Twitter
Facebook
Happy Second Anniversary to Greg In Hollywood!
Time flies when you are having fun!
It was two years ago that I launched this blog, Greg In Hollywood, which has been one of the absolute highlights of my professional life.
In that time, I have posted just under 5,000 items including interviews with a lot of Greg In Hollywood faves including Wanda Sykes, Lily Tomlin, Nate Berkus, Christopher Gorham, Josh Cooke, Johnny Weir, Bryan Batt, Eric Mabius, Harvey Levin, Matthew Bomer, Sara Rue, Madison Hildebrand, Mike “The Situation,” Ryan Murphy, Dave Koz, Eve Plumb, Ryan Murphy, Chaz Bono, Melissa Leo, Billy Campbell, Steven Weber, Peter Paige, Wendie Malick, Bryce Johnson, Brandon Beemer, Michael Muhney, BeekmanBoys Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Chelsea Handler, Chita Rivera, Tuc Watkins, Chris Colfer, Wilson Cruz, Candis Cayne, Dustin Lance Black, Chad Allen, Brandon Beemer, Elaine Stritch, Mitzi Gaynor, Robert Gant, Grant Show, Matthew Modine, Jason Ritter, Eric McCormack, Alex O’Loughlin, Jon Foster, David Moretti, Tom Lowe, Laura Linney and many others!
Greg In Hollywood is the successor to Out In Hollywood, the blog I founded at the Los Angeles Daily News in June 2006 and authored until February 2009. I felt it was important to not only cover the entertainment industry, but to focus on the LGBT aspects of it all.
It’s been such fertile ground with the gay marriage debate continuing to rage, with Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell set aside, with the launch of the gay television channels like Logo and Here! TV (and Bravo!), and with a growing number of significant gay characters on such prime-time shows as Glee, Brothers & Sisters, Grey’s Anatomy, and Modern Family. Even more significant is there are openly gay performers like Chris Colfer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Neil Patrick Harris, Jane Lynch, and Luke Macfarlane playing gay or straight roles on these and other shows.
Also, three openly gay people, Ellen DeGeneres, Nate Berkus and Sara Gilbert are hosting or co-hosting nationally syndicated daytime talk shows and Rosie O’Donnell returns in the fall on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network.
Then there is American Idol which after so many years of being seemingly terrified of having any finalists be openly gay, had that barrier broken down with the arrival of Adam Lambert.
Best of all, more famous folks are coming out since 2006 starting with Neil Patrick Harris, T.R. Knight and Lance Bass joining the previously out Ellen DeGeneres, Rosie O’Donnell, Wilson Cruz, Robert Gant, Elton John, Gerald McCullouch, Boy George, Peter Paige, Portia de Rossi, Jason Stuart, Ian McKellen, Anthony Rapp, KD Lang, George Takei, Amanda Beardse, Michael Feinstein, Leslie Jordan, Doug Spearman, Christopher Seiber, and Alec Mapa.
Others out include Lily Tomlin, Cheyenne Jackson, Luke Macfarlane, Richard Chamberlain, Nicholas Rodriguez, Wanda Sykes, Cherry Jones, Jane Lynch, Bryan Batt, Cynthia Nixon, Heather Matorazzo, Tab Hunter, Rex Lee, Sarah Paulsen, David Hyde Pierce, Rupert Everett, Nathan Lane, BD Wong, Mellissa Etheridge, Tammy Lynn Michaels, Alan Cumming, Suze Orman, Gavin Creel and Tim Gunn. [See the Greg In Hollywood Coming Out Day Gallery!)
Since the launch of this blog 24 months ago, Ricky Martin, Johnny Weir, Meredith Baxter, Adam Lambert, Sean Hayes, Chely Wright, Jonathan Groff, Chris Colfer, Amber Heard, Gareth Thomas, Geri Jewell, Jonathan Knight, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sara Gilbert, Michael Urie, Spencer Day, Madison Hildebrand, Scott Evans, and Clay Aiken are among those have also gone public about their sexuality.
So there is a lot to write about these days, a lot to cover. Plus there is the pleasure of choosing a Morning Man every single day of the year and all the Lunch Break Videos – especially Meryl Monday, the I Love Lucy clips and Sunday Showtunes!
I didn't expect to become a full-time blogger and freelance journalist two years ago because I didn't expect to be laid off from the Daily News where I was a columnist and blogger and had worked since 2001. But that's the breaks and my overriding feeling as I walked out of the newsroom that last day was a feeling of "I don't to stop doing what I'm doing."
I was not eager to jump back into newspapers right away so Greg In Hollywood was born exactly seven days after my layoff [see the story of the launch HERE].
