as Colton Ford (above) as the heroic Sheriff Trout.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AfterElton.com exclusively posted some Logo news awhile ago that I find of great intertest especially since it includes a new series for the exceptionally talented, gorgeous and articulate Robert Gant whose last regular gig was as Michael's partner, Ben, on "Queer As Folk." He's going to play a gay bionic man! He already looks the part!
The action/comedy is tentatively titled "Gayonic Man." I haven't heard any more about it, not seen a second of it and yet, I am hooked!
Additionally, Logo's "The Big Gay Sketch Show" is coming back for a second season. It will go into production in the fall for an early 2008 start. Any sketch show - even "Saturday Night Live" - has itsa hit and miss moments. But I've enjoyed this show most of the time and see it only getting better.

And finally, we can answer the question of what the heck is Lance Bass going to do with his professionaly life since coming out last summer? I mean, you can only go to so many openings, parites and "Dancing With The Stars" taping before you gotta earn some money.
Bass, a former member of the boy band NSYNC, will be featured in a music reality program.
"Lance Bass brings an astute understanding of the music business from a uniquely gay vantage point," said Brian Graden, President of Entertainment for MTV Networks Music Group and President of Logo. "We're thrilled to be working with him."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Capt. Jack Harkness and his plucky team of adventurers on "Torchwood" are going to cross the pond and start airing in the U.S. on Saturday nights on BBC America. Why should you care? Because the bisexual Captain Jack is played by the openly-gay, recently married and very gorgeous and talented John Barrowman!
"Torchwood" is to be part of a "Supernatural Saturday" line-up that centers on science fiction programming and shows featuring paranormal events, including the BBC America co-production "Jekyll," a modern-day retelling of the classic tale, as well as new seasons of returning series "Life on Mars," "Hex" and "Doctor Who," the show from which "Torchwood" is a spinoff.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I don't know about you but as far as being lesbians go, Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox make excellent heterosexuals. These images of their highly-publicized smooch during the season finale on "Dirt" last night is more best friends than lovers. Still, it's nice to see these two lovely gals together - real-life best friends - on screen again. Thanks to JustJared.com for the images!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK all of you who like seeing girls kiss: on tonight's season finale of "Dirt," Jennifer Aniston guest stars and will have a lip-lock with her former "Friends" co-star and real-life best friend Courtney Cox, the show's star and executive producer. Both actresses have downplayed the kiss saying it's not like they make out or anything. "Dirt" airs on FX - check your local listings for the time...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Production of 12 new episodes of Showtime's "The L Word" will begin this summer, the network announced Thursday. This will be the show's fifth season set to premiere in early 2008.
"THE L WORD(r) is a signature franchise for us and one of our most popular series," says Robert Greenblatt, Showtime's president of Entertainment.. "This season's guest star Cybill Shepherd and new series regular Marlee Matlin are indicative of the show's great quality. With our launch of OurChart.com (a social networking site that grew directly out of THE L WORD(r)), and the show's growing popularity in Second Life, this series goes well beyond the boundaries of a mere television show. Since its launch in 2004, the zeitgeist has never been the same."
To be honest, I don't know what the hell he's talking about in much of that quote but, I am assuming rabid fans of the show do!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It looks like Grant Show was the only star to engage in any kind of significant same-sex kiss on the FX show "Dirt." Producer-star Courtney Cox has convinced real-life best friend Jennifer Aniston to appear on the season finale and much has been made of their having a same-sex kiss.
Sounds like more of a lame-sex kiss:
Says Cox to "Access Hollywood": "There is no tongue and it is really not a big deal to kiss...I am not saying, 'Don't tune in to watch Jennifer on the show,' because she is fantastic and you get to see us together again. But if you think it is just about a major make-out session, you will be disappointed."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I used to watch "Melrose Place" in the 90s, I always kinda wanted to see Jake (Grant Show) get it on with Billy (Andrew Shue). Since the only gay guy on that show was Matt (Doug Savant), this obviously never happened. But this fantasy is, in a way, coming true on then FX show "Dirt" where Show is playing a closeted movie star having an affair with the brother of a tabloid editor played by Courtney Cox.

