Icons: February 2007 Archives

Elizabeth Taylor has never been one to celebrate landmark birthday's in a quiet way...thank God! Her 40th b-day was a huge party in Budapest thrown by then-husband Richard Burton, the 50th a soiree in London when she was appearing onstage in "The Little Foxes" (ex-hubby Burton was a surprise guest), then the 60th was this star-studded mega event at Disneyland to celebrate the child in her. The 65th birthday was actually a two-hour ABC prime-time special! So the 75th birthday party Tuesday in Las Vegas at the Medici Cafe and Terrace at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas had a lot to live up to. Some 75 people were expected for a Mardi Gras-themed dinner of jambalaya, prime rib, collard greens, sweet potatoes and cake. Taylor, a Dame of the British Empire, smiled and batted her trademark violet eyes as photographers sang "Happy Birthday" to her, according to London's Daily Mail. Taylor's voice was soft as she chatted briefly with reporters, telling them her secret to making it to 75 was "just living a very healthy, clean life."
All four of Taylor's children were in attendance, as they always have been for their mom: Christopher Wilding, Michael Wilding (sons with second-husband Michael Wilding); Liza Todd (daughter with third-husband Michael Todd); and Maria Burton (daughter with fifth AND sixth husband Burton). With all the husbands, the Oscars, the movies, the scandals, the philanthropy, the business empires, Taylor has always been known as an exceptional mother. She doesn't talk on and on about her kids but in pictures over the years, the love has just always seemed to be there.
Among the star guests at the party were Taylor's business party in the "House of Taylor" jewelry line, Kathy Ireland. Taylor's designs were worn by some celebrities to the Academy Awards including "Entertainment Tonight" host Mary Hart. Magicians Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn were also among the guests.
But, here's the invitee I love the most: Debbie Reynolds (who came with daughter Carrie Fisher). Reynolds was married to singer Eddie Fisher in the late 1950s and maid of honor at Taylor's wedding to producer Mike Todd. When Todd was killed in a plane crash, Fisher left Reynolds soon after and took up with Taylor, who he eventually married. Then Taylor dumped Fisher for the love of her life, Burton.
It's all bygones now and Taylor and Reynolds even made fun of the situation in the TV movie "These Old Broads" (written by Carrie Fisher) about six years ago talking about that awful man "Freddie Hunter" that they were both married to.
"We've had a very unusual friendship," Reynolds said at the party."And it's lasted all these years."

Sunday night's Academy Awards may have been star-studded, but the greatest living movie star was not among them. Dame Elizabeth Taylor, three-time Academy Award recipent, perfume and jewelry mogel, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, tireless AIDS activist and many a gay man's best friend, is 75 years old today. What a life so far...

As a regular cast member of one of the most successful sci-fi franchises of all time, it's a bit surprising to hear 69-year-old George Takei (Capt. Sulu on the "Star Trek" TV series and feature films) consider NBC's "Heroes" the first time he has ever appeared on a hit show.
"'Heroes' is the highest-rated new show and that's something 'Star Trek' never had," the actor says in the current issue of Out magazine. "We did not find an audience until after we were cancelled."
On "Heroes," Takei plays the father of Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka), the plucky Japanese office worker who happens to be able to bend the space-time continuum. He describes his character as "a powerful industrialist and one of the richest men in the world. My wealth is a surprise [to viewers] since my son, Hiro, was working in a cubicle as a little minion....There will be a revelation about why my character is this powerful, wealthy man and his son has these powers. There is much, much more to my character than meets the eye."
Turns out there was more to Takei than met the eye. He came out publicly as a gay man a few years ago and says it should have come as a surprise to no one: "I've been together with my partner, Brad Altman, for almost 20 years now, and certainly all of our friends already knew. What I hadn't done was talk to the press about it. And we felt it was time."  

Bravo's tribute to Black History Month includes a special two hour premiere on Monday, Feb. 19 of "Inside the Actors Studio: Diana Ross." This is a not-to-be-missed television event! (I'm SO gay). According to the press release, Miss Ross will be performing a compilation of hit songs including "Baby Love" and "Do You Know Where You're Going To?" I'm sure she will also be singing a few tunes from her super new CD "I Love You."
I will be quite interested to hear what Ross (pictured, right, in 1975's "Mahogany") has to say to that suck-up James Lipton about her acting career which, in my opinion, has been a tragic missed opportunity. While all the hype is on Jennifer Hudson's Oscar hopes for her movie debut in "Dreamgirls," it should be noted that in 1972, Ross made an even more stunning movie debut in "Lady Sings the Blues" as jazz singer Billie Holliday. She was nominated for an Academy Award for best actress and deserved to win. But Liza Minnelli took home the Oscar that year for "Cabaret."
After that, the movie career was never as good. "Mahogany" is in every Diana Ross fan's collection (shut up Ted!) as is 1978's "The Wiz." I love "The Wiz" and thought she was terrific - especially when she sings "Home" at the end. But it's failure at the box office may have put her off movies for awhile and at this time, her solo recording career was its absolute peak.
Ross has never again acted again in a feature film. I think a 1994 television movie by the name of "Out of Darkness" that featured her as a woman with schizophrenia, showed us what we had been missing on the screen - a real natural ability as an actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for that role and I had hoped it would result in more acting parts.
She followed that up a few years later with another television movie, "Double Platinum," co-starring Brandy, and it was a real treat to see her act AND sing. And yet, nearly another decade has passed and no more movies are on the horizon. I think that, like Cher who has also made very few movies despite an actual Oscar win, Ross prefers to sing most of all.
If she wanted to leave us wanting more, she has succeeded!

I was just trading Elizabeth Taylor fat jokes on the phone with Joan Rivers! What a kick. When I was a kid, Joan would guest host for Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show" and at that time, in the late 70s, the gorgeous Miss Taylor had gotten quite heavy. Joan went to town with such jokes as: "She puts mayonaise on an asprin!" "When she goes to McDonald's the numbers change!" "She cut her finger and ketchup came out!" Then I reminded Joan of this one: "When she pierced her ears, gavy came out!" We all know that Taylor lost the weight and regained her great beauty and has gone on to become one of the world's great humanitarians. So, I mean no disrespect to this great star.
What a treat to interview Joan! This was as fun as trading lines from "Designing Women" several months ago with Diixie Carter. I love my job! So, I'm working on a pre-Oscar feature story on Joan who will once again be doing red carpet interviews for TV Guide channel. I'll link to it when it is published in the Daily News next week but did get some material from her exclusivey for Out In Hollywood readers.
Joan has always had a huge gay following, from the beginning when she was doing club dates in New York: "Why do the gays love me? The same reason they love Bette and Liza and Cher.I think they love women who are out there. It's the gay guys who are the funniest, brightest and most outrageous. Always, from the beginning, tney were the ones who came to see me in [Greenwich] Village."
One thing that leaves Joan disappointed is that Bravo decided not to pick up a pilot she did for what can best be described as a gay version of "The View" with Joan as moderator and gay men as the panelists.
"It's not going to happen," she says.
Her ideal panel would include Michael Muston, Jim McGreevey and Bravo exec (and blogger) Andy Cohen. She's still hopeful, however, that maybe LOGO will be interested.
I know I'd be watching!