Sunday, 27 July 2014
Monday, 21 July 2014
Nelsan Ellis Spills the Beans on Luke Grimes - The Backlot
[Source]
Nelsan Ellis Spills the Beans on Luke Grimes
by Dennis Ayers | July 21, 2014
Vulture’s Jennifer Vineyard nabbed an excellent interview with Nelsan Ellis, the actor behind True Blood‘s much beloved Lafayette Reynolds. Ellis opens up about his new film role playing R&B legend Bobby Byrd in the James Brown biopic Get On Up. He also owns up to a surprising lack of dance skills and shares his great sadness at saying goodbye to all his True Blood castmates: “I’m going to miss seven years of a family.”
One former castmate Ellis is probably not going to miss is Luke Grimes. As you’ll recall, Grimes was cast as vampire James at the end of Season 6 and was ostensibly a love interest for Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll). This season started with a recast James (now played by Nathan Parsons) and intimations of a love triangle between James, Jessica and Lafayette.
Many fans were hoping that Lafayette would get a meaningful romance before the show ends, and after last night’s episode it looks like that’s happening.
But fans also had a lot of questions about Luke Grimes’ abrupt departure. Did he leave because his character was going to be in a same-sex relationship? Ellis was surprisingly candid about what happened:
Nelsan Ellis Spills the Beans on Luke Grimes
by Dennis Ayers | July 21, 2014
 |
| (source) |
One former castmate Ellis is probably not going to miss is Luke Grimes. As you’ll recall, Grimes was cast as vampire James at the end of Season 6 and was ostensibly a love interest for Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll). This season started with a recast James (now played by Nathan Parsons) and intimations of a love triangle between James, Jessica and Lafayette.
 |
| Actors Luke Grimes (l) and Nathan Parsons |
But fans also had a lot of questions about Luke Grimes’ abrupt departure. Did he leave because his character was going to be in a same-sex relationship? Ellis was surprisingly candid about what happened:
Vulture: Did you ever get a chance to talk to or bond with Luke Grimes when he was playing James, before they switched off?
Ellis: I didn’t, but I’m completely… I mean, I can say I’m not going to make a comment, but I just think that, you’re an actor, you’re an actor on a show that’s True Blood, we’re all sitting there going, “You quit your job because … really?” I’m just… I’m over him. You quit your job because you don’t want to play a gay part? As if it’s… You know what? I’m going to stop talking.
Ellis: I didn’t, but I’m completely… I mean, I can say I’m not going to make a comment, but I just think that, you’re an actor, you’re an actor on a show that’s True Blood, we’re all sitting there going, “You quit your job because … really?” I’m just… I’m over him. You quit your job because you don’t want to play a gay part? As if it’s… You know what? I’m going to stop talking.
Vulture: That’s okay. I get what you’re saying. If you’re going to be on True Blood, you have to be open to a lot of experiences.
Ellis: You have to be open. But more importantly, you make a statement when you do something like that. I did a documentary called Damn Wonderful, about gay suicide, and you make a statement, a big statement, when you go, “I don’t want to play this part because it’s gay.” If you have a child, if you have a son, and he comes out as gay, what are you going to do? If you have a daughter who comes out gay…? You just made a statement, and it has ripple effects. First of all, this show, it’s True Blood, and shit, we get scared when we read scripts! Excuse my language. When scripts come, we’re like, “What are they going to have us do this week?” But when you make a statement that is a judgment… I was kind of like, “Have you met Alan Ball?” I’m supposed to do what my boss tells me to do, as an actor. I can’t approach a character with judgment. I certainly can’t tell my boss, “I can act what I want to act, but not what you tell me to act,” especially on a show where you come in, knowing what it is. I was like, “Okay… I guess?” I just thought that, having just done the documentary, I didn’t like what he did because he made a statement, and sometimes you have to take responsibility.
Ellis: You have to be open. But more importantly, you make a statement when you do something like that. I did a documentary called Damn Wonderful, about gay suicide, and you make a statement, a big statement, when you go, “I don’t want to play this part because it’s gay.” If you have a child, if you have a son, and he comes out as gay, what are you going to do? If you have a daughter who comes out gay…? You just made a statement, and it has ripple effects. First of all, this show, it’s True Blood, and shit, we get scared when we read scripts! Excuse my language. When scripts come, we’re like, “What are they going to have us do this week?” But when you make a statement that is a judgment… I was kind of like, “Have you met Alan Ball?” I’m supposed to do what my boss tells me to do, as an actor. I can’t approach a character with judgment. I certainly can’t tell my boss, “I can act what I want to act, but not what you tell me to act,” especially on a show where you come in, knowing what it is. I was like, “Okay… I guess?” I just thought that, having just done the documentary, I didn’t like what he did because he made a statement, and sometimes you have to take responsibility.
Vulture: Is it safe to say he won’t be invited back for the True Blood musical?
Ellis: [Laughs.] I don’t think he’ll be invited back to HBO.
Ouch! The entire interview is worth a read and will make you a bigger fan of Nelsan Ellis than you probably already were. You can find it here.
Ellis: [Laughs.] I don’t think he’ll be invited back to HBO.
Ouch! The entire interview is worth a read and will make you a bigger fan of Nelsan Ellis than you probably already were. You can find it here.
Sunday, 20 July 2014
True Blood’s Nelsan Ellis on Saying Good-bye to Lafayette - Vulture
[Source]
Warning: Spoilers abound in the following interview, up through “Lost Cause,” the July 20 episode of True Blood.
It’s not a stretch to call Nelsan Ellis's Lafayette the heart of True Blood. He's the one Sookie and other Bon Temps residents continually go to for both the tough love and the laughs, the one who comforts them when they need it most and who won't let them mope when they need to celebrate life. So is it so wrong for him to get a little loving, too? Okay, granted, getting it on in the parking lot with Jessica's boyfriend, James, before they’ve actually broken up may not have been the best way to start fresh, but Lafayette has a point — he deserves some happiness, too. Coincidentally, it's the same point that Ellis's portrayal of Bobby Byrd has in Get On Up, the James Brown biopic, out August 1: Just because you're the support system, the sidekick, the best friend doesn't mean you don't deserve a little love, too. Ellis chatted with Vulture about Lafayette's love life, how he feels about Luke Grimes dropping out of the show, and how he overcame his "two right feet."
Lafayette's been lonely for a really long time ...I think this season for Lafayette is about redemption and taking command of his own happiness. He's not happy in the first half of the season, but he becomes happy the second half of the season. And I can't say why he's not happy in the first half of the season. Wait — yes, I can! That [episode] already aired. [Laughs] Tara died.
It's completely understandable that he's been in mourning and unhappy for so long, because Jesús died, and then Tara died. But we've been rooting for him to get some for a while. A lot of people have — as long as it's love this time.
It is. It is. It's love. I'm a very lucky actor, because this is my second love interest. We deal with certain fans of that, and we have good chemistry, and we throw everything into it. I can't say enough about Nathan. Both of my love interests are great guys, great actors, both Kevin Alejandro and Nathan Parsons, and I love them onscreen. Every moment with them. You know what? I kind of fall in love with both of them! I guess I'm supposed to.
What was it like shooting the scene with Nathan? Did you do anything to bond with him beforehand?It was easy breezy, just like Kevin. Because Nathan is a professional. He shows up and does his job, and he puts his heart into it. Kissing him was weird at first, but then I went, "Okay!" Same with Kevin — I can close my eyes, and you can be the girlfriend. It's not really a big deal. It's easy breezy. I mean, he's a wonderful actor. I love watching him work. Love watching him work. Our first scene together, I just listened to him talk most of the time. And we have good chemistry, and it worked. It worked.
Did you ever get a chance to talk to or bond with Luke Grimes when he was playing James, before they switched off?
I didn't, but I'm completely ... I mean, I can say I'm not going to make a comment, but I just think that, you're an actor, you're an actor on a show that's True Blood, we're all sitting there going, "You quit your job because ... really?" I'm just... I'm over him. You quit your job because you don't want to play a gay part? As if it's ... You know what? I'm going to stop talking.
That's okay. I get what you're saying. If you're going to be on True Blood, you have to be open to a lot of experiences.You have to be open. But more importantly, you make a statement when you do something like that. I did a documentary called Damn Wonderful, about gay suicide, and you make a statement, a big statement, when you go, "I don't want to play this part because it's gay." If you have a child, if you have a son, and he comes out as gay, what are you going to do? If you have a daughter who comes out gay ...? You just made a statement, and it has ripple effects. First of all, this show, it's True Blood, and shit, we get scared when we read scripts! Excuse my language. When scripts come, we're like, "What are they going to have us do this week?" But when you make a statement that is a judgment ... I was kind of like, "Have you met Alan Ball?" I'm supposed to do what my boss tells me to do, as an actor. I can't approach a character with judgment. I certainly can't tell my boss, "I can act what I want to act, but not what you tell me to act," especially on a show where you come in, knowing what it is. I was like, "Okay... I guess?" I just thought that, having just done the documentary, I didn't like what he did because he made a statement, and sometimes you have to take responsibility.
