Yes, No, Maybe So: Burlesque

I almost don't have the stamina for this after drooling all over Showgirls (1995) for three or so hours yesterday. But the first trailer for the new musical Burlesque (2010) has arrived and we'll all be comparing the films from now on. Until we're actually watching it at least. Then... who knows? Movie|Line has already memorably mocked the trailer saying

What would happen if Glitter, Showgirls and Nine had a baby — and that baby was raised by Cher and Stanley Tucci’s character from The Devil Wears Prada?

And we can't compete with that. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat.



But we're here for the "Yes, No or Maybe So?" treatment anyway which isn't the same thing as making fun. Are you eager to see it, desperate to avoid or totally on the fence? It's often some mix for me and this is how it breaks down.

Cher in a big starring role insures my ticket purchase. Listen up, I paid for Tea With Mussolini for pete's chaz's sake. I think only 90 people did. I am loyal. From the ebb and flow of this trailer (already disappearing from the web) it looks like she's playing the Velma Kelly or Cristal Connors role only mixed with Mama Morton. It's like she's being the seasoned pro diva but leaving the dirtywork catfighting to minions (like Kristen Bell?). I can totally get behind Cher as wisdom dispenser/diva entrepreneur who delegates her bitchiest moments to others.

Did it have to be Christina Aguilera? Hasn't she been working this burlesque thing for some years now? That big character reveal moment that is supposed to shock everyone where she starts the vocals, preventing the curtain drop? It already feels anti-climactic. Big whoop-dee-doo. Christina can do growly runs. I think this sort of storyline begs for an unknown in the lead or a name that we didn't know could sing like a madwoman. Someone who can shock you with their lion's roar when you assumed they were a pussycat (doll).

On the other hand... the supporting cast looks very fun. We see a lot of reliable ol' Stanley Tucci in Prada mode, Kristen Bell promises great catfight in her blink and you'll miss her kittenish moment, and Alan Cumming, who could outperform most Burlesque divas just by replaying any single moment of his Tony-winning emcee performance from Cabaret , is also glimpsed. How enjoyable the movie is may well rest on how much screen time these supporting players get. Of course it might make me crazy that they're all second fiddle to Xtina but what can you do. Hollywood has never been much of a meritocracy.

You know what to do in the comments. And you'd better do it. Cher is in the (movie) house and she doesn't come around too often. Be ready with a tip for a true show queen.

RCL: Demi Gods, Bag Ladies, Gutsy Smurfs and Action Heroes

Red Carpet Lineup: Once weekly we check in with random celebrities. Who is Where and Why? And What (are they wearing)?


From left to right: Jonathan Groff was at the Paley Center to promote GLEE (He's joined the cast drizzling yet more awesomeness on a show that's already fully marinated in the stuff). Groff wowed New York on stage (Spring Awakening + Hair) and now he's after the rest of the world. He's pulling off a mere mortal look here surprisingly well but do not be fooled. He's actually a demi-god (see: that 'I'll Possess Your Soul And You'll Ask If I Can Take Your Body, Too' stare in Taking Woodstock and the actual demi-god thing in The Baccae last summer where he hypnotized Anthony Mackie into doing all sorts of, uh, naughty things). Helena Bonham-Carter attended the premiere of Alice in Wonderland in Paris. If HBC ever feels the public has lost interest in her, I have a surefire solution for a comeback: stop dressing like a billionaire bag-lady. Think of the uproar if she showed up somewhere all sleek, minimalist and goddessy ... like a Cate Blanchett look or something. People would be talking about it for a month!

poll by twiigs.com

Tilda Swinton premiered I Am Love in Italy in navy tiles. We love I Am Love but worry that it's going to be one of those movies that has premieres all over the world for the next 17 months without ever once feeling like it's playing in theaters. Marion Cotillard received the Officer of the Order of the Arts and Letters in Paris. That sounds prestigious and we love that Marion shows up all demur/pastel to receive it "What? No! What did I do to deserve this? You're too kind. You mean little Oscar-winning me?"


from left to right: Meryl Streep is wearing a beige drapey sweater look that would be right at home in a Nancy Meyers movie. She was bestowing honors at Diane von Furstenberg's DVF awards. The awards are for women who struggle to improve their communities which sounds like such a worthy selfless thing... until you remember that the woman who created the honor named it after herself. Adrien Brody hit SXSW to premiere footage from Predator. Honestly, I don't understand his career at all post-Pianist. Nor do I understand why people are surprised that he has muscles to play an action hero. King Kong five years ago, 'member? Jennifer Tilly is still alive and proved it by taking in a gallery show in LA. This Official Declaration of Life I direct towards Hollywood's casting directors who have misfiled her headshot into their posthumous file 13. That's the only explanation for her screen absence. She's one of a kind. "Charmed. Charmed. Charmed."

We end with Alan Cumming who hosted the first leg of GLAAD's media awards this past weekend in NYC (there's two more events coming up in California). Funky suits are sometimes really fun to look at but immediately after smiling at them you think "You can only wear that once. Hope it was worth the money". Not that the fab Tony winner should worry about money. There's the cologne, the album, the abundant voicework and the television, film, stage and Spider-Man villain gigs. He's also one of the voices for the upcoming The Smurfs movie. Full disclosure: I loved The Smurfs as a kid (why pretend otherwise?) but I do not remember any character named "Gutsy Smurf".

