Recently in Noah's Arc Category

Darryl Stephens gave me a very thoughtful interview on the red carpet at the NAACP Image Awards last Thursday where "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom" was up for three awards including outstanding independent movie.

Being at this partiucular awards show and it being more than three months since California voters passed Proposition 8, our conversation was different from any we had had before.

On "Jumping the Broom" getting an Image Award nomination: "The thing about this movie is it really didn't give you time to be squeamish. If you were not comfortable with the subject matter, you had about 30 seconds after the movie started to get comfortable. The fact that the NAACP has embraced the film and has been very, very supportive, it means a lot. It's an incredible statement to hear from the NAACP that they're recognizing gay brothers. It's a bug step for them."

Writer-director "Patrick-Ian Polk was very deliberate in the image he wanted to present. He wasn't giving you down-low brothers, he was giving you black gay men who were comfortable in their skin and who were living their lives responsibly and without shame."

On the movie's reception on DVD: "Our fans have always been incredible. It was heartbreaking for a number of people because there was such a limited release in theaters and in the smaller cities like places in Ohio and the Midwest and the South, it didn't come out anywhere. So I think they were excited to finally see it (on DVD). They really, really loved the movie."

The movie, which features the marriage between Noah and Wade (Jensen Atwood) was released less than two weeks before the Nov. 4 election. Because of this timing, Darryl sees a real lost opportunity because the movie did not have a very wide release theatrically.

"I hate to say this but I feel like if the film had played at the Magic Johnson Theater instead of the theater in West Hollywood, it might have had more of an impact on that vote. We've been so fixtated on locating gay stories in West Hollywood and there's so many other black people in California who need to be reached and in the U.S. Getting outside of those environments is what Prop. 8 showed us that we need to do."

After the vote, Darryl was part of one of the bigger rallies in downtown Los Angeles and I wondered if more activism was in store for him since he was such a powerful and articulate voice for gay rights.

"I'm honestly trying to focus more on art this year," he said. "I got very into the activism last year and it was great but it's not paying bills. I'm doing some things here and there to stay active and educate people when i can but I'm not really as focused on that.. There are people who are really committed who do an amazing job and when they reach out and say, 'Can you help us with this?' I'm happy to."

Back to posting and all is right with the world. Spent the morning at the Beverly Hilton covering the announcement of the nominations for the 40th NAACP Image Awards.

I've written a piece for tomorrow's paper but for the blog, wanted to focus on the nominations for "Noah's Arc" Jumping the Broom." It was nominated for Outstanding Independent Motion POicture and will compete with "Ballast," "Rachel Getting Married" (huh?), "Slumdog Millionaire" and "The Visitor."

Also, Patrik-Ian Polk, the movie's writer and director and creator of the "Noah's Arc" franchise, was nominated along with co-writer John R. Gordon for outstanding writing in a motion picture. They will compete with the writers of "Cadillac Records," "The Secret Lives of Bees," "Rachel Getting Married" and "A Raisen in the Sun."

And guess who I ran into at the nominations press conference:"Noah's Arc" cast member Jason Steed who plays pop star Baby Gat in the movie and the series who has the serious hots for Noah - even during his wedding weekend!

"I'm so excited," he said. "It's great. It's come a long way and now been nominated for best indie and now we just gotta win."

He's looking forward to the film's release on DVD next month: "The DVD is probably where it's going to be really exploding. It's the kind of movie that did really well through word of mouth so the fans are really supportive. If there had been more money behind it and more promotion (for the theatrical release) it would have done even better. It's a movie for everyone to see and should not have just been in selected cities. It should not have been put in a box."

Hooray!

Logo announced today that one of my favoriate movies from last year, "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom," will be out on DVD on Feb. 3. In addition to the movie, which focuses on the wedding of Noah (Darryl Stephens) and Wade (Jensen Atwood) and the DVD will include such brand-new special features as a "Making Of" featurette, deleted scenes, photo shoots and more. It will also be sold as a 2-pack with the film's soundtrack which has a lot of catchy tunes and two songs by Pheobe Snow who has a cameo at the end of the film.
In the movie, two years have gone by in the lives of the characters who we got to know during their two seasons on Logo. For his wedding at Martha's Vinyard, Noah invites his inner circle Alex (Rodney Chester), Ricky (Christian Vincent), Chance (Doug Spearman) and their significant others for a weekend wedding getaway. Drama ensues as one-by-one their relationships start to crack under the pressure of closer examination. Add to the mix Alex's crazy-making wedding prep, a closeted superstar rapper, a high-maintenance studio exec, and a surprise visitor and you've got a drama-filled feature length reunion.

