Happy Oscars Sunday everyone!
I’m at a private party and I’m live tweeting the red carpet arrivals and will be tweeting throughout the show.
You can follow me @greghernandez
Good luck to host Ellen DeGeneres and producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan.
Tonight’s Academy Awards telecast is going to be very musical.
We know there is going to be a tribute to The Wizard of Oz with Liza and her siblings and we know Bette is performing something.
Last year, Barbra Streisand performed so she won’t be there this time around.
But Streisand and the Oscars go back a long way.
She won the Best Actress Oscar for Funny Girl so I’ve included Don’t Rain on My Parade.
Then she won the songwriting Oscar for Evergreen for the classic song she wrote with Paul Williams for A Star is Born.
Then two songs from Streisand’s directorial debut Yentl were nominated for Best Original Song including Papa Can You Hear Me.
And finally, Streisand was nominated again for Best Original Song for her song I Finally Found Someone from The Mirror Has Two Faces which she also directed.
Enjoy!
Matthew McConaughey is likely to win the best actor Oscar later today and he will be one of the hunkiest winners ever.
So let’s enjoy some of the other especially handsome dudes who have won Oscars in past years.
1. You don’t get any better looking than Robert Redford who in 1981 won the Best Director Oscar for Ordinary People. 2. Maximillian Schell was Best Actor for the 1961 film Judgment at Nuremberg, his second acting role in Hollywood. 3. Denzel Washington won the first of his two Oscars in 1989 when he was Best Supporting Actor for Glory. 4. Michael Douglas won the first of his two Academy Awards in 1976 was a producer of Best Picture winner One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. 5. Kevin Costner won Academy Awards for directing and producing Dancing With Wolves. 6. Paul Newman received an Honorary Oscar in 1986 that was presented to him by three-time nominee Tom Cruise. He had been nominated numerous times without winning. Then the next year, he win Best Actor for The Color of Money but was not present to accept in person. 7. Ben Affleck won the first of his two Oscars in 1998 when he and BFF Matt Damon too the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Good Will Hunting. Ben would win again last year for producing Argo. 8. William Holden won the Best Actor Oscar in 1953 for Stalag 17.
The winners of the major acting categories at today’s Independent Spirit Awards are likely to match the winners at the Academy Awards tomorrow.
Jared Leto, who has won virtually every acting prize this season for his performance as a transgender woman with AIDS in Dallas Buyers Club, won the best supporting actor award.
Leto concluded his speech by dedicating the award to the 36 million that have died of AIDS and the 35 million living with AIDS.
The film’s star Matthew McConaughey, won best actor. Like Leto, he has also won the SAG Award, the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award, among others.
Cate Blanchett also continued her clean sweep of acting prizes which also includes the BAFTA for her performance in Blue Jasmine.
Lupita Nyong’o won the best supporting actress award for her portrayal of the slave Patsey in 12 Years a Slave on her birthday. She also won the SAG Award and is the likely Oscar winner tomorrow although Jennifer Lawrence also has a shot at winning for American Hustle.
12 Years a Slave dominated in several categories winning Best Picture, Best Director for Steve McQueen, Best Screenplay for John Ridley and Best Cinematography for Sean Bobbitt.
The lesbian-themed Blue is the Warmest Color took the award for Best International film.
Can you believe I almost forgot that today is the fifth anniversary of my blog Greg In Hollywood?
I knew the milestone was fast approaching and last night I decided I’d start doing a post for next week. As I looked into the archives, I saw that the very first post was March 1, 2009!
Yikes!
So, I threw this little collage together of me with many of the stars I’ve encountered over the past five years and yes, even I’m sick of my face right now!
But it’s as good a time as any to take a look back at this little adventure.
This blog was not a part of some big career plan. I was doing something very similar called Out In Hollywood for about two-and-a-half years as sort of a side project to my duties as an entertainment reporter and columnist for the Los Angeles Daily News.
Then on Oscar weekend 2009, I found out I was about to lose my job.
Word got to me through a friend who didn’t want me to be completely ambushed when I arrived at work that Monday.
The plan was to give me my walking papers the day after covering the Academy Awards.
Brutal.
So that abruptly ended what had been the happiest period of my career – seven-and-a-half years of pure bliss, endless creativity, amazing experiences, wonderful co-workers – really the time of my life.
I had previously left higher paying staff writer jobs at the Los Angeles Times and The Hollywood Reporter in search of my professional bliss.
After I’d found it, it was yanked out from under me during massive layoffs at the paper.
These are the times, I have learned, that you find out what you are made of.
I found myself unemployed for the first time in my 20-year career at a time when the newspaper industry was beginning its nosedive.
It wasn’t pretty.
I wanted to continue Out in Hollywood and its queer eye take on pop culture – that much I knew.