Judging from these steamy pictures (and there is another one I deemed too graphic to post), I gotta say, both actors are NOT holding back. They accepted gay roles and are being quite physical with each other as gay men are. It's a long ways from the days when Matrt on "Melrose" used to say goodnight to his dates with...A HUG!
Enjoy these pics from "Dirt," I know I did! They make the upcoming Courtney Coxz-Jennifer Aniston kiss seem pretty irrelevant.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This looks more sexy than scary. That means I will watch. here! , which brings us "Dante's Cove," has wrapped production of the first season of a new horror series, "The Lair," that will debut on the pay channel this spring. Six half-hour episodes have been filmed.
Set in a small coastal town, "The Lair" opens as the bodies of young nameless men are turning up dead with vicious wounds to their necks. A young journalist is investigating a series of mysterious John Doe murders. Clues to these crimes lead him directly to a private gentlemen’s club called The Lair, where the deepest, darkest desires are fulfilled. As he gets closer to solving the mystery, Thom finds himself ensnared in a blood thirsty coven of vampires.
The Lair stars Peter Stickles, who gathered a following this year from his work in the indie "Shortbus," as Damian, the leader of the coven of gay vampires, as well as newcomer David Moretti, who takes the lead as Thom.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Watched the first three episodes of FX's new show "Dirt" last night and I think it has some serious potential of becoming a guilty pleasure. The show debuts Jan. 2 and stars Courtney Cox as a ruthless tabloid editor who will stop at nothing to get a photo or a story. I loved Cox as wacky and endearing Monica Geller for all those years on "Friends" so it took some getting used to seeing her be such a bitch!
She fires people on the spot and expects everyone to not only work hard, but to get results. She must be having a blast. The relationship between Cox's Lucy Spiller, editor of "Drrt" magazine (that's not a typo!) and a schizo but tenecious photographer (played by Ian Hart) who she orders to do such things as crash a funeral to snap a picture of a dead movie star in her casket.
Lucy has a gay brother played by Will McCormack who kind of serves as her reality check. He is a successful interior designer to the stars and one of the homes he works on is that of handsome movie star Jack Dawson (played by Grant Show). If you want to be surprised about what happens in episode three, QUIT READING NOW. If not, here goes: Remember way back when Show was Jake on "Melrose Place," the show that wouldn't even allow a gay kiss between Jake's neighbor Matt and another guy? Well, times have changed - especially on cable! Show's character is married with kids and talks about them on TV interviews etc. But we learn that he is a big closet case when he not only gives McCormack a very sexy kiss (no dry lip-lock is this), he then sinks to his knees and well, I think you know what happens next!" (Show and McCormack are pictured, right, at the show's recent premiere party)
When I chatted with Show last month at the "Melrose Place" reunion party, he couldn't give me details about what was going to happen other than he was playing a closeted movie star. But he did tell me he would be doing some things on screen that he had never done before!
OK, now I know what he means!

Cox and her super cute husband, David Arquette, are co-exec producers of "Dirt" of which 13 hour-long episodes will air. Show is on for at least three of the episodes. I like having him around, i hope they write him into more.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Just got advance screeners of season four of "The L Word," which begins its new season on Jan. 7. I'm excited about the additions of Marlee Matlin and Cybill Shepherd to a cast that already includes Jennifer Beals and Pam Grier among others. Here is the new cast photo as an appetizer!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This definitely sounds like very exciting news: Premium gay television network here! TV has acquired worldwide rights to the award-winning television series "The DL Chronicles." The network plans to debut the first three episodes this spring and will be producing up to 9 additional episodes in 2007. The second installment of the cutting-edge series, "Robert," just screened at the 2006 Fusion Festival on December 3.  I saw "Robert" and if it was smokin! If the others from creators Quincy Le Near and Deondray Gossett are anything like it, I think you will be quite pleased.

"The DL Chronicles" tells the stories of men of color who by consequence and by choice, live sexually duplicitous and secret lifestyles. Narrated by aspiring journalist, Chadwick Williams, as he pursues research while authoring a book about MSM (Men who Sleep with Men) aka "The Down Low," a slang term sometimes used for African-American men who identify as being straight, but secretly engage in sexual activity with men.