"Broom" was directed by Patrik-Ian Polk from a script he co-wrote with John R. Gordon.

Here are some clips from the movie. Yes, the both feature Rodney Chester prominently because his is my favorite performance in the film!

More Gay & Lesbian Video

More Gay & Lesbian Video

It remains baffling even two years later.

At last week's Hollywood premiere of the feature film "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom," creator-director Patrik-Ian Polk alluded to the TV series inexplicably being cancelled after two seasons when he introduced the movie.

He said he could not even pretend to begin to understand network economics but quickly added: "It's hard to be mad at them when I'm standing here in a movie theater."

So, a feature film does take the sting away a bit (a lot actually since it is so good) but fans of the show can't help but think about what was lost - the two years in time where the show ended and the movie begins.

Stars Darryl Stephens and Jensen Atwood, (pictured right with co-star Christian Vincent) said in an interview this week on AfterElton.com, say even they have never had it explained to them why the show was pulled off the air.

Atwood: "I was shocked when we were canceled. I've heard a lot of speculation as far as why people think it was canceled. I also think that there is somebody out there that knows what the real answer is - the person who makes those decisions. I would like to have someone sit down whoever that person is and genuinely ask them the reasoning behind it. It just makes no sense not only to me, but to a lot of our fans as well."

Stephens: "We were given a lot of information, information that was useful in trying to comfort us when we found out that we weren't going into production on a third season, but nothing that made me understand why one of the network's biggest shows wasn't coming back to television. I think that the movie was a great way to end the show and it's a nice final chapter, but I don't really get why the show didn't come back.

I will say that I understand that Logo has a lot of people that they're trying to appeal to within the LGBTQ community. A show like Noah's Arc is not the cheapest show to produce. Looking at a show like Shirts & Skins, it's much more cost-effective for them to do a show like that as opposed to this big narrative with wardrobe budgets and sets and shooting in Vancouver. If they feel like they're going to make more money on a show that doesn't cost as much, that's what the network is going to do. "

Still seems like a bone-headed decision to me but kudos to Logo for making "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom" its first feature film release. We will forgive them even more if they fast-track another installment. That seems like it would be a good business decision!

In the movie "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom" and on the TV series it inspired, actor Doug Spearman plays a married gay man. In real life, he's a single gay man with the right to get married. He'd like for it to stay that way.

Here is his message...

When you see "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom" (it should be opening in more theaters in the coming weeks), brace yourself for a really wonderful performance from Christian Vincent. He plays Ricky, the sexy and most promiscious of the four friends who are at the core of the "Noah's Arc" series and film.

What is most fascinating in this movie is that we find out why Ricky has been such a tramp: "Even in the series, there were indications of Ricky's progression and why he behaves in the manner that he behaves," Christian told me last week. "In this film, I enjoyed what I considered the meaty parts which are the unveiling of the character, stripping away some of those layers. For me, that was the most fun. I had a really good time doing this movie."

Trust me, he nails it!

I wondered how this five-year journey has been for him, from the low-budget Internet early days to TV series to big screen hit: We did the first season and it's kind of like you find your way then the second season was easier and then the movie was the next step. It's like putting on a pair of comfortable shoes. It gets easier as you go along."

In the end, actor and character ended up being the perfect fit: "I had a good time playing Ricky. The funny thing is, initially I was gonna be Noah and I thought that role was going to be easier for me to play. In retrospect, I'm glad I got (Ricky) because it's about what's underneath, the reason behind the behavior. That's what I found more interesting. "When you take on a role, to give it the best justice, you don't judge the individual that you're playing and you believe what you're doing."
Christian has had many opportunities open up to him as a result of "Noah's Arc" including a role in the upcoming film "Center Stage: Turn it Up." He is grateful to the viewers who have remained loyal through it all.

"Our fans are great. They are very positive. It's like we are the voice that have not been spoken for as of yet and hopefully it opens the door more for people who are not represented on television. It's not an easy thing. I think Logo has gone across a lot of boundaries but there's still a long way to go in a lot of areas."