Since The Daily News did not want to part with my old blog’s archives, my independent blog needed a new name. Without much thought, I decided to call it Greg In Hollywood.
So in a crazy week or so, this blog was launched with the help of some amazing friends who made this trying time in my life feel more like a rebirth.
To read all about what my guardian angels Danny Sullivan, Kate Cohen, Val Cohen and Lorna Harris did for me five years ago, see my post From Layoff to Kickoff in Seven Days.
I wish I could say I instantly began to make a ton of money and was able to support myself on Greg In Hollywood alone.
It hasn’t happened – yet.
But I do make steady ad revenue thanks to a call I got in June 2009 from Michael Goff who is the business partner of Andy Towle of Towleroad fame. I was invited to become a part of their network of blogs which was a great boost – especially in those early days.
For most of the five years, I’ve juggled the blog with other gigs whether it be freelancing or covering media for the LA Business Journal.
Then there was my brief foray into politics as the communications dude for a state assemblyman. I’d be in front of groups giving legislative updates thinking: “What am I doing here? I’m Greg In Hollywood!”
No matter where I worked, I insisted that I be able to continue this blog – that has been non-negotiable.
The best fit came 27 months ago when I was hired as Los Angeles correspondent for Gay Star News. – a gig that came to me because the team that was launching the site had been impressed with Greg In Hollywood.
This current arrangement has allowed me to continue the blog and to also focus entirely on LGBT news at this extraordinary time in our history.
Whether it be gay marriage or celebrities or athletes coming out or draconian anti-gay laws being proposed or passed in foreign countries – or Arizona – I’m spending my days writing about it.
It’s where my heart is now.
Most days, I’m having a terrific time and I plow through my work with great enthusiasm. But I have the rare off day where I wonder how much longer I can keep juggling it all.
That happened one day in January.
Then a few hours later, in a total coincidence, I got a surprise email from Craig Zadan telling me how much he enjoys his daily read of Greg In Hollywood and appreciates my efforts.
Craig, who is once again producing the Academy Awards this weekend with Neil Meron, has no idea how much that meant to me right then.
Made me feel like I could go on at least another five years!
Pictured above with: 1. Lily Tomlin 2. Stefanie Powers, Florence Henderson and Dyan Cannon 3. Matt Bomer 4. Dustin Lance Black 5. Robbie Rogers 6. Darren Criss 7. Murray Bartlett 8. Pauley Perrette 9. Steve Grand 10. Craig Zadan
Pictured With: 1. Tuc Watkins 2, Chandler Massey 3, Freddie Smith 4. Betty Buckley 5. Dan Bucatinsky 6. Darryl Stephens 7. Suze Orman 8. Madison Hildebrand 9. Cheyenne Jackson 10. Jane Lynch 11. Mary Wilson 12. Nate Berkus 13. Carolyn Hennesy 14. Meredith Baxter 15. Matt Bomer (again!) 16. Ross Mathews 17. Wilson Cruz 18. Matthew Camp 19. Greg Rikaart 20. Lee Daniels 21. Crystal Bowersox 22. Sean Maher 23. Lance Bass 24. Alan Cumming 25. Charo 26. David Burtka 27. Linda Lavin 28. Mario Lopez 29. Thomas Roberts. 30. Melissa Etheridge. 31. David Ross 32. Denis O’Hare 33. Danny Roberts 34. Cory Monteith
I’m a huge Roger Federer fan and have always posted about his victories on the blog.
Problem is, there have not been many big victories since he won Wimbledon back in the summer of 2012.
After a disastrous 2013, Federer is showing a return to form.
Federer just rallied past Tomas Berdych 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday to win the Dubai Championships for the sixth time. He had beaten Novak Djokovic a day earlier in the semis.
With his first hard-court title since the 2012 Western & Southern Open, Federer broke a tie with John McEnroe for third place on the ATP Tour’s all-time title list in the Open era. Federer has 78 titles, trailing only Jimmy Connors (109) and Ivan Lendl (94). He’s won at least one title 14 years in a row, equaling Lendl’s record.
At 32, he’s not done yet!
It was eight years ago this weekend that Heath Ledger lost the best actor Oscar for Brokeback Mountain to Philip Seymour Hoffman of Capote.
Hard to believe they are both gone now.
Ledger died in 2008 at the age of 28 but his memory, and his performance of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback lives on and I think is one of the best delivered by any actor any year.
A pair of shirts that Heath wore in the film brought in $15,625 during an auction that ended on Thursday.
They were sold to an unknown buyer by Hollywood memorabilia collector Nate D. Sanders.
These shirts auctioned off were worn by Heath during the scene in which Ennis informs Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) that he doesn’t plan to sleep with him again.
The pair of shirts comprise of a white ribbed tank top and rust color plaid shirt.