"The stories of men who have sex with men of color are rich and varied and deserve to be explored," Le Near and Gossett said in a joint statement. (I hate joint statements. Think about it, did they actually mouth these words at the same time as someone wrote them down?)
Anyway, here is the rest of what "they" say: "We hope to tell these human stories with integrity and honesty and continue to creatively raise the bar and push the envelope for Queer entertainment. We are excited to have the opportunity to bring our stories to millions of desiring viewers across the US and abroad, and especially proud to be in the company of those who opened the doors before us."

Bring on the DL Chronicles!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I used to catch the CBS Sunday night drama "Cold Case" far more often in previous years and from the very beginning, the show has had the occasional gay storyline and have been recognized with a GLAAD Award for it. But judging from the emails I got this morning, last night's "Forever Blue" episode was a real winner. But I missed it! It seems that CBS treated this episode just like any other without any special promotion. This is a good thing overall. I'm just sorry I missed it.
Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris) and her team re-open the 1968 murder of a local cop believed to have been killed in a drug bust gone bad. But Lily finds out that the dead cop Sean "Coop" Cooper(Shane Johnson) was romantically involved with his married partner Jimmy Bruno (played as a young man by Brian Hallisay and in the present day by Chad Everett).
One of my friends called this the "Brokeback Mountain" episode and it apparently included a passionate same-sex kiss. I love it! Coop had wanted Jimmy to move away and start a new life but he is murdered by two homophoibic cops who believed Coop was a queer cop disgracing the force.

AfterElton.com's blog Best. Gay. Day. Ever. writes: I think it’s a necessity for people to understand that gays and lesbians did–and do–get beaten and murdered just for being gay. (The show went out of its way to ask if things were really that much better for gay cops today.) Besides the aforementioned kiss, the show not only portrayed the two men as being deeply in love, but in fact being “the lucky ones�? because they truly loved each other. The show also showed the horrible damage wrought by living in the closet. And despite Coop’s death it even managed to end on a happy note as Jimmy, now an old man (Chad Everett) went back to where he had last been with Coop and saw themselves walking away together holding hands. It was quite touching and something millions of Americans tuned in to see without knowing they were going to.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I saw Marlee Matlin at the Ribbon of Hope Celebration last week, I was taken aback at what an absolutely beautiful woman she is! What a stunner! I gabbed with her about her new role on "The L Word" which will have its fourth-season premiere at the end of next month.
"I'm having a blast. I love playing a lesbian! I want to be a good one and I want to do it well and do it right. I don't know if I have a lot more to learn, I'm sure I do," she said through sign language, was quickly relayed to me by an interpreter.
Matlin, winner of the best actress Oscar for "Children of a Lesser God," will play Jodi Lerner, the love interest of Jennifer Beals' character.
"I have to say, I'm a better kisser than Jennifer is but you know what, I let her take the lead," Matlin joked. "But at the same time, I think that has to change. I have to take charge!"

Series creator Illene Chaiken told me "I certainly think it's the best season yet. The characters really do continue to grow and develop. We have some fabulous new characters. Marlee is the headline, Cybill Shepperd is joining us. The show still keeps us happy."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For some reason, I got on the mailing list for Reason magazine. Just what I need, ANOTHER magazine. But the cover of the Dec. 2006 issue got my attention: "10 Years of South Park: Trey Parker & Matt Stone on censorship, politics, and staying funny."

The portion of the interview that I was most interested in was about the infamous "Trapped in the Closet" one that lampoons Tom Cruise and Scientology and makes thinly-veiled remarks about the actor's much-speculated-about sexuality. (Cruise is due to marry actress Katie Holmes, the mother of his daughter, Suri, this weekend ). The "South Park" episode shows Cruise's ex-wife Nicole Kidman and fellow Scientologist John Travolta attempting to coax a fictional Tom Cruise character out of a closet, with Kidman saying: "Don't you think this has gone on long enough? It's time for you to come out of the closet. You're not fooling anyone."