Oprah and Mariah Live (A Weekend Name-Dropping Frenzy)

What kind of a blog host would I be if I didn't share my unusually star-packed weekend story with you? I'd already tweeted about it but there's only so much detail one can pack into 140 character clips with service interruptions.

Friday Morning
I was up at the crack of dawn for Oprah Fridays Live two days back as they were broadcasting from Central Park. One of my closest friend's best friend works on the show, thus the invite. It's not like Oprah Winfrey knows who I am. I knew Mariah Carey would appear as guest but otherwise I went in to the event blind. I feared leaving deaf, memories of Mariah's ear-shattering top notes vaguely worrying me. I've never understood the appeal of that girlwoman and her butterfly / charm bracelet /sweet sweet fantasy / glitter world (is she 12? seriously) but the excitement about attending a live televised event was plenty to get me going and mimicking fandom during the "applaud now" moments. I ended up four rows back on the left side of the stage, with a great view of the Great Machine-like proceedings. Let's just say that Oprah's show is exceedingly well oiled.


Turns out going to a live taping is a long process: arrived at 6:45 AM, queued up, waited, ushered into holding area at 7:45, waited, seated by 8:30, waited, waited, at 9:30 came the crowd warm-up which largely consisted of a very chipper woman barking jovial orders at us. The live broadcast began at 10 AM. The highlight of the pre-show was a song and dance performance from a pack of four guys ("Mariah's BIGGEST fans") from Missouri who had been flown in by fairy godmother Oprah to see their idol. If you saw Oprah on Friday, two of the boys were invited up on the stage during the actual show when Oprah dropped yet more fairy dust on them: they would be appearing in Mariah's next video (understandably, they went berserk) and Oprah would also be flying them to Vegas for a concert. The Big O doesn't fool around with the gift-giving once she's become aware of your existence.

The highlight for me?

The show had just begun and Oprah was relaying the wonders of New York City: Central Park, shopping, Broadway. Suddenly there's orgiastic crowd squeals to my left and my head spins to see DANIEL CRAIG and HUGH JACKMAN --or as Oprah would say "Huu-ooOOO-oo JahckmnN'!" Yes, her voice is just as affected in real life -- who are mere yards away from me. They were walking swiftly together towards the stage. It was a total mindfuck blur of starpower. I'm sure I swallowed flies my jaw was so loose. Only four or five women blocked my ability to leap at the dream duo. For that I thank and curse them.

Other guests on the show were Mayor Bloomberg, Nick Cannon (who seemed more like Mariah's hyper fan than her husband although that's kind of cool. Maybe he's as trapped in his tween years as Mariah herself?) and Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. In the audience, receiving much love from the stage, were Lee Daniels (the writer/director of Precious), the author of Oprah's new book club selection "Say You're One Of Them" and Oprah's gal Gayle King.

Oscar watchers should note that during the show I experienced a film-experience-familiar horror as Oprah raved about Mariah's "glammed down performance" in Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire. Mariah, already campaigning for a supporting actress nomination, delusionally suggested that the makeup people were adding bags and dark circles under her eyes and even gave her a moustache. In no way shape or form does she look like that (!) was the gist of her self promotion. Methinks the woman has been famous too long.

Which is the realest Mariah?

I ask you with all sincerity, which is more real:

• a 40 year old woman without glamour makeup under flourescent lighting or...
• a woman surrounded 24/7 by a team of makeup artists, wardrobe personnel, key lights and photoshop airbrush expert whose job it is to make her look 18?
  

Though we were close to the stage we could barely see Mariah during commercial breaks as the makeup artists surrounded her completely for touchups each time. Despite my cynicism regarding the praise that's inevitably heaped upon every 'deglam' performance, I do think Mariah appears to be doing good work in Precious and she was surprisingly funny/charming on the show. That said, I needn't have worried about my ears. She was so heavily corseted that she was definitely having problems breathing and her voice came out a whispery falsetto. I'm sure it sounded better on television.

Mariah doing the foreigner hit "I Wanna Know What Love Is"

There's more to say but I could ramble for hours...

Once we were off air, Oprah thanked the crowd quite graciously before we filed out. Her final exit, waving to the crowd with her arm literally and awkwardly raised up behind her, never turning back around to look at us, made me laugh. It totally reminded of that choice revealing bit in Madonna's Truth or Dare where her childhood friend says "I love you Madonna" as they part. Madonna, slipping around the corner and out of the camera shot, never looks back. Her offscreen voice dismisses the woman with a rote "I love you, too."

The rich and famous have no time for you!

Friday Night
Attended the Lance Horne show at Joe's Pub. The singer/songwriter is well loved by the Broadway crowd and Cheyenne Jackson, comedienne Lea Delaria (beautiful jazz voice. Get her CDs) and Michael Urie (Ugly Betty), among several others, were on hand to sing his songs. Alan Cumming (left, with Lance) was on stage the most singing about his recent marriage to his boyfriend as well as doing a funny duet with Cheyenne about condoms. The singer/actor/writer/cologne salesman / Nightcrawler will add recording artist to his resume next week when his CD is released.

