Before the day ends, I want to do another Elizabeth Taylor post – this one focusing on her decades as a movie goddess.
Miss Taylor, born 83 years ago today, won Academy Awards for best actress for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Butterfield 8, was nominated three other times for Raintree County, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Suddenly Last Summer, and received the Academy’s humanitarian Oscar in 1993 for her tireless work on behalf of HIV/AIDS.
Other films included A Place in the Sun, Giant, National Velvet, Cleopatra, Father of the Bride, Little Women, The Taming of the Shrew, A Little Night Music and The Mirror Crack’d, among many others.
People love to make fun of John Travolta these days but things really ratcheted up after this week’s Oscars.
The Saturday Night Live, Grease and Pulp Fiction star came off like a creepy uncle when he presented an award with Idina Menzel whose name he famously mangled last year.
To say there was some excessive face touching going on is an understatement.
Even Ellen DeGeneres had to make fun of John on her show this week: ‘I’ve had facialists who didn’t touch my face that much.
She also joked that Menzel was whispering to Travolta: ‘Let it go, let it go.’
Rosie O’Donnell and Michelle Rounds are making their separation, made public just three weeks ago, a permanent one.
Rosie filed for divorce on Friday in Manhattan State Supreme Court from her wife of less than three years. She cited ‘an irretrievably broken relationship’ as the grounds.
The couple, who have a two year old daughter, have a prenuptial agreement, according to People.com.
O’Donnell stunned viewers earlier this month when she confirmed that she and Rounds had been separated since last November.
The split was made public at the same time the multi-Emmy winner said she would be leaving her job as a co-host on ABC’s The View after just five months.
O’Donnell suffered a near-fatal heart attack in the summer of 2012 and said she was leaving The View to reduce her stress level which was beginning to impact her health.
In the short time she has been away from The View, O’Donnell has remained in the spotlight with the premiere of the HBO documentary Rosie O’Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up.
She also guest starred on this week’s episode of the ABC Family drama The Fosters on which she has a recurring role.
TMZ caught up with retired NBA player Jason Collins at the airport and, of course, asked him about Michael Sam competing on Dancing With the Stars.
We already know that critics won’t cut Michael a break no matter what because he’s gay. No matter what anybody says, this is clearly why he has not even been given a chance to play a regular season NFL game.
But Jason, the first openly gay player in NBA history, supports Michael being on the show: ‘I think other NFL players have done it … I know Michael still wants to play in the NFL so since other players have done it, why not him?’
He thinks Sam might have a bit of an edge on the dance floor: ‘Athletes definitely should know how to move their body and should be strong for the partner lifting and all that fun stuff.
‘I look forward to seeing him out on the dance floor and I hope he doesn’t drop his partner,’ he jokes. ‘I wish him the best of luck.’
Star Trek icon Leonard Nimoy died this morning from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the age of 83.
Nimoy, of course, played half-human, half-Vulcan Mr. Spock on the original Star Trek television series and feature films.
He is being mourned by fans and his co-stars including George Takei and Zachary Quinto.
‘My heart is broken,’ tweeted Quinto who co-starred with Nimoy in the Star Trek feature film franchise reboot.
‘I love you profoundly,’ Quinto added. ‘I will miss you every day.’
Takei, who played Sulu in the original Star Trek TV series and earlier feature film franchise described Nimoy as ‘a very dear friend.’
Speaking to CNN, Takei shared this story: ‘One extraordinary thing about him I remember: When Star Trek was going to be done as an animated series, they cast Leonard, Bill Shatner, Majel Barrett and Jimmy Doohan only for the voice acting on that. And when he discovered that Nichelle Nicholls and Walter Koenig and I were not cast because of budgetary considerations, he said, “Star Trek is about diversity, and if the two people that represent diversity to most, Nichelle and George, then I’m not interested in doing it.”‘
‘That was an extraordinary thing for an actor, to give up a gig on behalf of other actors. And because Leonard was so necessary to the project, they cast Nichelle and me and offered Walter an opportunity to write a script.
‘He was really an amazing man.’
