Monday, 31 January 2011
An article and a video from accesshollywood.com
[Source]
Kevin Alejandro Beefs Up For Bewitching Role On ‘True Blood’
FIRST PUBLISHED: January 31, 2011 2:58 PM EST
By Erin O’Sullivan & Jesse Spero
LOS ANGELES, Calif. --
Kevin Alejandro joined the cast of HBO’s “True Blood” at the start of Season 3, and as his role on the sexy vampire hit expands, so does the pressure to get fit to compete with the boys of Bon Temps.
“I’m sharing the screen with somebody like Ryan Kwanten,” Kevin told AccessHollywood.com on Friday about feeling the pressure to get ripped for those shirtless and racy nude scenes that have come to be routine on the hit show. “We all look within ourselves for inspiration [to lose weight, get fit] but he’s obviously the poster boy of a physique.”
To help reach his fitness goal, the former “Southland” star revealed he has joined a few of his fellow castmates in an “intense” workout regime to prep for his skin-baring romps.
“There’s a couple of us that are doing a P90X and that’s where it gets really intense,” Kevin told Access of the plan. “It’s something I do on my own and I found out that someone else on set was doing it [too].”
The 34-year-old Texas native plays Jesus Velasquez, a long-term care nurse, who also happens to be a “brujo” (translation: witch) on the show, one who’s in a relationship with Merlotte’s resident short order cook/vampire blood dealer LaFayette Reynolds (played by Nelsen Ellis) — and Kevin told Access the new couple’s bond will grow stronger in the coming season.
“My relationship [will grow] with not only him but other characters in show as well,” Kevin said. “They are really moving us around and balancing it out in all these crazy, strange ways and it works, man. It works really well this year.”
Fans of the blue-eyed Bon Temps beauty may soon have reason to rejoice — when asked if he would be nervous about “losing his pants on camera,” Kevin told Access not only would he not be nervous, he’d even be “comfortable.”
“The thing about doing scenes like that is everyone is really respectful and very professional,” Kevin told Access. “You’re comfortable doing it, and you’re friends with everybody so when something like that happens it’s only the people that absolutely have to be there in the room.
“They’re really good at making us feel comfortable,” he added, of the “True Blood” crew.
In addition to Kevin’s small screen endeavors, the actor can also be seen in Kevin Smith’s long-awaited controversial upcoming thriller, “Red State,” a new genre for the “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” and “Dogma” director.
“’Red State’ is [Kevin Smith’s] baby,” Kevin told Access. “It’s been around for a long time and he finally got it done — I can understand why he wants to cradle it. I think it’s awesome of him to take the initiative and try something new.”
Catch Kevin on “True Blood” when Season 4 premieres on HBO in Summer 2011 and on the big screen when “Red State” hits theaters on October 19.
FIRST PUBLISHED: January 31, 2011 2:58 PM EST
By Erin O’Sullivan & Jesse Spero
LOS ANGELES, Calif. --
Kevin Alejandro joined the cast of HBO’s “True Blood” at the start of Season 3, and as his role on the sexy vampire hit expands, so does the pressure to get fit to compete with the boys of Bon Temps.
“I’m sharing the screen with somebody like Ryan Kwanten,” Kevin told AccessHollywood.com on Friday about feeling the pressure to get ripped for those shirtless and racy nude scenes that have come to be routine on the hit show. “We all look within ourselves for inspiration [to lose weight, get fit] but he’s obviously the poster boy of a physique.”To help reach his fitness goal, the former “Southland” star revealed he has joined a few of his fellow castmates in an “intense” workout regime to prep for his skin-baring romps.
“There’s a couple of us that are doing a P90X and that’s where it gets really intense,” Kevin told Access of the plan. “It’s something I do on my own and I found out that someone else on set was doing it [too].”The 34-year-old Texas native plays Jesus Velasquez, a long-term care nurse, who also happens to be a “brujo” (translation: witch) on the show, one who’s in a relationship with Merlotte’s resident short order cook/vampire blood dealer LaFayette Reynolds (played by Nelsen Ellis) — and Kevin told Access the new couple’s bond will grow stronger in the coming season.
“My relationship [will grow] with not only him but other characters in show as well,” Kevin said. “They are really moving us around and balancing it out in all these crazy, strange ways and it works, man. It works really well this year.”
Fans of the blue-eyed Bon Temps beauty may soon have reason to rejoice — when asked if he would be nervous about “losing his pants on camera,” Kevin told Access not only would he not be nervous, he’d even be “comfortable.”“The thing about doing scenes like that is everyone is really respectful and very professional,” Kevin told Access. “You’re comfortable doing it, and you’re friends with everybody so when something like that happens it’s only the people that absolutely have to be there in the room.
“They’re really good at making us feel comfortable,” he added, of the “True Blood” crew.
In addition to Kevin’s small screen endeavors, the actor can also be seen in Kevin Smith’s long-awaited controversial upcoming thriller, “Red State,” a new genre for the “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” and “Dogma” director.
“’Red State’ is [Kevin Smith’s] baby,” Kevin told Access. “It’s been around for a long time and he finally got it done — I can understand why he wants to cradle it. I think it’s awesome of him to take the initiative and try something new.”Catch Kevin on “True Blood” when Season 4 premieres on HBO in Summer 2011 and on the big screen when “Red State” hits theaters on October 19.
Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
SouthLAnd
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Friday, 28 January 2011
An article from celebitchy
Jan 28 '11
[Source]
Jim Parsons’ boyfriend called off their wedding because Jim doesn’t want kids
Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory is having a great run at awards ceremonies. He won the Emmy and he’s fresh off a win at the Golden Globes. Life is a bit bumpier in his private life. According to National Enquirer, Jim’s fiancé Todd Spiewak called off their wedding because Jim doesn’t want kids.
Having or not having kids is a big deal in a relationship. With Neil Patrick Harris and Elton John both having children through surrogate mothers, Jim may lessen his view on not having kids. But it’s definitely something he and Todd should decide before getting married.
Don’t expect to see Jim and Todd at this Sunday’s SAG Awards. The Big Bang Theory was shut out of any nominations.
[Source]
Jim Parsons’ boyfriend called off their wedding because Jim doesn’t want kids
Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory is having a great run at awards ceremonies. He won the Emmy and he’s fresh off a win at the Golden Globes. Life is a bit bumpier in his private life. According to National Enquirer, Jim’s fiancé Todd Spiewak called off their wedding because Jim doesn’t want kids.
The wedding is off for Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons![National Enquirer, print edition, February 7, 2011]
The actor’s fiance, Todd Spiewak, put the brakes on their marriage plans after the couple disagreed on whether to adopt children.
“Jim and Todd have been together for quite a while, but never really talked kids. Todd always assumed that Jim wanted to have a family,” stated a friend of the couple.
“Jim recently made a joke about how he couldn’t handle being around children, and when Todd asked him about having kids together, Jim said ‘no way.’ Todd was heartbroken. They both love each other very much and are still living together, but their relationship is shaken up right now.”
…Jim, 37, proposed to 33-year-old Todd, an art director, and the two had been planning a Christmas wedding in Massachusetts, where gay marriage is legal. Those plans unraveled before the holidays when the men began serious discussions about starting a family.
However, in recent weeks Jim has started to reconsider his “no-kids” policy, says the friend.
“Jim loves Todd deeply and can’t imagine life without him, so he’s seriously rethinking his view on children. For now, everything is on hold.”
Having or not having kids is a big deal in a relationship. With Neil Patrick Harris and Elton John both having children through surrogate mothers, Jim may lessen his view on not having kids. But it’s definitely something he and Todd should decide before getting married.
Don’t expect to see Jim and Todd at this Sunday’s SAG Awards. The Big Bang Theory was shut out of any nominations.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
An article from AolTV
[Source]
'Southland' Shocker Aftermath: Catching Up With Kevin Alejandro
by Maggie Furlong, posted Jan 26th 2011 10:15AM
'Southland' dropped a bomb last night. A big one. Needless to say if you haven't seen it yet, watch it now. And don't read any further until you do.
Disclaimer done, onto the good stuff -- can you believe they killed off Nate? Talk about a cry-fest, but what an amazing episode for Kevin Alejandro and his onscreen partner Shawn Hatosy, the seemingly plagued Sammy Bryant.
Very few things can get me up before 6AM, but my puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks jumped out of bed today to talk to Alejandro about last night's shocking episode, the final farewell to Nate and what's coming up next for all the other characters in this dark season. And that includes his family, who we haven't seen the last of. Maybe houseguest Sammy's presence will finally be welcome?
We also talked about the show's amazing fans -- a group of which he's now a certified member -- his return to 'True Blood' ("You're gonna see a lot of me") and the show he's dying to guest star on.
So, continue the eulogies and mourning in the comments, but rejoice that there'll still be plenty more of Kevin Alejandro on your TVs ... just, sadly, not as Nate.
All I can say is wow ...
[Laughs] Thank you. My first word after watching last night's episode was "wow" as well. And it had been weeks since I'd shot it, and I read it several times, and I'm still like, "wow." That's real. That's real.
How soon into the season did Ann Biderman and the writers tell you this was going to happen?
They were very good about telling me even before the season started. We'd always expected something like this to happen. Unfortunately, it was me that went first, but it made sense to me. I was saddened by the news, but it made sense to me, because that's what happened. It's the story from the mouth of a real police officer who this happened to. It just made sense for me -- it's the sad, sad truth.
The show has had its ups and downs, but the fanbase is so extremely loyal. Have you gotten a sense of the fan reaction to this yet?
Oh my gosh -- the reaction to this has been overwhelming. It's amazing how attached ... how much support 'Southland' has, and we've known it from the beginning. They're the reason that TNT saved us. They're the reason that we still go strong, because we have so much support. And now I am lucky because now I am just a fan -- I'm no longer the actor on the show, I'm a fan now. So I'm part of that big crew of people who keep 'Southland' going.
As a fan with some unique insight, this season is noticeably darker -- culminating with Nate's death. Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
For 'Southland'? God, I hope so.
And for the characters. Everyone seems to be at rock bottom right now.
Yeah, you know, and they only go deeper, they only go darker. But they always keep it real. You can definitely look forward to that. Whatever situations and scenarios they're about to go through, you can rest assured that it's not gonna be too fabricated. But I mean, Sammy Bryant has been through so much, I hope there's a light at the end of his tunnel!
No joke! And this was truly an amazing episode for Shawn Hatosy as well ... was it nice to sit back and watch Shawn do his thing?
Oh my god -- I learned so much by watching that guy. He was incredible, wasn't he? He just nailed it. He nailed it. That silent cry at the end ... trying to have strength, but he just completely lost it all. Man, it was beautiful. He deserves any accolade that could be given for that performance. We were texting each other last night about the show and everything ... I only hope to be as good as him one day, and that's one of the things that I told him, because he's solid.
What's next? Nate's funeral? Will we see what happens to his family?
I'm not sure I can tell you the answer to that, but I know that they do definitely get into a little bit more of my family life and how they deal with it. And, obviously, how Sammy deals with it. So, yeah, it's not gonna be a story left untold, but I'm not sure exactly how much more I can tell you about that.
