Many of you fell in love with Ryan Kwanten watching him on HBO’s True Blood on which he played endearingly dim himbo Jason Stackhouse.
Before True Blood came along, the Aussie actor played Vinnie Patterson from 1997 to 2002 in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. After his stint ended, he joined the American teen drama series Summerland, portraying Jay Robertson.
Ryan currently stars in the TV series Oath.
But he caught my eye on an episode of Law & Order: SVU as a military guy wrongly accused of rape. The 33-year-old Aussie actor was so good in that episode and his chemistry with series star Mariska Hargitay was off-the-charts.
In 2010, Ryan chatted The Advocate and they covered all kinds of gay ground.
Here are some highlights:
Before True Blood, you starred as a lifeguard in the Australian soap Home and Away. Were you aware of gay fans that early in your career?
Yes, they’ve always been very staunch supporters of me. The great thing is that it’s a loyal fan base — they’ll stick with you through thick and thin, and I like that. You can’t buy that kind of loyalty.
I read a story in Star that claimed you purposely keep your love life private in part because you’re so conscious of your gay following. Any truth to that?
Well, it’s in Star, so it’s got to be true. [Laughs] But yeah, and, to be honest, it’s more than my love life. It was Einstein who once said, “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.” We almost know too much about far too many actors in this day and age — to the point where it becomes harder and harder to see them as a character. So I’ve always tried to maintain somewhat of an air of mystery.
Were you always comfortable with the idea of male admirers?
Oh, yeah. Australians are a very open-minded society, and I come from a very liberal, open family, so it’s something that I’ve embraced from the get-go. My youngest brother, Lloyd, is gay.
Tell me about him.
He’s a doctor, so he got every ounce of intelligence in the family. He was probably about 18 when he came out, and I can wholeheartedly tell you that from the day that he did, he was a changed man for the better. The sheer beauty of who he is really came through.
Let’s talk True Blood. With the exception of Jason, all the major male characters were involved in homoerotic action last season. Did you feel left out?
Well, there are more seasons to come, so there’s still many an opportunity. I’m sure Alan Ball’s concocting some road to take Jason down that he’s never been down before.
UPDATE: In a 2014 episode of True Blood, Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) and vampire Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) hooked up in one of the steamiest dream sequences I’ve seen – perhaps ever!
The ladies of the Mary Tyler Moore Show reunited in 2013 on Hot in Cleveland as champion bowlers who split up decades ago. In this clip, they share a precious moment while they reminisce with each other about their past. This took place shortly after Valerie Harper went public with her terminal cancer diagnosis. She survived more than six years while Moore and Georgia Engel died first. So glad they got together one last time.
Sexy Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal won the US Open for the fourth time on Sunday in dramatic five-set fashion over rising Russian sensation Daniil Medvedev.
It is the 19th grand slam title of Nadal’s career and judging from his emotional reaction to winning it, it seemed to be one of the titles that meant the most. It was four hours and 50 minutes of spellbinding tennis and Rafa showed he still has the passion and skill to come out on top.
Emotions were already running high on an electric night at Flushing Meadows but were then ratcheted up a notch by organizers as a montage of Nadal’s illustrious career was shown ahead of the trophy presentation. The video, which featured each of his grand slam victories, was met by huge cheers from the crowd and reduced Nadal to tears.
“The emotions sometimes are impossible to control and I tried to resist but it was difficult,” Nadal told CNN, speaking of the scenes that followed his victory. “All those people supporting [...] these things make this day unforgettable for me.”
Donny and Marie Osmond have been in show business almost as long as they’ve been brother and sister, as solo performers and as headliners of the popular “Donny & Marie” TV show in the 1970s. For the past 11 years they have been a top draw in Las Vegas. But after almost 1,700 performances, they’ve decided to bring the curtain down on themselves this November. Lee Cowan talks with them about their new challenges ahead, from Marie taking a seat at “The Talk,” to Donny’s new solo album.
Today is the US Open final and Rafael Nadal is favored to win his fourth title at Flushing Meadows and 19th grand slam overall – the second most in history.
It’s a good excuse to post some pics of past champs who I think are pretty dreaming starting with Russian stud Marat Safin (right) who won in 2000.
Also pictured: Andre Agassi (1994, 99), Lleyton Hewitt (2001), Andy Roddick (2003), Patrick Rafter (1997, 98), Stefan Edberg (1991, 92), and Pete Sampras (1990, 93, 95, 96, 2002)
Have always appreciated Valerie Harper. But since her death last week, that appreciation is even bigger. Her sitcom Rhoda, a spinoff from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, ran for five seasons on CBS and won Valerie her fourth Emmy. In this early episode from season one, Rhoda and Joe decide to set aside one day to tackle the generation gap, and schedule lunch with his parents and dinner with hers.
Gloria Gaynor is celebrating her 70th birthday so what better time than right now to enjoy two of her biggest hits – gay empowerment anthems I Will Survive and I Am What I Am.
Because I will – and I am!
I Will Survive reached number one in 1979 and it’s become an anthem for every gay man who’s ever had a broken heart. I’ve had a few and this song helped me to process it all – and to survive!
Four years later, Gloria hit our gay sweet spots again with her version of I Am What I Am from La Cage aux Folles. Although the song was not initially a big hit in the US, it reached #13 in the UK charts. It eventually became the second Gaynor songs to serve as a rallying cry for the gay pride movement.
He had one so severe during a game against the Hawks in November 2017 that he had to leave the court.
He writes: “I was running from room to room, like I was looking for something I couldn’t find. Really I was just hoping my heart would stop racing. It was like my body was trying to say to me, You’re about to die. I ended up on the floor in the training room, lying on my back, trying to get enough air to breathe.”
Kevin has since found a therapist which has been helpful in beginning to.get to some of the root causes.
He hopes his going public will help others.
“No matter what our circumstances, we’re all carrying around things that hurt — and they can hurt us if we keep them buried inside,” he writes. “Not talking about our inner lives robs us of really getting to know ourselves and robs us of the chance to reach out to others in need.”
Kevin, 30, will help so many people who are suffering in silence.
What he’s done with this column ranks right up there with his being a five-time All-Star, winning an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016, and being a member of the gold medal-winning USA men’s national team at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Summer Olympics.
I continue to be so impressed with Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg.
No matter what happens in the primaries, this smart and thoughtful guy seems destined for bigger things than being the mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
I have not settled on a Democratic candidate yet but I like Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Beto O’Rourke the most. And I would happily vote for Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders if either is the nominee.
This is most certainly the craziest, scariest, and most disappointing political time in my lifetime. I’m praying whoever the Democrats elect can win and restore some human decency to The White House.
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Many of you fell in love with Ryan Kwanten watching him on HBO’s True Blood on which he played endearingly dim himbo Jason Stackhouse.
Kenneth’s Weekend Tennis Round-Up 
Sexy Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal won the US Open for the fourth time on Sunday in dramatic five-set fashion over rising Russian sensation Daniil Medvedev.
Pete Buttigieg Knocks Kevin Hart for Playing Dumb About Homophobia 
Today is the US Open final and Rafael Nadal is favored to win his fourth title at Flushing Meadows and 19th grand slam overall – the second most in history.
Gloria Gaynor is celebrating her 70th birthday so what better time than right now to enjoy two of her biggest hits – gay empowerment anthems I Will Survive and I Am What I Am.
Today is Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love’s 31st birthday.
I continue to be so impressed with Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg.