And finally, I had to know. Wy is it that Ricky's kissing scenes were always the hottest, the most realistic. Christian says this: "What's the secret? I don't know if I'd say good training.Practice? Instinct. Acting, you have to make it as real as possible. If we're in a scene together and you're supposed to be in love with that person then you love that person and you want to kiss that person."

He plays a college professor on "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom." That does not seem much of a stretch since off-screen, Douglas Spearman is so thoughtful and articulate.

But above all, when we spoke last Thursday, he was feeling the enormity of his TV series having a big splashy premiere as a feature film at Grauman's.

"I am nervous beyond belief right now," he said. "People ask if I'm excited and I think there is a very fine line between nerves and excitement. It's crazy that we're in a movie about four gay black men that is going to be in theaters nationwide. We're standing here at (Grauman's), the most famous theater in all of the world and we're doing a movie with four black men. I mean, what happened to the world? Who are we? Times have changed."

So why has "Noah's Arc" struck a cord with so many people from its early days to its two seasons on the Logo network and on DVD.
"The thing about 'Noah's Arc' overall, whether we're talking about the TV series or the film, it's about relationships. It's about friendships, it's about marriages, about meeting and hooking up then breaking apart. 'Noah's Arc' talks about the way that people feel when they go through them. I don't care if you're dealing with two women or two men, the story's the story. A marriage is a marriage and making a commitment is making a commitment. It applies to everybody."

I wondered if "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom" would give people a unique window into gay relationships: "People don't know what gay relationships are like because you don't see gay relationships," Doug said.
"One of the reasons why I wanted to play Chance and that I really invested in him was because he was a guy who's working it out in a relationship with a child and you never get to see that kind of behavior modeled. Not until 'Breakfast with Scot' came about did you see two men actually raising a child that I can remember. Everytime we tell a story that isn't just ablout some 17 year old white kid's coming out or something that we've seen over and over again, we edicate people. We're just like your neighbors."

The series and the cast has come such a long way from the early days of "no money, no studios. Nothing. It was very guerilla filmmaking."

"To now be here five years later, it's pretty astounding to me. But then again the world has changed to allow us to be who we are and do what we do."

It was so terrific to meet and talk with the wonderfully talented actor, Rodney Chester, an absolute riot in "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom." He is a joy to watch in this film with such superb comic timing.

I loved watching his performance and appreciated it twice as much when I watched the movie the second time last week. It was surreal to have him sitting just two rows in back of me during the premiere and hearing some of his reactions. I cherish the memory.

We chatted briefly before the start of the screening.

"When I first read the script," he said. "I loved it."

His character of Alex spits out sassy one-liners throughout but he also has a lot of heart which we see in two key scenes. But mostly, Alex is the wedding planner from hell when the friends gather at Martha's Vinyard for the wedding of Noah (Darryl Stephens) and Wade (Jensen Atwood).

"They looked at me as the mother hen of the group, sort of the one that would really get everyone together when things weren't going well," he said. "I was really the one to pick everybody back up and make it work."

From talking to various cast members and series creator Patrik-Ian Polk, it seems as though the movie really is the end of the "Noah's Arc" franchise. Is Rodney ready to say goodbye to such aq delicious character?

"You know, I guess you never say never but I believe, from what we understand, this possibly is it," he said. "So I'm ready to do other things and see what happens. It really has done a lot because of the people - the wonderful fans. We can see how much we really have meant to the fans who love the show so much and have such loyalty to the show. Kids coming up to us crying. It touches us because it makes us know that we are having some kind of impact on the community in general, not just gay, not just black, but with everyone."

Who could blame Noah for wanting to marry Wade in "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom"?

I mean, look at him!

He's played by the gorgeous Jensen Atwood who gives a first-rate performance in a film that gave the actor some cholce material to work with. We talked about that Thursday at the movie's premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theater.

"I think the film was awesome and my favorite thing would probably be the editing of the film, the way it continues to move along," said Jensen. "There's never a dull moment within it. You get to see Wade like you've never seen him before and I'm thankful to the writers for letting my character continue to develop."

He's also pleased the the movie is set-up in such a way that even people who have never seen a single episode of the show are brought quickly up to speed: "The great thing about the movie is that those who aren't familiar with the series, they can still go see the movie and enjoy a night of great romantic comedy."
So what was it like to work with this terrikfic cast again after a few years apart? (The series ceased production two years before work on the film began).