What will you miss most about 'Southland'?
I'm gonna miss everything about working on 'Southland.' It's such an untraditional work environment because we work so fast. I am lucky enough to be part of the very beginning, the pilot, so I feel like I'm part of a formula, part of something we created together, and all of us as a collective team know exactly what page each other is on. So I'm going to miss that -- we're there, we're doing it. It's almost like second nature. We're a machine, you know? I'm gonna miss the relationships I've had with Regina [King], Ben [McKenzie], [Michael] Cudlitz and Shawn, everybody. We went through a rollercoaster ride together -- we went through a journey together -- and I'm gonna miss us having all of those things together. I'm excited to be a fan, but I'm also saddened I can't go on the rest of the journey with them.
You've seriously been on a million amazing TV shows. What's the one you'd love to guest star on that you haven't already?
I'd like to be on 'The Tudors.' I can't wait for someone to give me a chance to do something with some heightened text. I'm pretty classically trained, and not a lot of people know that, so I would love to do something like that.
Will you be back on 'True Blood'? You and Lafayette make a great couple.
Yes, ma'am, I'll definitely be back. I've been working on that for a little while now -- for a bit I was going between 'Southland' and 'True Blood.' You're gonna see a lot of me. It's the season of the witches, so you can count on seeing me a little bit more than last season.
And I hear we'll also be seeing you in Kevin Smith's 'Red State' ...
Yes ma'am! I've been hearing a lot of stuff about that -- how he auctioned it off to himself. Kevin Smith's at Sundance and he went and bought his own film and decided he's gonna do it like old school rock 'n' roll tour and put it out there himself without giving it to any studios. I think it's so admirable and really rock 'n' roll. I love the fact that I'm part of a movie like that. It's so different from anything he's done. It's different ... it's not what anybody thinks. The fact that he has the balls to go out there and do it all himself. He cares so much about this film that he's gonna make sure that it has everything it can have behind it himself ... it's amazing.
'Southland' Shocker Aftermath: Catching Up With Kevin Alejandro
by Maggie Furlong, posted Jan 26th 2011 10:15AM
Disclaimer done, onto the good stuff -- can you believe they killed off Nate? Talk about a cry-fest, but what an amazing episode for Kevin Alejandro and his onscreen partner Shawn Hatosy, the seemingly plagued Sammy Bryant.
Very few things can get me up before 6AM, but my puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks jumped out of bed today to talk to Alejandro about last night's shocking episode, the final farewell to Nate and what's coming up next for all the other characters in this dark season. And that includes his family, who we haven't seen the last of. Maybe houseguest Sammy's presence will finally be welcome?
We also talked about the show's amazing fans -- a group of which he's now a certified member -- his return to 'True Blood' ("You're gonna see a lot of me") and the show he's dying to guest star on.
So, continue the eulogies and mourning in the comments, but rejoice that there'll still be plenty more of Kevin Alejandro on your TVs ... just, sadly, not as Nate.
All I can say is wow ...
[Laughs] Thank you. My first word after watching last night's episode was "wow" as well. And it had been weeks since I'd shot it, and I read it several times, and I'm still like, "wow." That's real. That's real.
How soon into the season did Ann Biderman and the writers tell you this was going to happen?
They were very good about telling me even before the season started. We'd always expected something like this to happen. Unfortunately, it was me that went first, but it made sense to me. I was saddened by the news, but it made sense to me, because that's what happened. It's the story from the mouth of a real police officer who this happened to. It just made sense for me -- it's the sad, sad truth.
Oh my gosh -- the reaction to this has been overwhelming. It's amazing how attached ... how much support 'Southland' has, and we've known it from the beginning. They're the reason that TNT saved us. They're the reason that we still go strong, because we have so much support. And now I am lucky because now I am just a fan -- I'm no longer the actor on the show, I'm a fan now. So I'm part of that big crew of people who keep 'Southland' going.
For 'Southland'? God, I hope so.
And for the characters. Everyone seems to be at rock bottom right now.
Yeah, you know, and they only go deeper, they only go darker. But they always keep it real. You can definitely look forward to that. Whatever situations and scenarios they're about to go through, you can rest assured that it's not gonna be too fabricated. But I mean, Sammy Bryant has been through so much, I hope there's a light at the end of his tunnel!
Oh my god -- I learned so much by watching that guy. He was incredible, wasn't he? He just nailed it. He nailed it. That silent cry at the end ... trying to have strength, but he just completely lost it all. Man, it was beautiful. He deserves any accolade that could be given for that performance. We were texting each other last night about the show and everything ... I only hope to be as good as him one day, and that's one of the things that I told him, because he's solid.
What's next? Nate's funeral? Will we see what happens to his family?
I'm not sure I can tell you the answer to that, but I know that they do definitely get into a little bit more of my family life and how they deal with it. And, obviously, how Sammy deals with it. So, yeah, it's not gonna be a story left untold, but I'm not sure exactly how much more I can tell you about that.
I'm gonna miss everything about working on 'Southland.' It's such an untraditional work environment because we work so fast. I am lucky enough to be part of the very beginning, the pilot, so I feel like I'm part of a formula, part of something we created together, and all of us as a collective team know exactly what page each other is on. So I'm going to miss that -- we're there, we're doing it. It's almost like second nature. We're a machine, you know? I'm gonna miss the relationships I've had with Regina [King], Ben [McKenzie], [Michael] Cudlitz and Shawn, everybody. We went through a rollercoaster ride together -- we went through a journey together -- and I'm gonna miss us having all of those things together. I'm excited to be a fan, but I'm also saddened I can't go on the rest of the journey with them.
You've seriously been on a million amazing TV shows. What's the one you'd love to guest star on that you haven't already?
I'd like to be on 'The Tudors.' I can't wait for someone to give me a chance to do something with some heightened text. I'm pretty classically trained, and not a lot of people know that, so I would love to do something like that.
Yes, ma'am, I'll definitely be back. I've been working on that for a little while now -- for a bit I was going between 'Southland' and 'True Blood.' You're gonna see a lot of me. It's the season of the witches, so you can count on seeing me a little bit more than last season.
And I hear we'll also be seeing you in Kevin Smith's 'Red State' ...
Yes ma'am! I've been hearing a lot of stuff about that -- how he auctioned it off to himself. Kevin Smith's at Sundance and he went and bought his own film and decided he's gonna do it like old school rock 'n' roll tour and put it out there himself without giving it to any studios. I think it's so admirable and really rock 'n' roll. I love the fact that I'm part of a movie like that. It's so different from anything he's done. It's different ... it's not what anybody thinks. The fact that he has the balls to go out there and do it all himself. He cares so much about this film that he's gonna make sure that it has everything it can have behind it himself ... it's amazing.
Friday, 21 January 2011
Digital Spy Interview - John Partridge
John Partridge (Christian Clarke, 'EastEnders')
Friday, January 21 2011, 20:30 GMT By Daniel Kilkelly, Soaps Editor
Christian and Syed's relationship takes a surprising new twist in EastEnders next week after Roxy offers to be a surrogate mother for the couple. Events move quickly from there and it's not long before Christian has provided his best friend with a sperm sample, looking forward to what the future might hold. However, when Syed gets cold feet, the pair rush to stop Roxy from using the sample - only to discover that they're too late and the deed has been done. DS recently caught up with John Partridge, who plays Christian, and heard how this is only the start of an eventful time ahead for one of Albert Square's most popular couples…
Christian and Syed's storyline could have gone down many different routes now that they're in a happy and stable relationship - are you pleased that they've gone with the surrogacy plot?
"Well, the thing is that some storylines are just a way of getting you to another story. Everyone is so focused on the surrogacy aspect - I think that people think this storyline is about surrogacy, when in actual fact it's not. It's actually a story that leads to a story. Of course I'm happy that they're going down the surrogacy route, but that's not the full picture and it's only the start. People mustn't get too hung up on the fact that it's about surrogacy, because we're actually just dipping our toes into this storyline."
Some viewers have been quite keen for a civil partnership for Christian and Syed - would you have liked to see the writers go down that route?
"It could have gone down the civil partnership route, but where's the drama in civil partnership? Christian and Syed would be really happy and they'd get married - there's no drama in that, is there? Also, I think that would have been a massive jump for Syed - to leave his old life behind, to be dealing with his sexuality, to be living a gay life and then to suddenly say he's going to get married. Especially after having such a fantastic wedding last time - even though it was for all the wrong reasons! (Laughs) I don't think that would have been the right choice dramatically or for serving the characters and their story. I think it may have been a crowd-pleaser, but that's not necessarily what the story is there to serve. The story is there to serve the characters."
Will this new storyline serve the characters well?
"I think it will serve the characters very well and provide drama. Part two of our storyline will be a far deeper emotional level than the first part - it'll be far stronger in emotional and dramatic content. The surrogacy story is the way of starting our storyline, but all storylines aren't what they seem! It won't take a path that most people will imagine it to take - there are many twists and turns in this storyline if it plays out as we've been led to believe, and the surrogacy definitely isn't the main event."
What kind of impact would you like the surrogacy aspect to have?
"As a gay man and a gay actor, I am happy that we go down the surrogacy route - I think these type of issues are very important. The thing is, once EastEnders puts an issue like gay surrogacy to the front of the show, in three years' time something like this becomes so commonplace that it wouldn't even be worthy of having it as a story. So as far as I'm concerned, I think that gay surrogacy is an important story. As long as a child is brought into the world in a loving environment and two people feel responsible enough to provide that, then that's all that matters. But EastEnders is not here to preach to people, to be an educational tool or to tell people how to live their lives. EastEnders is a fictional programme and I think sometimes we can forget that and believe what's happening on screen is real life, when it isn't. EastEnders is here for enjoyment and if, within that, you can have a moralistic tone or encourage someone to talk about an issue in their life, that's a good thing - but the role of the show is to provide drama and enjoyment."
Do you think Christian is rushing in to the surrogacy idea too quickly?
"Well, Christian wanted a baby before and those types of feelings - if they're genuine - don't just go away. Christian is not getting any younger and he's a character who often acts on impulse - once he decides he wants something, he goes out there and tries to make it happen. He's approaching 40, he's happy, he's with a guy he loves, and a baby is what he wants to make his life feel complete. But he has wanted a child for the past 18 months after the Amy story, and even though you don't see him with Amy all the time, the idea is that he's a great godfather to her. He was devastated when it didn't work out with Amy and just because he hasn't been seen agonising over having a baby doesn't mean he hasn't thought about it. He's definitely not doing it on a whim."
Roxy obviously has a part to play here - what do you think of her role in Christian and Syed's storyline? Some fans often get frustrated with her for interfering in their relationship…
"I love the character of Roxy! Christian loves her and I love her too. I think that she's a fantastic character and I think that their relationship is fantastic. The thing is, when you're in a relationship with somebody, you can't tell them everything. With long-lasting, successful relationships, you often have to keep something back - and everybody needs a best friend. Christian and Roxy are best friends for better and for worse. They egg each other on, they have fun together and they're there to lean on each other and confide in. I think that if Christian and Syed were just cocooned together all the time, they wouldn't last. I also think sometimes people forget that Christian has an edge - he's a gay guy that could probably be a right bitch if he wants to be! If Christian wasn't gay, I think him and Roxy would be perfect for each other, but unfortunately he is uber-gay so that's never going to happen! But I think they'll always be together - even when they're old and grey. Roxy is part of the package as far as Christian is concerned."
