Have I ever mentioned my favorite gay soap, "Dante's Cove" to you before?
OK, OK,. only about a million times.
Well, some good news: here! Networks announced Tuesday that Season 1 of the gothic soap is now available at PlantOut Inc.’s Gay.com and PlanetOut.co in the form of webisodes. The show "Dante’s Cove" will be available for the first time ever online on an unlimited basis via Gay.com.
“This year, it became abundantly clear that television audiences are looking for options when it comes to watching their favorite shows,” Paul Colichman, President and CEO of here! Networks said in a statement. “Dante’s Cove, now entering its third successful season, is the perfect vehicle through which here! Networks can attract new subscribers while also acknowledging our audience’s interest in internet-driven viewing options.”

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As Adam on "Dante's Cove," Jon Fleming's character is understandably in love with the gorgeous and thoughtful Toby played by Charlie David. They were buddies in high school and hang out, shirtless, all the time but Toby just isn't that into Adam - at least romantically.
At least in episode one which had its debut on here! TV on Friday.
I talked to Jon last week at the premiere event for the show to try and find out more.
"Basically, you'll find out that I've been cut off from my trust find. I had been living at Dante's Cove off my parent's money, partying and stuff. My parents basically say, 'Move back to New York or you're cut off.' But Adam's love for Toby prevails and he decides to stay at Dante's Cove and fight it out. Even though, as we saw [in the season two finale] he was rejected by Toby. Toby said he just wanted to be a friend. But Adam won't quit and he'll keep fighting for Toby even if he's penniless. He's not gonna take no for an immediate answer."

I suggest that maybe Adam has some kind of showdown with Kevin (Gregory Michael) who is Toby's true love.
Fleming likes the idea: "I think we should get a little boxing ring and have Toby be the main prize. Have Adam and Kevin just duke it out for Toby. Winner takes all."
Fleming was a bit taken aback by all the hoopla surrounding the premiere event in LA on Tuesday night with hundreds of fans and friends packed into the theater. It was a far cry from a year earlier when "one of the actresses on the show had a party and I watched it eating Funions and drinking beer."
Everything about this new season just seems better, says the handsome actor.
"I feel like everything is really tied in compared to last season when each character kind of had their own little story going on. But this season, everybody is more together and everyone has scenes with Grace (Tracy Scoggins). She's the landlady. Everyone has their own drama, their own love story. But at the same time, you'll see everyone come together for one joint purpose toward the end."
Stay tuned!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anyone who watches "Dante's Cove" probably wants Toby (Charlie David) and Kevin (Gregory Michael) to end up together in the end, just as they were in the beginning. But in the meantime, I am digging the chemistry between Kevin and Ambrosios (William Gregory Lee). Caught up with the adorable Greg Michael at the show's big premiere event on Tuesday.