Said Jensen: "Darryl and I did an interview together just recently and we were talking about moments that were memorable for us. I think one of the most memorable was when all of the cast gathered at LAX to leave for Canada. Some of us hadn't seen each other in awhile and so to be in that circle of friends again, the energy was right."

Jensen has emerged as a sex symbol for men and women alike with his own calendar and his role as a bisexual warlock on the Here! network series "Dante's Cove.," But it all began with "Noah's Arc" more than five years ago.

"It's definitely jump-started my career," he said of the shoiw. "These are unexpected choices that have fallen into my lap but I take them wholeheartedly and I'm thankful to have the fanbase that I have from 'Noah's Arc,' from 'Dante's Cove' and it's because of them that I was able to do the calendar."

I could not let Jensen go without asking about his hair in the movie. Gone until the wedding scene are his signature cornrows.

"It was ultimately my choice," he explained. "(Director Patrik-Ian Polk) and I had talked about it. He wanted the hair out and he thought it would be nice to have the hair out for the wedding scene. I thought it would be nice to see Wade in a different light and to see him throughout the entire movie with his hair out and then for the wedding scene, bring back what is familiar to the fans."
Did it feel different to have his hair out or add anything to the performance?

"It did!" he said. "I think it tied into the character. My character is getting married to Noah and he's at a point now where he is more free, he's a lot more comfortable with himself. When we first saw Wade, he was just coming into his own sexuality and so now you see him in a feature film and just like his hair, he's free."

Earlier posts:
-- Spending 2009 With Jensen Atwood
-- Meet Jensen Atwood, the smoldering addition to Dante's Cove
-- One-on-One With Jensen Atwood
-- Jensen Atwood: from "Noah's Arc" to "Dante's Cove"
-- Chatting up the guys from Noah's Arc

Darryl Stephens was very thankful for the positive write-ups I've done about "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom" but it is me who is thankful to him and everyone involved with the movie for giving audiences a real treat.

Darryl and I have talked many times over the years about "Noah's Arc" as well as some of his other roles in such films as "Boy Culture" and "Another Gay Movie." But it was special to be able to connect with him Thursday at Grauman's in Hollywood on the night of the film's premiere.

I remarked to Darryl that Noah has changed. He seems much more self-assured in the movie than he was in the series, which stopped production two years ago.

"I feel like Noah had grown up a lot in the two years we had off," he said. " He had been forced to grow up. Within this story, he's sort of forced to take the reins where in the series, he counted on his friends a lot more. He was a little bit more of a whiner on the show, was very unsure of himself. In the movie, he has to step up and help his friends out instead of always counting on them to always bail him out."
Since the characters are in Martha's Vinyard and staying in the same house in the days leading up to Noah's and Wade's wedding, the film had a bit of a "The Big Chill" vibe of close friends in close quarters and secrets coming out.

"Being in that situation really does change you," Darryl said. "If you've ever traveled with close friends and you're stuck in close quarters for a period of time, you realize there are things about your best friend that you did not know. And those types of situations can change a relationship and I think it's kind of exciting to see these characters stuck in that kind of situation, particularly given that it's probably the last time we're going to see them. It really heightens their awareness of each other and their understanding of each other."

So how was it for this terrific ensemble of actors to work together again after some time apart?

"We love each other," said Darryl. "We've been working together for five years and we genuinely are fond of each other. With the first season, we were definitely green with regards to doing television and how to put on a TV show and act on a TV show. By the second season we were a little more confident and had a better sense of what things worked in the first season and what we could change. Then by the time we got around to doing the film, we just did what we knew how to do. There was a sense of this is probably the last time we're gonna do it so just blow it out."

He also shared the influence that Rodney Chester, the comic center of the film, upped the ante a bit for the cast: "When we got on the plane to go to Canada, Rodney Chester (Alex) had all of his lines memorized. We're sitting in the airport and he's reciting all of his lines. I hadn't learned all my lines. Something about Rodney being ready when we first got on the plane, I feel like it just raised everybody's game. Everyone was like, "Oh, we're doing it like that! That's how you wanna play? We're doing it!'"

Upcoming Noah's Arc cast interviews:
Saturday: Jensen Atwood
Sunday: Rodney Chester
Monday: Douglas Spearman
Tuesday: Christian Vincent

It's here! The first feature film from Logo begins rolling out in theaters today. It's such a good movie with wonderful performances, lots of laughs, some tears and a lot of growth for the main characters who viewers got to know through two seasons of "Noah's Arc" on Logo and on DVD.