The semi-famous were all on stage, except for N'Syncer Lance Bass, who was just a member of the audience. He walked right by us, some new arm candy hanging about him, to take a seat at a reserved table.

Jonny Lee Miller and Sienna Miller (no relation) and their ex-lovers

Saturday
Watched Sienna Miller (G.I. Joe) and Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting's "Sick Boy" and television's Eli Stone) perform After Miss Julie on Broadway. For what it's worth Sienna plays sexually charged unravelling sanity woman fairly well. Who knew?

But their celebrity kept getting in the way for me. During every slow moment in the Strindbergh inspired production (and there were a few... it's curiously paced) I kept thinking that Jude Law, Sienna's on again/off again ex, was performing Hamlet in a nearby theater and I wanted to be there. At one point in the climax of the production, Jonny's face was smeared with blood. I could only think of Angelina Jolie and how she used to write his name on her shirt in blood back in the mid-90s. Don't you miss crazy goth Angie?

<--- Finally, all I could think of was Jonny and Jude snogging and I began wondering if they're still close? Sometimes it seems like the famous are so inbred, everyone dating, befriending and otherwise smearing their DNA on everyone else who happens to be famous.

Sunday
I'm paying for all of this excitement. Totally sick... again (I hate you, flu!) so I guess I'm staying in to watch the EMMYS.

How was your weekend? Which celebs were involved in your activities be it on tv, screen or live?
*

Peter Parker TBA

I keep meaning to give you updates on Spider-Man:Turn Off the Dark, the 2010 Broadway musical. It keeps slipping my mind. Perhaps it's a psychological entertainment defense mechanism because the project seems like such a potential stinker. A superhero musical? Even if you can imagine the songs in your head (I can't), one wonders how the stage craft can manage webslinging and swinging? It better look better than the vine work in Broadway's Tarzan, he said gagging.

Two of the three principal roles have been cast so it's time to discuss.


Alan Cumming the Broadway Diva, X-Man, Gay Celebrity and Fragrance Hawker will be playing The Green Goblin. That seems like an inspired choice to me and I smell another TONY nod unless this things a disaster. Will this role make Cumming the first actor to have played two different famous characters within the Marvel Universe?

Kirsten Dunst might want to warn the new Mary Jane -- that'd be Evan Rachel Wood -- that playing Spider-Man's girl can be a thankless chore. If you're in New York next spring and you can part with $100+, you'll be able to hear the young star belting live. I only hope that Bono and The Edge (they're doing the song score), give her an 11th hour number called "Tiger". I also hope the book writer doesn't let Mary Jane swing towards the mopey on stage. Y'all know I love Kiki (an unpopular affection to be sure) but the Spider-Man film franchise didn't do her many favors when they decided to make MJ a sadder and less sassy girlfriend than she was in the comic books.

Julie Taymor (Frida, Across the Universe) is directing this unwieldy beast. She was buried in an avalanche of praise when she brought The Lion King to the stage many years back but can "it can't be done!" lightning strike twice?

They still haven't announced who is playing Spider-Man himself, though tickets are already on pre-sale. One wonders if the producers will choose a Broadway star for Peter Parker or shove another movie name without stage experience into the mix ... though if they do spend the money for a name one will also have to wonder why an already expensive Broadway production would pay for a "name" when the production itself comes with instant pre-sale name recognition.
*

The Links of Eastwick

Popnography Jamie Bell in the TinTin movie. Yes
Getty Images best and worst of SAG red carpet
Best Week Ever on Evan Rachel Wood. 'Her lips are busy!'
My Stuff & Cr*p listen to tracks from all the nominated Oscar scores


Just Jared interviews Alan Cumming. He's started directing again
Yuppie Punk mp3s to coincide with this year's Oscar nominees
Empire Driver and Swank co-starring in a legal drama that hopes to be all Erin Brockovichy
Movie City Indie Dustin Lance Black's on the abundant Milk nominations
Charlie Rose Great conversation about Benjamin Button with AO Scott and David Denby. Watch it

The Daily says goodbye to celebrated author John Updike who died earlier today. As you may know, Updike's last novel, published just about a year ago now, was a sequel to The Witches of Eastwick called The Widows of Eastwick. He didn't like the 1980s film version of the earlier novel (though he was a fan of Michelle Pfeiffer's "Sukie") and many stories from the set at the time indicated that the stars weren't that happy either. Nevertheless, I'm hoping that his estate, the actresses and the movie studios think hard about mounting a film adaptation. How grand could a reunion of Susan Sarandon, Cher and La Pfeiffer be? Their characters are 15 or so years older in Widows than their counterpart celebrities are now so there's plenty of time to get this project cracking (Start now. Movies take forever... especially when expensive/skittish/retired actors are involved) and we definitely need more films about elderly women. When was the last time someone made a movie primarily about them?