Do you think Roxy is always well-intentioned when it comes to Christian and Syed's relationship?
"I think she is always well-intentioned, yes. Even if a bit of the green-eyed monster comes out every now and again, she loves Christian. You have to remember that Roxy doesn't have any other mates - she hasn't got anyone else. So sometimes she might think, 'Oh Syed, just get lost!' But she knows how Christian feels about him and she knows that more than anybody. It's harmless, really - when it comes down to it, she knows how Christian feels and I don't think she would do anything to hurt him intentionally."
Do you think we'll ever get back to the point where Christian and Syed are spending a lot of screen time with the Masoods, and maybe resolving some of the issues there?
"Well, like I say, we're just starting this story and of course, yes, I do think we will get back to that. I do think that will happen throughout the story because obviously there has to be some type of resolution. So in a word, yes, I think those issues will start to be resolved. We may not have the outcome that people want and it may not come about in the way that people think, but some of those issues will be addressed, yes. I don't think we'd be serving the story or the characters well if these things were just left unaddressed."
Friday, January 21 2011, 20:30 GMT By Daniel Kilkelly, Soaps Editor
Christian and Syed's storyline could have gone down many different routes now that they're in a happy and stable relationship - are you pleased that they've gone with the surrogacy plot?
"Well, the thing is that some storylines are just a way of getting you to another story. Everyone is so focused on the surrogacy aspect - I think that people think this storyline is about surrogacy, when in actual fact it's not. It's actually a story that leads to a story. Of course I'm happy that they're going down the surrogacy route, but that's not the full picture and it's only the start. People mustn't get too hung up on the fact that it's about surrogacy, because we're actually just dipping our toes into this storyline."
Some viewers have been quite keen for a civil partnership for Christian and Syed - would you have liked to see the writers go down that route?
"It could have gone down the civil partnership route, but where's the drama in civil partnership? Christian and Syed would be really happy and they'd get married - there's no drama in that, is there? Also, I think that would have been a massive jump for Syed - to leave his old life behind, to be dealing with his sexuality, to be living a gay life and then to suddenly say he's going to get married. Especially after having such a fantastic wedding last time - even though it was for all the wrong reasons! (Laughs) I don't think that would have been the right choice dramatically or for serving the characters and their story. I think it may have been a crowd-pleaser, but that's not necessarily what the story is there to serve. The story is there to serve the characters."
Will this new storyline serve the characters well?
"I think it will serve the characters very well and provide drama. Part two of our storyline will be a far deeper emotional level than the first part - it'll be far stronger in emotional and dramatic content. The surrogacy story is the way of starting our storyline, but all storylines aren't what they seem! It won't take a path that most people will imagine it to take - there are many twists and turns in this storyline if it plays out as we've been led to believe, and the surrogacy definitely isn't the main event."
"As a gay man and a gay actor, I am happy that we go down the surrogacy route - I think these type of issues are very important. The thing is, once EastEnders puts an issue like gay surrogacy to the front of the show, in three years' time something like this becomes so commonplace that it wouldn't even be worthy of having it as a story. So as far as I'm concerned, I think that gay surrogacy is an important story. As long as a child is brought into the world in a loving environment and two people feel responsible enough to provide that, then that's all that matters. But EastEnders is not here to preach to people, to be an educational tool or to tell people how to live their lives. EastEnders is a fictional programme and I think sometimes we can forget that and believe what's happening on screen is real life, when it isn't. EastEnders is here for enjoyment and if, within that, you can have a moralistic tone or encourage someone to talk about an issue in their life, that's a good thing - but the role of the show is to provide drama and enjoyment."
Do you think Christian is rushing in to the surrogacy idea too quickly?
"Well, Christian wanted a baby before and those types of feelings - if they're genuine - don't just go away. Christian is not getting any younger and he's a character who often acts on impulse - once he decides he wants something, he goes out there and tries to make it happen. He's approaching 40, he's happy, he's with a guy he loves, and a baby is what he wants to make his life feel complete. But he has wanted a child for the past 18 months after the Amy story, and even though you don't see him with Amy all the time, the idea is that he's a great godfather to her. He was devastated when it didn't work out with Amy and just because he hasn't been seen agonising over having a baby doesn't mean he hasn't thought about it. He's definitely not doing it on a whim."
"I love the character of Roxy! Christian loves her and I love her too. I think that she's a fantastic character and I think that their relationship is fantastic. The thing is, when you're in a relationship with somebody, you can't tell them everything. With long-lasting, successful relationships, you often have to keep something back - and everybody needs a best friend. Christian and Roxy are best friends for better and for worse. They egg each other on, they have fun together and they're there to lean on each other and confide in. I think that if Christian and Syed were just cocooned together all the time, they wouldn't last. I also think sometimes people forget that Christian has an edge - he's a gay guy that could probably be a right bitch if he wants to be! If Christian wasn't gay, I think him and Roxy would be perfect for each other, but unfortunately he is uber-gay so that's never going to happen! But I think they'll always be together - even when they're old and grey. Roxy is part of the package as far as Christian is concerned."
Do you think Roxy is always well-intentioned when it comes to Christian and Syed's relationship?
"I think she is always well-intentioned, yes. Even if a bit of the green-eyed monster comes out every now and again, she loves Christian. You have to remember that Roxy doesn't have any other mates - she hasn't got anyone else. So sometimes she might think, 'Oh Syed, just get lost!' But she knows how Christian feels about him and she knows that more than anybody. It's harmless, really - when it comes down to it, she knows how Christian feels and I don't think she would do anything to hurt him intentionally."
Do you think we'll ever get back to the point where Christian and Syed are spending a lot of screen time with the Masoods, and maybe resolving some of the issues there?
"Well, like I say, we're just starting this story and of course, yes, I do think we will get back to that. I do think that will happen throughout the story because obviously there has to be some type of resolution. So in a word, yes, I think those issues will start to be resolved. We may not have the outcome that people want and it may not come about in the way that people think, but some of those issues will be addressed, yes. I don't think we'd be serving the story or the characters well if these things were just left unaddressed."
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
An article from PinkNews
[Source]
Iranian men to be stoned to death over gay sex
by Paul Canning 18 January 2011, 5:26pm
The film was discovered on the mobile phones of Ayub and Mosleh, 20 and 21 years old, by agents of the Iranian regime in the Kurdistan city of Piranshahr in northwest Iran.
The pair’s full names have not been released.
Pictures of President Ahmadinejad and a headshot of Supreme Leader Khamenei pasted over a donkey were allegedly incorporated into the film.
Reports say that the young men’s stoning was immediately ordered for this Friday “to instill fear in the people of Iran”.
News of the sentence originates from a Kurdish newspaper and has been distributed by the International Committee Against Stoning, which launched the worldwide campaign against the stoning of Sakineh Ashtiani for adultery.
It has since been confirmed by other sources.
Iranian LGBT activists and human rights organisations have reported a number of other death sentences for homosexuality in the past two years. However the Iranian government maintains that “most of these individuals have been charged for forcible sodomy or rape”.
The original newspaper report claimed that the boys raped another.
Soheila Vahdati, an independent human rights defender for Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the Iranian Queer Organisation based in San Francisco, said: “They don’t differentiate between rape and homosexual acts. As well, there is a culture of shame. The families won’t defend their loved ones from this brutal punishment.”
“We are very concerned even though we haven’t got all the details,” she added. “We’ll try to save their lives but unfortunately Iran has quickly executed people in the past.”
Judges order execution by stoning under a 1983 law detailing offences proscribed by God, and then under the general Islamic penal code. Some senior Shia clerics have spoken out against stoning.
The International Committee Against Stoning has urged “the young people of Piranshahr to hasten to the aid of Ayub and Mosleh and declare that they will not permit this tragedy to occur”.
The Association of British Muslims, alongside an international coalition of Muslim organisations, has condemned the sentence and says it does not see anything in the Koran to justify such punishment.
The group said: “Allah says in the Holy Qur’an, ‘…if anyone slays a human being unless it be [in punishment] for murder or for spreading corruption on earth – it shall be as though he had slain all mankind; whereas, if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind…’”
Last month Human Rights Watch published a large scale report on the repression of LGBT in Iran. It said that those charged with same-sex offences stand little chance of receiving a fair trial.
There are few reliable statistics on the frequency with which stonings take place in Iran. Recent years have seen a rising number of cases reported. Some members of parliament are reportedly hoping that the Supreme Leader will pass a fatwa against stoning.
Iranian men to be stoned to death over gay sex
by Paul Canning 18 January 2011, 5:26pm
Two young men who filmed themselves having sex have been sentenced to death by stoning in Iran.
The film was discovered on the mobile phones of Ayub and Mosleh, 20 and 21 years old, by agents of the Iranian regime in the Kurdistan city of Piranshahr in northwest Iran.
The pair’s full names have not been released.
Pictures of President Ahmadinejad and a headshot of Supreme Leader Khamenei pasted over a donkey were allegedly incorporated into the film.
Reports say that the young men’s stoning was immediately ordered for this Friday “to instill fear in the people of Iran”.
News of the sentence originates from a Kurdish newspaper and has been distributed by the International Committee Against Stoning, which launched the worldwide campaign against the stoning of Sakineh Ashtiani for adultery.
It has since been confirmed by other sources.
Iranian LGBT activists and human rights organisations have reported a number of other death sentences for homosexuality in the past two years. However the Iranian government maintains that “most of these individuals have been charged for forcible sodomy or rape”.
The original newspaper report claimed that the boys raped another.
Soheila Vahdati, an independent human rights defender for Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the Iranian Queer Organisation based in San Francisco, said: “They don’t differentiate between rape and homosexual acts. As well, there is a culture of shame. The families won’t defend their loved ones from this brutal punishment.”
“We are very concerned even though we haven’t got all the details,” she added. “We’ll try to save their lives but unfortunately Iran has quickly executed people in the past.”
Judges order execution by stoning under a 1983 law detailing offences proscribed by God, and then under the general Islamic penal code. Some senior Shia clerics have spoken out against stoning.
The International Committee Against Stoning has urged “the young people of Piranshahr to hasten to the aid of Ayub and Mosleh and declare that they will not permit this tragedy to occur”.
The Association of British Muslims, alongside an international coalition of Muslim organisations, has condemned the sentence and says it does not see anything in the Koran to justify such punishment.
The group said: “Allah says in the Holy Qur’an, ‘…if anyone slays a human being unless it be [in punishment] for murder or for spreading corruption on earth – it shall be as though he had slain all mankind; whereas, if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind…’”
Last month Human Rights Watch published a large scale report on the repression of LGBT in Iran. It said that those charged with same-sex offences stand little chance of receiving a fair trial.
There are few reliable statistics on the frequency with which stonings take place in Iran. Recent years have seen a rising number of cases reported. Some members of parliament are reportedly hoping that the Supreme Leader will pass a fatwa against stoning.