Takei also took to Facebook and posted this tribute: ‘Today, the world lost a great man, and I lost a great friend. We return you now to the stars, Leonard. You taught us to “Live Long And Prosper,” and you indeed did, friend. I shall miss you in so many, many ways.’
The late, very great Elizabeth Taylor was a movie legend and perfume mogul.
But I will always love her most for how she chose to spend that last 27 years of her life as a leading AIDS activist.
Miss Taylor, who died in 2011 at the age of 79, was still in fine form in this 2005 interview as she was participating in an AIDS event that also included fellow activists Elton John and Sharon Stone.
The legend had been housebound for much of the previous year due to several compression fractures in her back. But she continued to work on the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and giving money all over the world. She was always very proud that her foundation had no overhead with the money raised going directly to hospices, patient care, needle exchange and condoms as well as education.
What she said then is still, sadly, very true today: “People need to listen, people need to be aware that the disease has not evaporated it hasn’t gone away. The medicine we have now improve the life of people, with AIDS, but it doesn’t eradicate it, there is no cure.”
Miss Taylor also talks about the early days of her activism – in the mid-80s – and how it was then she decided to stop resenting her fame and to instead use it to the AIDS epidemic.
“I was sitting back and becoming outraged that no one was doing anything about this oncoming epidemic. I went to Congress, went on The Hill, knocked on senator’s doors and none of them wanted to know. But I was a pest. It was the first time I’d been an activist but I was a raucous one, I still am.”
She will never be forgotten for so many reasons but her activism is her greatest legacy.
Hard to believe I’ve not featured Liam McIntyre as Morning Man before.
Welcome to the club you gorgeous Aussie.
The actor, who turned 33 earlier this month, is best known for playing the lead role in the Starz television series Spartacus: Vengeance and Spartacus: War of the Damned.
Liam began his career acting mainly in short films, before performing guest roles in Australia’s popular television series Rush and Neighbours. He made his feature film debut appearing alongside Kellan Lutz in The Legend of Hercules.
Had such a tremendous time Tuesday night at the celebration marking the 10th anniversary for Out at NBC Universal.
The employee resource group of LGBT & Straight Ally employees at NBC Universal and its goal is to attract, develop, and retain Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Straight Ally Employees and to raise money for such causes as the annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles.
Among the celebrities on hand were: Days of Our Lives stars Guy Wilson andChristopher Sean who portray gay characters on the soap; cast members from the new E! drama The Royals; and E! personality Ross Mathews.
Below is some video from the event which took place at The Abbey in West Hollywood.
It’s almost time for Outfest Fusion: LGBT People of Color Film Festival.
I’m hoping to catch as many programs as I can because this is always such a great weekend event at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.
This year’s edition takes place on March 13 and 14.
The event kicks off with a screening of an upcoming episode of my new favorite show Empire followed by a Q&A with the show’s producers.
Also that evening is the Los Angeles premiere of the new digitally restored print of Paris Is Burning courtesy of the Sundance Institute, the UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project and Miramax.
This year’s Outfest Fusion line-up also boasts the World Premiere of Ascendance: Angels Of Change, about the Trans youth group at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles run by Bamby Salcedo; and the US Premiere of Stories of Our Lives from Kenya, which just played the Berlin Film Festival, as well as the romantic comedy Eat With Me.
Now in its 12th year, Outfest Fusion is the only multicultural LGBT film festival of its kind, is presented by HBO and supported by NBCUniversal and Nielsen and is funded in part by the David Bohnett Foundation.
Writer, Director and Producer Rose Troche (Go Fish, The Safety of Objects, “The L Word”) will receive the 2015 Fusion Achievement Award, which will be presented by the stars of The L Word prior to the Fusion Gala Short Films on Saturday, March 14.
Outfest Executive Director Kirsten Schaffer said in a statement: ‘We are truly thrilled to honor the prolific and groundbreaking Rose Troche with the 2015 Fusion Achievement Award. Her contribution to storytelling and filmmaking for the past two decades is full of intelligent characters and authentic representations of our community. Rose is one of the most powerful voices we have, and she embodies the very spirit of Outfest Fusion.’