Is it safe to say he won't be invited back for the True Blood musical?[Laughs.] I don't think he'll be invited back to HBO.
Would you be game to do the musical?If they invite me, I'll do it! I do everything they ask. I can at least do a whole lot of dancing.
That's what Joe Manganiello said, and we know he can dance, from Magic Mike.Yeah, he's a better man than me, because I thought I could dance, but 90 percent of my job in Get On Up has dancing in it, and I apparently have two right feet. [Laughs.] It was a lot of dancing for me, and I actually found out that I can't dance.
But you dance on True Blood![Laughs.] Every time I dance on True Blood, I pay the choreographer out of my own pocket to come in, and I ask, "What should I do?" Because I don't know how to be a stripper! I had rhythm, but I didn't know I couldn't dance until Get On Up. They had two very good choreographers, and then I had to bring in a person from an agency — [a man] named David Sincere — to be my dance coach and live with me. When I got off work, we danced until my eyes bled. So when they call "Action!" I can produce. We did the work. We did the work. And now, I've got way more funk. [Laughs.] I'm doing the mashed potato! And I don't kid. When people ask, when I'm in the club doing it, I'm sorry, I like this! I do all those dances, because James Brown invented some dances. The jerk, he invented that style of jerk because he was a boxer. He invented dancing. Usher does what James Brown does. Yeah. The difference is, I have an old face. I don't have a contemporary face. So when I do that style of dance, everyone calls me an old man. But I spent five hours a day rehearsing these dance moves, and then going home to a person and rehearsing for hours again. So I'll probably be doing these dance moves for the next two or three years! [Laughs.]
Did you manage to steal anything from the set? Or what are you going to take away, to say good-bye?What am I going to take away? It's sad. I'm not going to see Anna Paquin's babies. I'm not going to see Sam [Trammell]'s babies. I mean, we had babies all together. We started this show with no families, and then we had families. We made families together. And I'm in love with Anna's son with the curly hair, with this Afro that's weird, and her feisty daughter, and Sam's big ol' sons. So moving away, I'm losing a lot of family. We've had babies together. My son is 7, and we all had these kids on the show, and we all bring them to work. I mean, we had a trailer committed to the babies. And we had a set that allowed our dog, as long as he doesn't bite anybody, to run free. So all our dogs, too. I'm going to miss seven years of a family. That's the thing I'm going to lose. Because the reality is, we're not going to talk. Because that's what actors do: They go off a show, and they go off and do what they're going to do. It doesn't discount the fact that you honor and love the people in that family. I mean, my son is going to miss Anna, the dog, the kids. And to explain to him, "Daddy has to move on," that stuff doesn't compute with a child. And it doesn't compute with me, because I thought this was going to be forever. That's the thing I'm going to lose. I'm going to lose fourteen families.
What about at Comic-Con and future reunions?All that other stuff is bittersweet. You go, "Okay, I saw you now, but I'm not going to see ..." The reason that it's bittersweet is that I'm so used to seeing them every day. And the babies, the dogs, the families. My son, jumping in Sam's girlfriend's lap. I won't have anymore memories like that. It's going to be gone.
| Chat Room 7/20/2014 at 11:45 AM  By Jennifer Vineyard |
Warning: Spoilers abound in the following interview, up through “Lost Cause,” the July 20 episode of True Blood.
It’s not a stretch to call Nelsan Ellis's Lafayette the heart of True Blood. He's the one Sookie and other Bon Temps residents continually go to for both the tough love and the laughs, the one who comforts them when they need it most and who won't let them mope when they need to celebrate life. So is it so wrong for him to get a little loving, too? Okay, granted, getting it on in the parking lot with Jessica's boyfriend, James, before they’ve actually broken up may not have been the best way to start fresh, but Lafayette has a point — he deserves some happiness, too. Coincidentally, it's the same point that Ellis's portrayal of Bobby Byrd has in Get On Up, the James Brown biopic, out August 1: Just because you're the support system, the sidekick, the best friend doesn't mean you don't deserve a little love, too. Ellis chatted with Vulture about Lafayette's love life, how he feels about Luke Grimes dropping out of the show, and how he overcame his "two right feet."
Lafayette's been lonely for a really long time ...I think this season for Lafayette is about redemption and taking command of his own happiness. He's not happy in the first half of the season, but he becomes happy the second half of the season. And I can't say why he's not happy in the first half of the season. Wait — yes, I can! That [episode] already aired. [Laughs] Tara died.
It's completely understandable that he's been in mourning and unhappy for so long, because Jesús died, and then Tara died. But we've been rooting for him to get some for a while. A lot of people have — as long as it's love this time.
It is. It is. It's love. I'm a very lucky actor, because this is my second love interest. We deal with certain fans of that, and we have good chemistry, and we throw everything into it. I can't say enough about Nathan. Both of my love interests are great guys, great actors, both Kevin Alejandro and Nathan Parsons, and I love them onscreen. Every moment with them. You know what? I kind of fall in love with both of them! I guess I'm supposed to.
What was it like shooting the scene with Nathan? Did you do anything to bond with him beforehand?It was easy breezy, just like Kevin. Because Nathan is a professional. He shows up and does his job, and he puts his heart into it. Kissing him was weird at first, but then I went, "Okay!" Same with Kevin — I can close my eyes, and you can be the girlfriend. It's not really a big deal. It's easy breezy. I mean, he's a wonderful actor. I love watching him work. Love watching him work. Our first scene together, I just listened to him talk most of the time. And we have good chemistry, and it worked. It worked.
Did you ever get a chance to talk to or bond with Luke Grimes when he was playing James, before they switched off?
I didn't, but I'm completely ... I mean, I can say I'm not going to make a comment, but I just think that, you're an actor, you're an actor on a show that's True Blood, we're all sitting there going, "You quit your job because ... really?" I'm just... I'm over him. You quit your job because you don't want to play a gay part? As if it's ... You know what? I'm going to stop talking.
That's okay. I get what you're saying. If you're going to be on True Blood, you have to be open to a lot of experiences.You have to be open. But more importantly, you make a statement when you do something like that. I did a documentary called Damn Wonderful, about gay suicide, and you make a statement, a big statement, when you go, "I don't want to play this part because it's gay." If you have a child, if you have a son, and he comes out as gay, what are you going to do? If you have a daughter who comes out gay ...? You just made a statement, and it has ripple effects. First of all, this show, it's True Blood, and shit, we get scared when we read scripts! Excuse my language. When scripts come, we're like, "What are they going to have us do this week?" But when you make a statement that is a judgment ... I was kind of like, "Have you met Alan Ball?" I'm supposed to do what my boss tells me to do, as an actor. I can't approach a character with judgment. I certainly can't tell my boss, "I can act what I want to act, but not what you tell me to act," especially on a show where you come in, knowing what it is. I was like, "Okay... I guess?" I just thought that, having just done the documentary, I didn't like what he did because he made a statement, and sometimes you have to take responsibility.
Is it safe to say he won't be invited back for the True Blood musical?[Laughs.] I don't think he'll be invited back to HBO.
Would you be game to do the musical?If they invite me, I'll do it! I do everything they ask. I can at least do a whole lot of dancing.
That's what Joe Manganiello said, and we know he can dance, from Magic Mike.Yeah, he's a better man than me, because I thought I could dance, but 90 percent of my job in Get On Up has dancing in it, and I apparently have two right feet. [Laughs.] It was a lot of dancing for me, and I actually found out that I can't dance.
But you dance on True Blood![Laughs.] Every time I dance on True Blood, I pay the choreographer out of my own pocket to come in, and I ask, "What should I do?" Because I don't know how to be a stripper! I had rhythm, but I didn't know I couldn't dance until Get On Up. They had two very good choreographers, and then I had to bring in a person from an agency — [a man] named David Sincere — to be my dance coach and live with me. When I got off work, we danced until my eyes bled. So when they call "Action!" I can produce. We did the work. We did the work. And now, I've got way more funk. [Laughs.] I'm doing the mashed potato! And I don't kid. When people ask, when I'm in the club doing it, I'm sorry, I like this! I do all those dances, because James Brown invented some dances. The jerk, he invented that style of jerk because he was a boxer. He invented dancing. Usher does what James Brown does. Yeah. The difference is, I have an old face. I don't have a contemporary face. So when I do that style of dance, everyone calls me an old man. But I spent five hours a day rehearsing these dance moves, and then going home to a person and rehearsing for hours again. So I'll probably be doing these dance moves for the next two or three years! [Laughs.]
Did you manage to steal anything from the set? Or what are you going to take away, to say good-bye?What am I going to take away? It's sad. I'm not going to see Anna Paquin's babies. I'm not going to see Sam [Trammell]'s babies. I mean, we had babies all together. We started this show with no families, and then we had families. We made families together. And I'm in love with Anna's son with the curly hair, with this Afro that's weird, and her feisty daughter, and Sam's big ol' sons. So moving away, I'm losing a lot of family. We've had babies together. My son is 7, and we all had these kids on the show, and we all bring them to work. I mean, we had a trailer committed to the babies. And we had a set that allowed our dog, as long as he doesn't bite anybody, to run free. So all our dogs, too. I'm going to miss seven years of a family. That's the thing I'm going to lose. Because the reality is, we're not going to talk. Because that's what actors do: They go off a show, and they go off and do what they're going to do. It doesn't discount the fact that you honor and love the people in that family. I mean, my son is going to miss Anna, the dog, the kids. And to explain to him, "Daddy has to move on," that stuff doesn't compute with a child. And it doesn't compute with me, because I thought this was going to be forever. That's the thing I'm going to lose. I'm going to lose fourteen families.