Monday, 17 January 2011
A Book Review
[Source]
Book Review: "Patagonia", Matthew Rhys
Posted by gaabi on November 19, 2010 at 7:09pm
Matthew Rhys, a native of Cardiff now living in Los Angeles, has appeared in more than 30 roles for film and television, including "The House of America," "The Edge of Love," and the television drama "Brothers and Sisters."
In 1885, a group of Welsh settlers in Chubut, Argentina set out to explore the Andes and found and settled Cwm Hyfryd, "Pleasant Valley". They were members of the largest Welsh settlement in South America, founded twenty years earlier by the passengers of the Mimosa.
Actor and author Matthew Rhys joined a group of the descendants of the original Cwm Hyfryd expedition to recreate their accomplishment, on horseback as they did themselves. Rhys has published a beautiful book of his photographs and commentary on this experience: Patagonia: Croesi'r Paith/Crossing the Plain
, a photographic memoir of this journey by horse through the Patagonian landscape and some of its Welsh history.
Although formatted as a beautiful coffee-table style book, Patagonia is about equal parts text and photographs, mainly black and white. It's presented in English and Welsh, including an introduction in those languages and Spanish. Rhys has included some background history of Welsh immigration to Argentina and the story of the original journey, including a few wonderful historic photos of those early settlers and the Argentina of their time. Instead of a linear description of the trip, chapters focus on Rhys' companions and elements of his experience, with titles like "Lunch," about the routine of easting, resting and riding and "Knives," which gives some insight into the arrangement of the trip. Rhys describes the following encounter:
The photographs are excellent. Sometimes humorous, sometimes heroically panoramic. Sometimes warm and small and precise little narratives themselves of people and things.
Patagonia was a comfortable pleasure to read. Picture and narrative together subtly built a sense of place and people, of Rhys' experience, the things he saw and the men who accompanied him, the marks on the land the original settlers left and the effect all this had at the end of the trail. The people, the landscape and customs are brought vividly and splendidly to life and conjure the desire to enjoy an asado in the Andes with these wonderful people, in this beautiful place.
Patagonia is published by Gomer Press and is available through Amazon.com
Book Review: "Patagonia", Matthew Rhys
Posted by gaabi on November 19, 2010 at 7:09pm
Matthew Rhys, a native of Cardiff now living in Los Angeles, has appeared in more than 30 roles for film and television, including "The House of America," "The Edge of Love," and the television drama "Brothers and Sisters."
In 1885, a group of Welsh settlers in Chubut, Argentina set out to explore the Andes and found and settled Cwm Hyfryd, "Pleasant Valley". They were members of the largest Welsh settlement in South America, founded twenty years earlier by the passengers of the Mimosa.
Actor and author Matthew Rhys joined a group of the descendants of the original Cwm Hyfryd expedition to recreate their accomplishment, on horseback as they did themselves. Rhys has published a beautiful book of his photographs and commentary on this experience: Patagonia: Croesi'r Paith/Crossing the Plain, a photographic memoir of this journey by horse through the Patagonian landscape and some of its Welsh history.Although formatted as a beautiful coffee-table style book, Patagonia is about equal parts text and photographs, mainly black and white. It's presented in English and Welsh, including an introduction in those languages and Spanish. Rhys has included some background history of Welsh immigration to Argentina and the story of the original journey, including a few wonderful historic photos of those early settlers and the Argentina of their time. Instead of a linear description of the trip, chapters focus on Rhys' companions and elements of his experience, with titles like "Lunch," about the routine of easting, resting and riding and "Knives," which gives some insight into the arrangement of the trip. Rhys describes the following encounter:
"A number of farmers, and their wives and children, came out to greet us. One old gentleman gestured toward me inviting me to slow down. He ventured something in Spanish, and I gave him my customary response:
"'Perdon, no hablo catellano, senor.'
"'Wyt ti'n siarad Cymraeg, fachgen?' ('Do you speak Welsh?') was his answer."
The photographs are excellent. Sometimes humorous, sometimes heroically panoramic. Sometimes warm and small and precise little narratives themselves of people and things.
Patagonia was a comfortable pleasure to read. Picture and narrative together subtly built a sense of place and people, of Rhys' experience, the things he saw and the men who accompanied him, the marks on the land the original settlers left and the effect all this had at the end of the trail. The people, the landscape and customs are brought vividly and splendidly to life and conjure the desire to enjoy an asado in the Andes with these wonderful people, in this beautiful place.
Patagonia is published by Gomer Press and is available through Amazon.com
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
An Article from Show Patrol
[Source]
Michael Cudlitz takes on idiots in TNT's 'SouthLAnd'
Curt Wagner on 01.11.11 at 3:51 PM
Officer John Cooper doesn't suffer fools gladly in TNT's "SouthLAnd."
In "Punching Water," premiering at 9 p.m. Jan. 11, the no-nonsense officer played by Michael Cudlitz will suffer a big fool--fellow LA cop Billy Dewey (C. Thomas Howell), who returns to the force after spending time in rehab for alcoholism. Cooper is told to partner up with Dewey while his regular partner, Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) works with Officer Chickie Brown (Arija Bareikis).
It's not going to be pretty, Cudlitz told me.
"Everybody knows that I'm not going to take any shit from him," Cudlitz said, apparently channeling Cooper. "I reluctantly take him and this dude just will not shut up about rehab. He has seen the light, he has been inspired, he is everything that you could possibly list that could be bad about somebody who's just gone through rehab."
Cooper and his disdain for people he finds irritating remains one of my favorite things about "SouthLAnd." For such a serious, raw police drama, it's a whole lot of fun thanks to Cudlitz's take on Cooper. He just doesn't like stupid people.
"At all, at all," Cudlitz said, laughing. He obviously enjoys this particular personality trait of his character as well, which, after talking to Cudlitz awhile, one might believe he also shares.
Cudlitz definitely calls them like he sees them, but, he said, "I think I'm goofier than Cooper and a lot less confrontational." Cooper carries a lot more snarkiness and sarcasm, and it comes from a dark place, Cudlitz said.
"I just think there's a lot of pain," he said. "It comes from a lot of pain that he doesn't want anyone to know about."
McKenzie agrees that his co-star is not as angry as Cooper is, but "he does have a little bit of that in him just naturally, which is just 'Why would these [bleeping] jack-offs with this [bleeping] stupid [bleep]...'
"Yeah, he's pretty funny. He's a pretty funny guy."
Case in point: When I asked Cudlitz if Dewey helps Cooper realize his own substance abuse problems in "Punching Water," he gave me a very Cooper-like answer.
"Not at all, not at all. Dewey's just a piece of shit that won't keep his mouth shut at this point."
Cudlitz and I talked more about Cooper, his drug problem, his love life (oh yeah, he's gay!) and what we can expect this season.
MORE FROM CUDLITZ AND MCKENZIE
Congrats, what I've seen of the new season is absolutely thrilling.
And they just keep getting better.
Oh yeah?
Absolutely. It's been insane. Everything about the show keeps getting tighter and better in the way they shoot it and the way that we're all clicking together and the stories. It's just very, very exciting.
This is the first season under TNT's watch. Has it been any different?
From our end, I would say no. From a creative standpoint with the scripts and stuff, I'd have to say absolutely--but that's just the difference between the big networks and the cable networks. The cable networks fall in love with something and they embrace it and they cultivate it and they let it run. The [broadcast] networks tend to try to--it's like politics, they try to guess what people are thinking next and they very much get in there and mess with the creative process: "Oh, let's swap this out, let's change that." "Hey, is this working?" "Is that working?"
From my understanding, John Wells and Chris Chulack were given the opportunity to go off and tell 10 stories this season. They submitted the scripts, there were very little notes early on and then they get to go off and write the scripts. There aren't too many fingers in the pie. [TNT] loved the voice of the show, what the show had to say and they wanted the people who created the show to go off and write it and that's what happens.
But from that end it changes, because they get a lot more creative freedom. On our end, we do whatever scripts we're handed. I would say that the scripts are much more focused now and the story telling's tighter, but part of that is because we've been doing it a little longer now so.
Do you feel it's even more daring than before or is that just the result of the evolution of...
I think it's just the evolution of the show. It's more aggressive in its tone but I think that's the story that John and Chris have been wanting to tell from the beginning. So we've always heard that from them, so to see things that are that are coming out story wise, none of it's a surprise to me because these are the kinds of stories that they always talked about telling and hoped the show could go in that direction. We were always trying to push it in that direction. So, no, all that seems to be as doctor ordered.
There's a scene in the premiere that renews my love for Cooper. He is in the toy store and the women are arguing over a small amount of money and it's all he can do not to yell at them. Awesome. I was dying laughing.
I haven't seen it yet so I don't know what cut they used because we did a lot of the scripted stuff and then we did a couple where we just kind of let loose. I'm not exactly sure which version wound up in the cut that you saw. So I'm excited to see that myself but they were all pretty aggressively fools.
And your face, your reactions are just like the best.
Awesome. Thank you; I appreciate that.
Also that really crazy, intense bank robbery scene, how was that shooting that? Is that difficult?
Those are some of my favorite things to do because we are in the middle of everything like that. You know, we shut down Hollywood Boulevard. When you talk about a dream job: You're an actor on a TV show in Hollywood, on Hollywood Boulevard, shutting it down, filming a scene. There are tourists around, there's people who live there, who live on the streets, who work there. It's just this crazy, crazy environment and you're there doing what Hollywood is known for, which is making movies and you're out there shooting something. It doesn't get any better than that.
You don't have problems with people trying to get in the middle of it?
[Laughs.] Sure we do. It happens all the time and some of it you'll actually see in some episodes further down the line. We don't shut much down unless it's a public safety issue, but if it's not, if it's somebody running down the street or this and that, those are all real people who just happen to be on the sidewalk.
But you guys have security, right?
Ish. [Laughs.] All of our background officers are current or retired Los Angeles Police Department officers. There are a lot of officers on the set on any given day. So there's not really a security issue.
Tell me what were going to see with John this year.
Well we're going to see sort of the evolution of his back issues and his addiction issues. And we're going to, I think, kind of blur the line as to which is which. I think he has trouble separating it at one point so far as when does the medication take over when it's not needed, or is it really being used to manage this really bad injury he has. The audience is going to come with him on that journey. And he's going to be dealing with some really, really intense personal issues, events that I would argue shaped who he is as a person today.
Like from far in his past?
From far in his past, yeah, from prior to being an officer. Issues with his dad, issues with his family. You're going to get more of an insight as to what really makes him tick as an officer and why he's so passionate about the job he does as a training officer. I think a lot of it's going to be very, very satisfying, but also told in a way that "SouthLAnd" tells its stories and reveals its characters. It's going to go down very slowly, over time and it's going to be shown through sort of these pressure cooker events that expose weaknesses. That's how we learn about people.
That's another thing I really like about the show, we learn about these people like they would learn about each other, with slow reveals as something happens. Like you would get to know any co-worker in real life. And there's not just one big download of "here's my past."