"I love having all these people here. It's awesome," Greg said as he surveyed the frenzied scene outside the Regent theater. "It's good seeing you as always, I always read the blog. I'm not gonna lie to you, I probably check it like once a week."
I want to know how he deals with being the object of affection of so many gay men: "Very tenderly, with love and care. Gotta be smooth, gotta say, 'Thank you, I appreciate it. I'm taken...maybe I'm not. You gotta tease them a little bit. Give them what they want then take it away. I try and play a little game. You try and be vague about everything."
So Greg is straight and brought his girlfriend to the event.
"Where is she, the hussy?" I joke.
We both crack up. Then he tells me: "I'm happy. It's tough to be in a relationship in Hollywood, it really is. Especially being on a show like this. It's time consuming trying to juggle a relationship and a career but it's going well. "
I tell Greg that finding out he is straight is as heartbreaking for "Dante" fans as finding out Matthew Rhys of "Brothers & Sisters" is straight.
"MATTHEW RHYS is straight?!?" Greg says, genuinely surprised. "I'm devastated! I actually didn't know that. That's pretty disappointing.":
Don't we know it.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oh, I'm sorry. Did you think there were only hot men on "Dante's Cove"? My fault. I haven't written much about the fabulous women in the here! TV show which will have its third season premiere Oct 19. I recently talked to the show's most seasoned actresses, the gorgeous Tracy Scoggins and Thea Gill who play dueling sisters with supernatural powers.
Scoggins' first scene has her character of Grace Neville landing face down in the ground, covered in dirt and grass, cursing her sister, Diana Childs: "The bloody Cow! I'm going to make her suffer!"
She told me at the Advocate party a few weeks back that those lines were improvised which, to me, shows that she is really having a good time with what is a very juicy part. While her Grace has been mostly wicked up until now, I noticed she is beginning to show some softer sides.
Says Scoggins: "My father had this theory: 'Show people your strength and they'll take notice. Show them your weakness and they'll take heart.' And I think that's what we'll see a little bit more of in Grace in season three. You'll start to see her softer underbelly and see why she is the way she is, why betrayal has affected her so. She's wicked because she's been devastated. Her heart is so scarred. I think in season three she might start to have a little salve on her heart."
I remember Tracy best from the "Dynasty" spinoff, "The Colbys" which also starred Barbara Stanwyck and Charlton Heston, among others. Scoggins has stayed busy with plenty of other shows since then but she is very much in the moment, enjoying the popularity of "Dante's."
"I'm not much on thinking ahead or looking back," she says. "I always say you can look back but don't stare. I'm very proud to be on something that's groundbreaking. I know pride is one of the seven deadly sins so I'm a sinner because I'm really proud of 'Dante's Cove.'"
So is Thea Gill, the actress who had best been known to queer audiences for her part as Lindsay on "Queer As Folk" for its entire five-year run. While Lindsay was kind, Diana is an entirely different type of character to play. In the season's first episode, she and Grace duke it out. I tell her that the fight scene between her and Scroggins is very Krystle-Alexis on "Dynasty" and she said, "I think that's what they were going for.'
She feels like she is really getting a handle on her character now.
"In the second season, I didn't quite know what to make of it. But in the third season, I started to understand what the show's about and how I could contribute to it and so I kind of went into my own fantasy world and brought as much of my intense life to it as possible so the intensity of the witch in me came out in full force. I let it all hang out. It's a very high intense show. In all the great horror films, there's a heightened intensity and that's what I was striving for and, of course, having a little bit of fun and having a sense of humor."
Between "Dante's Cove" and "Queer as Folk," Gill has a fan base anyone would envy: "Gay audiences are especially loyal and supportive and I think that's why I came aboard 'Dante's Cove.' I'm lucky to be able to be loved that way."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm sure there are those who are assuming that Reichen Lehmkuhl, an "Amazing Race" champ, author, model and former boyfriend of Lance Bass, would not be able to tackle a real acting job when he was signed to the third season of "Dante's Cove."
Well, I've seen episode one and not only does he not embarrass himself, but he's quite natural and appealing.
We talked about the show and his participation in it at the 40th Anniversary gala for The Advocate this week.
"It's the most exciting thing since I can remember," he says. "I loved it, I loved every part of it. I loved being on set, meeting the other actors asnd the way here! Network has treated me. I loved the coaching I got and the support I got on set. It was an A-plus, plus, plus experience for me. It was amazing."
It now seems that the acting bug has gotten ahold of Reichen: "I want to do more and there are some things in the works and I'm so excited. I can't say yet."
I then asked Reichen to give "Dante's Cove" an old-fashioned plug: "It's a brand-new season and it's completely new. I want everyone to give it a shot whether you love it already or have seen it before, watch season three."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A few weeks back, I posted various interviews I had done over the summer with members of the cast of "Dante's Cove" but for some reason, neglected to post my chat with Jon Fleming who plays Adam on the show. Of course he's gorgeous, as you can see, but also a very nice guy.
Here is the interview:
GREG: OK, give it up. What's up with your character this season?
JON: Last season, my character came out at the end of the season and this year, he's trying to kick the last of his [drug] addiction. But he's basically sticking around the cove and fighting for Toby (Charlie David). He's not gonna give up. He's not going home empty-handed. He also loses his trust fund so Adam needs to get a job. My parents told me I have to come back home or I lose it. The fact that he's been spoiled his whole life and that he's willing to get a job to stick around to be with Toby really shows how much he's in it for Toby."
GREG: Was it different for you filming the third season than the second one?
JON: "There are some new actors but a lot of returning ones too so you have the same friendships. Like with Charlie, Charlie and I are really good friends - off screen we hang out and do [10K] races together and stuff like that. And in a sense, it's good for the characters because our characters were buddies in high school before the cove. But in another sense, when it comes to the make-out scenes, it's a little more difficult now that we know each other. We've found each other cracking up some on set."
GREG: It's gotta be kinda fun. I know you're straight but Charlie's pretty hot.
JON: [laughs] "It's good that it's Charlie. I lucked out."

Other Dante's Cove profiles:
- William Gregory Lee- Gregory Michael
- Gabriel Romero
- Jensen Atwood

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Earlier this week, I was having dinner at Spanish Kitchen in West Hopllywood with an industry source and we were gabbing about everyrthing from the presidential race to, well, "Dante's Cove." He said he thought of it as soft-core porn and I found myself just sorta saying, "Well, I like it. I like all the supernatural stuff."
Then yesterday, I got a screener in the mail of the "Dante's Cove" season three opener and decided to watch it before heading out for yet another pre-Emmy party at the Pacific Design Center (more on that later). As I watched, it came back to me why I have enjoyed this show so much: yes, there is nudity and sex but it's also great fun with some funny lines, some corny lines, and all the Tresum stuff peppered in to give it some unpredictability. I think the whole thing is just delicious.

First off, I love that Kevin (Gregory Michael) and Ambrosious (William Gregory Lee) are now a hot couple and it's sad that Kevin and Toby aren't together but it is not at all unpleasant watching them interact. I'm sure they won't live happily ever after but they have a great sex scene that starts in a shower about five minutes in.

Then there is the fabulous Tracy Scoggins as Grace who is an old pro at this stuff dating way back to "Dynasty." Scoggins continues to look sensational and delivers her lines with bitchy gusto but I sense her softer side emerging a bit as well. Her character has been in limbo for six months by her sister Diana (Thea Gill) and when she finally returns to Dante's Cove, it is by landing in the dirt, face first. Her first lines: "Diana. Bloody cow! Bloody, pasty-faced shrew! She's gonna see suffering like no one ever has before."
A bit later in the episode, the two sisters have a Alexis-Krystal on "Dynasty" type fight where they throw stuff at each other, slap, kick, and wrestle to the ground. It's delicious.
Scoggins is a HOOT! And while Grace has been evil and ultra confident until now, her supernatural powers are out of whack and we see her softening a bit - which is a good thing since the residents of her hotel have all moved into her house in her absence because a tsunami has destroyed the hotel.

Among the residents are Toby (Charlie David) who is even more handsome than last season now that his hair is shorter and lighter; Adam (Jon Fleming), Toby's best friend who is in love with him; a female couple played by Michelle Wolff and Jenny Shimizu.