What about at Comic-Con and future reunions?All that other stuff is bittersweet. You go, "Okay, I saw you now, but I'm not going to see ..." The reason that it's bittersweet is that I'm so used to seeing them every day. And the babies, the dogs, the families. My son, jumping in Sam's girlfriend's lap. I won't have anymore memories like that. It's going to be gone.
Saturday, 19 July 2014
Kieron Richardson has engaged to Carl Hyland
[Source]
Bust out the bubbly! Hollyoaks actor Kieron Richardson announces engagement to Carl Hyland
By Bella Brennan
Published: 15:55 GMT, 18 July 2014 | Updated: 16:54 GMT, 19 July 2014
Hollyoaks actor Kieron Richardson has announced the exciting news he is engaged to boyfriend Carl Hyland.
The 28-year-old, who is best known for playing Ste Hay in the long-running Channel 4 soap, told The Mirror he hopes to wed his beau early next year.
‘I just got engaged. It's really exciting. We've been together for over seven years so it's not a shock,’ he explained to the publication.
Kieron hopes to have a low-key ceremony that’s full of surprises.
More...
‘Depending on storylines, we're hoping to squeeze it in next year. I don't want it to be a cold wedding, but then I don't want to be too hot, so it'll be spring,’ he said.
‘Not even my mum knows some of the things I have in mind,’ he explained.
The popular star came out in 2010 when he revealed on national television that, like his on-screen character Ste, he is gay as well.
'I am gay in real life and at 20 years old I kind of accepted it myself and now I can finally relate to my character Ste that he is 20 and he's going through things that I went through in my past,’ he said at the time.
The happy news came shortly after it was confirmed Hollyoaks is the most violent soap opera on British television, beating EastEnders to the title after it had 11.5 violent scenes per hour last year in comparison to the BBC One programme's 2.1, according to Ofcom.
The soap - which is currently following a harrowing domestic abuse and rape storyline - has even overtaken ITV's Coronation Street, which has remained steady at three violent scenes per hour, as well as Emmerdale's four.
Hollyoaks came under fire from Ofcom last year and was labelled too ‘violent and shocking’ for pre-watershed viewing after a character was pushed under a train in a disturbing scene in August 2013.
A Channel 4 spokesman said during the furore 'We are committed to ensuring all Hollyoaks storylines are appropriate for a pre-watershed audience.'
Bust out the bubbly! Hollyoaks actor Kieron Richardson announces engagement to Carl Hyland
By Bella Brennan
Published: 15:55 GMT, 18 July 2014 | Updated: 16:54 GMT, 19 July 2014
Hollyoaks actor Kieron Richardson has announced the exciting news he is engaged to boyfriend Carl Hyland.
The 28-year-old, who is best known for playing Ste Hay in the long-running Channel 4 soap, told The Mirror he hopes to wed his beau early next year.
‘I just got engaged. It's really exciting. We've been together for over seven years so it's not a shock,’ he explained to the publication.
 |
| Elated: Hollyoaks actor Kieron Richardson has confirmed he's engaged to longterm partner Carl Hyland |
Kieron hopes to have a low-key ceremony that’s full of surprises.
More...
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- New bride Fearne Cotton is still wearing white as she attends star-studded summer party with pregnant Holly Willoughby
- Coordinated! Newlyweds Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl look picture perfect in matching deep blue attire at the New York premiere of Magic In The Moonlight
‘Depending on storylines, we're hoping to squeeze it in next year. I don't want it to be a cold wedding, but then I don't want to be too hot, so it'll be spring,’ he said.
‘Not even my mum knows some of the things I have in mind,’ he explained.
The popular star came out in 2010 when he revealed on national television that, like his on-screen character Ste, he is gay as well.
'I am gay in real life and at 20 years old I kind of accepted it myself and now I can finally relate to my character Ste that he is 20 and he's going through things that I went through in my past,’ he said at the time.
 |
| Keeping it low key: The 28-year-old wants a small ceremony that's full of surprises |
The happy news came shortly after it was confirmed Hollyoaks is the most violent soap opera on British television, beating EastEnders to the title after it had 11.5 violent scenes per hour last year in comparison to the BBC One programme's 2.1, according to Ofcom.
The soap - which is currently following a harrowing domestic abuse and rape storyline - has even overtaken ITV's Coronation Street, which has remained steady at three violent scenes per hour, as well as Emmerdale's four.
Hollyoaks came under fire from Ofcom last year and was labelled too ‘violent and shocking’ for pre-watershed viewing after a character was pushed under a train in a disturbing scene in August 2013.
A Channel 4 spokesman said during the furore 'We are committed to ensuring all Hollyoaks storylines are appropriate for a pre-watershed audience.'
 |
| Glowing groom! 'I just got engaged. It's really exciting. We've been together for over seven years so it's not a shock' |
Tuesday, 15 July 2014
The Night Shift Brendan Fehr - The Backlot
[Source]
Brendan Fehr Clears The Air, Proud of His Work on “The Night Shift”
by Jim Halterman | July 15, 2014
First, TheBacklot posted a story about an interview actor Brendan Fehr gave with TooFab where he talked about some of his uncomfortable feelings with acting out some of the scenes with on-screen love interest Luke Macfarlane. on the NBC series, The Night Shift.
That story created a whole lot of buzz from our readers, so Fehr responded via Twitter, which we posted in a follow-up story.
So, what did the actor have to say when we caught up with him at the NBC Universal party during the current Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour? Plenty.
The actor owned up to not being too eloquent in his previous statements, talked about how he’s still learning about a community he is not a part of but is portraying on the show and he also joked about working with a good looking guy like Macfarlane.
Series co-creator Jeff Judah was also present to answer questions about the shaping of Fehr’s character and what we’ll see in season 2– including more of Luke Macfarlane!
TheBacklot: Talk to me about your preconceptions about the show and the role.
Brendan Fehr: I don’t think there were any preconceived notions, per se. I mean, I knew what the first script was and I knew how I was going to play him, and I knew the kind of character they wanted me to play. That I was excited about. I think it’s a character that really hasn’t…not that it’s necessarily groundbreaking, but I’m not sure that there’s a character like this on television. I’m not sure we’ve ever seen a gay guy played this particular way, you know what I mean?
In terms of a fighter and…there’s nothing really feminine about him. He’s sensitive and we’ve seen him cry. It’s not like he’s some closed off robot, but I don’t recall ever seeing it. So that was something I was excited about. But I was just trying to be realistic in the fact that we live in America and being gay still isn’t accepted by all people for all the things.
So I think I got in a lot of trouble about the risks and the rewards. It was always going to be a reward for me in terms of what I was able to accomplish with it and what I wanted to do. But the risks were obviously in terms of other fans out there. I’ve got a big female [fan] base to a certain degree. Would some people not really want to see me in that role? With the Midwest where people watch TV, would they kind of reject me as an actor in that role? I think those were the risks I was talking about.
And it kind of played itself out and me being straight and not knowing that world entirely and then asked to represent that world. There’s a risk there because there’s going to be miscommunication. I don’t know that world as a gay guy or gay woman who’s grown up in that. You recognize the passion and what these people have gone through and what they’re fighting for, but it’s still not second nature to me. It’s still something that I have to put myself in someone else’s shoes for.
Everything I said in that interview I could have made it clearer and more eloquent. I’m not the most eloquent person in the world. I’m kind of a meat and potatoes type of guy. I hope people have enough common sense to figure out what kind of person I am and to give me the benefit of the doubt when it could go either way.
I do stand by everything [and] I was just being realistic about all the possible things. I was having conversations with people and I took the role and I love the role. I’m proud of what I’ve done with it. I just want to focus on the positive stuff too because it’s fun to kind of go tit for tat with people. I’m that kind of person where I like confrontation. This isn’t the place for it and I think this is one where I want people to like him, you know what I mean?
I had some critics and they said something about playing gay. I said I don’t play him gay, I play him human. Do I get to do some gay stuff? Yes, of course. But it’s like he’s a human being. I play the emotions. I play what he feels. I think that’s the most important part and that’s why I love him because he’s a really specific character. He stands out for me on this show. There are still risks because he is such a great character. Because I am representing something, which is a little bit foreign to me, which makes it exciting. But I don’t want to cater to just the LGBT community. I want people who don’t like homosexuals to begrudgingly go ‘you know, I guess the gay kid’s all right.’ You know what I mean? I want them to be sitting there in Nebraska on their couch going ‘I like the gay one.’
[Executive Producer/co-creator Jeff Judah joins us]
TBL: The finale is coming up. What can we expect with Drew?