I attended the film's premiere in Hollywood last night have to say, I enjoyed the movie even more this time around. Seeing it with an audience enhanced the experience for sure, especially when that audience included the entire cast and the creator-director Patrik-Ian Polk. It works beautifully on the big screen and the cast - well, they are more than beautiful to look at. They know these characters inside and out and the chemistry among the group is a rare and wonderful thing.

The cast was justifiably proud and excited by the occasion at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre complex (followed by a big party at Highlands). As someone who was in the audience at Outfest about five years ago when the pilot was first screened, I was excited to see how this amazing journey for them has culminated in a wonderful feature film.

Later today and throughout the next several days, I will be sharing with you interviews I did with the movie's stars Darryl Stephens, Jensen Atwood, Rodney Chester, Douglas Spearman and Christian Vincent as well as the great Tonya Pinkins who play's Jensen's mother in the movie.

Stay tuned!

Got this from the magazine's editor Mike Wood this morning. Here is the magazine's sexy October Cover Guy and star of the soon-to-be-released Noah's Arc: Jumping The Broom (in theaters October 24).

There was a time when "Noah's Arc" star Darryl Stephens did not want to talk about being gay. But that has changed some and in the current issue of Instinct - he';s the current cover guy - he talks about why he has chosen to be relatively low-key about his sexuality.

"I think people who don't work in the industry don't understand that actors really get one body and one face. And we kind of get one chance," he said. "What the public sees is pretty much our entire livelihood. If you step up and say, ' I want you to see me, an actor who gets paid to be other people, as only this one type of person,' it just doesn't make sense - particularly to a young actor who is looking for work. What I was honestly doing at the beginning was biding my time and hoping that I would be allowed to play a variety of roles, so when the time came to answer the question I could say, 'Yes I'm gay but I was able to play this and able to play that, and people believed it and responded to it."

"I'm still private about my personal life but my being gay certainly does not have to be any big mystery or secret," he also said. "I'm not ashamed of it, it;s not something I'm hiding."

There's more Noah's Arc-related news today.

Darryl Stephens, who plays the title role, is on the cover of the new issue of Instinct Magazine and talks about how loyal fans of the Logo series were deeply upset when the show was canceled after just two seasons.

"Oh, people were furious when they found out the show was canceled. People who liked the show show were so touched by it," Stephens says. "They were so moved and responded with such raw emotion. It made me realize we really were doing something right, and it showed me that the show was bigger than me. Bigger than me as a gay man. Bigger than me as a black man."

Luckily, this October 24 sees the theatrical release of "Noah's Arc: Jumping The Broom." Darryl is more confident and seasoned than ever: "I'm still private about my personal life, but my being gay certainly does not have to be any big mystery or secret. Maybe in the
next few roles I get I'll learn how to settle into myself. I think that's kind of what I'm doing as a person: looking to settle into myself and be comfortable with who I am."

You gotta figure fans of the "Noah's Arc" TV series were gonna love the long-awaited feature film almost no matter what it was about. The great news is this: the movie is terrific and worth the wait. I walked out of last night's screening at Raleigh Studios with a smile because I liked it so much, liked spending time with Noah, Wade, Alex, Ricky and Chance again.

Only a cast already this comfortable with their characters and with each other could come up with that kind of chemistry and those kinds of performances in the movie that was shot in just 15 days.

I gotta start out by giving a rave to Rodney Chester (Alex) who is just a comic delight throughout the movie and gives his character the kind of larger-than-life personality that translates well onto the big screen. He has such great energy and timing but also dials it down just right in his two more dramatic scenes. Rodney has great material as his character takes it upon himself to become the wedding planner from hell for Noah (Darryl Stephens) and Wade's (Jensen Atwood) wedding at Martha's Vinyard. (The series is set in LA, but at the time the movie was shot, marriage was not yet legal in California - it is legal is Mass.).

At the end of the second season, the couple had split up and then Wade was in a bad car accident. We learn that Noah nursed him back to health and they got back together, Stephens and Atwood are sweet together, as always. Now, their characters are getting married and the core group of friends have traveled across the country to attend.

The movie covers the days leading up to the wedding where there are all kinds of revelations that take place amongst the group. I won't spill all the details but just know that every character has some major drama and relationship trouble including Chance (Doug Spearman) and Eddie (Jonathan Julian), and the slutty Ricky (Christian Vincent). I like that we peel the onion on Ricky some and learn why he is the tramp that he is.