NOTE: The female love scenes is far better than any of the male scenes because they go for it, kiss like they mean it, devour each other. Some of the guys like Gregory Michael and newcomer Jensen Atwood are straight in real life and kiss boys like they would kiss their grandmother. I do not get it. If you are willing to play gay, willing to be naked with another guy, then kiss the guy like you would kiss a girl you were gonna have sex with. It's called ACTING. This closed-mouthed stuff rings false and undermines your believability. Charlie David, an out actor, lknows how to kiss, as does newcomer Reichen Lehmkuhl and William Gregory Lee usually gives it a good go.
OK, a few words about Reichen, who has a steamy quickie with Fleming's character in episode one that is kinda hot, he does a really good job! I was surprised in a way. But he was natural and believable and kinda charming as Trevor and I think is going to have some kind of professional partnership with Scoggins' Grace. He's a nice addition to the show and, as you can see from this photo, has a killer bod.
The other newcomer, Jensen Atwood, has a more substantial role as a member of the Tresum council who is already causing all kinds of troulbe. Atwood, best known from his role on "Noah's Arc," is as sexy as they come and his sex scene with Gabriel Romero is a sizzler.
But it would have had even more sizzle with a more convincing kiss.
As for other SPOLERS, I don't know if Van (the terrific Nadine Heimann) is really dead and her true love Michelle (Jill Bennett) looks very different because she's played by a different actress this season. She's changed in olther ways too, you're just gonna have to watch the show to find out how.
The first episode of the new season will begin airing in October on here! TV.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Charlie David, who has already finished filming the third season of "Dante's Cove" which premieres next month, is busy filming a movie he wrote and stars in called "Mulligans" about a guy who becomes romantically involved with his best friend's father.
I came across a recent interview Charlie gave to the Victoria Times Colonist via AfterElton.com and wanted to share some excerpts with you:

On coming out professionally in 2005: "It was wonderfully freeing. I wouldn't turn that decision around for anything......"I won't deny it's been helpful for my career to this point. But we also get calls where we're told, 'Oh, no, he can't play the gritty or ugly character' or have the baseness, I guess, that they're looking for."

On "Mulligans: "It's about the family unit. How does family life go on? What decisions does each individual make? How does a wife deal with a husband who has cheated? How does an eight-year-old girl look at her parents and the potential they may be splitting up?"

Writing vs, acting: "I've discovered I get as much joy from writing as acting...We need more stories about love and acceptance, and part of that comes through TV shows and films that can show alternative lifestyles in a positive light."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I first met actor Gabriel Romero maybe three years ago at a house party for The Trevor Project. He had a long talk about a lot of serious subjects and I found him to be quite insightful. So it was great so see him added to the cast of 'Dante's Cove' last season as the sexy Marco, owner of a club where a big chunk of the drama unfolds.
We talked last month about the upcoming third season of the gothic gay soap.
Says Gabriel: "The show actually has some great surprises coming up, major changes. You won't believe it. The first 10 minutes of it you'll be like 'What? What happened?' I can't tell you about it though."
So, will there be more of those steamy sex scenes?
"Of course it's a little sexy. I mean, c'mon, it's about having fun. It's the gay network. I have a very steamy scene with [new cast member] Jensen [Atwood]. It was very powerful and was supposed to be the biggest orgasm of my life."
Gabriel says he is pleasantly surprised at the show's growing international appeal: "Now that season two is out on DVD, I'm getting emails from places like China now! The fans have just been coming out of the wood work, now it's everywhere - it's around the world. They're watching 'Dante's Cove' in China. It's awesome. It's about reaching out and letting people know we are proud of who we are, that we're no lomger hiding. It's a guilty pleasure so come on and watch and have fun."