Other programs: Fresh off its win at the Independent Spirit Awards is a special screening of Dear White People coupled with a Q&A with its filmmakers; a screening of the documentary The Year We Thought About Love which follows an LGBT youth theater troupe in Boston; an encore screening of I Am Happiness On Earth; and a thought-provoking selection of Documentary Shorts entitled Truth Be Told.
We’ve been waiting a long time for Steve Grand to release his debut album and I have every confidence that it will have been well worth waiting for.
He’s a special talent and a special man.
‘I swear, I feel like I’ve been working on this album for 12 years,’ he says in this new video.
His self-financed video All-American Boy got 1 million views in eight days in the summer of 2013. What impacted him wasn’t just the attention to his song about a gay man who fals in love with his straight best friend, but the connection it had with people.
‘What really made a difference for me is so many people would write in – tell me their stories of their All-American Boy that got away. … That made me realize this is why I did this – to connect people and to connect with people.’
While it seems like US society is making more strides towards acceptance of LGBT people, Grand knows there’s still a long ways to go.
“While people say this is no big deal anymore. Who cares? You know who cares are the kids that are really struggling with this. The kids who feel like they would still rather be dead than live life as a gay person,” Grand also says in the video. “I’m thinking about them all the time when I’m doing these things. Because deep down we really all just want to loved, we want to experience love, we want to give love, we want to take in love, and we want to feel valued and understood.”
I sometimes dig into a shoe box of old snapshots to use as a Throwback Thursday photo on Facebook.
This morning I came across this outtake of when I met Seann William Scott at the 2004 premiere of the film Walking Tall outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
Seann was very nice and we chatted a bit then my friend took our photo.
Then a Facebook friend had some fun altering the image so I thought I’d post both like People Magazine and ask you to pick which one you think is real.
Did we have a smoke? Or do I just have my hand in front of my face like an idiot?
Jack Falahee knows people want to know how much he is like his very sexually active gay character on ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder.
They just really want to know if he’s gay in real life too.
He’s still not telling.
‘We don’t ask the actor playing James Bond what his sexual preference is,’ he said this week on SiriusXM Progress. ‘So I don’t know what it is, really, with trying to out actors who portray gay characters on television. But it is some sort of fascination in society.’
The freshman series wraps up its season next week and Falahee’s law student character of Conor Walsh and his memorable trysts with several different men have catapulted the previously unknown actor to stardom.
With that stardom comes this persistent curiosity about his personal life.
‘I think we’re projecting onto actors in a way,’ he says. ‘I think we’re expecting them to be their characters when, at the end of the day, this is my job and I’m an actor portraying a role on a fictitious television show.
‘I just think it’s interesting because I have a body of work before Conor Walsh that is primarily heterosexual and yet people want to ask — you know, no on asks any other man, or woman, on my show, about their sexuality, and that’s what fascinates me.’
Girls star Andrew Rannells was on The Tonight Show last night and tells Ice T and Jimmy Fallon about his many failed attempts at landing a role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
‘I’ve auditioned for your show so many times,’ he told Ice T.
He did get close once and was almost cast as a kiddie porn director.
‘It was probably for the best it didn’t work out,’ he aid. ‘Some redhead got it. If a redhead’s in the mix, I’m out!’
Empire had its highest rating yet last night and has become a complete smash.
Love the show and love the very handsome Trai Byers, the 31 year-old actor who plays Andre Lyon on the show – the oldest of three sons vying to succeed his father as head of the family’s music empire.
Trai is on quite a career roll. He also played civil rights activist James Forman in the 2014 Oscar best picture nominee Selma.
His first big break came in 2011 with the recurring role of Mookie on All My Children. The following year he had a recurring role on 90210.
Hard to believe but it was just recently that Trai was considering leaving acting to become a pastor.
But when Empire premiered the same week Selma went wide in theaters, he realized God had other plans.
This is one of my favorite scenes on any television show so far this year.
On tonight’s episode of Empire – my latest addiction – Jamal came out in a big way during Empire’s White Party.
His dad had just given him a big speech about how he needs to “tell your truth in the music.”
Big mistake for a homophobe who hates that his son is gay.
Jamal gets up on the stage and performs his dad’s classic You’re So Beautiful — but tweaks to chorus to, “It’s the kind of song that makes a man love a man.”