There are some familiar faces and some new ones too. including Brandon (Gary Leroi Gray) who kind of has the Meg Tilly role if this were "The Big Chill." He's the outsider invited by one of the insiders, in this case Ricky who didn't want to be at a wedding alone for the weekend even though he isn't that into Brandon who is 19 and just coming out.

The character is in one of the movie's best-written scenes. It's at Wade's bachelor party and the kid is asking about gay relationships and male and female roles. Atwood is so good in this scene - the best he;s ever been - as he talks about Noah's feminine attributes and what he goes through inside each time he introduces his love to someone new. What do they think? What does it say about him? Wade has had some drinks and is being dead honest and it feels that way.

I love that scene.

Jason Steed's character of Baby Gat, who was after Noah in the series, is back at it in the movie and I guess is supposed to be comic relief. I found him completely annoying in almost every scene. The only good thing his character did was bring Noah's boss, Brandy (Jennia Fredrique) to the wedding and her scenes with Rodney Chester are high points.

And finally, two very talented ladies grace the movie briefly, but wonderfully. Tony winner Tonya Pinkins plays Wade's mother and in her few scenes, brings all she can to the role of a mother trying to understand. Then there is a cameo from the Pheobe Snow, the great singer who we haven't seen enough of in a few decades. She looks and sounds great and makes the soundtrack to this film (if there is one yet) a must have.

The movie was co-written and directed by Patrik-Ian Polk and hits theaters on October 24. Go to the movie's website NoahsArcMovie.com for more information.

Here is a promo video:

Usually, the production notes you are handed before a movie screening are pretty useless except for helping you to get the spellings of names correct etc. But the material for "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom" is so filled with good tidbits that I will probably have an item from it just about every day until the movie comes out in Oct. 24.

What really caught my eye was a section detailing the involvement of legendary singer Phoebe Snow in the project. If you haven't heard of her, go to her website PhoebeSnow.com and find out. She's best known for the song "Poetry Man" but is so much more than that classic song including the beautiful "Something Real" which she sings in the movie.

Director and co-writer Patrik-Ian Polk says in the notes that when he was writing the movie, he knew he wanted to have a wedding singer in the movie's final scene and the first person he thought of was Phoebe Snow.

At around the same time, Miss Snow discovered the "Noah's Arc" TV series on Logo as she was grieving over the most devastating of losses: the death of a child.

She says: "My daughter passed away in 2007. She was the love of my life. Without her, I was worried about my own survival. For some reason, watching 'Noah's Arc' drew me back into the material world. I decided I had to find the guy who created it. He saved my life. I wanted to thank him and I went on a mission to find him."

Not too long after, Phoebe found herself invited to Polk's birthday party and they later bonded over lunch. She was just returning to performing and agreed to appear in the movie.

Said Polk: "It was kind of surreal and strange. I mean, she's the legendary Phoebe Snow - I have her music on my iPod!... She wrote us a great song and performed one of her signature songs as well. We couldn't have asked for more."

Here is a video of Phoebe singing her classic, "Poetry Man"

If you ask me, the best looking duo on the red carpet at yesterday's Video Music Awards were dreamy Jensen Atwood and Darryl Stephens of "Noah's Arc." They are hot, hot, hot! I gabbed with them about the "Noah's Arc" movie out next month (Oct. 24). Here are some of the highlights of our conversation:

Q. Tell me, are you guys together as a couple in this film?
Darryl: He was saying we weren't supposed to talk about it but if he's in the film we have to be together.
Jensen: At the end lf the second season, I was laying on the side of the road with blood spewing out of my mouth.
Darryl: He's back.
Q. Are you back as a ghost or what?
Jensen: Darryl was telling me that the info is already out there. We were trying to be hush-hush about it.
Darryl: I'm pretty sure we know that Noah is getting married.
Jensen: But Wade is in the movie.
Darryl: Noah is set to get married in this film and Wade appears in this film as well.
Jensen: Yeah! There ya go! Well said.
Q: Does California legalizing gay marriage effect the film?
Darryl: When we shot the film, gay marriage was not legal in California so the film is set at Martha's Vinyard. We completed the film then the Supreme Court made it legal and we are hoping to (defeat) Proposition 8 in November by making this film the biggest blockbuster anyone has ever seen.
Q. There were so many people upset when the series got cancelled. Do you think this might mean more movies or a return of the series if the movie does really well?
Jensen: Hopefully "Noah's Arc" can go on forever and ever. Hopefully the movie does well and they get excited about it and maybe bring the series back.
Q. Hope so. Darryl, what did you think of Jensen's calendar?
Darryl: Hot! Hot!
Q. OK, back to the movie. Anything else you want to tease the fans with?
Darryl: It kind of takes things to the next level. It's really about the love relationships and all the friendships of the characters. Everyone's relationships get pushed to the next level in the film.
Jensen: Everything you loved about "Noah's Arc" the series, you'll love ten-fold over in the movie.
Q. This is kind of like the reunion similar to the "Sex and the City" movie.
Jensen: Yeah! In a black, gay way, yes, you're right.
Q. What about the next season of "Dante's Cove"Jensen? We're waiting for it.
Jensen: They want me to be a part of the next season, I'm still waiting for word as far as when we are going to start shooting. I can't wait to get back to Hawaii though.