We will!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gregory Michael is an actor-musician who has been one of the stand-out stars of "Dante's Cove." As Kevin, his topsy-turvy relationship with Toby (Charlie David) has the most heart of any of the male relationships. Amrosius (William Gregory Lee), however, will stop at nothing to come between them.
We chatted earlier this summer about the show's upcoming third season which debuts in September:
"This season is going to be, by far, the best. I guarantee it. If I'm wrong, you can come find me, hunt me down," he says. "We have some new faces this year like Jensen Atwood who moved over from 'Noah's Arc' to the Cove. And Reichen [Lemkhul] have some good scenes, good energy. You're gonna want to see Reichen, you're gonna want to see Jensen, you're gonna want to see it all. It just gets hotter. I don't know how that's possible, but it does."
So does Ambrosius succeed in finally winning Kevin over?
"We're naughty together this year. I don't want to say more."
Should be look forward to seeing as much nudity as we have in the first two seasons? You sometimes wonder if Kevin even owns a shirt!
"More clothes on but definitely sexier," he says. "It's always what you don't see. But I have to work out, do the routine, eat a lot of tuna, do crunches and squats and all that fun stuff."
Michael has been touring all summer with his band, my band, "Auxburn," at various spots including the Viper Room on Sunset Blvd.
"I have a great fan base and it's really helping out when it comes to my music, we've been doing a lot of shows and a lot of the fans from 'Dante's Cove' come to my shows. It's invaluable."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last month, I conducted interviews with several members of the cast of "Dante's Cove" which will begin airing its third season on here! TV in October. I love this campy, sexy show and its supernatural elements. One of the main reasons why is the performance of William Gregory Lee who plays the 200 years old Ambrosius who is dong better and better at adjusting to the present-day goings-on at Dante's Cove.
Lee tells me "it's been an absolute blast" playing the very complex role on the gay soap.
"When we first started the series, I had very specific things that I wanted to bring to the character and here! [TV] has kind of given me the freedom to kind of run with everything that I ever envisioned. We sit down between seasons and I tell them some ideas I have for the character, like some of the transformations that Ambrosius has to make in the present day. They've been really gracious and kind of let me create this guy. I want to keep him as real as possible."
While Lee has plenty of love scenes with the hot men on the show, among the most delicious moments come when he is facing off with his nemesis, Grace [Tracy Scoggins], who cast a spell on him and had him locked up for two centuries. She was his fiancee when she walked in on him having sex with another man.
"We have a phenomenal cast we put together and we have a lot of fun with the show. That's the key. Tracy and I, we get along like two peas in a pod."
I wondered how Lee, who is straight off-screen, feels about not only playing a gay role, but one that requires among the more explicit same-sex love scenes that you'll see on television.
"When I made my mind up that this was what I was going to do, I was going all the way no matter what. Whatever they asked, whatever they expected, I was going for it. I have no problems with it and it's been fun."
Lee is sometimes taken aback by the show's tremendous fan base: "We've got an amazing cult following. I get anywhere between 50 to 200 friend requests a day on MySpace from guys all over the world. Tracy and I have some sci-fi conventions - we both have a sci-fi background - and the sci-fi fans, whether they be gay or straight, are watching the show as well. And it's really a trip for Tracy and I to see. It's been really exciting for us to watch because when we started, we were such a small thing. We were basically competing with "Queer As Folk" when it had just ended. But we weren't trying to be 'Queer as Folk,' we were trying to have our own identity and I think the writers have done a really good job of establishing this tone. It's fun and different and they like to bill it as a guilty pleasure."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'd like to think my writing abilities are better than my photography but I did snap the above picture of Jensen Atwood last month (I can't believe it's August already!) at Outfest and it's pretty hard for him to take a bad picture. Jensen is best known for his role as Wade, Noah's on-again off-again love on Logo's "Noah's Arc" which after running two seasons, is now being made into a feature fiilm set to begin shooting this month. While Jensen is set to be in that film, he also managed to land a role as a regular in the third season on here! TV's sexy supernatural soap "Dante's Cove" which will begin airing new episodes in October.
Jensen, who I first met at Outfest 2005 when he was working as a valet at an after-party, is enjoying a bit of well-earned success and we had a little chat about it.
Here is our conversation:
Q. To go from playing Wade on "Noah's Arc" to a warlock on "Dante's Cove" must have been like culture shock for you.
A."It was an adjustment, very different from 'Noah's Arc.' It was like jumping on a moving train with them going into their third season. It was a matter of getting used to all of the erminology, all the magic, getting informed about the show. But it was a good adjustment."

Q. You were a newcomer to the cast along with Reichen Lemkuhl. What was it like to join a group of actors already used to working together?
A. "It was great and the cast was more than welcoming from when I made my first step onto the set. It was a great experience and being in Hawaii for four weeks, that's not a bad job at all."

Q. What's it been like to be cast in the of the highest-profile gay-themed shows around?
A. "It's a blessing, to say the least. Just to be an actor and to be working is fantastic and then just to be a part of great projects is a great bonus, 'Noah's Arc' and 'Dante's Cove' both being that."

Q. Tell us about your character.
A. "My character's name is Griffin, a bisexual warlock and he has come to Dante's Cove to set things straight."

Q. Do you have your shirt off more than you had in 'Noah's Arc'?
A. "I don't think I'll EVER do a project where my shirt is off more than on 'Noah's Arc.' [laughs]. But, there's a pretty good amount of skin on 'Dante's Cove.'

Good to hear...yet another reason to look forward to the new season on "Dante's Cove." I also chatted with other cast members and will be sharing our conversations in the days and weeks to come.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

We already know about Jensen Atwood's being added to the cast of HERE! TV's "Dante's Cove" for the supernatural sudser's third season since it was LEAKED last week to places other than Out In Hollywood. But we didn't know anything about the character being played by the handsome actor who first caught our attention as Wade on "Noah's Arc."
Atwood joins the cast as Griff, a sexually fluid playboy with ties to the mysterious powers of Tresum and desired by both male and female residents of Dante’s Cove....and everywhere else, I am sure.
Openly gay actress Jill Bennett joins out actors Charlie David, Michelle Wolff, Gabriel Romero, Jenny Shimizu and Reichen Lehmkuhl in the cast of "Dante’s Cove" which this season will feature one of television’s first lesbian love triangles, featuring characters played by three out actors. That should make for convincing love scenes! Bennett takes on the role of Michelle, whose sudden return to Dante’s Cove tests the budding relationship of Brit (Wolff), the island’s sexy bartender/oceanographer, and Elena (Shimizu), a newcomer to Dante’s Cove.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Look what Reichen has in store for him! These gorgeous actors have all returned for the third season of "Dante's Cove" being filmed in Hawaii as we speak. If you have not been following the goings on, here's some good news: I just found out that season two of the show is being released on DVD on June 5! I tell ya, the show is such a guilty pleasure with the obvious appeal being boys with boys, girls with girls and beautiful people all around. But there are also solid actors (including Charlie David, Thea Gill and Tracy Scoggins) and the supernatural element are a lot of fun.
The here! TV original series is described by the network as a " classic combination of sex, horror, homosexuality, the supernatural and camp." Well, how can we resist? The residents of the Hotel Dante are forced to deal with many tough obstacles this season including addiction, infidelity, coming out, breaking up and death. Special features on the DVD include deleted scenes plus featurettes on the men, women and out actors of the show.
The DVD in a 2-disc set being distributed through Genius Products on June 5 with a suggested retail price of $29.99. For more information log on to www.dantescove.com.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