Say What? Anne

I asked you to amuse us by putting words in Anne or Alan's mouth or captioning the photo. I think Michael went above and beyond so he's the winner with delicious non-sequitor ~ almost PSA like captions. I almost went with The Bening's hostage demands (also from Michael).

National Coming Out Day: Queer Hollywood

Hollywood movies would be more dynamic --or at least more surprising --if there were more diversity in the faces, voices, genders and sexual orientations of the people in front of and behind the camera. We could use more people of color, women and GLBT talent willing to bring their own unique perspective to the movies. So today on National Coming Out Day we celebrate one of the underrepresented brave minorities of Hollywood.


Out Writers, Directors
[Links take you to to official sites or IMDB pages]
Pedro Almodovar -Spain's greatest living filmmaker and the man behind the kissable Volver, the Oscar winning Talk To Her the "fag noir" Bad Education and many other amazing films. I like him... a lot. OK, I lurve him
Jane Anderson Writer/director of The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio and the TV movies Normal and When Billie Beat Bobby
Gregg Araki -His most recent critical triumph was Mysterious Skin but he's got the Anna Faris stoner comedy Smiley Face awaiting release. Previous credits include The Doom Generation and The Living End
Alan Ball The creator of TV classic Six Feet Under. His current projects are Nothing is Private (awaiting release) and HBO's True Blood (a vampire series)
Clive Barker Horror novelist who also writes and directs his own adaptations including the famous Hellraiser which is getting a remake

Greg Berlanti He directed the popular gay film Broken Hearts Club but his real contribution is executive producing major television series including Everwood, Dirty Sexy Money and current favorite Brothers & Sisters (related B&S post)
Bill Condon The director of Dreamgirls and Kinsey. Oscar winning screenwriter of Gods and Monsters.
Lisa Cholodenko Director of Cavedweller, Laurel Canyon and the terrific, leztastic High Art with Oscar worthy performances from Ally Sheedy and Patty Clarkson (neither were nominated. grrrr)
Stephen Daldry Oscar friendly director of The Hours and Billy Elliott. He's got two promising films in the works: The Reader with Nicole Kidman and Ralph Fiennes and the ambitious adaptation of Michael Chabon mammoth bestseller The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Er... good luck with that Stephen.
Marleen Gorris Dutch director of Antonia's Line, Mrs Dalloway and the upcoming Heaven and Earth

John Greyson Director of gay indies like Proteus and Lilies (please do see the latter --good stuff). Anyone know where he's gone to since Proteus?
Todd Haynes One of the greatest filmmakers in the world. He'll be expanding his fame and gathering more acclaim when I'm Not There, his Bob Dylan picture opens next month. He's already made at least two masterpieces: Far From Heaven and [safe]. Haynes posts
Nicholas Hytner Theater director who occassionally dabbles in the movies: History Boys, Center Stage, The Crucible among them
Dan Ireland Director of Passionada, Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont and Jolene
Miranda July The performance art charmer from Me and You and Everyone We Know is dating Mike Mills (Thumbsucker) but has been characterized as openly bisexual and "a queer woman" in many a profile
Tom Kalin He disappeared after Swoon his Leopold and Loeb queer indie but he's finally made another film: Savage Grace with Julianne Moore --coming soon.

Joe Mantello Broadway mover and shaker but no movies since Love! Valour! Compassion!
Rob Marshall Director of Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha and the upcoming musical Nine with Javier Bardem and Catherine Zeta-Jones
John Maybury Director of The Jacket and Love is the Devil... so you have him to thank for that shot of Daniel Craig naked in the bathtub (pre-Bond)
John Cameron Mitchell The multi-hyphenate artistic force behind neo classics Shortbus and Hedwig and the Angry Inch
François Ozon French auteur. He brought you the fabulous gallic divas of 8 Women. Past credits include Swimming Pool and Under the Sand. His new film starring Romola Garai is called Angel

Kimberly Peirce Director of Boys Don't Cry and the 2008 Iraq war soldier drama Stop Loss starring a who's who of young Hollywood including Ryan Phillipe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Victor Rasuk and Channing Tatum
Angela Robinson Director of Debs and Herbie: Fully Loaded
Don Roos Writer director of the highly watchable Happy Endings and The Opposite of Sex. His new project is called Love and Other Impossible Pursuits --JLo is currently set to star
Paul Rudnick Also known as columnist "Libby Gelman-Waxner" from Premier Magazine. His screenwriting credits include the brilliant Addams Family Values and the not so brilliant Stepford Wives remake. He's also a popular playwright
Adam Shankman This director had quite the summer with Hairspray. Previously directed other things best not mentioned now that he's made a really good film.
Joel Schumacher Oft-maligned director of The Number 23, Phantom of the Opera, Batman and Robin, and many more. But he'll always have bragging rights on Colin Farrell's Tigerland breakthrough