No, it's not. And nothing is cut and dry. People say and do one thing one day and then say do something completely different the next day and you're like, "Well wait a minute, you said this." "Well yeah, I said that a week ago. And now these are the circumstances and this is what I'm saying now." People change their minds, people lie to cover things. People tell truths, they tell non-truths. It really is a situation where you're deciding as you go what you feel about these people.
Are we going to see more of his personal life, as in his love life?
Yes, yeah. A little later on in the season, not right away. I spoke to Michael Jenson at "The Advocate" about this, everyone's personal life has been--not toned down--but we're not really dealing with that as much. We're dealing with more of the interdepartmental relationship stuff early on. I think part of that is the sort of resetting the show for TNT where things have been scaled down financially a little bit.
What we've done is we still have all the characters that we've grown to love and all the relationship stuff that's going on, but it's happening a little closer to home in the sense of the department. It's happening in the cars. The relationship stuff is happening between myself and Ben. I actually have scenes with Regina [King] this year and Shawn [Hatosy] and those worlds are all coming closer together so we can experience what everyone's going through with characters that we know.
But that's not to say that they're pulling away from anything. Ben is not even really in a relationship and he had been in relationships throughout the season last year. There is a little hint at something with him early on but nothing is any kind of major relationship. But there is reinforcement of who these people are throughout.
So if anyone's expecting to see John in bed with somebody in the first couple of episodes, it's not going to happen. But that's not to say that it is not going to happen at all. They're just going to have to wait a little longer, but it's coming.
Let's talk about John and Ben. How is their working relationship with Ben knowing about the addiction problems? How's that going to evolve?
It's good. He's got some stuff to juggle. He's in a position where he has to do what he's told. He has to sort of toe the company line and I'm asking a lot of him. Cooper has exposed himself to Ben and he now has information on him that he has to trust that he's not going to abuse that information.
Cooper is also in a situation where he doesn't realize how bad his problem is yet. As any addict, he's convinced he's got it under control. He can handle it, he's not that guy. And we're going to see as the season goes that that sort of starts to unravel a little bit. We're going to see how Ben handles that. Does he respond to it as a friend or does he respond to it just as someone in the department who has information that has to be passed along to the authorities?
I think you'll see their relationship evolve and the scales kind of tip, the more Ben becomes less of a trainee and more of a peer and more of an active duty police officer. And that's going to be fun to watch as the audience sees the shift. They need each other for very different but similar reasons. They're very much a sort of a yin and yang relationship. We're on Episode 5 and I think the audience is going to be very, very satisfied with what they see.
Can you give me a little non-spoilery preview to "Punching Water," which it looks like it's going to be interesting because you saddle up with Dewey.
No one wants to ride with [Dewey]--so no surprise there. And I am told that he's going to be riding with me because I'm considered the best training officer ... This dude just will not shut up about rehab. He has seen the light, he has been inspired, he is everything that you could possibly list that could be bad about somebody who's just gone through rehab is Dewey at this moment in his life. And that's where he has to be. He has swung completely in the opposite direction and John takes it for a while and then Johns' had it ... Ben actually gets put into a car with Chickie, because she's in our world. She's the next sort of senior officer and she's also a trainer at times.
So it's actually a really fun episode. There's a lot of fun, funny stuff in it. But it's really balanced by really hard-core detective story that's going on at the same time with some gang murders. ... We all wind up at the same crime scene, which, I think, is going to be a lot of fun for the audience because it's not this sort of contrived thing. It's actually done really, really well and it's a really, really explosive emotional scene and it's one of the things I think that makes our show different than other shows.
And that answer brings me to my next question: How much of Michael is in Cooper? I get the idea you don't suffer fools gladly either.
I don't but I think I'm goofier than Cooper and a lot less confrontational. My wife says I'm nothing like Cooper, and she's seen me do a lot of stuff. I've been told I move completely different when I'm Cooper. I've had friends who've come on set and they were just, like, "I didn't even want to talk to you, you're like in cop mode."
So I don't know. I think I can be very sarcastic and I like to have fun, but Cooper is darker just in general. There's a lot behind the snarkiness and the sarcasm a lot more than I carry. There's this sort of darkness to his--I don't want to say his soul because that makes him almost like he's evil or arch--but I just think there's a lot of pain. It comes from a lot of pain that he doesn't want anyone to know about. So there's the intelligence and the knowledge of his job, but it's also masking something that's going on that he really, really needs to deal with and he has no one in his life that he can share it with.
Right.
Hopefully we're moving in a direction where we may realize that actually somebody close in his life now is the person that he can actually share this with. So, it's very close to me, yet I don't know who this guy is at all.
Michael Cudlitz takes on idiots in TNT's 'SouthLAnd'
Curt Wagner on 01.11.11 at 3:51 PM
 |
| Michael Cudlitz plays Officer John Cooper in TNT's "SouthLAnd." |
In "Punching Water," premiering at 9 p.m. Jan. 11, the no-nonsense officer played by Michael Cudlitz will suffer a big fool--fellow LA cop Billy Dewey (C. Thomas Howell), who returns to the force after spending time in rehab for alcoholism. Cooper is told to partner up with Dewey while his regular partner, Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) works with Officer Chickie Brown (Arija Bareikis).
It's not going to be pretty, Cudlitz told me.
"Everybody knows that I'm not going to take any shit from him," Cudlitz said, apparently channeling Cooper. "I reluctantly take him and this dude just will not shut up about rehab. He has seen the light, he has been inspired, he is everything that you could possibly list that could be bad about somebody who's just gone through rehab."
Cooper and his disdain for people he finds irritating remains one of my favorite things about "SouthLAnd." For such a serious, raw police drama, it's a whole lot of fun thanks to Cudlitz's take on Cooper. He just doesn't like stupid people.
"At all, at all," Cudlitz said, laughing. He obviously enjoys this particular personality trait of his character as well, which, after talking to Cudlitz awhile, one might believe he also shares.
Cudlitz definitely calls them like he sees them, but, he said, "I think I'm goofier than Cooper and a lot less confrontational." Cooper carries a lot more snarkiness and sarcasm, and it comes from a dark place, Cudlitz said.
"I just think there's a lot of pain," he said. "It comes from a lot of pain that he doesn't want anyone to know about."
McKenzie agrees that his co-star is not as angry as Cooper is, but "he does have a little bit of that in him just naturally, which is just 'Why would these [bleeping] jack-offs with this [bleeping] stupid [bleep]...'
"Yeah, he's pretty funny. He's a pretty funny guy."
Case in point: When I asked Cudlitz if Dewey helps Cooper realize his own substance abuse problems in "Punching Water," he gave me a very Cooper-like answer.
"Not at all, not at all. Dewey's just a piece of shit that won't keep his mouth shut at this point."
Cudlitz and I talked more about Cooper, his drug problem, his love life (oh yeah, he's gay!) and what we can expect this season.
MORE FROM CUDLITZ AND MCKENZIE
 |
| Officer Billy Dewey (C. Thomas Howell) tries the patience of John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz). (TNT Photos) |
And they just keep getting better.
Oh yeah?
Absolutely. It's been insane. Everything about the show keeps getting tighter and better in the way they shoot it and the way that we're all clicking together and the stories. It's just very, very exciting.
This is the first season under TNT's watch. Has it been any different?
From our end, I would say no. From a creative standpoint with the scripts and stuff, I'd have to say absolutely--but that's just the difference between the big networks and the cable networks. The cable networks fall in love with something and they embrace it and they cultivate it and they let it run. The [broadcast] networks tend to try to--it's like politics, they try to guess what people are thinking next and they very much get in there and mess with the creative process: "Oh, let's swap this out, let's change that." "Hey, is this working?" "Is that working?"
From my understanding, John Wells and Chris Chulack were given the opportunity to go off and tell 10 stories this season. They submitted the scripts, there were very little notes early on and then they get to go off and write the scripts. There aren't too many fingers in the pie. [TNT] loved the voice of the show, what the show had to say and they wanted the people who created the show to go off and write it and that's what happens.
But from that end it changes, because they get a lot more creative freedom. On our end, we do whatever scripts we're handed. I would say that the scripts are much more focused now and the story telling's tighter, but part of that is because we've been doing it a little longer now so.
Do you feel it's even more daring than before or is that just the result of the evolution of...
I think it's just the evolution of the show. It's more aggressive in its tone but I think that's the story that John and Chris have been wanting to tell from the beginning. So we've always heard that from them, so to see things that are that are coming out story wise, none of it's a surprise to me because these are the kinds of stories that they always talked about telling and hoped the show could go in that direction. We were always trying to push it in that direction. So, no, all that seems to be as doctor ordered.
There's a scene in the premiere that renews my love for Cooper. He is in the toy store and the women are arguing over a small amount of money and it's all he can do not to yell at them. Awesome. I was dying laughing.
I haven't seen it yet so I don't know what cut they used because we did a lot of the scripted stuff and then we did a couple where we just kind of let loose. I'm not exactly sure which version wound up in the cut that you saw. So I'm excited to see that myself but they were all pretty aggressively fools.
And your face, your reactions are just like the best.
Awesome. Thank you; I appreciate that.
Also that really crazy, intense bank robbery scene, how was that shooting that? Is that difficult?
Those are some of my favorite things to do because we are in the middle of everything like that. You know, we shut down Hollywood Boulevard. When you talk about a dream job: You're an actor on a TV show in Hollywood, on Hollywood Boulevard, shutting it down, filming a scene. There are tourists around, there's people who live there, who live on the streets, who work there. It's just this crazy, crazy environment and you're there doing what Hollywood is known for, which is making movies and you're out there shooting something. It doesn't get any better than that.
You don't have problems with people trying to get in the middle of it?
[Laughs.] Sure we do. It happens all the time and some of it you'll actually see in some episodes further down the line. We don't shut much down unless it's a public safety issue, but if it's not, if it's somebody running down the street or this and that, those are all real people who just happen to be on the sidewalk.
But you guys have security, right?
Ish. [Laughs.] All of our background officers are current or retired Los Angeles Police Department officers. There are a lot of officers on the set on any given day. So there's not really a security issue.
Tell me what were going to see with John this year.
Well we're going to see sort of the evolution of his back issues and his addiction issues. And we're going to, I think, kind of blur the line as to which is which. I think he has trouble separating it at one point so far as when does the medication take over when it's not needed, or is it really being used to manage this really bad injury he has. The audience is going to come with him on that journey. And he's going to be dealing with some really, really intense personal issues, events that I would argue shaped who he is as a person today.
Like from far in his past?
From far in his past, yeah, from prior to being an officer. Issues with his dad, issues with his family. You're going to get more of an insight as to what really makes him tick as an officer and why he's so passionate about the job he does as a training officer. I think a lot of it's going to be very, very satisfying, but also told in a way that "SouthLAnd" tells its stories and reveals its characters. It's going to go down very slowly, over time and it's going to be shown through sort of these pressure cooker events that expose weaknesses. That's how we learn about people.
That's another thing I really like about the show, we learn about these people like they would learn about each other, with slow reveals as something happens. Like you would get to know any co-worker in real life. And there's not just one big download of "here's my past."
No, it's not. And nothing is cut and dry. People say and do one thing one day and then say do something completely different the next day and you're like, "Well wait a minute, you said this." "Well yeah, I said that a week ago. And now these are the circumstances and this is what I'm saying now." People change their minds, people lie to cover things. People tell truths, they tell non-truths. It really is a situation where you're deciding as you go what you feel about these people.