He certainly looks like he belongs on "Dante's Cove" and now we'll get to find out of Reichen Lehmkuhl can ACT like it. The handsome reality show celeb, most recently best known as Lance Bass' ex-boyfriend, will play Trevor, a business school graduate who comes to Dante's Cove looking to find himself.
Trevor becomes quickly intertwined with the beautiful men and enigmatic forces crawling all over the island. His close association with the immortal witch Grace (Tracy Scoggins) draws Trevor into a magical world and a dark battle he never could have imagined.
“We couldn't be more thrilled to have a talent like Reichen on board,” said Meredith Kadlec, Vice President of Original Programming for here!. “He is the perfect triple threat for Dante's Cove – he has a loyal fan base, he is proudly out, and he is simply gorgeous.”
I'm so glad the show has hired another openly gay performer. While the returning cast is gorgeous and I respect the way they don't shy away from same-sex love scenes, only the terrific Charlie David is openly gay while Gabriel Ramirez, a second season addition, is bisexual.
By the way, if you want to know if Reichen has screen presence, I suggest you check out the deleted scenes of "The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green" where he has a brief but sexy encounter with the film's title character, played by the talented and adorable Daniel Letterle. He certainly looks to be a good kisser!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's been more than I week since I had a chat with Charlie David, the star of "Dante's Cove" but am only just getting around top sharing our conversation with you! Sorry Charlie! The busy actor/producer is, as I've mentioned before, preparing to shoot his indie film "Mulligan" in Victoria at the end of August through early September. Charlie is not only producing and starring, but he wrote the script! But before that, he will be plenty busy shooting a new season of "Dante's Cove" through June then will be traveling to Spain and Africa for new episodes of a travel show, "Bump!" that he hosts for Canadian television.
"Right now, we're in the gathering finances stage which is a big undertaking," said Charlie, who was in Texas last week for an event with "Mulligan" investors. "Things are going well."
Besides Charlie, who plays a guy who has an affair with his best friend's dad, the cast will also include his "Dante's" co-star Thea Gill who is best known for playing Lindsay on "Queer as Folk" for five seasons.
So who is going to play the hot dad?
Says Charlie: "We are looking for someone to play opposite (Thea) and we have some ideas in mind but we're just waiting for all the financing to log, our dates to log, and then we'll be good to go."
This is why I am so impressed with Charlie. He's a 26 year old guy who is openly gay and he is making things happen for himself. He considers out actors/producers Chad Allen and Robert Gant to be his role models and I think he is certainly following in their path.

OK, but we really want to know about the upcoming season of "Dante's Cove" and who Charlie, as Toby, is going to be involved with.
"The scripts were just published and we had a cast read-through and they are really fun," Charlie said. "There are definitely some wonderful cliffhangers."
Like what?
Charlie wouldn't say. He just laughed and assured me that he would be in all the episodes.
"People who have been faithful fans are going to have some big surprises this season with characters who are back for the season and also some surprises about who might not be there and [laughs] who might be leaving have way."
But what about him and Kevin (Gregory Michael)? Will true love prevail?
"Well, I can say that it's gonna be a rocky road. I think we had a little hint of that at the end of the second season with Adam [Jon Fleming]. There is some romantic interest between his character and mine."
Will there be lots of steamy love scenes?
"There definitely is," Charlie says. "I think the writers have done a great job this season of giving lots of equal attention to all the different characters. The girls have just as much weight this season as the guys and people who are fans of the steamy love scenes won't be disappointed."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In case you missed this week's Dante's Cove profiles, here are links to all of them and more pics for your viewing pleasure:
Tracy Scoggins
Gregory Michael
Jon Fleming
Charlie David
Gabriel Romero
Nadine Heimann

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Of course I love "Dante's Cove" because of all the hot guys. But there are some pretty hot girls too and it is the only show I can think of that offers equal time to both gay men and lesbians. I love Tracy Scoggins and I love Thea Gill but the woman on the show that I love the most is Nadine Heimann who plans Van. She is terrific! I talked to Nadine recently and was shocked to learn that this is her first TV acting job!
"I love Van. This is actually my first real character, the first actual job I've ever done. I've done a lot of hosting and commercial work and modeling but this is my first chance to really delve into a character and work with a group for a long period of time. I've actually grown a lot and am starting to study a lot now and starting to fall in love with the craft. I kind of take it from my stomach, real feelings and emotions from inside of me.""
This is amazing to me. Nadine's performance is so natural and so powerful that you'd think she was an old pro at this. Her character has to face down some of the biggest villians on the show and she is just fearless. Van makes bad decisions at times, but she is courageous and has enbraced the witchcraft that she somehow seemed born to do.
This has made Van popular with lesbian viewers but also with gay men as well. "It's actually surprising that the gay fans will email me and say, 'I know this is weird because I'm a guy but you're my favorite.' And I'm like. 'Oh! A 16 year old boy from Texas wants to be a lesbian witch! (laughs)."
Her character is best friends with Toby (Charlie David) and their bond really bridges things nicely for the male and female fans."Toby and Van are each other's whole security system - security blanket. They are both going through so much. In real life, I love Charlie. For a lesbian and a gay man to have that kind of relationship together, it's not that common. But they have the type of bond that really any best friend relationship has."