Although Heath lost the Oscar to Hoffman, he did win it posthumously in 2009 for his performance in The Dark Knight.
The prospect of an openly gay player named Michael Sam joining the NFL has some players – retired and active – going on as if the Earth was going to stop rotating on its axis.
‘What if he pats someone on the butt?’ wondered one alarmed former player.
Meanwhile, openly gay NBA player Jason Collins has played two games for the Brooklyn Nets this week without incident and soccer’s Robbie Rogers is about to begin another season with the Los Angeles Galaxy after coming out a year ago.
Just how accepted Rogers is in the Galaxy locker room became evident with a message from team leader Landon Donovan about a mandatory night out: ‘No wives, gfs, bfs, sidepieces.’
Rogers, who is dating television producer Greg Berlanti (Arrow), noted the inclusion in a tweet to Donovan which simply stated: ‘Thanks for including me.’
Hat Tip: Outsports
Okay, my calendar is marked because this sounds cool.
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles always puts on first-rate productions and I am particularly excited about their upcoming show God Save the Queen(s) – A Not So Proper British Invasion.
British culture will invade the Saban Theatre during the second show of the Chorus’s 35th season, on Saturday March 29, 2014 at 8 p.m. and Sunday March 30, 2014 at 3 p.m.
The show is a fun journey from the 1960s all the way through today basking in the heyday of rock-and-roll classics like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen and David Bowie, along with modern one-name wonders like Adele, Seal, Elton John and Sade.
The show will also feature tributes to James Bond and Monty Python, and contemporary songs by Imogen Heap, Radiohead, Florence and the Machine, and the Spice Girls.
What makes these shows all the more special is each GMCLA concert is also a celebration of LGBT pride and culture.
‘We’re gearing up for one of our most highly-anticipated shows ever,’ says Chris Verdugo, executive director of GMCLA. ‘God Save the Queen(s) is going to be a non-stop series of high-energy performances that are sure to get the audience dancing in the aisles. We’re carrying on a tradition that is both important and fun.’
To order tickets for God Save the Queen(s) or for more information on Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles go to www.gmcla.org.
I think my favorite is “I have to wait 10 more months to listen to Mariah Carey’s Christmas album.’
Steve Grand turns 24 today – an age when I did not know my head from a hole in the ground.
But he’s got a terrific head on his shoulders and such a loyal fans base that in just 17 hours, he was able to raise $85,ooo to complete his new album.
In less than two days, the total has surpassed $130,000.
Steve is feeling blessed and tweeted this out earlier today: ‘Thank u all 4 the birthday wishes. U’ve made this the best birthday! Forever grateful 4 ur love & support. Let’s make this record BIG!’
There was a time when being openly gay made a celebrity taboo to mainstream corporate America.
That is changing as evidenced by a new series of American Airlines ads that feature various celebs – including Neil Patrick Harris.
Ellen DeGeneres has been the trailblazer here with major campaigns for Cover Girl and JC Penney – the latter which caused the collective heads of the anti-gay One Million Moms to explode.
Gay people and straight allies have money to spend and it’s smart for companies to realize that!
Good Morning America host Robin Roberts, who came out publicly last December, got Oscar host Ellen DeGeneres to open up in an interview that aired yesterday on GMA.
Roberts noted that DeGeneres had career troubles after coming out in 1997 but that it all seems behind her now and that ‘it’s got to be gratifying to know that people get you – they get you now.’
DeGeneres quoted something wife Portia de Rossi said in their wedding vows: ‘It’s one thing to be loved. It’s profound to be understood.’
Now in the 11th season of her wildly popular daytime talk show – ratings are higher than ever before – DeGeneres shared why she does what she does.
‘I can’t expect everyone to love me and like everything I do. I just want people understand me and to get me and know what my intentions are,’ she said.
‘And my intentions are to make people happy, and my intentions are to never hurt anybody, and my intentions are to have compassion and to hope I can spread that a little bit every single day.’
Nice to see Ellen looking so happy because she makes so many of us happy each day.
The parents of slain Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard met with Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay athlete Thursday night following Brooklyn’s 112-89 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Collins wears a number ’98′ jersey in a tribute to Matthew, who was killed in 1998.
Before meeting Matthew’s family, Collins told reporters: “I was in college at the time when [Matthew] was killed. Of course it’s a tragedy what happened and I just hope it inspires others to come forward. It’s definitely going to be special meeting them after the game (Thursday) and I’m looking forward to it.”
After the meeting, Matthew’s mom Judi said: “He’s very kind, smart, humble. It was delightful. We were happy to finally have the opportunity to meet.’
Later Collins tweeted: ‘I’m so fortunate to have met Matthew Shepard’s parents and brother tonight after @BrooklynNets win tonight in Denver’
The #98 Collins jerseys are currently the top-selling item in the Popular NBA Gear category on NBA.com. Not bad for a guy working under a 10-day contract!
