Out in Reality TV: February 2009 Archives

It's gonna be a little weird for me to see Buck from "Chuck and Buck" as a contestant on the CBS show "Amazing Race" when its new season premieres Sunday night.

Okay, he's not really Buck - he's Mike White and he write the screenplay for that indie flick as well as "School of Rock." His father, Mel White, is a high-profile leader in the LGBT equal rights movement.

Mel, who founded the gay social-justice organization Soulforce, talked to Advocate.com about how he came to join his son on the show:

"Mike's a massive fan of the show," says White, 68. "He auditioned on his own and was accepted, but the person he signed up with bailed at the last minute. I was the backup plan..."I've traveled a lot more than most people, but there's nothing that can really prepare you for this show. You're racing the clock -- the whole thing is such a rush."

White doesn't think producers knew who he was when they signed him on: "...At least it never came up during our conversations. I don't think they did any research into my activism. They wanted me as Mike's dad, which was fine with me -- I was delighted to be billed as "the gay father." It gave me a chance to talk about not just being gay, but being a gay parent, without the perceived stigma of being an activist. Of course, I wore my Soulforce hat everywhere, hoping it'd spark some interest. "

Since both enjoy a measure of fame, White was asked if either he or his son got recognized while competing: "I don't see myself as a celebrity, but people recognize Mike all over. Back home, he has paparazzi shooting and asking him questions. When we were going through India, this woman leaned over to us on a bus and said to him, "I like your movie." I'm a dad, so of course I got a puff of pride. I mean, I don't see him as an actor or screenwriter, I just see him as my kid. When I see him on the screen, I don't see the character, I see Mike. Which was really uncomfortable when I saw Chuck & Buck. [Laughs] I was so taken aback."

Go to Advocate.com to read the rest of what is a terrific interview.