Nadine admits, reluctantly,. that she is straight in real life. But on the screen, she sure makes for one helluva lesbian!!!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

He's the handsome new club owner on "Dante's Cove" and Gabriel Romero certainly made an impression in the season finale. Let me just say it took place in the kitchen of the hotel when everyone was under a love spell and Gabriel's character, Marco Laveau, was not wearing any clothes: "That magic works on all of us," Gabriel told me, laughing.

We had met a few years back at a Trevor Project fundraiser and I remember having a long, in-depth conversation with Gabriel about spirituality and other things. It was such a nice departure from a lot of the superficial stuff that goes on at those kinds of events.
But this was before he joined Dante's Cove. This time, we had other things to talk about like what is Marco Lavreau all about?
"There's a real mystery to the character. We don't know yet if he's bad or good. He has a mysterious past. He knows something about the magic that goes on in Dante's Cove. You'll find out a lot more about Marco in this next season."
Romero says joining the show in its second season when it was already an established hit "has been awesome."
"All of the actors and the crew and the producers embraced me. They were so loving and such a great group of people to work with. That part was easy. The harder part was getting the style of the show and falling into that and to really fit in with the characters and start creating my own and add a little bit of spice as a Latino in there."

Q. So, who do you want to hook up with next season? Toby? Kevin? Adam? Ambrosious?
A. "If you really want to know the truth, I want the WOMEN! Van and Michelle had such a beautiful relationship. I want that! I keep telling them, why don't we have an episode where the magic works on all of us and we all turn?
Q. But you're gay in real-life, right?
A. "I'm bisexual.

Oh, THAT explains things! Anyway, Gabriel, who has done all kinds of stage work in L.A., has never shied from gay roles. He caused a sensation in Mexico when he played a gay character on a telenovela "Los Beltran." He also appeared in the short films "Myopia" and "My Straight Boyfriend."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

With his dark good looks, Charlie David has made a strong impression the last two years as Toby on "Dante's Cove." Where others are scheming or confused, his Toby is centered and tries to do the right thing for those he loves including lover Kevin (Gregory Michael), best galpal Van (Nadine Heimann) and for his longtime friend Adam (Jon Fleming) who we found out in season two is in love with Toby.
"It will be interesting for us to venture into Toby having a different relationship," the actor says. "There is flirtation and interest between Toby and Adam who have been friends since high school and with Kevin being whisked away by a warlock (Amrosious) to God know where, what's a boy to do?"

Although the love scenes between the men on "Dante's Cove" are quite steamy and some would say almost soft-porn, Charlie David is the only leading man who is an out gay actor. The other leads identify themselves as straight with one (Gabriel Romero) being bisexual.
"People said I was crazy to come out," Charlie told me. "I'm sure I've lost roles and I've gained some roles. But I wouldn't change the decision. It's a sign of the times that we are having more men and women coming out early in their careers."
He says he is "thrilled" to see fellow actors Neil Patrick Harris and T.R. Knight come out this year and to see out actors like Chad Allen, Peter Paige and Robert Gant working: "No matter when someone comes out, I think it's freeing for the industry and I'm happy for them as a person. Our lives just become so much easier."
With filming of the third season of "Dante's Cove" still several months away, Charlie is focusing on the production of a film he wrote called "Mulligan's Father." It will be made as an independent film intended for the film festival circuit. In addition to himself, the cast will include Thea Gill who plays Diana on "Dante's Cove" and is best known for the five years she spent playing Lindsay on "Queer as Folk."
"The father, who is in his mid-40s, has an affair with his son's best friend (David)," Charlie explains. "I'm finding that it's a theme right now, these gentlemen my father's age saying, 'You know what? Maybe I haven't lived my truth.'"
Well, Charlie David certainly appears to be living his truth and I admire him greatly for it!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Jon Fleming's character of Adam on "Dante's Cove" was Toby's straight best friend from high school during the first season of the show and he was played by handsome Stephen Arnell. In season two, Adam is not-so-straight anymore and admitting his love for Toby. He's also being played by the handsome Jon Fleming who took over the role when Arnell landed a part in a movie.
"I think Adam identifies himself as a straight guy in love with Toby (Charlie David) and no one besides Amrosious (William Gregory Lee) and Toby know my secret that I'm gay on the show," Fleming told me recently. "I think if Adam doesn't convince Toby that he should be with him, he might lay low. He's kind of like a Toby or bust type. If I've been closeted that long, Toby is the one I'm going to come out for. But, it's up to the writers obviously."
Adam is determined to break-up the show's romantic leads Kevin (Gregory Michael) and Toby.
"Adam is the kind of guy who doesn't let anything stand in his way. I think Kevin should be worried, Adam has put in his hours at the gym. He's gonna want to make Kevin look bad to win over Toby."

Before landing on "Dante," Fleming had done a lot of modeling and was mostly being cast in All-American type roles like football quarterbacks etc. Straight in real life, he saw Adam as "a layered role with him being closeted and having a drug addiction."

Q. So far, Adam has hooked up with both Toby and Ambrosious so I wanna know who was more fun to do love scenes with? Openly-gay Charlie David or straight actor William Gregory Lee?
A. "I didn't want to rehearse anything. I was just, 'If we're going to do this, let's just go for it and we just went for it and had a good laugh afterward. They are both very professional and they were both on the show the first season. It's not about what would a gay do or what would a straight guy do? It's basically how would I act with someone who I'm in love with? Love is the universal thing and I use that. If I love someone, what would I do to get that person?"
Q. Is Charlie a better kisser because he's a gay man?
A. "No comment! (laughs). They each have their own style."