It’s hard to believe that this ageless Broadway legend turned 66 years young today.
Bernadette Peters is so sexy and talented and she has a Broadway resume that is beyond compare including the recent revivals of Follies and A Little Night Music for which she got raves. Her other stage triumphs includes Sunday in the Park With George, Annie Get Your Gun (Tony win), Gypsy, Song and Dance (Tony win), Into the Woods and Mack & Mabel among others.
She’s also a beloved gay icon who I had the thrill of interviewing in the fall of 2008. I asked her why the gays have loved her for so much for so long.
“I always say they have great taste,” she joked. “They just recognize when something is going on, they recognize truth. Growing up feeling like an outsider, their souls and emotions are more developed. They have an ultra-sensitivity and that’s why they love show business.”
Here is one of my favorite Bernadette performances ever:
After viewing the last few episodes of Days of Our Lives, I’ve been swooning over a handsome newcomer to Salem by the name of Ben who is applying for a bartender job at Sonny’s club.
I have learned that the handsome actor portraying Ben is Justin Gaston who I actually featured as a Morning Man nearly four years ago.
But he had long hair then and now looks more grown up and even more handsome than the kid who competed on American Idol and Nashville Star and once dated Miley Cyrus.
He’s gone from cutie pie to absolute dreamboat.
Anyway, on Days he is playing a character we will soon find out is the brother of Jordan – a character I have had zippo interest in.
In real life, the 25-year-old Justin is married to actress Melissa Ordway who plays Abby on The Young and the Restless.
Okay everyone, mark your calendars.
The movie version of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart has had its premiere date set: Sunday, May 25 on HBO.
The film is directed by Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story) and has an all-star cast that includes Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer and Julia Roberts.
What is particularly noteworthy is that in addition to Bomer, other openly gay actors in the cast include Jim Parsons, Jonathan Groff, Denis O’Hare, Stephen Spinella, Joe Mantello and BD Wong.
The cast also includes Taylor Kitsch, Alfred Molina, Corey Stoll and Finn Wittrock.
Based on Kramer’s groundbreaking 1985 play, the film is based on a screenplay also written by Kramer. It follows New York-based writer and gay activist Ned Weeks (Ruffalo) as he struggles to pull together an organization focused on raising awareness about AIDS during the early days of the epidemic.
The movie version has taken decades to come together with Barbra Streisand holding the rights for a long stretch but not managing to get the film made. She and Kramer have had a public feud over this with each blaming the other.
Gabi is happy for Will and Sonny as they share the news of their engagement but makes it clear she thinks she and Arianna need to move out.
Not sure why that makes it different from the current situation but hey, this is soaps.
Will shares the news with Grandma Marlena who is happy and supportive, as could be predicted. Glad to see the writers keeping up that Marlena-Will connection.
Smoking hot bartender-to-be Ben showed up again – doesn’t seem gay but seems even more beautiful than I originally thought.
Yum.
Meanwhile, there’s Nick stuff today too.
Poor T.
On Saturday, three-time Emmy winner Jim Parsons will host Saturday Night Live for the first time. His musical guest will be Beck.
Here are a series of promos he’s done for the gig.
The NBA’s Jason Collins and NFL hopeful Michael Sam may be getting the attention in recent weeks.
But let’s not forget that it was a year ago this month that soccer pro Robbie Rogers came out publicly as gay.
Rogers, 26, simultaneously announced his retirement from his sport but changed his mind by spring and was signed by the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer.
He became the first openly gay player in MLS history.
‘My thing was that I was done and I was going to [come out] on my own terms, away from a football club,’ Rogers says in an April cover story for Attitude Magazine.
‘I was going to take some time to myself and no-one was going to try and persuade me to do that while I was back in football and no-one was going to persuade me to do it in any other way.’
The 26 year old reveals for the first time the toll being closeted had on him emotionally.
‘Definitely in my career there were so many times when I struggled with my mental health,’ he said. ‘That affected the way I played.’
While coming out did not end up ending his career and has, in fact, made him a celebrity, Rogers has not lost sight of the fact that there is still so far to go around the world when it comes to LGBTI equality.
‘For younger people that are closeted and they see that it’s illegal to be gay in Qatar, then they know that the World Cup’s going to be there and maybe they’re football fans? That’s so damaging on their psyche, on their mental health.’
Jonathon Groff on kissing Russell Tovey, “Looking” being renewed for season 2 & being single again
Happy Birthday to dazzling Darryl Stephens!
Happy 50th Birthday to Wanda Sykes!
How Joey Fatone found out Lance Bass is gay
Friday Morning Man: Henry Byalikov!
Isaiah Washington to appear in season finale of “Grey’s Anatomy” seven years after he was fired
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