I will forever be grateful to Danny Sullivan, Kate Cohen, Val Cohen and Lorna Harris for dedicating their time in helping me get it together and to keep doing what I love without skipping a beat.
It has been a remarkable experience and given me the opportunity to work at my own pace and to set up shop in just about every coffee house in town!
I initially favored Java Detour on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Robertson in West Hollywood despite the haughty attitude of some of the employees there. Sadly, it closed its doors (I wonder why) so I moved on to Insomnia Cafe on Melrose and Mudspot on LaBrea as well as various Coffee Bean and Tea Leafs with my favorite being the location on Wilshire Blvd. at Crescent Heights. But once Starbucks introduced free WiFi last year, that’s where you’d find me most days.
But I do have some BREAKING NEWS for you: Starting today, I’ll be working out of an office on Wilshire Boulevard inside the newsroom of the Los Angeles Business Journal. I start today as the award-winning publication’s entertainment and media reporter.
A few months ago, I began itching to return to a newsroom and I am very happy with where I landed and excited to get started on some great stories!
Where does this leave Greg In Hollywood?
I remain dedicated to keeping this blog going just as strong and hope that you remain dedicated to reading it! But my posting schedule will be a bit more erratic since I will be doing this in my spare time and not have the luxury of spending my day at a coffee house blogging and working on freelance assignments any time I please.
In closing, I want to thank you for the first two years, for showing up each day to check out what I’ve come up with for you. I love bumping into readers around town who I’ve never met and I appreciate all the kind words they have had about the blog.
Then there are the readers I know who have consistently posted comments either on the blog, on Facebook or Twitter and stars like Lily Tomlin, Florence Henderson, Wilson Cruz, Chris Gorham, Nick Adams, Thom Bierdz, and Eric Sheffer Stevens who are among those who have taken the time to send a nice note or email along the way.
You make it all worthwhile.
Comments
(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)
Capita says:
Best of luck! And thanks.
rmg1961 says:
Congratulations Greg! Good luck in your new role.
Thanks for keeping the blog alive! We depend on you to continue telling the stories that define our times and our lives.
Max F Grump says:
Seriously Greg, your hard work and dedication is greatly appreciated by so many. You have a unique style and a great blend that is very informative, easy flowing, always interesting and well diversified.
You are a very good man with a great attitude!
Congratulations on your anniversary and keep up the good work. Your throngs of readers appreciate what you do and how you do it. May you have many more successful years. We salute and thank you!
Bruce says:
First and foremost congratulations on year 2 and for the new position! A big thank you for continuously bringing to us stories of hope and inspiration as well as all the video’s, morning men and more. Always insightful and always a pleasure to visit you site…best of luck!
MK says:
From all of us at OUTview Online (We turned 2 on Jan 31st) Happy 2nd Anniversary!
Steve Callahan says:
Congratulations Greg! Here’s to many more!
Michael Shoel says:
Congratulations Greg!
JIm Key says:
Hey Greg – Congrats on the new gig – I’m so excited for you! I’m also relieved you’re not going to let it interfere too much with Greg in Hollywood. You’ve built quite a site and body of work in the last two years, pal.
XOXO
K. Martinez says:
Congradulations Greg! I wish you the best at your new job as the media/entertainment reporter at LA Business Journal. Thanks for two great years at greginhollywood.com. Happy 2nd Anniversary!
2201 East says:
I didn’t realize this was only your second year! You have certainly every reason to be proud of the quality of the work you continue to do! Look forward to what you will do in the future.
Allen Hollis says:
Congratulations on your 2nd birthday. I certainly have enjoyed your news, thoughts and remarks for the past two years and I go further back than that with the other site. This one is better. Keep doing the excellent job that you do.
jack says:
i didn’t realize how new to this format when i started reading you til this post.i have been following you for 3/4s of your existence on facebook. so, congratulations on the milestone, and on the quality of execution.
Marc says:
Happy Anniversary, Greg! And I wish you all the best with your new job at the Los Angeles Business Journal.
joebatch says:
Congratulations to you on your great site.Everything about it is very enjoyable,entertaining and inspiring every day.Congrats on 2 years and many,many more.
Juan Pablo says:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GREG! AND CONGRATS FOR KEEPING HIS FABULOUS WEB SITE ONLINE! IT’S GREAT FUN, INTERESTING AND A FANTASTIC WAY OF KEEPING UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE HOLLYWOOD NEWS!
THANKS A LOT!
Apolo says:
Yeahhhh Congratulations my friend, you are special, we love you!
luigipisa says:
Congratulations, Greg
Romy says:
Happy aniversary, Mr.Hernández, and congratulations for two years of great work keeping us informed on your wonderful website!!
For many years!!
Kisses from Spain