On taking on an explicitly-gay role: "I think the world has changed and movies like 'Brokeback Mountain' has made it easier for straight actors to play gay characters and it's seen as a challenge. You take on the role, you take on the character and you make it your own. I'm very blessed to have a challenging role like this. The show is growing, it's more than just skin. I think there's been some great storylines and I'm definitely excited tio shoot more episodes. The show is growing and obviously everyone is getting behind it."

On keeping fit for the show: "Luckily, I got a start on that when I was a kid. My father was a football and basketball coach so it's something I enjoy doing but it does add a little more pressure knowing I'm going to be shirtless pretty much 99 percent of the time."

In January, Fleming is switching gears and making a horror film called "Frathouse Massacre" which will be shooting in Ohio. "It takes place in the 70s and I'm playing a frat president who goes a little overboard when it comes to hazing and ends up offing a few people. I play a really evil character."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Season three of the campy gothic soap "Dante's Cove" doesn't even begin filming until April meaning we won't be seeing the new adventures of the sexy cast until summer. But I caught up with Gregory Michael, Charlie David and John Fleming - three of the show's hottest male stars - at the Ribbon of Hope Celebration recently and each made time for a chat with "Out in Hollywood" as did their co-stars Nadine Heimann (Van) and Gabriel Romero (Marco).

Gregory and Charlie play Kevin and Toby, the show's main romantic couple, who are constantly being pulled apart by outside forces including Adam (Fleming) who has loved Toby since high school and Ambrosious (William Gregory Lee, pictured with Michael, above), a powerful warlock who only has eyes for Kevin. Gregory compared Kevin and Toby to "Ross and Rachel on 'Friends.' You want them to be together. But Ambrosias is looking mighty fine over there!"

Read my interviews with the stars of "Dante's Cove" in the coming days:
ARCHIVED: Tracy Scoggins
TODAY: Gregory Michael
MONDAY: Jon Fleming
TUESDAY: Charlie David
WEDNESDAY: Gabriel Romero
THURSDAY: Nadine Heimann

During the break from the show, the 25-year-old Gregory is focusing on his music career and performing gigs with his band, Auxburn. They hope to release a CD of their music next year which he describes as "John Mayer meets Coldplay."
Since Gregory is straight in real life and had a recurring role on "As the World Turns" prior to getting cast in "Dante's Cove," he did consider possible career ramifications of playing a gay man - especially one who is involved in graphic lovemaking scenes with another man. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it. I did. We did it before 'Brokeback Mountain.' But I played a date rapist on 'As the World Turns' for two years and I'm not a date rapist. It's another job to me and I'm getting recognized and there are a lot of possibilites on the horizon."
He believes "Dante's Cove,"which airs on the here! TV pay channel, has come along "at a time in our society where [sexuality] doesn't matter to people and I think it's wonderful."
So for a straight and single man, how is he so convincing in all of those love scenes?
"I'm definitely straight," he says, laughing. "But Charlie is just amazing and good."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Dante's Cove Profiles: First in a series...

Chatted up a slew of cast members from "Dante's Cove" last week including the sensational Tracy Scoggins who is an absolute hoot as Grace, a member of a coven of witches called the "Tresum." I''ve been a fan of Tracy's going back to when she was on "Dynasty" as Monica Colby which she also played for three seasons on the "Dynasty" spinoff "The Colbys" where her castmates included Barbara Stanwyck and Charlton Heston, among others.

At 53, Tracy still looks stunning and has been mighty busy since her days on "The Colbys." She was a regular on the sci-fi series "Babylon 5" and the western series "Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years" as well as a juicy recurring role on "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman." That is in addition to a slew of guest spots on various TV series and some movie roles.

At the core of "Dante's Cove," recently renewed for a third season by here! television, is the deadly game of revenge between Grace and her former fiancee Ambrosius who on the day of their wedding centuries earlier, she caught him having sex with their butler. She imprisoned Ambrosius in the body of an old man and since then, have been engaged in real doozy of a battle for each other's soul.

"Can you tell I'm having fun? I'm having a blast," Tracey told me. " I like being a pioneer in things which this sort of is being one of the first gay and lesbian nighttime soap operas. I couldn't ask for a more fun character. I mean, I COULD ask, but that would be really ungracious of me!" (laughs).

At this point, I cannot hold back. I say to her: "You look so SMASHING on the show like when you wore that red dress and showed up at Hotel Dante.
"What they try to do with my character is, she was very well dressed in the 1840s and they try to have that a continuing thread when she gets her way into the future," she explained.

I ask, "Is Grace evil or is she just misunderstood? I mean, I know she's been hurt."
"I don't think anyone's black or white," Tracey said. " I don't think anyone's good or evil. Her heart is so scarred, she's just such damanged goods that she just has trouble caring about anyone anymore. It's about power and revenge and I think it comes from a scarred heart. I think that's why the audience can relate to her because everyone's been betrayed and everyone's felt like putting a spell on somebody."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The sexy gothic soap opera "Dante's Cove" which airs on gay TV network here! will return for a third season next year! A lot of people dismiss this show as silly and it is! But no more silly than "Dynasty" was and a lot more sexy with same-sex storylines left and right, male and female.

Production on the series’ third season, which will consist of six, one-hour episodes, is slated to begin in early 2007.
Says Paul Colichman, founder and CEO of here! Networks: “The success of Dante’s Cove, which has built a loyal fan base over its first two seasons, has helped build a solid foundation for the network. We are proud and excited to announce the shows renewal for a third, thrilling season.�?

For those fans who want to explore Dante’s Cove beyond the small screen, more information can be found on the show’s official website at www.dantescove.com. The site offers character and actor bios, video clips, a guide to the show’s mysterious dark art of Tresum and a new series of Podcasts hosted by popular DJ Ben Harvey.