Lady Gaga has signed on for her first major acting role as one of the stars of the next edition of American Horror Story.
Fresh off her triumphant performance at the Academy Awards, Gaga is the first major star to be announced for season 5 of the popular FX anthology series which will be titled American Horror Story: Hotel.
‘Make your reservation now. #GagaAHSHotel,’ Gaga tweeted Wednesday morning.
Little is known about the premise beyond the title or Gaga’s role.
The show has drawn big names in its past four installments – many who have appeared in multiple seasons in different roles. They include Oscar winners Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates as well as Neil Patrick Harris, Zachary Quinto, Adam Levine, Angela Basset, Sarah Paulson, Joseph Fiennes, Patti Labelle, Patti LuPone, and Matt Bomer.
Gaga has previously had cameo roles in the films Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and Machete Kills.
The storyline is on fire and this emotional conversation between Sonny in Will about Paul really packs a punch. Will says some terrible and very immature things as Sonny continues to be one with maturity and integrity. Paul is determined to stay in Salem longer even as his mom wants him to leave town.
By the way readers, I interviewed both Guy Wilson (Will) and Sean Christopher (Paul) at the Out at NBC Universal event in West Hollywood last night (pictured below). Will post in the coming days.
Say what you will about Madonna but be sure to say that she is a showbiz trouper. A short time ago while performing at the Brit Awards, the Material Girl took a hard fall on the steps leading to the stage. It seems she was unable to unfasten her long, flowing cape and a back-up dancer pulled back on it.
I’m so impressed with how quickly Madonna got back up and continued with the performance.
She later posted on Instagram: Armani hooked me up! My beautiful cape was tied too tight! But nothing can stop me and love really lifted me up! Thanks for your good wishes! I’m fine! ❤️#livingforlove
After conquering Tinder, Conan O’Brien sets his sights on becoming the king of the gay hook-up app Grinder. The results are hilarious and his partner in crime is Billy Eichner.
Explains Conan: ‘I think I’m straight but there are times like when Ryan Gosling is on the show.’
When making his profile, Conan considers using the headline ‘Rich Ginger’ but Billy suggests ‘Freckle Fucker.’
Conan also reveals that he’s also a ginger – down there.
Today’s gorgeous Morning Man is Indian film actor Shahid Kapoor who turns 34 today.
The son of actors Pankaj Kapur and Neelima Azeem, Kapoor began his career by working in several music videos and television commercials.
He made his film debut with a leading role in the romantic comedy Ishq Vishk.
His other film credits include Vivah (2006), Jab We Met (2007) playing twin brothers in Vishal Bhardwaj’s caper thriller Kaminey, and R… Rajkumar (2013), among others.
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Before the day ends, I want to do another Elizabeth Taylor post – this one focusing on her decades as a movie goddess.
People love to make fun of John Travolta these days but things really ratcheted up after this week’s Oscars.
Rosie O’Donnell and Michelle Rounds are making their separation, made public just three weeks ago, a permanent one.
TMZ caught up with retired NBA player Jason Collins at the airport and, of course, asked him about Michael Sam competing on Dancing With the Stars.
Some sad news today.
The late, very great Elizabeth Taylor was a movie legend and perfume mogul.
Hard to believe I’ve not featured Liam McIntyre as Morning Man before.
Had such a tremendous time Tuesday night at the celebration marking the 10th anniversary for Out at NBC Universal.
It’s almost time for Outfest Fusion: LGBT People of Color Film Festival.
We’ve been waiting a long time for Steve Grand to release his debut album and I have every confidence that it will have been well worth waiting for.
I sometimes dig into a shoe box of old snapshots to use as a Throwback Thursday photo on Facebook.
Jack Falahee knows people want to know how much he is like his very sexually active gay character on ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder.
Empire had its highest rating yet last night and has become a complete smash.
This is one of my favorite scenes on any television show so far this year.
Lady Gaga has signed on for her first major acting role as one of the stars of the next edition of American Horror Story.
Today’s gorgeous Morning Man is Indian film actor Shahid Kapoor who turns 34 today.