Bryan Singer Fanboy favorite director behind Superman Returns the two X-Men movies that are worth anything and The Usual Suspects. Next projects include Valkyrie with Tom Cruise and the mouthwatering possible greatness of The Mayor of Castro Street, a biopic on gay legend Harvey Milk. Please cast well Bryan. Please cast well
Rose Troche(Go Fish, Hung, The L Word)
Guinevere Turner This beautiful brunette acts in Go Fish, American Psycho, The L Word and she writes too. Screenwriting credits include Go Fish, American Psycho and The Notorious Bettie Page
Christine Vachon The legendary producing force behind Killer Films. She's shepherded dozens of the most influential and important American indies of the past two decades onto the screen. She'll be in the history books. Past triumphs include Far From Heaven and Boys Don't Cry and the book A Killer Life.
Gus Van Sant Indie director (My Own Private Idaho) turned Hollywood Oscar force (Good Will Hunting) turned curiousity (Psycho) turned artfilm auteur (Gerry, Elephant, Last Days, and the new film Paranoid Park)
Kevin Williamson Writer of the Scream films. Director of Teaching Mrs Tingle. Recently created the "Hidden Palms" TV series
John Waters American treasure. Credits include: A Dirty Shame, Hairspray, Cry Baby, Pink Flamingos and many more


Out Actors and Performers
Chad Allen Credits include Save Me, End of the Spear, Dr Quinn Medicine Woman and the recurring Donald Strachey Mystery movies on Here! television
John Barrowman Charismatic star of "Torchwood", abundant musical theater goodness, and the wonderful "Night and Day" sequence within De-Lovely
Jackie Beat Drag superstar. Films credits include: Adam & Steve, Flawless, and Grief
Simon Callow Beloved British stage star. Frequent film and television work including Phantom of the Opera, "Angels in America", "Rome", No Man's Land, Shakespeare in Love and of course A Room with a View
Craig Chester Indie film actor and best friend of Parker Posey. Starring roles include: Adam & Steve and Swoon

Allan Corduner Fine character actor. He was Sullivan to Broadbent's Gilbert in the fine Topsy Turvy and his many other credits include Vera Drake
Alan Cumming <--click away. His website is fun. Broadway superstar, cologne hawking cheeky celebrity, X2's Nightcrawler and frequent supporting player in films and television
Wilson Cruz TV supporting player. Seen most famously on My So Called Life. Recently: Noah's Arc and Rick & Steve the Happiest Gay Couple in all the World
Ben Daniels British theater actor. Film credits: Beautiful Thing, Passion in the Desert
Rupert Everett Enduring celebrity. His beloved supporting role in My Best Friends Wedding didn't bring the expected mainstream lead roles but he's a fine actor and can still get media tongues wagging. Most recently seen in Stardust. Also writes books (More Rupert scribblings)

Harvey Fierstein American treasure. Broadway legend and lifetime activist. Most famous film credits include Mrs Doubtfire and Torch Song Trilogy. Recent Broadway activity includes the smashing revival of Fiddler on the Roof and a TONY win for originated the Edna Turnblad role for the stage version of Hairspray (and yes, he runs rings around John Travolta)
Peter Frechette Theater actor with film and TV credits including Inside Man, Grease 2, and an Emmy win way back when for thirtysomething
Stephen Fry Most famous to movie awards fanatics as the frequent host of the BAFTAs. Also writes hilarious books and acts in films from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy to Wilde
Robert Gant -From Showtime's Queer as Folk. He'll next be seen in Kiss Me Deadly with Shannen Doherty
Malcolm Gets Recently starred in the romantic comedy Adam & Steve, most famous for several seasons of TVs Caroline in the City
Jason Gould Son of Barbra Streisand. There's gotta be a movie in that, right?

Neil Patrick Harris "Doogie Howser" finally came out. Currently starring in How I Met Your Mother. And for my money the best part of the Broadway revival of Sondheim's Assassins (great singing voice) though he wasn't the one that got TONY attention.
Cheyenne Jackson United 93 ensemble player and Broadway über hunk: the star of All Shook Up and the colead of the current camp hit Xanadu (More on Cheyenne)
Derek Jacobi Highly acclaimed stage star and frequent film actor. Recent appearances include Underworld: Evolution, Nanny McPhee, Hamlet and Gosford Park. He was also Daniel Craig's keeper (the painter Francis Bacon) in Love is the Devil
T.R. Knight Series regular on Grey's Anatomy
Nathan Lane Broadway megastar. Most famous film roles: The Producers and The Birdcage
Eric Millegan Series regular on TV's Bones and lots of theater

Sir Ian McKellen Gandalf. Magneto. Superstar. Activist. Hero.
Denis O'Hare Broadway star. Recent film credits include Michael Clayton (now playing) and that cynical journalist in A Mighty Heart. Let's not talk about that hideous TV movie version of "Once Upon a Mattress"
Peter Paige Most famous for his series regular role on Queer as Folk but he's kept himself busy since with TV, stage, and indie film
David Hyde Pierce "Niles" on Frasier finally came out. It was about freaking time.
Anthony Rapp An original cast member of Rent. Other films include A Beautiful Mind and 80s guilty pleasure Adventures in Babysitting