What a bit of fab news that dropped into my email box just a few minutes ago. We've all missed the heck out of "Noah's Arc" and can't for the life of us understand how LOGO cancelled its best show. But when the plug was pulled, we were promised a feature film and finally, it is here. Sexy Darryl Stephens and Jensen Atwood (pictured) are back for "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom." Other original cast members Rodney Chester, Doug Spearman and Christian Vincent also headline.

Here's the synopsis: When Noah (Stephens), a young screenwriter from Los Angeles, agrees to marry his partner Wade (Atwood) in a small ceremony on Martha's Vineyard, he invites his three closest friends, Alex (Chester), Ricky (Vincent) and Chance (Spearman) to travel cross-country with them for a weekend of revelry. What he gets instead is a weekend of revelations where secrets and lies are exposed, hearts are challenged and friendships are turned upside down."

I'm awfully excited to see that Tony winner Tonya Pinkins - a major talent - is in the cast and that there is a special appearance by legendary singer-songwriter Phoebe Snow who I have always loved, loved, loved!

Also in the film: Gregory Kieth (Mista Nice Guy), Jonathan Julian ("In Justice"), Jason Steed ("The Bill"), Gary LeRoi Gray (Bring It On: All or Nothing).

Sounds terrific!!!

Jensen Atwood is one of the sexiest actors around and he has broken through as an actor by playing gay or bisexual roles in two hot shows: Logo's "Noah's Arc," currently being made into a feature film; and Here!TV's "Dante's Cove" which he really spiced up last season.

Via his MySpace page, Jensen has just released the cover of his 2009 Calendar. It's available June 3 and can be pre-ordered at: www. menoferos. He hasn't released any of the inside shots yet that I know of but I'm figuring we'll be getting the kind of beefcake shots (at left is a publicity still from "Dante's) that we've come to expect from this stunningly beautiful man.

Queerty blog found an interesting interview at gay South African site Mamba with Noah's Arc lead Darryl Stephens and I found it via AfterEtton.com. Stephens claims in the interview that he's through playing gays for a while (he says it's a "moratorium"), and then goes on to explain why he and his cast do not discuss their sexualities publicly:
"The one thing I can say is that the straight actors on this show [Noah’s Arc] are not saying "we’re straight, playing gay". In the same way that the gay actors aren’t saying "we’re gay". No-one [on the show] is talking about their personal lives. We sat down – all the actors sat down – and said that the straight actors are not going to get all the press because they’re being “so brave” in playing gay."
In addition to the title character on "Arc," Stephens plays gay in the current release "Boy Culture" and had a role in the comedy "Not Just Another Gay Movie."
Stephens later notes that he's of course up for a movie version of Arc, adding, "Noah is a great character for me. A lot of people relate to him – he’s a gift. I won’t give up playing this character."

When actor Darryl Stephens and I chatted earlier this week, I mentioned that I had seen him in a small role on ABC's breakout hit "Ugly Betty" awhile back. It was one of those blink-and-you-might-miss-him appearances and nothing like his role on Logo's "Noah's Arc" where he is the title character.
But even having a small role on a network TV show had its perks: "I love 'Ugly Betty,' I love that show. It was great to be on that set, it was a great experience. It was also interesting to be a day player and have a trailer four times the size of mine on 'Noah's!'"
Stephens is one of the leads in "Boy Culture," out next month, will star in a "Noah's Arc" feature film, and had a fun part in the comedy "Another Gay Movie" last fall.