Jeff Judah: His story in the finale is he’s stepping up from being a second year resident to sort of running things more…he’s got to step up and [he’s] got to go out with TC (Eoin Macken]. Suddenly, to us, it’s the Drew character witnessing his surrogate big brother starting to lose his s**t. The person that he’s like ‘this is my guy, this is who I want to be, oh shit.’
BF: Jill [Flint’s] character, Jordan, she gives me the responsibility. She’s like ‘you’ve got to watch TC.’ So, the tables turn a little bit where we’ve got to go to this factory fire and I kind of see him, like Jeff said, unraveling. It’s certainly not a changing of the guard.
JJ: It’s like this slow destruction of everyone’s big brother and hero going to a place of ‘what do we do now?’ For Brendan’s character, Drew, that was a lot of the main thing of this guy like I want to be him. Then suddenly there’s a cost to this…there are elements of PTSD but it’s really about the thing that happens.
TBL: What would your hope be for Drew in season two? Hopefully Luke will come back.
BF: I mean, I love Luke. He was a great guy. I think it’s just a matter of seeing Drew just grow as a surgeon. I kind of bridge that gap between Eoin, Jill and Ken [Leung’s] characters. They’re kind of the surgeons and then you have the residents. I’m right in between there. But I think in terms of what we see at the end of this [season], I think he’s got to step up a little bit and I think we’re going to see that in season two where he’s going to grow as a surgeon and then he’s going to be a part of helping out that hospital. I think there’s going to be a little bit more of the presence of the veterans and the military. I think we’re going to try and fit that into Drew’s storyline within the hospital setting.
TBL: Well, if you had to get broken in to playing a gay role, doing it with Luke Macfarlane is not a bad thing.
BF: [laughs] No, it’s not. I got pissed when they hired someone who was better looking than I was! I was like ‘I want to be the good looking one in this relationship, assholes.’
JJ: We used to joke about when we were editing it because they look so much alike, we’re like ‘is he gay or is he just into himself?’
TBL: I’m guessing the sexuality part is not going to be as big of an issue because a lot of it’s been dealt with, right?
JJ: I can tell you more about it. My brother-in-law is gay and lives in Baltimore. I’ve been with my wife 21 years, so I’ve known him for 23 years. I’ve seen this is in the bear world.
TBL: [to Brendan] Do you know about the bears?
BF: [laughs] I do know about the bears.
JJ: My brother-in-law’s world has never been reflective. The guys he knows are FedEx drivers and UPS guys and it’s Baltimore, blue collar guys. When we first pitched the show, when I first talked to Bob [Greenblatt, NBC Chairman] about it, it’s like every gay guy you see in television wears green checked suits and sings show tunes. It annoys the shit out of me because it’s not the experience that I’ve had through my brother-in-law, who I’m very close to. So I’ve been with him and he’s married now. It’s like, the guys aren’t like that. They’re just not like it. It’s a different world and you’re seeing that with all the athletes coming out. I mean we were really dogmatic in trying to nail it of just saying it’s a different world.
TBL: So, assuming you get Luke back for season two…
JJ: He’ll be back.
TBL: Good! Do you have an idea where the story will go for that relationship?
JJ: A lot of it is we’re going to get into the VA of it all. Luke is a wounded warrior now. There’s a place called The Intrepid Center that I’ve been telling Brendan about in San Antonio, which is just mind blowing. They have these apartments setup so if someone loses a leg [or] an arm, they go there and they learn how to be self-sufficient. They have this three dimensional video machine thing. If someone lost their legs, they’ll put them on this table and it kind of vibrates. It gives the feeling of running. Their body is projected on legs and it shows what it’s going to look like for them. They actually see themselves running.
The season finale of The Night Shift airs tonight at 10pm on NBC.
Brendan Fehr Clears The Air, Proud of His Work on “The Night Shift”
by Jim Halterman | July 15, 2014
 |
| Actor Brendan Fehr (R) as Dr. Drew Alister on NBC’s The Night Shift Photos: NBC |
First, TheBacklot posted a story about an interview actor Brendan Fehr gave with TooFab where he talked about some of his uncomfortable feelings with acting out some of the scenes with on-screen love interest Luke Macfarlane. on the NBC series, The Night Shift.
That story created a whole lot of buzz from our readers, so Fehr responded via Twitter, which we posted in a follow-up story.
So, what did the actor have to say when we caught up with him at the NBC Universal party during the current Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour? Plenty.
The actor owned up to not being too eloquent in his previous statements, talked about how he’s still learning about a community he is not a part of but is portraying on the show and he also joked about working with a good looking guy like Macfarlane.
Series co-creator Jeff Judah was also present to answer questions about the shaping of Fehr’s character and what we’ll see in season 2– including more of Luke Macfarlane!
TheBacklot: Talk to me about your preconceptions about the show and the role.
In terms of a fighter and…there’s nothing really feminine about him. He’s sensitive and we’ve seen him cry. It’s not like he’s some closed off robot, but I don’t recall ever seeing it. So that was something I was excited about. But I was just trying to be realistic in the fact that we live in America and being gay still isn’t accepted by all people for all the things.
So I think I got in a lot of trouble about the risks and the rewards. It was always going to be a reward for me in terms of what I was able to accomplish with it and what I wanted to do. But the risks were obviously in terms of other fans out there. I’ve got a big female [fan] base to a certain degree. Would some people not really want to see me in that role? With the Midwest where people watch TV, would they kind of reject me as an actor in that role? I think those were the risks I was talking about.
And it kind of played itself out and me being straight and not knowing that world entirely and then asked to represent that world. There’s a risk there because there’s going to be miscommunication. I don’t know that world as a gay guy or gay woman who’s grown up in that. You recognize the passion and what these people have gone through and what they’re fighting for, but it’s still not second nature to me. It’s still something that I have to put myself in someone else’s shoes for.
Everything I said in that interview I could have made it clearer and more eloquent. I’m not the most eloquent person in the world. I’m kind of a meat and potatoes type of guy. I hope people have enough common sense to figure out what kind of person I am and to give me the benefit of the doubt when it could go either way.
I do stand by everything [and] I was just being realistic about all the possible things. I was having conversations with people and I took the role and I love the role. I’m proud of what I’ve done with it. I just want to focus on the positive stuff too because it’s fun to kind of go tit for tat with people. I’m that kind of person where I like confrontation. This isn’t the place for it and I think this is one where I want people to like him, you know what I mean?
I had some critics and they said something about playing gay. I said I don’t play him gay, I play him human. Do I get to do some gay stuff? Yes, of course. But it’s like he’s a human being. I play the emotions. I play what he feels. I think that’s the most important part and that’s why I love him because he’s a really specific character. He stands out for me on this show. There are still risks because he is such a great character. Because I am representing something, which is a little bit foreign to me, which makes it exciting. But I don’t want to cater to just the LGBT community. I want people who don’t like homosexuals to begrudgingly go ‘you know, I guess the gay kid’s all right.’ You know what I mean? I want them to be sitting there in Nebraska on their couch going ‘I like the gay one.’
 |
| Fehr (l) in a scene with Luke Macfarlane |
[Executive Producer/co-creator Jeff Judah joins us]
TBL: The finale is coming up. What can we expect with Drew?
Jeff Judah: His story in the finale is he’s stepping up from being a second year resident to sort of running things more…he’s got to step up and [he’s] got to go out with TC (Eoin Macken]. Suddenly, to us, it’s the Drew character witnessing his surrogate big brother starting to lose his s**t. The person that he’s like ‘this is my guy, this is who I want to be, oh shit.’
BF: Jill [Flint’s] character, Jordan, she gives me the responsibility. She’s like ‘you’ve got to watch TC.’ So, the tables turn a little bit where we’ve got to go to this factory fire and I kind of see him, like Jeff said, unraveling. It’s certainly not a changing of the guard.
JJ: It’s like this slow destruction of everyone’s big brother and hero going to a place of ‘what do we do now?’ For Brendan’s character, Drew, that was a lot of the main thing of this guy like I want to be him. Then suddenly there’s a cost to this…there are elements of PTSD but it’s really about the thing that happens.
 |
| (l to r) Eoin Macken, Macfarlane and Fehr |
BF: I mean, I love Luke. He was a great guy. I think it’s just a matter of seeing Drew just grow as a surgeon. I kind of bridge that gap between Eoin, Jill and Ken [Leung’s] characters. They’re kind of the surgeons and then you have the residents. I’m right in between there. But I think in terms of what we see at the end of this [season], I think he’s got to step up a little bit and I think we’re going to see that in season two where he’s going to grow as a surgeon and then he’s going to be a part of helping out that hospital. I think there’s going to be a little bit more of the presence of the veterans and the military. I think we’re going to try and fit that into Drew’s storyline within the hospital setting.
TBL: Well, if you had to get broken in to playing a gay role, doing it with Luke Macfarlane is not a bad thing.
BF: [laughs] No, it’s not. I got pissed when they hired someone who was better looking than I was! I was like ‘I want to be the good looking one in this relationship, assholes.’