Christopher Sieber Star of TV's shortlived gay themed comedy It's all Relative. And you have to give him credit for playing straight man to the Olsen Twins in another one season TV flop Two of a Kind. Will be in next year's romantic ensemble drama See You in September
George Takei "Sulu" of TV's legendary Star Trek . Just got killed off on Heroes but not many people stay dead on that show. We'll see.
Rufus Wainwright this folkrock god has been paying homage to Judy Garland for so long now he's starting to feel like a real actress. Plus he's actually acting in films now including Heights and this year's Canadian Oscar submission L'age Des Tenebres (Rufus! Rufus! Rufus!)
Gedde Watanabe Still most famous for playing "Long Duk Dong" in Sixteen Candles but he's done lots of TV work including a few seasons of E.R.
BD Wong Eternally busy thespian and activist. Lots of Broadway (M Butterfly, Pacific Overtures), voice work, and TV under his belt including major lengthy stints on Oz and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Simon Woods Shy cutie Mr. Bingley in Pride & Prejudice and Octavian on HBO's Rome

Out Actresses and Performers
Alexis Arquette Sister of Patricia and Rosanna. America witnessed her journey towards the big snip on The Surreal Life. Past film credits include: Pulp Fiction, The Trip, Wigstock, and Threesome
Sandra Bernhard Legend. Without her you're nothing. Former comic superstardom
Saffron Burrows Eric Bana's delicious lady love in Troy also loves the ladies. Recurring character work on Boston Legal. Other credits include: Reign Over Me, Frida and Miss Julie. Dated her director Mike Figgis and also Alan Cumming (in the list of men above) but is now partnered with Fiona Shaw (The Black Dahlia) --scroll down for her
Ellen Degeneres Talk show megastar. Former leading sitcom lady
Sara Gilbert "Darlene" from Roseanne. Riding in Cars with Boys, 24, Twins
Jane Lynch Awesome comic supporting player: You'll remember her from For Your Consideration, Best in Show and seductively singing to The 40 Year Old Virgin

Cherry Jones Broadway goddess. Longtime activist. Sarah Paulson's girlfriend. Sometime film actor including: The Village and Cradle Will Rock. Meryl Streep snagged Jones's TONY winning Doubt role for the film version
Miriam Margoyles Wonderful character actress who you delighted in (even if you don't know her name in The Age of Innocence, Magnolia and Being Julia among many others
Heather Matarazzo Treated rather gruesomely in this year's Hostel Part 2. Previously seen in The Princess Diaries and abused in Welcome to the Dollhouse
Tammy Lynn Michaels Melissa Etheridge's partner. Television actress most famous for her role on the defunct series Popular. Recent credits include stints on Committed and The L Word
Cynthia Nixon Sex & the City's Miranda. Currently reprising the role for the film version. Also busy on the boards

Rosie O'Donnell Talk show troublemaker. Former comedic superstardom
Sarah Paulson Fresh off of a leading TV role in the cancelled Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Previously rocked stylized period pieces like Down With Love and The Notorious Bettie Page whilst rocking Cherry Jones' world. Her next gig: joining the starry cast of The Spirit directed by Frank Miller
Portia de Rossi From the dearly departed Arrested Development. Formerly of Ally McBeal. Currently on Ellen DeGeneres' arm
Fiona Shaw Stole the show in last year's DePalma oddity The Black Dahlia. Terrorizes Harry Potter every couple of years for a few minutes as Aunt Petunia. Receives endless kudos for brilliant stage work. Next movie is The Other Side with Angelica Huston, Jim Broadbent, Jason Lee, Lili Taylor and many other famous faces. Dating Saffron Burrows
Lily Tomlin Legend. Recently of I Heart Huckabees. Eternally in Nashville. Came out officially in 2000. She's been living with her girlfriend and writing partner Jane Wagner (The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe) since the 1970s

For every A list actor/actress who repeatedly lies about it... For every gay casting director who refuses to consider gay actors for straight or gay roles (grrr and for shame) ... there are a ton of hardworking admirable professionals like these above who aren't afraid to speak their personal truth. They can say the G word with pride ...or at least a minimum of fuss or angst. More power to these brave and awesome entertainers.

Buy tickets to their movies. Watch their TV shows





If you're here for the first time: please check out the most recent postings. There's daily movie-loving hijinx here at the film experience.

Further Reading? If you want to see more complete lists there's also the Wikipedia pages for a MUCH longer list of famous GLBT people . You'll notice that the list you've just read above has more than its share of Brits: they tend to come out in greater numbers over the pond. Here's the pink list --a list of influential gay Britons published last year in The Independent

A History of... Blue Freaks

X-Men: The Last Stand(X3) opens in just 10 days. Naturally as an early disciple of Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters I'm having trouble thinking about much else. I remain wary of the furry Beast's movie debut, though. The character in the comics is a don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover treat. He's the brainiest most bookish of all superheroes but he looks like a dangerous animal. A blue one. In my efforts to think of the character and not the actor playing him (ewww), let's look back at other similary hued oddities of (movie) nature.


1900-1966 In the first several decades of the movies many were filmed in boring old black and until Ted Turner rescued us by colorizing all those old movies [/sarcasm]... so we don't really know what color many characters were. But green seems to be the favorite for any freakish character be it The Wicked Witch of the West, Swamp Thing, or any number of aliens or monsters. The Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz did have a cool bluish tint, though, which only added to his silver foxiness.