Are we going to see more of his personal life, as in his love life?
Yes, yeah. A little later on in the season, not right away. I spoke to Michael Jenson at "The Advocate" about this, everyone's personal life has been--not toned down--but we're not really dealing with that as much. We're dealing with more of the interdepartmental relationship stuff early on. I think part of that is the sort of resetting the show for TNT where things have been scaled down financially a little bit.
What we've done is we still have all the characters that we've grown to love and all the relationship stuff that's going on, but it's happening a little closer to home in the sense of the department. It's happening in the cars. The relationship stuff is happening between myself and Ben. I actually have scenes with Regina [King] this year and Shawn [Hatosy] and those worlds are all coming closer together so we can experience what everyone's going through with characters that we know.
But that's not to say that they're pulling away from anything. Ben is not even really in a relationship and he had been in relationships throughout the season last year. There is a little hint at something with him early on but nothing is any kind of major relationship. But there is reinforcement of who these people are throughout.
So if anyone's expecting to see John in bed with somebody in the first couple of episodes, it's not going to happen. But that's not to say that it is not going to happen at all. They're just going to have to wait a little longer, but it's coming.
 |
| Officers Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) and John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) experience some ups and downs in Season 3 of "SouthLAnd." |
It's good. He's got some stuff to juggle. He's in a position where he has to do what he's told. He has to sort of toe the company line and I'm asking a lot of him. Cooper has exposed himself to Ben and he now has information on him that he has to trust that he's not going to abuse that information.
Cooper is also in a situation where he doesn't realize how bad his problem is yet. As any addict, he's convinced he's got it under control. He can handle it, he's not that guy. And we're going to see as the season goes that that sort of starts to unravel a little bit. We're going to see how Ben handles that. Does he respond to it as a friend or does he respond to it just as someone in the department who has information that has to be passed along to the authorities?
I think you'll see their relationship evolve and the scales kind of tip, the more Ben becomes less of a trainee and more of a peer and more of an active duty police officer. And that's going to be fun to watch as the audience sees the shift. They need each other for very different but similar reasons. They're very much a sort of a yin and yang relationship. We're on Episode 5 and I think the audience is going to be very, very satisfied with what they see.
Can you give me a little non-spoilery preview to "Punching Water," which it looks like it's going to be interesting because you saddle up with Dewey.
No one wants to ride with [Dewey]--so no surprise there. And I am told that he's going to be riding with me because I'm considered the best training officer ... This dude just will not shut up about rehab. He has seen the light, he has been inspired, he is everything that you could possibly list that could be bad about somebody who's just gone through rehab is Dewey at this moment in his life. And that's where he has to be. He has swung completely in the opposite direction and John takes it for a while and then Johns' had it ... Ben actually gets put into a car with Chickie, because she's in our world. She's the next sort of senior officer and she's also a trainer at times.
So it's actually a really fun episode. There's a lot of fun, funny stuff in it. But it's really balanced by really hard-core detective story that's going on at the same time with some gang murders. ... We all wind up at the same crime scene, which, I think, is going to be a lot of fun for the audience because it's not this sort of contrived thing. It's actually done really, really well and it's a really, really explosive emotional scene and it's one of the things I think that makes our show different than other shows.
And that answer brings me to my next question: How much of Michael is in Cooper? I get the idea you don't suffer fools gladly either.
I don't but I think I'm goofier than Cooper and a lot less confrontational. My wife says I'm nothing like Cooper, and she's seen me do a lot of stuff. I've been told I move completely different when I'm Cooper. I've had friends who've come on set and they were just, like, "I didn't even want to talk to you, you're like in cop mode."
So I don't know. I think I can be very sarcastic and I like to have fun, but Cooper is darker just in general. There's a lot behind the snarkiness and the sarcasm a lot more than I carry. There's this sort of darkness to his--I don't want to say his soul because that makes him almost like he's evil or arch--but I just think there's a lot of pain. It comes from a lot of pain that he doesn't want anyone to know about. So there's the intelligence and the knowledge of his job, but it's also masking something that's going on that he really, really needs to deal with and he has no one in his life that he can share it with.
Right.
Hopefully we're moving in a direction where we may realize that actually somebody close in his life now is the person that he can actually share this with. So, it's very close to me, yet I don't know who this guy is at all.
Sunday, 9 January 2011
Matt Bomer was interviewd by Poptimal
[Source]
White Collar: Q&A Conference Call with Matt Bomer & Tim DeKay
January 9, 2011 by Allison Toner
White Collar’s duo of Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke light up the screen with their entertaining repartee. After partaking in a recent conference call with Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay, it is evident that this dynamic chemistry carries off-screen as well. The charismatic pair dished on what is to come in season 2.5, crossovers with other USA Networks shows, singing and much more!
On maintaining their chemistry:
The duo first joked that they attend couples therapy once a week. But Matt went on to add, “I think Tim is inherently a generous person and very generous of spirit and he brings a real sense of play to the work. I try to do the same. I know he lifts me up on my off days.” Tim responded, “Oh, and you lift me up on my off days. No, listen, we have a blast. We have fun together, but in the end, we respect each other.”
Matt singing in season 2.5…
Matt will sing with Diahann Carroll in the episode “Countermeasures,” which will air on February 8th. Matt said they sing “One For My Baby (and One More For the Road).”
Tim explained, “it was a great moment. It’s one of those moments on the set where— Matt has sung before around the set, just being goofy—but when he and Diahann sang that song everybody on set just got quiet because they had to rehearse it. The whole crew just went into a spontaneous applause. It was just one of those moments like, ‘Oh, wow, that’s neat.’ “
Matt further added, “Diahann is amazing. Diahann is obviously a legend and incredible and it was a real honor to get to sing with her.”
On the show’s mystery/mythology…
“Usually there are two questions people ask me about the show it’s, ‘What’s Mozzie’s fate?’ and ‘What’s going on with the music box?’ It’s exciting. I feel like I keep giving the same answer of ‘Oh, you won’t be disappointed, let me tell you—’ It’s very difficult. You want to answer it for these people, at least I do, so it’s difficult to evade that question all the time. I’ll be glad when it airs,” said Tim.
Matt chimed in, “Yes, I feel like we’re always sort of dancing around the secrets involved with the mythology of the show and that’s fun. That’s a fun aspect of it. Jeff (Eastin) is always outdoing himself as a writer and every time we get the mid-season finale or the finale script, we always look at each other and go, ‘Really?’ He’s almost like the writing equivalent of the guy at the party who takes the joke one step too far, but then that night you think about the joke and you realize it was actually really profound and kind of amazing. He’s incredible that way. He’s always surprising us. I don’t like to know too far ahead of time what’s going to happen because I like the element of surprise as well. Then I also don’t have to dance around the mystery quite as long.”
Anything they would like to see in the future?
“I would love to dip into Neal’s past a little bit more and maybe see some of his family members come into play and see what kind of conflicts that brings up between he and Peter. I wouldn’t mind seeing him be a little bit of a man-whore, to use a little bit of the James Bond tactics to maybe do whatever it takes to solve the case,” said Matt.
On this topic, Tim added, “I feel as far as character, I think Jeff and the writers have met everything that I had hoped for. I too, would like to delve into some more of Peter’s background. I think the more Peter and Neal know about each other, it actually strengthens and lengthens the relationship because these two just love to dig. Peter would love to meet a family member of Neal’s. He’d love to sit down and get to know his mom or dad or brother or sister.”
On working more with the ensemble cast…
Tim: “I certainly do and yet I like that in the end that it’s about Peter and Neal; that’s the base of it. I love it when Elizabeth gets involved with a case and I love that Diana is back and working on the case. She adds such an intelligence to it.”
Matt: “Yes and a sexiness.”
Tim: “I love that Jones is involved more and that Peter and Mozzie have found a way to dance together.”
Matt: “Yes. I think it makes the day really fun and it has added a lot to the show. It opens up a lot more relationships and we get to work with Hilarie, who brings so much to the table, and Gloria whose relationship is so different than that of Neal and Peter’s. It breaks things up. It’s more of a window into the character when you see how they behave with a lot of different people. It’s kind of fun to get to explore those relationship dynamics. At the end of the day, for me it always is fun just to kind of come back to home base and do a nice Peter and Neal walk and talk down the streets of New York.”
Preference for crossovers with USA shows…
Tim first responded, “Royal Pains because it’d just be nice to go out to the Hamptons for a few days. Then again, it would be nice to go down to Miami and shoot some things in Miami.”
Matt chimed in, “Yes, I think Burn Notice would be a really natural fit just because of the worlds that our characters live in and inhabit, but to be honest with you I love all the shows they have. It would be really fun and an honor to get to work with on any of them—to cross over on any of them.” Both added that it would be fun to take part in some World Wide Wrestling.
What to expect from season 2.5…
Tim at first stated, “you can expect commercials every 15 to 18 minutes.” He then added, “just more fun.” Matt said, “I think I can safely say that a lot of really big storylines that we’ve been exploring over the past couple of seasons really get brought to a head and closure on a lot of things. We get a glimpse into a lot of the characters’ pasts and see why they are who they are and how they got that way. We get to see, as usual, sort of a liquid trust dynamic between Peter and Neal. Then obviously also we get some resolution to Mozzie’s incident relatively quickly.”
Were they surprised by anything in season 2.5?
Tim explained that there was not anything that didn’t match up for him. While Matt said, “I think for me the way I met Mozzie and the way we sort of came to become friends was pleasantly surprising. I thought for some reason that maybe we’d gone back a little bit farther than that, but it was fun.”
Season 2.5 guest stars:
Paul Blackthorne, Hilarie Burton, Andrew McCarthy, Gloria Votsis, Alexandra Daddario, Diahann Carroll, Billy Dee Williams, Joe Sikora, Ross McCall, Adam Goldberg, James Rebhorn and Richard Schiff.
They both loved the season finale…*spoiler*
Matt revealed that, “All I can say is that in the last episode of the season I never—I mean, if you locked me in a padded room for five years and made me continually guess where this season was going to end I never would have come up with this. It was astounding and amazing and surprising and incredibly fun.”
Matt and Tim were extremely impressed with the last scene of the finale. Tim added, “Yes, when I read the last episode I did everything to not call my wife, my dad, just to say—”You won’t believe this. This is incredible.” So I didn’t, but yes. Yet, Jeff Eastin and the writers were able to shut the lid on the music box—no pun intended—and within one second turn around and open up this other one that just was astounding.”
Matt’s thoughts on Hilarie Burton plus Neal’s relationship with Sara Ellis…
Matt Bomer: “She (Hilarie Burton) brings so much to the role. She’s the real deal. She’s gorgeous, and she’s in it, and she has brought this amazingly intelligent, challenging, super Type-A character to life that Neal finds really intriguing and ultimately on some level I think wants to tame. It’s a really fun dynamic to get to play with her and she’s such a great actress. It’s really kind of moment to moment with her, which is always fun and keeps me on my toes. We have a lot of fun stuff that we get to do with each other and their relationship will grow and there will be a lot of tension there, maybe a little sexual frustration and then maybe some sexual frustration release; I don’t know. I’m just saying maybe.”