JJ: We used to joke about when we were editing it because they look so much alike, we’re like ‘is he gay or is he just into himself?’
JJ: I can tell you more about it. My brother-in-law is gay and lives in Baltimore. I’ve been with my wife 21 years, so I’ve known him for 23 years. I’ve seen this is in the bear world.
TBL: [to Brendan] Do you know about the bears?
BF: [laughs] I do know about the bears.
JJ: My brother-in-law’s world has never been reflective. The guys he knows are FedEx drivers and UPS guys and it’s Baltimore, blue collar guys. When we first pitched the show, when I first talked to Bob [Greenblatt, NBC Chairman] about it, it’s like every gay guy you see in television wears green checked suits and sings show tunes. It annoys the shit out of me because it’s not the experience that I’ve had through my brother-in-law, who I’m very close to. So I’ve been with him and he’s married now. It’s like, the guys aren’t like that. They’re just not like it. It’s a different world and you’re seeing that with all the athletes coming out. I mean we were really dogmatic in trying to nail it of just saying it’s a different world.
TBL: So, assuming you get Luke back for season two…
JJ: He’ll be back.
TBL: Good! Do you have an idea where the story will go for that relationship?
JJ: A lot of it is we’re going to get into the VA of it all. Luke is a wounded warrior now. There’s a place called The Intrepid Center that I’ve been telling Brendan about in San Antonio, which is just mind blowing. They have these apartments setup so if someone loses a leg [or] an arm, they go there and they learn how to be self-sufficient. They have this three dimensional video machine thing. If someone lost their legs, they’ll put them on this table and it kind of vibrates. It gives the feeling of running. Their body is projected on legs and it shows what it’s going to look like for them. They actually see themselves running.
The season finale of The Night Shift airs tonight at 10pm on NBC.
Sunday, 13 July 2014
Ian Thorpe comes out - Mail Online
[Source]
'Part of me didn't know if Australia wanted its champion to be gay. But I'm telling the world that I am': Ian Thorpe reveals why he kept his sexuality a secret for years... and only started telling people two weeks ago
Published: 12:49 GMT, 12 July 2014 | Updated: 12:40 GMT, 13 July 2014
SEXUALITY
'I've thought about this for a long time,' Thorpe said.
'I'm not straight. And this is only something that very recently - in the past two weeks - I've been comfortable telling the closest people around me exactly that.'
The champion swimmer, who was first asked about his sexuality at the age of 16, acknowledged he had hid behind a 'convenient lie'.
'I didn't know at the stage, I was too young,' he said.
'I didn't accept it in myself. I didn't want to be gay. I was still gay at the end of the day.
'Yes, I lied about it. I'm comfortable saying I'm a gay man.'
But it was the fear of letting down or hurting his loved ones - and his nation - that held him back from revealing the truth.
'My close friends are going to be accused of being my lover,' he said.
'It's happened before. It happened in 2009. My housemate who lived with me - I was on a vacation in Brazil, there was a photo, instantly people said: 'this is my lover'. He was my housemate, one of my best friends, and he was drawn into this. And I loathed that because I tried to protect everyone from it.
'Part of me didn't know if Australia wanted its champion to be gay. But I'm telling the world that I am.'
Since coming out, Thorpe wishes he had done so earlier.
'My parents told me that they love me and that they support me,' he said.
'I'm a little bit ashamed that I didn't come out earlier. That I didn't have the strength to do it, that I didn't have the courage to break that lie. I don't want that struggle to be so hard for other people.'
DEPRESSION AND FAME
Thorpe, who retired from professional swimming in 2012, had accomplished his dreams by the time he reached 17.
Known as the Thorpedo during his stellar career, the athlete smashed 22 world records and along the way won five gold, three silver and one bronze Olympic medals.
He has also won 11 World titles and 11 (10 gold, one silver) Commonwealth Games medals.
'I struggled with the success of what I did,' he said.
'I just wanted to swim. And when that wasn't taken away from me, when I wasn't able to have the peace that I needed at training - when that was interrupted by photographers - it felt as though it was being taken away and that my career was not my own, it was other people's.
'I felt that I needed to get my life back. And I thought that the way I could do it was to stop swimming. It's unfortunate that I did it, and I know why I did it. Now I wish that I hadn't but it's what I needed to do.'
Yet this wasn't enough to help him with his crippling depression, which had grown up with from a very young age.
The severity of the it hit Thorpe at the age of 19, which is when he began taking anti-depressants and also turned to alcohol.
'I knew I needed something that was a safety net for me,' he said.
'When I looked at anti-depressants that aren't working, I'll have a drink and I feel better, then it becomes cyclical. You start to drink and you start to self-medicated.
'I thought it was unfair that I was doing the right thing: I was taking my anti-depressants and I was still feeling miserable.'
The then teenage Thorpe was afraid to show the world his inner turmoil.
'I didn't want to share my problems with people,' he said.
'I didn't want anyone else to know I'm unhappy. Because I'm living what is a dream life for an Australian. I'm a tremendously successful athlete - I should be having the time of my life and I'm not. So I kept it to myself.'
He even went as far as contemplating suicide but it was his family and friends who held him back.
'I couldn't do it to them. I think that's the only thing that stopped me,' Thorpe said.
LIFE AFTER SWIMMING
While Thorpe may consider swimming instructing in the near future, he also wants to continue his fight for the injustice Indigenous people face in Australia.
He spoke about his charity that has helped Indigenous people, focusing on employment and education.
'I see too often the stereotyping of Indigenous people that is not accurate,' he said.
'I think it is time that we actually recognise that we have this tremendous culture on our doorstep and it's time to embrace it and it's time to recognise the Indigenous people for their contribution to the nation.'
Thorpe's passion for television may also steer him in the direction of interviewing athletes during major sporting events. And he's already signed a deal to be part of Network Ten's Commonwealth Games commentary team this month.
The swimming legend also shared his hopes to settle down with a long-term partner.
'I love kids and I'd love to have a family,' he said.
Overall, Thorpe is looking forward to getting on with his life.
'This is very new for me,' he said.
'Telling my parents and close people, they reflected, they said it's like I'm a happier person, a person that know and that they remember.
'My parents have wanted more than anything else to have their son back.'
Thorpe has been inundated with support from fans and celebrities since the revelation was first reported in The Sunday Telegraph on Saturday.
This sent Twitter into a frenzy and prompted Thorpe to write: 'To Everyone who has sent messages of support I sincerely Thank you.'
Such tweets included one from fellow Olympic swimming great Stephanie Rice who called him a 'superstar'.
Writing on Twitter, Rice said: 'I'm sure it must have been incredibly hard for @IanThorpe to come out, but I hope this bring him peace and that everyone respects his choice.
'Thorpie is and will always be a superstar in my eyes!' she wrote.
The 26-year-old was previously dumped by her sponsor Jaguar after she made a homophobic comment on Twitter, relating to a Rugby Union match in which the Australian Wallabies defeated the South African Springboks.
'Ian Thorpe we're proud of YOU Regardless of sexuality, achievements, medals or anything else... You're an Aussie who we'll love & stand by,' radio show 2dayFM breakfast said.
Former preacher turned gay rights advocate Anthony Venn-Brown tweeted: 'Life's much brighter on this side of the closet @IanThorpe. Welcome to being you.'
British Australian actress Magda Szubanski wrote: 'So happy and proud for @IanThorpe Coming Out in his own time on his own terms. Wish you all things good darling boy. It's fun & free Out here!'
Speaking on the Today show on Sunday morning, Szubanski added: 'After I came out then I freaked out about it and thought "what had I done" but everyone was fine.'
'I'm very pleased he can be whatever he wants to be, when he wants to be proudly... We live in a homophobic society so the reluctance of gay people is completely understandable,' she said.
She called for Australia to 'examine our attitudes and change them'.
Australian novelist Dominic Knight said: 'I hope Ian Thorpe's decision to come out allows him to find a little more peace in life. He has always been an inspiration.'
Meanwhile, Peter FitzSimons wrote in his Sydney Morning Herald column: 'With homophobia still such an omnipresent force in Australian life, the fact that our most admired modern sportsperson declares himself gay, is significant, and yet one more forearm jolt to the Hydra head of the beast known as bigotry.'
Radio stars Fitzy and Wippa said they hoped Thorpe was happier now.
'Ian Thorpe, you're a legend. Your bravery has been shown in and out of the pool. We hope you're happier now mate. Proud of you,' they wrote on Twitter.
And journalist Julia Baird said: 'We're all behind you, @IanThorpe. xx'
'Big love to @IanThorpe!' tweeted Gay Times magazine.
Teen star Troye Sivan wrote: '@IanThorpe you've made a gigantic leap for the LGBT community, the sporting community, and for Australia today. #OnYaThorpie :)
And comedian Charlie Pickering said: 'So Ian Thorpe is our most successful gay swimmer. Or as I like to say our most successful swimmer.'
In his 2012 autobiography This Is Me, Australia's most decorated Olympian said that he found the accusations about his sexuality hurtful and judging of his integrity.
In an extract, he explained: 'That’s the only part I find hurtful, that this is something I would be embarrassed about and that I would hide.'