The episode aired once in 2005 but was pulled from the rerun schedule which caused a storm of controversy. Here is some of what Stone had to say about it:

Q: How did the network respond to pressure from the Church of Scientology about the episode?
Stone: They blew it off. To be fair, it wasn't really at the Comedy Central level. It was way up at the [Comedy Central owner] Viacom level. It wasn't a choice or anything we had any say in. The only thing that we got was a phone call saying that the producers of "Mission Impossible 3" (released by Viacom-owned Paramount Pictures) want this show off the air. The rerun was supposed to air that night. So we bitched and moaned and yelled at them on the phone...But then we realized - and luckily it came true - that you can't just pull an episode off the air anymore. People are going to find out. Sure enough, it was all over the press. The Internet makes those backroom deals a lot harder to do."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I love this ad: "Wedding Wars: His brother is out. his wedding is off. The war is on."
Hey, I don't know if this movie is any good but i intend to find out. Why? Will give ya two reasons: John Stamos and Eric Dane. The impossibly handsome Stamos, whose presence has really boosted the ratings for "ER" this season, plays a gay wedding planner whose brother (Dane, Dr. McSteamy on "Grey's Anatomy") is getting married to the conservative (anti-gay marriage) governor's daughter. That's when things get interesting. Stamos goes on strike, refusing to plan the wedding and calling for a nationwide strike on all weddings.

The movie airs on A&E channel on Monday, Dec. 11...9 p.m. (8 p.m. central)

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 7:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I gotta say, I love that Cybill Shepherd! A star for 35 years starting with 1971's "Last Picture Show," Cybill always finds a way to reinvent herself. She's gone from A-list movie star to country singer to TV superstar ("Moonlighting") to Emmy-nominated sitcom lead ("Cybill) to talk show host, author and cabaret singer.
What. A. Woman.
But we haven't seen much of Cybill lately except for in a pair of TV movies in which she played Martha Stewart. But come Jan. 21, the sensational Shepherd will join the cast of Showtime's "The L Word" as a vice chancellor of a university and married mother of two children who has a fling with Leisha Hailey's character, Alice.

Shepherd, 56, tells USA Today that she "never played a character like this before. It's just thrilling to be part of a show that's almost all women."

As for the love scenes? "It's easier to play a love scene with a woman," she says. Men have more "issues."

Shepherd says more than once that she was "turned on" by the woman-woman sex scenes. But the twice-divorced Shepherd says that in real life, she has a boyfriend. Basically, she doesn't like labels. "If you look at what we know about men, women and our sexuality, a great majority of people are bisexual. So what's wrong with that?"

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As if Alanis Morissette isn't already lucky enough to be with beefcake Ryan Reynolds off-screen, the singer will appear in the first of three episodes of "Nip/Tuck" as Poppy, the anesthesiologist lesbian lover of Roma Maffia's Liz. Cool! At least they will have a real same-sex relationship instead of this tease Julian McMahon's character has been engaged in this season. McMahon got a magazine cover over all of this so he should at least put out! Sheesh.
Anyway, Morissette's character will be encouraging Liz to undergo liposuction

"She wants me to be my best me, to reach my full potential," Maffia tells TV Guide's Mary Murphy. ""But when I go under the knife, we will see just how much she wants me to have done. She is a control freak."

Murphy also spoke with Morisette - who played a lesbian on an episode of "Sex in the City" and kissed Sarah Jessica Parker - about her latest acting gig on the F/X drama..
"This is definitely against type," the edgy rocker says. "I feel like Poppy is my shadow self, everything that I try not to be — controlling, micromanaging, projecting all kinds of dysmorphic body issues onto your partner rather than owning your own self. "

She and Liz will share a kiss.
"The kiss felt so natural; there was nothing uncomfortable about it. We live in a homophobic culture — if it were two men they would be judged to the nth degree, but with women it is "hot." What I love about this is this seems real.

Morissette tells TV Guide that even though she and Reynolds ("Van Wilder," "Just Friends") have had an on-again off-again relationship over the past four years, she feels "like we are married already. We will most likely down the road actually do it."