Season one of Dante’s Cove is now available on DVD at www.amazon.com, with season two coming in early 2007. In addition, the soundtrack for the series, featuring young and emerging LGBT artists, will be hitting stores in time for the holiday season.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My eyelids are a little droopy today due to sleep deprivation. The reason: I stayed up until the wee hours watching the last three episodes of my favorite gothic gay soap opera "Dante's Cove" which airs on the nhere! TV pay channel. Season two has been airing as five one-hour episodes. For my review of the first two episodes, click HERE.

It's gotta come back for a third season so we can find out what Ambrosias (William Gregory Lee) does with Kevin (Gregory Michael)! Just when it seemed like Kevin and Toby has all their troubles behind them, "Bro" pulls another trick out of his hat that keeps these two hotties from sailing out into the sunset.

I'm not going to do a bunch of spoilers, just going to give my general impressions of the three episodes. First off, Thea Gill is an inspired addition to the show, a wonderful actress who elevates the entire level of the show. Her Diana Childs is a perfect rival to Tracy Scoggins' Grace Neville. Scoggins really chews up the scenery this season and looks absolutely sensational doing it. I love her!

Nadine Heimann as Van is, along with Charlie David's Toby, the real heart of this show and their friendship something special. William Gregory Lee continues to be top-notch as the villainous Ambrosious and oh so sexy and John Fleming, the new Adam, really blossoms during this trio of shows and rarely wears a shirt.

The finale is pretty specatcular with Grace, Ambrosios and Diana fighting for the ultimate power of Tesom during the Solstice. Someone drowns themselves, a few someones have spells cast on them, someone gets hooked on drugs and becomes a ho. Someone thought to be straight is gay. Good stuff.

I gotta say, this subplot involving a sex club was revolting. If I want to see that kind of graphic stuff, I'll rent a porn movie. These scenes, which don't involve the regulars, just go too far and bring the entire show down a notch. I hope wherever that subplot is going, that it is quickly dispensed with at the start of season three. Big. Turn. Off. One of the season's new additions, outdoor bar owner Marco (Gabriel Romero) hasn't had much of a part so far in terms of dialogue and any semblance of depth but he has two of the most graphic sex scenes in the series history.
Steamy!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The second season of the gothic gay soap "Dante's Cove" will premiere on here! Networks on Sept. 1. There's all kinds of action: addiction, insanity, love, infidelity, coming out and breaking up. I'm already hooked after seeing the first two episodes. Now I'm not going to give away any of the details but I think viewers will be pleased to see that William Gregory Lee (Ambrosius) has a cool new haircut that updates his look (well, he WAS under a spell and locked in a dungeon for 200 years and got a little shaggy) so he's even hotter than in season one.

The returning residents of Hotel Dante, most of them sexy gay men and lesbians, will be joined by some newcomers this season. New characters as well as Jon Fleming taking over the role of Adam (replacing Steven Arnell). Adam was straight last season but this season, all bets are off. Stay tuned.

One of my favorite characters is Van, wonderfully played by Nadine Heiman, is learning more about how to use her supernatural powers sharing terrific scenes with Tracy Scoggins (Grace), Thea Gill (Diana) and, of course, the soulful Charlie David (Toby) who is her best friend on the show.

“Dante’s Cove: Season Two,�? was the first original series renewed by the here! Networks for a second season. The complete first season of the show is now available on DVD.

The show’s new website,www.dantescove.com , will feature cast bios and photos, a series history, and video clips so it's a good way to catch up if you're a new viewer.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

OK, so it's not as big a deal as replacing Darrin on "Bewitched," Becky on "Roseanne," both Fallon and Steven on "Dynasty" or even Miss Ellie for a season on "Dallas." But Here! TV's supernatural sudser "Dante's Cove" will have a new actor in the role of Adam, the "straight" high school friend of Charlie David's character.

Here! CEO Paul Colichman says the actor who originated the role, Steven Arnell (right), wasn't comfortable with the gay turn his character takes in season two which required man-to-man love scenes. And if you've seen "Dante," you know those scenes are steamy. Amell had appeared as a spin instructor on three episodes of "Queer as Folk" and was a regular on the now-canceled ABC Family series "Beautiful People."

His departure gives Jon Fleming (left), a juicy role in the hot soap. Fleming appeared in four episodes of "Will & Grace" a few years back but most of his other screen roles have been pretty generic: man in speedo on "Mad TV," mystery man in an episode of "Days of Our Lives," pool boy on "Passions" and jogger on "Desperate Housewives."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

She was the lovely lesbian Lindsay for five seasons on "Queer as Folk" and now the beautiful actress Thea Gill has a new gay gig: a lovely lesbian witch on the supernatural soap 'Dante's Cove," set to begin its second season in early September on here!TV.

Gill, straight in real life, isn't as sweet on "Dante's" as she was on "Q a F" (although she did cheat on Melanie with a MAN, I think in season four). She will play Diana Childs, a mysterious newcomer to "Dante's Cove" who will tangle with Grace (Tracy Scoggins) as revelations of their secret past threaten to change Dante's Cove forever. This is a busy time for the actress who is currently filming the dark romantic comedy "Mulligans" andn has been cast in the indioe film "Seed."

Last March, Gill got a pretty terrific honor when she received 2006 PFLAG Spotlight Award in Washington D.C.which celebrates outstanding contribution by a straight ally towards ending discrimination towards gays and lesbians, helping change perceptions, and helping keep families together.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)