'For the record, I am not gay and all my sexual experiences have been straight,' he added.
'I'm attracted to women, I love children and aspire to have a family one day.
'I know what it's like to grow up and be told what your sexuality is, then realising that it's not the full reality. I was accused of being gay before I knew who I was.'
This followed years of public denials including a statement issued in 2009 by his management company: 'In the past, on several separate occasions, I have answered questions about my sexuality openly and honestly with the media ... my situation in this regard has not changed,' he said.
Then in July 2011 he told the The Sunday Times : 'I don't think anybody has a right to write about [my private life], but I don't care enough about it to be bothered. If you try and fight it, you're damned; if you don't, you're damned. If you get married, it's a sham.'
The startling admission is just taste of what viewers can expect from the no-holds barred interview.
In 2009, news.com.au reported that Thorpe's management issued a statement regarding comments in a 2007 magazine article discussing a heterosexual relationship with Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard.
'Well, I did have a long-term, long-distance relationship (with Beard), and it was great while it lasted. It was sort of public knowledge we were seeing each other, and yet not. It went on for ages, years,' he was quoted as saying.
Beard's agent quashed the statement: 'Take out the word relationship and put in the word friendship and that's exactly what it was.'
Thorpe has just overcome a physical and mental battle following complications arising from shoulder surgery that almost cost him his arm.
Parkinson said Thorpe's decision that no question was off limits was brave and says he examined the good times and the bad of the Australian swimming legend.
'His fight against depression offers a unique insight into the darker side of celebrity and success,' Parkinson said in a statement released by Ten.
'What fascinates me most about Ian is that apart from the very beginning of his career, he never seemed to enjoy and celebrate his success.
'I think his sexuality is no one's business but his own. But I think it is one of the best interviews I have ever done.
'Ian Thorpe has always been near the top of my list to interview.
'Not many athletes can claim to be the best of all time. Ian can.'
Parkinson is renowned for not being afraid to ask the tough and sometimes uncomfortable questions.
Some of the British journalist's most memorable moments includes the time that boxer Muhammad Ali squared up to him for calling him Cassius Clay instead of by his Muslim name, and when former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham let slip her nickname for husband David was Golden Balls.
Former British Primer Minister Tony Blair also spoke about the time that his father-in-law had asked permission to smoke cannabis in front of him, while his chat with Hollywood A-lister Meg Ryan made for uncomfortable viewing when she appeared moody and unresponsive and asked for the interview to be wrapped up.
Thorpe first retired in November, 2006, aged 24, and then made an ill-fated comeback in 2011 when he failed to make the Australian team for the 2012 London Games.
Ian Thorpe: The Parkinson Interview aired on Sunday, July 13, at 6.30pm.
Thorpe's agent and Network Ten have been contacted by Daily Mail Australia for comment.
'Part of me didn't know if Australia wanted its champion to be gay. But I'm telling the world that I am': Ian Thorpe reveals why he kept his sexuality a secret for years... and only started telling people two weeks ago
- Swimming legend says he only came out to family and friends over the last few weeks
- Australian television interview with Sir Michael Parkinson was aired on Sunday night
- Thorpe also spoke about his battle with depression, his struggle with fame and his future
- The 31-year-old retired from professional swimming in 2012
Published: 12:49 GMT, 12 July 2014 | Updated: 12:40 GMT, 13 July 2014
Australian Olympic swimming legend Ian Thorpe has finally put an end to years of speculation about his sexual orientation.
The 31-year-old revealed that he 'is a gay man' during his compelling interview with Sir Michael Parkinson on Sunday night.
Thorpe
touched on his battle with depression which reached a point where he
considered suicide, his struggle with fame, his ambitions and what he
hopes the future may hold for him.
But it was Parkinson's highly-anticipated question that kept viewers waiting.
'You've always said that you're not gay. Is all of that true?' Parkinson asked.
Scroll down for video
 |
| 'Are you gay?' No question was off-limits for British journalist Michael Parkinson when he sat down with former Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe for an interview that will air next week |
 |
| No holds barred! The tell-all interview will air on July 13 on Network Ten |
 |
| Superhuman! Known as the the Thorpedo during his stellar career, Thorpe smashed 22 world records and along the way won five gold, three silver and one bronze Olympic medals |
SEXUALITY
'I've thought about this for a long time,' Thorpe said.
'I'm not straight. And this is only something that very recently - in the past two weeks - I've been comfortable telling the closest people around me exactly that.'
The champion swimmer, who was first asked about his sexuality at the age of 16, acknowledged he had hid behind a 'convenient lie'.
'I didn't know at the stage, I was too young,' he said.
'I didn't accept it in myself. I didn't want to be gay. I was still gay at the end of the day.
'Yes, I lied about it. I'm comfortable saying I'm a gay man.'
But it was the fear of letting down or hurting his loved ones - and his nation - that held him back from revealing the truth.
'My close friends are going to be accused of being my lover,' he said.
'It's happened before. It happened in 2009. My housemate who lived with me - I was on a vacation in Brazil, there was a photo, instantly people said: 'this is my lover'. He was my housemate, one of my best friends, and he was drawn into this. And I loathed that because I tried to protect everyone from it.
'Part of me didn't know if Australia wanted its champion to be gay. But I'm telling the world that I am.'
Since coming out, Thorpe wishes he had done so earlier.
'My parents told me that they love me and that they support me,' he said.
'I'm a little bit ashamed that I didn't come out earlier. That I didn't have the strength to do it, that I didn't have the courage to break that lie. I don't want that struggle to be so hard for other people.'
 |
Big news: The Australian swimmer arrives at a press conference to announce his retirement from professional swimming at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth hotel on November 21, 2006 |
 |
| Pensive: Thorpe, a five-time Olympic gold-medallist, announced he would discontinue his professional swimming career to concentrate on new challenges |
DEPRESSION AND FAME
Thorpe, who retired from professional swimming in 2012, had accomplished his dreams by the time he reached 17.
Known as the Thorpedo during his stellar career, the athlete smashed 22 world records and along the way won five gold, three silver and one bronze Olympic medals.
He has also won 11 World titles and 11 (10 gold, one silver) Commonwealth Games medals.
'I struggled with the success of what I did,' he said.
'I just wanted to swim. And when that wasn't taken away from me, when I wasn't able to have the peace that I needed at training - when that was interrupted by photographers - it felt as though it was being taken away and that my career was not my own, it was other people's.
'I felt that I needed to get my life back. And I thought that the way I could do it was to stop swimming. It's unfortunate that I did it, and I know why I did it. Now I wish that I hadn't but it's what I needed to do.'
Yet this wasn't enough to help him with his crippling depression, which had grown up with from a very young age.
The severity of the it hit Thorpe at the age of 19, which is when he began taking anti-depressants and also turned to alcohol.
'I knew I needed something that was a safety net for me,' he said.
'When I looked at anti-depressants that aren't working, I'll have a drink and I feel better, then it becomes cyclical. You start to drink and you start to self-medicated.
'I thought it was unfair that I was doing the right thing: I was taking my anti-depressants and I was still feeling miserable.'
The then teenage Thorpe was afraid to show the world his inner turmoil.
'I didn't want to share my problems with people,' he said.
'I didn't want anyone else to know I'm unhappy. Because I'm living what is a dream life for an Australian. I'm a tremendously successful athlete - I should be having the time of my life and I'm not. So I kept it to myself.'
He even went as far as contemplating suicide but it was his family and friends who held him back.
'I couldn't do it to them. I think that's the only thing that stopped me,' Thorpe said.
 |
| Thorpe celebrates his victory on the podium during the medal ceremony for the men's swimming 200 metre freestyle event at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games |
LIFE AFTER SWIMMING
While Thorpe may consider swimming instructing in the near future, he also wants to continue his fight for the injustice Indigenous people face in Australia.
He spoke about his charity that has helped Indigenous people, focusing on employment and education.
'I see too often the stereotyping of Indigenous people that is not accurate,' he said.
'I think it is time that we actually recognise that we have this tremendous culture on our doorstep and it's time to embrace it and it's time to recognise the Indigenous people for their contribution to the nation.'
Thorpe's passion for television may also steer him in the direction of interviewing athletes during major sporting events. And he's already signed a deal to be part of Network Ten's Commonwealth Games commentary team this month.
The swimming legend also shared his hopes to settle down with a long-term partner.
'I love kids and I'd love to have a family,' he said.
Overall, Thorpe is looking forward to getting on with his life.
'This is very new for me,' he said.
'Telling my parents and close people, they reflected, they said it's like I'm a happier person, a person that know and that they remember.
'My parents have wanted more than anything else to have their son back.'
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| Ian Thorpe thanks those who supported him |
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| Fellow Olympic great Stephanie Rice, who retired on 9 April 2014, said she hopes everyone 'respects' Thorpe's choices |
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| Swimming superstar Rice was previously dumped by sponsor Jaguar after writing a homophobic slur on Twitter |
Thorpe has been inundated with support from fans and celebrities since the revelation was first reported in The Sunday Telegraph on Saturday.