Click HERE to read the entire interview on TVGuide.com.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Remember hunky Grant Show who played Jake on "Melrose Place" all those years ago? He was quite the ladies man on that 90s nightime soap that co-starred Heather Locklear, Marcia Cross, Doug Savant, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Rob Estes and Kristin Davis, among others. While many of his co-stars have had major successes since then, we haven't really seen Show in many high profile roles since "Melrose" but he is certain to be noticed in his next gig: he is playing a closeted A-List actor on the new FX series "Dirt" which stars Courtney Cox. The closeted actor is also reportedly a Scientologist for what it's worth.
I'm looking forward to this one!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Everything is coming up Rosie these days. Miss O'Donnell is not only a popular (if not sometimes controversial) addition to "The View," she confirmed ths week that she will be reprising her guest spot on "Nip/Tuck" as lottery winner Dawn Budge - who paid Julian McMahon's character to have sex with her for $100,000 - in a spinoff series!
The character proved to be such a hit with fans, producers approached Rosie about starring in her own show.
In the "Ask Ro" section of her Internet blog, she is asked the question, "Is it true ur (sic) in talks for a spin-off series starring as Dawn Budge?" O'Donnell posted the message, "Talks r (sic) over. I said yes."
The new series will reportedly be shot in New York City, so O'Donnell can also continue her hosting duties on "The View."
And speaking of "The View," McMahon shocked Rosie this week by appearing on the chat show with the zebra skin rug the two shot a love scene on and preceded to recreate the scene. McMahon unfurled the rug and jumped on top of O'Donnell after she sprawled out on the carpet, to the delight of the studio audience. Co-host Joy Behar also had a turn on the rug with McMahon after musing that she was missing out on all the fun.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Just checked out the UTUBE video of the much-hyped dream sequence in which Julian McMahon (whose character has been questioning his sexuality this season) and Dylan Walsh share a kiss. Much like the Mario Lopez shower episode, it's a lot of hype with very little payoff. Still, it was enough to get McMahon on the cover of the Advocate recently.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For months now, the rumors have been floating about how gay, if at all, Julian McMahon's character, Christian might be on the current season of "Nip/Tuck" on FX which began last week with the handsome plastic surgeon questioning his sexaulity.
In a lengthy interview in the gay and lesbian newsmagazine, The Advocate, McMahon is asked whether or not his character is gay.
"I see him as mixed," McMahon tells the interviewer. "He's such a metrosexual, you can't help but challenge the fact that there might be something a little (gay about him)." The actor then says that during a dream sequence, he kisses co-star Dylan Walsh, his best friend, business partner, and soulmate ("These two guys are obsessed with each other").
"...It wasn;t meant to be a kiss," McMahon says. "But I was enjoying Dylan's discomfort so much that I went for it...I don't think he's gotten it on with a guy before."

As for the much-buzzed about shower scene with guest=star Mario Lopez, show creator Ryan Murphy tells The Advocate that the encounter is not sexual. "It's about Mario having this fantastic body of a 30 year old and Christian feeling 40 and like suddenly he's not the wunderkind at the gym anymore."

Is THAT all? What. A. Tease.

But in the Advocate interview, McMahon does comment on Lopez's buff bod: "He has an out-of-control figure, by the way. Chris (Evans, his hunky "Fantastic Four" co-star) has a great body too. ..very trained."

Anyway, at least one series regular REALLY will be gay this season as she has been since the start of the series: Liz Cruz, portrayed by the terrific Roma Maffia. Liz, the lesbian anesthesiologist on the show, finally gets a girlfriend. But there's a catch: apparently the girlfriend is a real beeeyotch. "She's mean and she tries to make Liz go on a diet and get lipo," Murphy says.

Gee, the new girlfriend sounds like a real charmer.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The red-hot FX drama "Nip/Tuck" has been dancing around the possibility that Julian McMahon's ladykilling character might actually be gay since last season. In the first few episides of the new season, the network is doing a masterful job of luring more gay viewers with this storyline. We don't know where it's going at this point but we do know that screenshots of McMahon and Mario Lopez naked in a shower have been leaked into cyberspace (click here for earlier post). In addition, McMahon, in a very wet T-shirt, will be on the cover of the upcoming issue of The Advocate. After all of that, SOMETHING better happen!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Nip/Tuck" writer-creator Ryan Murphy has described his show as "a heterosexual love story about two men." As his show kicks off its fourth season on Tuesday on FX, apparently the womanizing Christian (Julian McMahon) is wondering if he actually might be gay. After all, his only successful relationship has been with best friend and business partner Sean (Dylan Walsh). So, the big question is not only will Christian turn out to be gay, but will he get any action? We know that studly Mario Lopez is going to guest star as an "infuriatingly fit" plastic surgeon who has a homoerotic moment with Christian in the shower and some pics from the scene have begun to circulate around the net. Stay tuned!

