Let me just say this upfront: Claybourne Elder is much more than a pretty face! Now, the face us very pretty indeed but he is so talented as a singer an actor. Caught his show at Catalina Jazz Club (we were in front row) and found him to be a wonderful storyteller between songs. It’s a pity his character was killed off The Gilded Age in such shocking and spectacular fashion last year!
Here’s what Clay is telling fans about his upcoming release: It’s called If the Stars Were Mine and it comes out April 3. If you have 2 minutes to pre-save it or order yourself a copy it would mean the world to me. Go to my link in bio to do it.
It started as a song I sing to my son at bedtime—something I’ve done almost every night of his life. I had gotten so used to singing in front of people that sitting in the quiet dark with him and singing reminded me of how lovely and intimate a song can be.
The songs feel like journal entries to me. I’ve always lived somewhere between a song and a punchline, and this album holds those contradictions without apology: faith and queerness, humor and longing, Broadway and Whitney Houston. It’s not a playlist—it’s a little map of my heart.
I couldn’t have done it without these amazing friends: Rodney Bush, Bryan Perri and M.P. Kuo. Thank you to @centerstagercds for putting it out and to Andrew House for producing it.
This album is a mix of big feelings, beautiful arrangements and incredible playing from a wonderful group of musicians: Adam Birnbaum, Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf, Yuka Tadano, Michael Blanco, Jeremy Yaddaw, Jared Schonig, Markus Howell, Tim Basom, Bryan Hernandez-Luch, Caleb Burhans, and Steven Lyon.
The death of James Van Der Beek at age 48 is so terribly sad. I’ve seen every episode of Dawson’s Creek and loved so much of his other work – especially The Rules of Attraction, CSI: Cyber, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, and Pose.
John Wesley Shipp, who portrayed the father of Van Der Beek’s character on Dawson’s Creek, has posted a tribute to his TV son that I want to share:
I try to pause before commenting when a painful event occurs in the lives of people to whom I have been close, out of an abundance of caution not to co-opt their personal pain and make it my own. I am so glad to have met James Van Der Beek’s beautiful family at his DANCING WITH THE STARS competition in LA and most recently at the spectacular event, DAWSON’S CREEK ON BROADWAY last Fall. It is to them that my heart goes out at this moment, his beautiful wife, Kimberly and children, their families and circle of closest friends.
Your sorrow must be immense at this moment, and I center you in my heart. Thank you for your past embraces, and know that my arms are firmly around you at James’ passing.
Now to James. I had the privilege of working closely with James for over 4 years as the father of his character, Dawson, of DAWSON’S CREEK. It delighted me that this father/son relationship was affectionate and close which allowed me to play intimate father/son scenes with this remarkable young man. Acting is intimacy, and people often remarked that James and I began to reflect each others expressions and movements – down to the eyebrows! – not out of intention, rather out of studying each other closely in the course of breathing life into Kevin Williamson’s remarkable achievement through the characters he so carefully and thoughtfully crafted. This period in my career, on the eastern coastal waterways Wilmington, NC, is frozen in time for me, apart from and yet magically informing my life.
I can only say that I am grateful for you, James, your generosity with me as an actor, your desire to breathe life and truth into the often quirky father/son moments we shared together onscreen. I offer up respect and affection at your passing. For the moving, serious, often hilarious moments we entered into in the process of creating, and for memories that will last beyond our lifetimes.
Today would have been the 74th birthday of Simon MacCorkindale is a handsome British actor who left us far too soon.
The star of the short-lived NBC series Manimal and a member of the cast of Falcon Crest, MacCorkindale died in 2010 at the age of 58 of cancer.
At the time, he was starring in the long-running British series Casualty and kept working during much of his treatment.
Married to actress Susan George, MacCorkindale appeared in many feature films in the 70s and 80s including Death in the Nile, Jaws 3D, and The Sword and the Sorcerer.
When his film career stalled, he was able to work steadily in various television series filmed in the UK and Canada.
An interview with stars Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling as they dive into the making of their terrific new film, Pillion which I highly recommend. The duo discusses the unique challenges of their roles—from mastering barbershop harmonies to filming intense wrestling and intimate scenes. They also touch on the importance of authentic queer storytelling and share the classic romantic comedies that first made them fall in love with the genre.