Ask each other a question…
Matt asked Tim, “What’s your favorite thing about Peter Burke and what’s something about Peter that no-one would guess?” Tim’s response: “My favorite thing about Peter Burke is that he has to nearly contain his giddiness when he’s on a case. He just loves it. That keeps him going. I’ve said it before, there is almost a little disappointment when the case is solved.”
Tim jokingly asked, “If Neal were a flower, which one?” They agreed that Neal would be a beautiful flower which “would lure you in and then it would be poisonous but only a very specific poison.” The duo then added the poison wouldn’t be lethal but would make you trip out for a couple of days, like a peyote flower.
If they were to sing a duet together…
Matt and Tim joked that they perform at weddings and bar mitzvahs plus that they couldn’t sing on the call because their booking agent would be unhappy. Tim began to recite lyrics (“Wherever he goes, whatever he does, we’ll always go through it together”) from “Together, Wherever We Go” by Bette Midler. They then agreed they would sing that song together.
This team of Tim and Matt or Peter and Neal doesn’t disappoint whether onscreen or off. They are so spontaneous, witty and charming. Make sure you tune in to see more of this premier partnership when White Collar returns on Tuesday, January 18th at 10 PM on USA Network. If you’re not watching, you’re missing out.
White Collar: Q&A Conference Call with Matt Bomer & Tim DeKay
January 9, 2011 by Allison Toner
On maintaining their chemistry:
The duo first joked that they attend couples therapy once a week. But Matt went on to add, “I think Tim is inherently a generous person and very generous of spirit and he brings a real sense of play to the work. I try to do the same. I know he lifts me up on my off days.” Tim responded, “Oh, and you lift me up on my off days. No, listen, we have a blast. We have fun together, but in the end, we respect each other.”
Matt singing in season 2.5…
Matt will sing with Diahann Carroll in the episode “Countermeasures,” which will air on February 8th. Matt said they sing “One For My Baby (and One More For the Road).”
Tim explained, “it was a great moment. It’s one of those moments on the set where— Matt has sung before around the set, just being goofy—but when he and Diahann sang that song everybody on set just got quiet because they had to rehearse it. The whole crew just went into a spontaneous applause. It was just one of those moments like, ‘Oh, wow, that’s neat.’ “
Matt further added, “Diahann is amazing. Diahann is obviously a legend and incredible and it was a real honor to get to sing with her.”
On the show’s mystery/mythology…
“Usually there are two questions people ask me about the show it’s, ‘What’s Mozzie’s fate?’ and ‘What’s going on with the music box?’ It’s exciting. I feel like I keep giving the same answer of ‘Oh, you won’t be disappointed, let me tell you—’ It’s very difficult. You want to answer it for these people, at least I do, so it’s difficult to evade that question all the time. I’ll be glad when it airs,” said Tim.
Matt chimed in, “Yes, I feel like we’re always sort of dancing around the secrets involved with the mythology of the show and that’s fun. That’s a fun aspect of it. Jeff (Eastin) is always outdoing himself as a writer and every time we get the mid-season finale or the finale script, we always look at each other and go, ‘Really?’ He’s almost like the writing equivalent of the guy at the party who takes the joke one step too far, but then that night you think about the joke and you realize it was actually really profound and kind of amazing. He’s incredible that way. He’s always surprising us. I don’t like to know too far ahead of time what’s going to happen because I like the element of surprise as well. Then I also don’t have to dance around the mystery quite as long.”
Anything they would like to see in the future?
“I would love to dip into Neal’s past a little bit more and maybe see some of his family members come into play and see what kind of conflicts that brings up between he and Peter. I wouldn’t mind seeing him be a little bit of a man-whore, to use a little bit of the James Bond tactics to maybe do whatever it takes to solve the case,” said Matt.
On this topic, Tim added, “I feel as far as character, I think Jeff and the writers have met everything that I had hoped for. I too, would like to delve into some more of Peter’s background. I think the more Peter and Neal know about each other, it actually strengthens and lengthens the relationship because these two just love to dig. Peter would love to meet a family member of Neal’s. He’d love to sit down and get to know his mom or dad or brother or sister.”
On working more with the ensemble cast…
Tim: “I certainly do and yet I like that in the end that it’s about Peter and Neal; that’s the base of it. I love it when Elizabeth gets involved with a case and I love that Diana is back and working on the case. She adds such an intelligence to it.”
Matt: “Yes and a sexiness.”
Tim: “I love that Jones is involved more and that Peter and Mozzie have found a way to dance together.”
Matt: “Yes. I think it makes the day really fun and it has added a lot to the show. It opens up a lot more relationships and we get to work with Hilarie, who brings so much to the table, and Gloria whose relationship is so different than that of Neal and Peter’s. It breaks things up. It’s more of a window into the character when you see how they behave with a lot of different people. It’s kind of fun to get to explore those relationship dynamics. At the end of the day, for me it always is fun just to kind of come back to home base and do a nice Peter and Neal walk and talk down the streets of New York.”
Preference for crossovers with USA shows…
Tim first responded, “Royal Pains because it’d just be nice to go out to the Hamptons for a few days. Then again, it would be nice to go down to Miami and shoot some things in Miami.”
What to expect from season 2.5…
Tim at first stated, “you can expect commercials every 15 to 18 minutes.” He then added, “just more fun.” Matt said, “I think I can safely say that a lot of really big storylines that we’ve been exploring over the past couple of seasons really get brought to a head and closure on a lot of things. We get a glimpse into a lot of the characters’ pasts and see why they are who they are and how they got that way. We get to see, as usual, sort of a liquid trust dynamic between Peter and Neal. Then obviously also we get some resolution to Mozzie’s incident relatively quickly.”
Were they surprised by anything in season 2.5?
Tim explained that there was not anything that didn’t match up for him. While Matt said, “I think for me the way I met Mozzie and the way we sort of came to become friends was pleasantly surprising. I thought for some reason that maybe we’d gone back a little bit farther than that, but it was fun.”
Season 2.5 guest stars:
Paul Blackthorne, Hilarie Burton, Andrew McCarthy, Gloria Votsis, Alexandra Daddario, Diahann Carroll, Billy Dee Williams, Joe Sikora, Ross McCall, Adam Goldberg, James Rebhorn and Richard Schiff.
They both loved the season finale…*spoiler*
Matt revealed that, “All I can say is that in the last episode of the season I never—I mean, if you locked me in a padded room for five years and made me continually guess where this season was going to end I never would have come up with this. It was astounding and amazing and surprising and incredibly fun.”
Matt and Tim were extremely impressed with the last scene of the finale. Tim added, “Yes, when I read the last episode I did everything to not call my wife, my dad, just to say—”You won’t believe this. This is incredible.” So I didn’t, but yes. Yet, Jeff Eastin and the writers were able to shut the lid on the music box—no pun intended—and within one second turn around and open up this other one that just was astounding.”
Matt’s thoughts on Hilarie Burton plus Neal’s relationship with Sara Ellis…
Matt Bomer: “She (Hilarie Burton) brings so much to the role. She’s the real deal. She’s gorgeous, and she’s in it, and she has brought this amazingly intelligent, challenging, super Type-A character to life that Neal finds really intriguing and ultimately on some level I think wants to tame. It’s a really fun dynamic to get to play with her and she’s such a great actress. It’s really kind of moment to moment with her, which is always fun and keeps me on my toes. We have a lot of fun stuff that we get to do with each other and their relationship will grow and there will be a lot of tension there, maybe a little sexual frustration and then maybe some sexual frustration release; I don’t know. I’m just saying maybe.”
Ask each other a question…
Matt asked Tim, “What’s your favorite thing about Peter Burke and what’s something about Peter that no-one would guess?” Tim’s response: “My favorite thing about Peter Burke is that he has to nearly contain his giddiness when he’s on a case. He just loves it. That keeps him going. I’ve said it before, there is almost a little disappointment when the case is solved.”
Tim jokingly asked, “If Neal were a flower, which one?” They agreed that Neal would be a beautiful flower which “would lure you in and then it would be poisonous but only a very specific poison.” The duo then added the poison wouldn’t be lethal but would make you trip out for a couple of days, like a peyote flower.
If they were to sing a duet together…
Matt and Tim joked that they perform at weddings and bar mitzvahs plus that they couldn’t sing on the call because their booking agent would be unhappy. Tim began to recite lyrics (“Wherever he goes, whatever he does, we’ll always go through it together”) from “Together, Wherever We Go” by Bette Midler. They then agreed they would sing that song together.
This team of Tim and Matt or Peter and Neal doesn’t disappoint whether onscreen or off. They are so spontaneous, witty and charming. Make sure you tune in to see more of this premier partnership when White Collar returns on Tuesday, January 18th at 10 PM on USA Network. If you’re not watching, you’re missing out.
An article from AfterElton
[Source]
Director of "Twelve Thirty" Says Jonathan Groff Couldn't Be More Believable Playing Straight
Posted by Michael Jensen, Editor on January 8, 2011
In an interview with Gay City News, Jeff Lipsky, the straight writer and director of the new drama Twelve Thirty, says out Broadway star Jonathan Groff is completely believable as a straight man. Says Lipsky:
Here is the movie's trailer.
I guess I don't like his quote, which I coloured in red. Jonathan was brilliant also in Glee.
Director of "Twelve Thirty" Says Jonathan Groff Couldn't Be More Believable Playing Straight
Posted by Michael Jensen, Editor on January 8, 2011
In an interview with Gay City News, Jeff Lipsky, the straight writer and director of the new drama Twelve Thirty, says out Broadway star Jonathan Groff is completely believable as a straight man. Says Lipsky:
"I'd not heard of Groff before casting," he said. "I saw 'Spring Awakening' after he left the cast. 'Taking Woodstock' was released after we cast 'Twelve Thirty.' Then 'Glee' came along. I didn't know of his fandom gathering critical mass. When I met and auditioned him, called him back, cast the film, and directed him, I had no idea he was gay. If he came out before the movie, I can't say if I would cast him or not. But I can't imagine another actor, straight or gay, who could be more believable or plausible."The movie opens in New York next Friday and even though The Hollywood Reporter didn't particularly care for it, Groff is the only actor the reviewer did like.
Here is the movie's trailer.
I guess I don't like his quote, which I coloured in red. Jonathan was brilliant also in Glee.
Friday, 7 January 2011
An article from GLAAD, Take action now!
[Source]
Tell CNN to Make a New Year's Resolution:
Tell CNN to Make a New Year's Resolution:
Keep Away From the Anti-Gay Industry
CNN has long been one of America's most respected journalistic organizations on many issues, but for several years, it has had a giant blind spot when it comes to issues that impact the LGBT community. On December 21, John King USA ran a segment featuring Peter Sprigg from Family Research Council, but there are countless other examples. Out of a desire for 'balance' on these issues, CNN turned - as they often do - to the anti-gay industry to provide the counterpoint. Except all too frequently, the network doesn't book these people because they provide any actual expertise or experience on issues that impact LGBT people; their only qualification is that they are anti-gay.