The guest star new season will feature a couple of well-known out performers: Rosie O'Donnell and Richard Chamberlain. That is in addition to series regular Roma Maffia who begins another season as lesbian anesthesiologist Liz Cruz.
Chamberlain, who came out publicly afew years ago in his autobiography "Shattered Love," shows up in the second episode as wealthy, haughty and manipulative Arthur Stiles, the older boyfriend of a much younger man. Stiles wants more perfect facial features for his young boyfriend and wants him to undergo plastic surgery.

Meanwhile, Rosie will guest on the Oct. 3 and Oct. 17 episodes of the show as a Florida woman who decides to splurge on a surgical makeover after she wins the lottery. Since they couldn't just digitally alter Rosie like they did in her recent publicity pics for "The View," the "before" O'Donnell is padded and make-up free of makeup. The "after" Rosie is achieved by a corset and sporting heavy pancake. According to reports, rosie will also be wearing a contraption that pulls her neck and chin back.
It all sounds like tons of fun!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

With those DVD boxed sets of "Queer as Folk" still costing a pretty penny, here is some good news: Logo will begin airing all five seasons of the Showtime series which ended earlier this year.

Every Thursday at 10 p.m., starting on Sept. 21, the ups and downs of Michael, Brian, Melanie, Justin, Lindsay, Emmet, Ted and all the rest can be seen from the very beginning. Logo will air back-to-back episodes. Remember the first episode when Brian met Justin? What about when Debbie (Sharon Gless) flipped her wig? When Emmet hooked up with the football stud? When Ted OD'd? It's all here, all 84 episodes. But, they are in edited form since some of the steamier scenes that were just fine on pay cable won't make the cut on basic cable.

Oh well, use your imagination.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's not for nothing that the Lifetime channel has long been dubbed "television for women...AND GAY MEN." The last three words aren't a part of the official tagline but it may as well be with gay men lapping up all those melodramatic television movies starring Tracy Gold, Melissa Gilbert or Jaclyn Smith and endless reruns of "The Golden Girls" and (my favorite) 'Designing Women."

Now Lifetime is really embracing the gays with "Lovespring International," a largely improvised show centered around a fictional dating service with clients both gay and straight, undecided or just confused. The show, executive produced by Erik McCormack ("Will & Grace"), airs Monday nights at 11 p.m. on Lifetime.

The cast includes three openly gay performers: Jack Plotnick, Sam Pancake, and Jane Lynch although none of their characters are openly gay. But Pancake's character, Burke Christopher, clearly falls into the "confused" category. He's married to a woman but he is a barely closeted gay man.

AfterElton.com says in its review of the show: "It's a thin charade: the gay man playing a straight husband. In real life you can expect tears and unhappiness, but in the Lovespring world, with the characters taken to their exaggerated extremes, you can see it in a funhouse mirror. Yet there's a kernel of truth behind every joke."

The review also says the show "has well-written characters performed expertly by a talented comedic cast. The situations are campy and fun, with a bit of twisted naughtiness thrown in. There is no laugh track, and since much of the show is improvised, many of the lines are fluid and overlapping. Expect a bit of Christopher Guest-style realism and dry humor—just the sort of gaiety to make you forget the scorching heat and unbearable humidity of summer."

Sounds like this is a show worth checking out!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The stylish dudes on "Queer Eye" will be doing something that I think is really cool on the newest episode of their makeover show airing Tuesday, Aug. 1: they will have as their subject a transgender male named Miles who is beginning a new life in NYC as a man.

Born a female named "Amelia," Miles grew uyp in Vermont as part of an extended born again Christian family. First she came out as a lesbian at the age of 15 then during her sophomore year at an all-girl college, she had the courage to begin calling herself Miles.

After two years taking testosterone, Miles is now able to pass as a man but needs some style tips! Not only does he need to learn the basic skills of being a male, he also needs some serious lessons in style and panache. With careful guidance from the Fab Five, Miles will become the most stylish " trans-man" the city has ever seen!

The Fab Five will help Miles host a gathering of family and friends to celebrate his coming of age as a man. Many of the guests have not seen Miles since he has been on the hormone therapy, and it is important for him to reintroduce himself to everyone as Miles and show off his new look for his new life. If done right, this party is an important step for everyone in his life.

The episode airs at 10 p.m. and I hope people will check it out. Anything that helps to educate people and puts a human face on for what, to most people is largely the unknown, I'm all for.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)