1967 In the second season of Gene Roddenberry's eternal oh god please make it go away! Star Trek series and subsequent media empire, we are introduced to Andorians, stupid looking blue humanoids with antennae. Thankfully they do not become major characters in the films (they only cameo).

1971 In Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, vain chewing gum champ Violet Beauregard gets more than she bargained for with that stick o blueberry gum. 'You are what you eat...'

1981 What screams "the 80s!" quite like The Smurfs? They're right up there with smiley faces and Rubik's Cubes. They were a Saturday morning staple for the entire decade. Strangely Gargamel, Papa, and Smurfette never made it to cinemas (terrible news for Tina Yothers' dreams of movie stardom). For Smurf's sake, even the Care Bears got a movie! What gives?

1984 Frank Herbert's best selling sci-fi series Dune becomes a movie. It was full of visual effects but the thing I remember best is those glowing blue eyes on David Lynch's stand-in Kyle McLachlan and the 80s version of Anne Heche (Sean Young) . They both played 'freemen' which I think was a fictional religious sect whose members ate a lot of some spice known as melange --which made their eyes into crazysexycool peepers. This still does not explain Paul Newman.

1988 In every plushies --or is it furries?-- favorite 80s sex comedy Earth Girls Are Easy Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, and Jeff Goldblum play furry aliens trying to get laid. Goldblum is the blue one and he gets the best hook-up (Geena Davis in a bikini -huzzah). He also snagged her in real life. Underneath the blue fur he actually looked like this, which also goes to explain the Laura Dern hookup shortly thereafter.

1989 Everyone's favorite modern Disney villainess Ursula (from The Little Mermaid) may not be exactly easy on the eyes but she knew how to work her nearly monochromatic look with all kinds of shades of blues and purples at working. My favorite part is her tribute to the 80s with that ultra blue eyeshadow.

1990 I would probably be remiss to omit the Blue Man Group from this lineup since they're begging for inclusion with their very descriptive name but I just. don't. get. them. They aren't movie folks anyway so damn their ubiquity.

1997 If when thinking over The Fifth Element your mind immediately races to orange (as in Bruce Willis's circuit party ready backless tank top) or white (as in Milla Jovovich's strategically skimpy white tape outfit) you are probably just a healthy heterosexual or homosexual. With the movies I'm all kinds of polysexual so the thing I remember most is that weirdly hypnotic operatic rock star diva who happened to be light blue. God that was a great scene.

2000-present If you discount the return of those glowing blue peepers in the TV series of Dune (and we should --the costume designer commits more atrocities against the color wheel than I have ever seen in any other film or tv show and I don't mean that as a joke at all. Your eyes will bleed) and that rambunctious Disney critter Stitch with a propensity for destruction that would give the Tasmanian devil pause, the color blue has been all but copyrighted in the Aughts by Marvel's merry brand of misfit mutants.

The X-Men movies played the neat trick of revealing the blue freaks in reverse chronological order from their comic book origins. Mystique paved the way onscreen. She's not naked in the comics which only goes to show you that sometimes radical changes from the source material are smart moves. Unfortunately three years later when X2 brought us Alan Cumming as "Nightcrawler" they opted to cover him up. Not to be deterred Alan Cumming made sure everyone saw him naked anyway. Now, Kelsey Grammar will appear as the Beast, one of the founding members of the X-Men way back in 1963. He wasn't blue and furry back then --that particular part of his mutation took root later on --but he was still brainy and beastly. With Kelsey on board, let's pray it's not a blue movie.


Recent Histories...
Tarzan * Missions: Impossible * Dakota Fanning * Bunny Rabbits * Sharon Stone *

tags: television, Star Trek, Smurfs, movies, celebrities, Paul Newman, Dune, Frank Herbert, XMen, Comic Books, X-Men, Marvel, Alan Cumming

A History of... Blue Freaks

X-Men: The Last Stand(X3) opens in just 10 days. Naturally as an early disciple of Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters I'm having trouble thinking about much else. I remain wary of the furry Beast's movie debut, though. The character in the comics is a don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover treat. He's the brainiest most bookish of all superheroes but he looks like a dangerous animal. A blue one. In my efforts to think of the character and not the actor playing him (ewww), let's look back at other similary hued oddities of (movie) nature.


1900-1966 In the first several decades of the movies many were filmed in boring old black and until Ted Turner rescued us by colorizing all those old movies [/sarcasm]... so we don't really know what color many characters were. But green seems to be the favorite for any freakish character be it The Wicked Witch of the West, Swamp Thing, or any number of aliens or monsters. The Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz did have a cool bluish tint, though, which only added to his silver foxiness.

1967 In the second season of Gene Roddenberry's eternal oh god please make it go away! Star Trek series and subsequent media empire, we are introduced to Andorians, stupid looking blue humanoids with antennae. Thankfully they do not become major characters in the films (they only cameo).

1971 In Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, vain chewing gum champ Violet Beauregard gets more than she bargained for with that stick o blueberry gum. 'You are what you eat...'