This sent Twitter into a frenzy and prompted Thorpe to write: 'To Everyone who has sent messages of support I sincerely Thank you.'
Such tweets included one from fellow Olympic swimming great Stephanie Rice who called him a 'superstar'.
Writing on Twitter, Rice said: 'I'm sure it must have been incredibly hard for @IanThorpe to come out, but I hope this bring him peace and that everyone respects his choice.
'Thorpie is and will always be a superstar in my eyes!' she wrote.
The 26-year-old was previously dumped by her sponsor Jaguar after she made a homophobic comment on Twitter, relating to a Rugby Union match in which the Australian Wallabies defeated the South African Springboks.
'Ian Thorpe we're proud of YOU Regardless of sexuality, achievements, medals or anything else... You're an Aussie who we'll love & stand by,' radio show 2dayFM breakfast said.
Former preacher turned gay rights advocate Anthony Venn-Brown tweeted: 'Life's much brighter on this side of the closet @IanThorpe. Welcome to being you.'
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| Add captionSupportive: Twitter was sent into a frenzy following Thorpe's news |
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| Words of encouragement were also tweeted for Ian Thorpe |
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| Thorpe vows to continue his fight for the injustice Indigenous people face in Australia |
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| The Black Dog Institute showed their support on Twitter |
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| Ian Thorpe's interview prompted Australian gay and lesbian lifestyle website SameSame.com.au to share their views |
British Australian actress Magda Szubanski wrote: 'So happy and proud for @IanThorpe Coming Out in his own time on his own terms. Wish you all things good darling boy. It's fun & free Out here!'
Speaking on the Today show on Sunday morning, Szubanski added: 'After I came out then I freaked out about it and thought "what had I done" but everyone was fine.'
'I'm very pleased he can be whatever he wants to be, when he wants to be proudly... We live in a homophobic society so the reluctance of gay people is completely understandable,' she said.
She called for Australia to 'examine our attitudes and change them'.
Australian novelist Dominic Knight said: 'I hope Ian Thorpe's decision to come out allows him to find a little more peace in life. He has always been an inspiration.'
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| More to come: In the 25 second promo clip, Parkinson said to Thorpe: 'You've always said that you're not gay... is all of that true?' |
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| Australian radio stars Fitzy and Wippa sent a message of support on Sunday morning |
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| British Australian actress Magda Szubanski said she is proud of Thorpe for 'coming Out in his own time' |
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| Magda Szubanski called for Australia to 'examine our attitudes and change them' while speaking on the Today Show |
Meanwhile, Peter FitzSimons wrote in his Sydney Morning Herald column: 'With homophobia still such an omnipresent force in Australian life, the fact that our most admired modern sportsperson declares himself gay, is significant, and yet one more forearm jolt to the Hydra head of the beast known as bigotry.'
Radio stars Fitzy and Wippa said they hoped Thorpe was happier now.
'Ian Thorpe, you're a legend. Your bravery has been shown in and out of the pool. We hope you're happier now mate. Proud of you,' they wrote on Twitter.
And journalist Julia Baird said: 'We're all behind you, @IanThorpe. xx'
'Big love to @IanThorpe!' tweeted Gay Times magazine.
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| Australian journalist Julia Baird said: 'We're all behind you' |
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| Australian novelist Dominic Knight said he hopes Thorpe will 'find a little more peace in life' |
Teen star Troye Sivan wrote: '@IanThorpe you've made a gigantic leap for the LGBT community, the sporting community, and for Australia today. #OnYaThorpie :)
And comedian Charlie Pickering said: 'So Ian Thorpe is our most successful gay swimmer. Or as I like to say our most successful swimmer.'
In his 2012 autobiography This Is Me, Australia's most decorated Olympian said that he found the accusations about his sexuality hurtful and judging of his integrity.
In an extract, he explained: 'That’s the only part I find hurtful, that this is something I would be embarrassed about and that I would hide.'
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| False claim: In 2009 it was reported that Thorpe's management issued a statement regarding comments in a 2007 magazine article discussing a heterosexual relationship with Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard |
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| Teen star Troye Sivan said Thorpe has 'made a gigantic leap for Australia' |
'For the record, I am not gay and all my sexual experiences have been straight,' he added.
'I'm attracted to women, I love children and aspire to have a family one day.
'I know what it's like to grow up and be told what your sexuality is, then realising that it's not the full reality. I was accused of being gay before I knew who I was.'
This followed years of public denials including a statement issued in 2009 by his management company: 'In the past, on several separate occasions, I have answered questions about my sexuality openly and honestly with the media ... my situation in this regard has not changed,' he said.
Then in July 2011 he told the The Sunday Times : 'I don't think anybody has a right to write about [my private life], but I don't care enough about it to be bothered. If you try and fight it, you're damned; if you don't, you're damned. If you get married, it's a sham.'
The startling admission is just taste of what viewers can expect from the no-holds barred interview.
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| Sit down chat: 'His fight against depression offers a unique insight into the darker side of celebrity and success,' Michael said |
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| No holds barred: Ian looked pained as Parkinson quizzed him on his sexuality |
'Well, I did have a long-term, long-distance relationship (with Beard), and it was great while it lasted. It was sort of public knowledge we were seeing each other, and yet not. It went on for ages, years,' he was quoted as saying.
Beard's agent quashed the statement: 'Take out the word relationship and put in the word friendship and that's exactly what it was.'
Thorpe has just overcome a physical and mental battle following complications arising from shoulder surgery that almost cost him his arm.
Parkinson said Thorpe's decision that no question was off limits was brave and says he examined the good times and the bad of the Australian swimming legend.
'His fight against depression offers a unique insight into the darker side of celebrity and success,' Parkinson said in a statement released by Ten.
'What fascinates me most about Ian is that apart from the very beginning of his career, he never seemed to enjoy and celebrate his success.
'I think his sexuality is no one's business but his own. But I think it is one of the best interviews I have ever done.
'Ian Thorpe has always been near the top of my list to interview.
'Not many athletes can claim to be the best of all time. Ian can.'
Parkinson is renowned for not being afraid to ask the tough and sometimes uncomfortable questions.
Some of the British journalist's most memorable moments includes the time that boxer Muhammad Ali squared up to him for calling him Cassius Clay instead of by his Muslim name, and when former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham let slip her nickname for husband David was Golden Balls.
Former British Primer Minister Tony Blair also spoke about the time that his father-in-law had asked permission to smoke cannabis in front of him, while his chat with Hollywood A-lister Meg Ryan made for uncomfortable viewing when she appeared moody and unresponsive and asked for the interview to be wrapped up.
Thorpe first retired in November, 2006, aged 24, and then made an ill-fated comeback in 2011 when he failed to make the Australian team for the 2012 London Games.
Ian Thorpe: The Parkinson Interview aired on Sunday, July 13, at 6.30pm.
Thorpe's agent and Network Ten have been contacted by Daily Mail Australia for comment.
| IAN THORPE'S INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL PARKINSON |
| On his sexuality: I was 16 (when I was first asked about it). I've thought about this for a long time. I'm not straight. And this is only something that very recently - in the past two weeks - I've been comfortable telling the closest people around me exactly that. I don't want young people to feel the same way I did. I've wanted to for some time. I couldn't, I didn't feel as though I could. The problem was I was asked at such a young age about my sexuality. I went to an all-boys school... so if you're accused of being gay then the first answer is no and you get ready for a fight. I didn't know at the stage, I was too young. I carried this. I thought that the lie had become so big that I didn't want people to question my integrity. A little bit of ego comes into this. I didn't want people to question whether I'd lied about everything. Yes, I lied about it. I'm comfortable saying I'm a gay man. My parents told me that they love me and that they support me. Part of me didn't know if Australia wanted its champion to be gay. But I'm telling the world that I am. On suicide: I couldn't deal with leaving friends and family. I couldn't do it to them. I think that's the only thing that stopped me. On depression and medication: It keeps you in a safe area. I knew that I needed to have something that was a safety net for me. When I looked at anti-depressants that aren't working, I'll have a drink and I feel better, then it becomes cyclical. You start to drink and you start to self-medicated. I thought it was unfair that I was doing the right thing: I was taking my anti-depressants and I was still feeling miserable. It was something that I was doing privately. I didn't want to share my problems with people. I didn't want anyone else to know I'm unhappy. Because I'm living what is a dream life for an Australian. I'm a tremendously successful athlete - I should be having the time of my life and I'm not. So I kept it to myself. On fame: I struggled with the success of what I did. I just wanted to swim. And when that wasn't taken away from me, when I wasn't able to have the peace that I needed at training - when that was interrupted by photographers - it felt as thought it was being taken away and that my career was not my own, it was other people's. I felt that I needed to get my life back. And I thought that the way I could do it was to stop swimming. It's unfortunate that I did it, and I know why I did it. Now I wish that I hadn't but it's what I needed to do. |
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| A good get! 'Ian has always been near the top of my list to interview,' Parkinson said |
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| New role: Thorpe will be part of Network Ten's Commonwealth Games commentary team this month |
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| Straight talker: Parkinson, pictured with his wife Mary, is renowned for not being afraid to ask the tough and sometimes uncomfortable questions |
| QUESTION MARKS OVER THORPE'S SEXUALITY |
| In his 2012 autobiography This Is Me, Australia's most decorated Olympian said that he found the accusations about his sexuality hurtful and and judging of his integrity. In an extract, he explained: 'That’s the only part I find hurtful, that this is something I would be embarrassed about and that I would hide.' This followed years of public denials including a statement issued in 2009 by his management company: 'In the past, on several separate occasions, I have answered questions about my sexuality openly and honestly with the media ... my situation in this regard has not changed,' he said. Then in July 2011 he told the The Sunday Times newspaper: 'I don't think anybody has a right to write about (my private life), but I don't care enough about it to be bothered. If you try and fight it, you're damned; if you don't, you're damned. If you get married, it's a shame.' |
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Australia's gold-medalist diver Matthew Mitcham publicly came out as gay in 2008
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| American footballer Michael Sam (left) and British diver Tom Daley (right) have both come out publicly | |||||
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theguardian - Ian Thorpe comes out
[Source]
Ian Thorpe comes out as gay in Parkinson interview
The Australian swimming champion tells a private tale of depression, alcohol problems and drug abuse
Nadia Khomami
The Observer, Sunday 13 July 2014
After years of denial, swimming champion Ian Thorpe has revealed he is gay in an exclusive interview with Sir Michael Parkinson. The five-time Olympic gold medallist and Australia's
most successful Olympic athlete to date, has revealed his sexuality in
an interview to be aired on Australia's Network Ten on Sunday night.