Randy Rainbow is back with a new video – just when we need it! Here is his parody of Wishin’ and Hopin by Burt Bacharach and Hal David with parody Lyrics by Rainbow. The song was produced, orchestrated, mixed, mastered by: Michael J Moritz Jr.
On her popular podcast, Amy Poehler hangs with the Broadway star Jonathan Groff and he talks about playing Dorothy at 4 years old, why he smells horse when he listens to the cast recording of ‘Company,’ and stealing the show in ‘Hamilton.’
He began starring in films as far back as the early 50s including Prince Valiant, Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, Stars and Stripes Forever, Titanic, The War Lover and The Longest Day.
But it is in television where he’s had his greatest success starting in 1967 with the ABC series It Takes a Thief which co-starred Fred Astaire. He followed that up with the hit show Switch with Eddie Albert. That was followed by his most successful series to date: Hart to Hart which had a five-year run on ABC.
In more recent years, he appeared in three Austin Power movies as Dr. Evil’s henchman Number 2. He also had a recurring role as Holland Taylor’s boyfriend on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men and he has had a recurring role on NCIS in recent years.
Journalist Don Lemon made a surprise appearance at the Human Rights Campaign’s 2026 Greater New York dinner and delivered an emotional speech about the attacks on journalistic freedom and the need for solidarity in these perilous times.
Please join me today in heaping a whole lot of attention and love upon the great Judith Light on her 77th birthday.
What an amazing career on stage and screen she has had winning two Tonys, a Primetime Emmy and two Daytime Emmys along the way as well as receiving all kinds of other nominations. We’ve loved her in Ugly Betty, Transparent and , of course, Who’s the Boss and One Life to Live.
But the biggest reason Miss Light is revered by so many LGBTQ people is for how she stood steadfastly and visibly with us during the earliest days of the terrifying HIV/AIDS epidemic and stayed involved during its deadliest years and beyond.
People never forget this.
One year at the Outfest Film Festival when Judith was there with the entire cast of Ugly Betty, her name was announced and the rapturous applause started and would not stop. I had goosebumps and tears. It was a spontaneous, prolonged, heartfelt ovation that, to me, seemed to saying we know all you’ve done for us and thank you.
Puerto Rican music star Bad Bunny led a celebratory performance of Latino heritage at the Super Bowl halftime show. It marked the first time in the 60-year history of the N.F.L.’s championship game that the flagship entertainment has been done largely in Spanish.
His 13-minute performance included such hits as Nuevayol and Baile Inolvidable and included guest spots by Lady Gaga — who sang a salsa-style Die With a Smile, her hit with Bruno Mars, in English — and Ricky Martin.
After the show, Ricky Martin took to Instagram and wrote: They have to give me several hours to let me understand the tsunami of emotions I am feeling. Thank you Bad Bunny , thank you Apple Music , Lady Gaga and NFL.
On CBS Sunday Morning earlier today, Faith Salie broke down why HBO’s Heated Rivalry is setting the internet on fire with its story of a secret romance between rival pro hockey players.
He starred in just three films in the 1950s – Giant, East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause – but what a lasting impact he made.
Dean, who was raised in Indiana by an aunt and uncle after the death of his mother, attended UCLA and beat out 350 other hopefuls to land the role of Malcolm in Macbeth. He dropped out soon after to pursue acting full-time. He became one of the youngest members of the famed Actors Studio in New York City and was soon landing parts in several television shows which led to calls from Hollywood.
Several people who knew Dean, including his close friend and first biographer William Bast, have stated that he was gay. Bast lived with him both in Los Angeles and New York and has written of their years of sexual involvement. Rebel director Nicolas Ray and Giant co-star Elizabeth Taylor have also talked about his sexuality.
But this beautiful young actor did not live long enough for us to know how this might have affected his life and career. He was killed in 1955 in a car crash in California.
Dean was just two 24 years old. He received Academy Award nominations for both East of Eden and Giant – the only actor to earn two posthumous nominations.
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