1981 What screams "the 80s!" quite like The Smurfs? They're right up there with smiley faces and Rubik's Cubes. They were a Saturday morning staple for the entire decade. Strangely Gargamel, Papa, and Smurfette never made it to cinemas (terrible news for Tina Yothers' dreams of movie stardom). For Smurf's sake, even the Care Bears got a movie! What gives?

1984 Frank Herbert's best selling sci-fi series Dune becomes a movie. It was full of visual effects but the thing I remember best is those glowing blue eyes on David Lynch's stand-in Kyle McLachlan and the 80s version of Anne Heche (Sean Young) . They both played 'freemen' which I think was a fictional religious sect whose members ate a lot of some spice known as melange --which made their eyes into crazysexycool peepers. This still does not explain Paul Newman.

1988 In every plushies --or is it furries?-- favorite 80s sex comedy Earth Girls Are Easy Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, and Jeff Goldblum play furry aliens trying to get laid. Goldblum is the blue one and he gets the best hook-up (Geena Davis in a bikini -huzzah). He also snagged her in real life. Underneath the blue fur he actually looked like this, which also goes to explain the Laura Dern hookup shortly thereafter.

1989 Everyone's favorite modern Disney villainess Ursula (from The Little Mermaid) may not be exactly easy on the eyes but she knew how to work her nearly monochromatic look with all kinds of shades of blues and purples at working. My favorite part is her tribute to the 80s with that ultra blue eyeshadow.

1990 I would probably be remiss to omit the Blue Man Group from this lineup since they're begging for inclusion with their very descriptive name but I just. don't. get. them. They aren't movie folks anyway so damn their ubiquity.

1997 If when thinking over The Fifth Element your mind immediately races to orange (as in Bruce Willis's circuit party ready backless tank top) or white (as in Milla Jovovich's strategically skimpy white tape outfit) you are probably just a healthy heterosexual or homosexual. With the movies I'm all kinds of polysexual so the thing I remember most is that weirdly hypnotic operatic rock star diva who happened to be light blue. God that was a great scene.

2000-present If you discount the return of those glowing blue peepers in the TV series of Dune (and we should --the costume designer commits more atrocities against the color wheel than I have ever seen in any other film or tv show and I don't mean that as a joke at all. Your eyes will bleed) and that rambunctious Disney critter Stitch with a propensity for destruction that would give the Tasmanian devil pause, the color blue has been all but copyrighted in the Aughts by Marvel's merry brand of misfit mutants.

The X-Men movies played the neat trick of revealing the blue freaks in reverse chronological order from their comic book origins. Mystique paved the way onscreen. She's not naked in the comics which only goes to show you that sometimes radical changes from the source material are smart moves. Unfortunately three years later when X2 brought us Alan Cumming as "Nightcrawler" they opted to cover him up. Not to be deterred Alan Cumming made sure everyone saw him naked anyway. Now, Kelsey Grammar will appear as the Beast, one of the founding members of the X-Men way back in 1963. He wasn't blue and furry back then --that particular part of his mutation took root later on --but he was still brainy and beastly. With Kelsey on board, let's pray it's not a blue movie.


Recent Histories...
Tarzan * Missions: Impossible * Dakota Fanning * Bunny Rabbits * Sharon Stone *

tags: television, Star Trek, Smurfs, movies, celebrities, Paul Newman, Dune, Frank Herbert, XMen, Comic Books, X-Men, Marvel, Alan Cumming

Alan and Cyndi and Nellie...Oh My!

In just six days I will be seeing the new Broadway production of Threepenny Opera with Alan Cumming and Nellie McKay. But the reason I'm practically hyperventilating with excitement is the presence of the astounding Cyndi Lauper who has almost made it into a Broadway show on several occassions....forever tantalizing me with this possible collision of two things I love: Herself plus showtunes!

If you don't love Cyndi, the mass media of this country has done you a monumental disservice. For the past two decadese they've done their best to treat her like a novelty act when she's had as strong a discography as anyone and her voice still sounds fabu. I cannot wait to see this.

Alan and Cyndi and Nellie...Oh My!

In just six days I will be seeing the new Broadway production of Threepenny Opera with Alan Cumming and Nellie McKay. But the reason I'm practically hyperventilating with excitement is the presence of the astounding Cyndi Lauper who has almost made it into a Broadway show on several occassions....forever tantalizing me with this possible collision of two things I love: Herself plus showtunes!

If you don't love Cyndi, the mass media of this country has done you a monumental disservice. For the past two decadese they've done their best to treat her like a novelty act when she's had as strong a discography as anyone and her voice still sounds fabu. I cannot wait to see this.

Ben. Jeff. Willem. Jesse. Alan.

The Countdown begins again. I don't really mean to drag this out so much but real life is invading my reel life. The new gentlemen to be added to the Top 100 list? M. Cumming, Kingsley, Dafoe, Eisenberg, and Daniels. Read all about it. I'll try to get more up sooner rather than later.

Ben. Jeff. Willem. Jesse. Alan.

The Countdown begins again. I don't really mean to drag this out so much but real life is invading my reel life. The new gentlemen to be added to the Top 100 list? M. Cumming, Kingsley, Dafoe, Eisenberg, and Daniels. Read all about it. I'll try to get more up sooner rather than later.