Thorpe, known as the "Thorpedo" for his prowess in the swimming pool, broke 22 world records and won five Olympic gold medals. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, he won three gold and two silver medals, making him the most successful athlete at the Games. He also won 10 gold medals at the Commonwealth Games.
"I've thought about this for a long time. I'm not straight," said the 31-year-old. "And this is only something that very recently, we're talking the past two weeks, I've been comfortable telling the closest people around me, exactly that. I've wanted to [come out] for some time but I couldn't, I didn't feel as though I could. What happened was I felt the lie had become so big that I didn't want people to question my integrity."
The interview, which Parkinson has described as one of the best he has conducted, also details the swimmer's battle with depression, drugs and alcohol, which caused him to check into a rehabilitation unit earlier this year.
The revelations are dramatic particularly because Thorpe has always vehemently denied rumours of his homosexuality. In his own autobiography This Is Me, published in 2012, the swimmer said that he found questions about his sexuality hurtful, writing: "For the record, I am not gay and all my sexual experiences have been straight. I'm attracted to women, I love children and aspire to have a family one day … I know what it's like to grow up and be told what your sexuality is, then realising that it's not the full reality. I was accused of being gay before I knew who I was.''
This came after years of public denials, including a statement issued in 2009 by his management company: "In the past, on several separate occasions, I have answered questions about my sexuality openly and honestly with the media … my situation in this regard has not changed," he said. And in July 2011 he told the Sunday Times: "I don't think anybody has a right to write about [my private life], but I don't care enough about it to be bothered. If you try and fight it, you're damned; if you don't, you're damned. If you get married, it's a sham."
Parkinson said Thorpe's decision that no question was off limits was brave and says he examines the good times and the bad of the Australian swimming legend.
"His fight against depression offers a unique insight into the darker side of celebrity and success," Parkinson said in a statement released by Network Ten.
"Ian Thorpe has always been near the top of my list to interview. The reasons are obvious. Not many athletes can claim to be the best of all time. Ian can.
"What fascinates me most about Ian is that, apart from the very beginning of his career, he never seemed to enjoy and celebrate his success … The story of a boy who was a teenage world champion, conquered the world and then seemed to give it all away is a fascinating and intriguing one."
Aged 14, Thorpe became the youngest male to represent Australia. His victory in the 400m freestyle at the 1998 Perth World Championships made him the youngest individual male world champion. After that, Thorpe became master of the 400m freestyle, winning the event at every Olympic, World, Commonwealth and Pan Pacific Swimming Championships until his break after the 2004 Olympics.
He originally retired from swimming in 2006, aged 24, due to waning motivation. He attempted a comeback in 2011 and 2012, but failed to qualify for the London Olympics. It was subsequently announced that he was targeting qualification for the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona and later the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but was forced to abandon his plans due to a shoulder injury that almost cost him his arm.
He has, however, enjoyed success as a sports commentator and worked for the BBC during the London Olympics. He will also be part of Network Ten's Commonwealth Games commentary team this month.
The revelation sparked a frenzy on social media, with many coming out in support of the swimmer. "Ian Thorpe we're proud of YOU Regardless of sexuality, achievements, medals or anything else … You're an Aussie who we'll love & stand by," @2dayFMbreakfast wrote on Twitter. "Big love to @IanThorpe!" tweeted @GayTimesMag.
"'I can only hope Thorpe's revelations help millions of teens struggling inside themselves to find the courage to be them. Snaps for Thorpie," wrote Lady Catherine @KadyLio, while Anthony Venn-Brown @gayambassador tweeted: "Life's much brighter on this side of the closet @IanThorpe. Welcome to being you."
Ian Thorpe comes out as gay in Parkinson interview
The Australian swimming champion tells a private tale of depression, alcohol problems and drug abuse
Nadia Khomami
The Observer, Sunday 13 July 2014
 |
| Ian Thorpe in 2012. At aged 14, he became the youngest ever male to represent Australia. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/Getty Images |
Thorpe, known as the "Thorpedo" for his prowess in the swimming pool, broke 22 world records and won five Olympic gold medals. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, he won three gold and two silver medals, making him the most successful athlete at the Games. He also won 10 gold medals at the Commonwealth Games.
"I've thought about this for a long time. I'm not straight," said the 31-year-old. "And this is only something that very recently, we're talking the past two weeks, I've been comfortable telling the closest people around me, exactly that. I've wanted to [come out] for some time but I couldn't, I didn't feel as though I could. What happened was I felt the lie had become so big that I didn't want people to question my integrity."
The interview, which Parkinson has described as one of the best he has conducted, also details the swimmer's battle with depression, drugs and alcohol, which caused him to check into a rehabilitation unit earlier this year.
The revelations are dramatic particularly because Thorpe has always vehemently denied rumours of his homosexuality. In his own autobiography This Is Me, published in 2012, the swimmer said that he found questions about his sexuality hurtful, writing: "For the record, I am not gay and all my sexual experiences have been straight. I'm attracted to women, I love children and aspire to have a family one day … I know what it's like to grow up and be told what your sexuality is, then realising that it's not the full reality. I was accused of being gay before I knew who I was.''
This came after years of public denials, including a statement issued in 2009 by his management company: "In the past, on several separate occasions, I have answered questions about my sexuality openly and honestly with the media … my situation in this regard has not changed," he said. And in July 2011 he told the Sunday Times: "I don't think anybody has a right to write about [my private life], but I don't care enough about it to be bothered. If you try and fight it, you're damned; if you don't, you're damned. If you get married, it's a sham."
Parkinson said Thorpe's decision that no question was off limits was brave and says he examines the good times and the bad of the Australian swimming legend.
 |
| In his autobiography published in 2012, Thorpe said 'for the record, I am not gay'. Photograph: Bernd Thissen/EPA |
"Ian Thorpe has always been near the top of my list to interview. The reasons are obvious. Not many athletes can claim to be the best of all time. Ian can.
"What fascinates me most about Ian is that, apart from the very beginning of his career, he never seemed to enjoy and celebrate his success … The story of a boy who was a teenage world champion, conquered the world and then seemed to give it all away is a fascinating and intriguing one."
Aged 14, Thorpe became the youngest male to represent Australia. His victory in the 400m freestyle at the 1998 Perth World Championships made him the youngest individual male world champion. After that, Thorpe became master of the 400m freestyle, winning the event at every Olympic, World, Commonwealth and Pan Pacific Swimming Championships until his break after the 2004 Olympics.
He originally retired from swimming in 2006, aged 24, due to waning motivation. He attempted a comeback in 2011 and 2012, but failed to qualify for the London Olympics. It was subsequently announced that he was targeting qualification for the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona and later the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but was forced to abandon his plans due to a shoulder injury that almost cost him his arm.
He has, however, enjoyed success as a sports commentator and worked for the BBC during the London Olympics. He will also be part of Network Ten's Commonwealth Games commentary team this month.
The revelation sparked a frenzy on social media, with many coming out in support of the swimmer. "Ian Thorpe we're proud of YOU Regardless of sexuality, achievements, medals or anything else … You're an Aussie who we'll love & stand by," @2dayFMbreakfast wrote on Twitter. "Big love to @IanThorpe!" tweeted @GayTimesMag.
"'I can only hope Thorpe's revelations help millions of teens struggling inside themselves to find the courage to be them. Snaps for Thorpie," wrote Lady Catherine @KadyLio, while Anthony Venn-Brown @gayambassador tweeted: "Life's much brighter on this side of the closet @IanThorpe. Welcome to being you."
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