We're all familiar with New Year's Resolutions – things we pledge to do to improve ourselves in the coming year. The new year is a fresh start; achance to start anew, down a better, healthier path. Most of us have a vice or two we'd like to give up, a few pounds we'd love to shed, or an area of our lives that we need to organize.
Just like us – the media needs to do a little housecleaning. Namely, it's time for outlets to finally drop several hundred pounds of unhealthy weight, which they've been carrying around for years, in the form of anti-gay activists.
During that John King segment on the pending repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and its implementation, King featured openly gay former service member Alex Nicholson, alongside Sprigg, who is a "senior fellow for policy studies" at the Family Research Council.
Nicholson's qualifications were clear. As an openly gay, former Army intelligence officer, he gave firsthand accounts of how the policy played out in the day-to-day lives of gay and lesbian service members.Sprigg's qualifications, however, came exclusively from his job at the Family Research Council. There, Sprigg has worked to advance some of the most hurtful, dangerous, and demonstrably false notions about the lives of LGBT people that our country has seen in recent years. And yet, by pairing him with Nicholson in this segment, CNN told its millions of viewers that both of these men should be seen as equally valuable to this discussion.
| TAKE ACTION NOW |
Is it important for the media to take these groups on? Of course it is. But that's not what CNN and other media organizations are doing when it invites these groups to take part in otherwise reasonable discussions. The media is elevating their hurtful messages and attitudes to the level of rational discourse. The media is saying that people like Alexander Nicholson, who can speak to real-life experience and firsthand facts, need to be "balanced" by people like Peter Sprigg, whose claim to fame is arguing that being gay should be outlawed. If CNN wants to interview a gay person who believes being straight should be outlawed, THEN Peter Sprigg would be an acceptable "balance."
CNN and the rest of the media are doing nothing but exposing their viewers to dangerous anti-gay rhetoric when they invite members of these anti-gay groups onto their programming. Starting in 2011, this needs to stop.
Many of us who make New Year's Resolutions can run into trouble figuring out where to start. So the attached petition makes this a very, very easy resolution to keep. Tell the media that if they can't find someone who isn't part of the anti-gay industry to discuss an issue that involves the LGBT community, then the "other side" of that issue isn't one worth hearing.
Weir comes out in new book, says he loves his life
[Source]
365 Gay: News
Weir comes out in new book, says he loves his life
By The Associated Press
01.07.2011 10:00am EST
(New York) Never a fan of labels, Johnny Weir is giving himself one: He's gay.
The figure skater comes out in his new book, “Welcome to My World,” but said in an excerpt published in the Jan. 17 issue of People magazine that being gay “is the smallest part of what makes me me.”
“I'm not ashamed to be me,” Weir wrote. “More than anyone else I know, I love my life and accept myself. What's wrong with being unique? I am proud of everything that I am and will become.”
Weir's autobiography will be released Tuesday. He starts a book tour in New York the same day.
The three-time U.S. champion is one of skating's most colorful, oversized and popular personalities, and he enjoys challenging convention. He once posed for a photo shoot in a skirt and stilettos, and was targeted by animal-rights activists after adding white fox fur to one of costumes at last year's U.S. championships.
But he repeatedly avoided questions about his sexual orientation, saying he didn't want to be defined by labels. After broadcasters on French-language RDS made derogatory comments about Weir's masculinity during last year's Vancouver Olympics, the skater again refused to answer the question, saying he wanted people to see him “for who I am, not what I am.”
“All the gay websites couldn't figure out why I was such a jerk that I wouldn't talk about it,” Weir wrote. “But pressure is the last thing that would make me want to ‘join' a community. … The massive backlash against me in the gay media and community only made me dig my ‘closeted' heels in further.”
Asked why he decided to come out now, Weir told People he never felt he was in the closet. His parents have always supported him, and his sexual orientation is “not an issue” with his family. But Weir knows that isn't the case for everyone, particularly teenagers.
“With people killing themselves and being scared into the closet, I hope that even just one person can gain strength from my story,” Weir told People.
In his book, Weir said he realized “there was something different about me” as a 6-year-old when he watched “Pretty Woman” and was attracted to Richard Gere. He writes about being picked on by students in middle school after he started skating, and finding a haven at the ice rink.
“By puberty, I knew that I was gay,” he wrote. “But I didn't worry about it much. As a serious skater, I was way too busy.”
Weir, who is currently in Russia, is taking the year off from competition. But he hasn't ruled out returning in hopes of making a run at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.
365 Gay: News
Weir comes out in new book, says he loves his life
By The Associated Press
01.07.2011 10:00am EST
(New York) Never a fan of labels, Johnny Weir is giving himself one: He's gay.
The figure skater comes out in his new book, “Welcome to My World,” but said in an excerpt published in the Jan. 17 issue of People magazine that being gay “is the smallest part of what makes me me.”
“I'm not ashamed to be me,” Weir wrote. “More than anyone else I know, I love my life and accept myself. What's wrong with being unique? I am proud of everything that I am and will become.”
Weir's autobiography will be released Tuesday. He starts a book tour in New York the same day.
The three-time U.S. champion is one of skating's most colorful, oversized and popular personalities, and he enjoys challenging convention. He once posed for a photo shoot in a skirt and stilettos, and was targeted by animal-rights activists after adding white fox fur to one of costumes at last year's U.S. championships.
But he repeatedly avoided questions about his sexual orientation, saying he didn't want to be defined by labels. After broadcasters on French-language RDS made derogatory comments about Weir's masculinity during last year's Vancouver Olympics, the skater again refused to answer the question, saying he wanted people to see him “for who I am, not what I am.”
“All the gay websites couldn't figure out why I was such a jerk that I wouldn't talk about it,” Weir wrote. “But pressure is the last thing that would make me want to ‘join' a community. … The massive backlash against me in the gay media and community only made me dig my ‘closeted' heels in further.”
Asked why he decided to come out now, Weir told People he never felt he was in the closet. His parents have always supported him, and his sexual orientation is “not an issue” with his family. But Weir knows that isn't the case for everyone, particularly teenagers.
“With people killing themselves and being scared into the closet, I hope that even just one person can gain strength from my story,” Weir told People.
In his book, Weir said he realized “there was something different about me” as a 6-year-old when he watched “Pretty Woman” and was attracted to Richard Gere. He writes about being picked on by students in middle school after he started skating, and finding a haven at the ice rink.
“By puberty, I knew that I was gay,” he wrote. “But I didn't worry about it much. As a serious skater, I was way too busy.”
Weir, who is currently in Russia, is taking the year off from competition. But he hasn't ruled out returning in hopes of making a run at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
An article from guardian.co.uk
[Source]
Hollywood studios 'won't cast gay actors in gay roles'
guardian.co.uk,
Tuesday 4 January 2011 12.11 GMT
A US commentator has reignited a row over gay actors in Hollywood after claiming that studios shut out stars who make their sexuality public.
Newsweek writer Ramin Setoodeh was widely vilified in April when he wrote a piece claiming that openly gay TV star Sean Hayes, best known for his role as the flamboyant Jack in Will and Grace, did not make a convincing straight character in the Broadway play Promises, Promises. In a new article, Setoodeh, who is himself gay, suggests that gay men are not even able to play gay roles because Hollywood prefers to hand them to straight actors.
"The lovable lesbian wives in The Kids Are All Right were played by the heterosexual actresses Annette Bening and Julianne Moore," writes Setoodeh. "The quirky couple in I Love You Phillip Morris were portrayed by straight men Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor.
"You could say that's why it's called 'acting'. But that's little comfort to gay actors, who are routinely shut out of the studio system, even though Hollywood is supposedly one of the most 'gay-friendly' towns. Movies need to attract the broadest possible audience, and film-makers worry that if they cast a gay person as a romantic lead, audiences will be too grossed out. Instead, straight actors get the roles, and everybody talks about how brave they are."
Setoodeh's comments echo recent remarks made by the British actor Rupert Everett, who said that he had been completely shut out of Hollywood since coming out. Speaking on Radio 4, Everett praised Colin Firth's portrayal of a gay man in last year's A Single Man, but said such casting choices left actors such as himself with limited opportunities.
"A lot of straight actors are actively searching for gay roles because it is something different to do," he said. "I think that's fine, but that does mean the gay actor who used to just get to play the gay part – like me – has been reduced to drag, really."
Richard Chamberlain, star of the 1970s Three Musketeers films and The Man in the Iron Mask, as well as a teen idol as Dr Kildare in his younger days, recently warned gay actors against coming out. Chamberlain, who announced that he was gay in a 2003 autobiography, said: "I wouldn't advise a gay leading man-type actor to come out. There is still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. It's regrettable, stupid, heartless and immoral, but there it is."
Hollywood studios 'won't cast gay actors in gay roles'
Newsweek writer Ramin Setoodeh reignites row over sexuality in the film industry, saying gay actors are shut out
Ben Childguardian.co.uk,
Tuesday 4 January 2011 12.11 GMT
 |
| Playing it gay ... Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey in I Love You Phillip Morris. Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Features |
Newsweek writer Ramin Setoodeh was widely vilified in April when he wrote a piece claiming that openly gay TV star Sean Hayes, best known for his role as the flamboyant Jack in Will and Grace, did not make a convincing straight character in the Broadway play Promises, Promises. In a new article, Setoodeh, who is himself gay, suggests that gay men are not even able to play gay roles because Hollywood prefers to hand them to straight actors.
"The lovable lesbian wives in The Kids Are All Right were played by the heterosexual actresses Annette Bening and Julianne Moore," writes Setoodeh. "The quirky couple in I Love You Phillip Morris were portrayed by straight men Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor.
"You could say that's why it's called 'acting'. But that's little comfort to gay actors, who are routinely shut out of the studio system, even though Hollywood is supposedly one of the most 'gay-friendly' towns. Movies need to attract the broadest possible audience, and film-makers worry that if they cast a gay person as a romantic lead, audiences will be too grossed out. Instead, straight actors get the roles, and everybody talks about how brave they are."
Setoodeh's comments echo recent remarks made by the British actor Rupert Everett, who said that he had been completely shut out of Hollywood since coming out. Speaking on Radio 4, Everett praised Colin Firth's portrayal of a gay man in last year's A Single Man, but said such casting choices left actors such as himself with limited opportunities.
"A lot of straight actors are actively searching for gay roles because it is something different to do," he said. "I think that's fine, but that does mean the gay actor who used to just get to play the gay part – like me – has been reduced to drag, really."
Richard Chamberlain, star of the 1970s Three Musketeers films and The Man in the Iron Mask, as well as a teen idol as Dr Kildare in his younger days, recently warned gay actors against coming out. Chamberlain, who announced that he was gay in a 2003 autobiography, said: "I wouldn't advise a gay leading man-type actor to come out. There is still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. It's regrettable, stupid, heartless and immoral, but there it is."
Marriage Equality
Modern Family's Jesse Tyler Ferguson for Marriage Equality
It's too late though, I found this clip today, because I'm not a big fan of PH. Anyway Jesse talks about marriage equality.
It's too late though, I found this clip today, because I'm not a big fan of PH. Anyway Jesse talks about marriage equality.
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