Gay Today: Entertainment

'Triple Crown' Media Awards

By William Horn
Assistant Entertainment Media Director, GLAAD

Awards 'Triple Crown' Concludes in Nation's Capital

Armistead Maupin

GLAAD's third Media Awards ceremony, held in Washington, DC last week, ended a trio of events that have raised $1.8 million for the organization. The well-attended DC Media Awards recognized talk show host Larry King and gay icon Armistead Maupin, author of the wildly successful Tales of the City series of six books and (so far) two mini-series.

Hosted by openly gay actor Patrick Bristow (formerly Ellen's sidekick Peter), the ceremony included plenty of stars and glitz. Other special guests included Michael Boatman (Spin City), Jack Valenti (President of the Motion Picture Association of America), Jessica Hecht (Friends), The Lady Chablis and actress Laura Linney (The Truman Show, Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City).

Hecht, who plays one-half of a lesbian couple on Friends, is happily pregnant in real life with her first child. Backstage, the actress told GLAAD's Joan Garry that not only does she know her unborn baby's gender (it's a girl!), but she already has a name (Stella). On stage, Hecht acted as an auctioneer as a walk-on role for Friends was offered to the crowd for bidding. "They're really nice people and they'll feed you, give you something to drink and give you makeup," Hecht told the crowd of the Friends experience in an attempt to up the bids. Her ploy worked: that coveted walk-on role went for $13,000!

Relatd Articles from the GayToday Archive:
9th Annual GLAAD Media Awards

GLAAD's Hollywood Hotsheet

1998 Hollywood Year in Review

Related Sites:
Homicide: Official Site

Scott Thompson Web site
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Take Note:
New Line recently optioned the rights from MADGUY Films to Confessions of a Window Dresser, based on Simon Doonan's semi-autobiographical book of the same name about the fashion world. Doonan, who was the creative director for retailer Barney's, describes the book as "Caligula meets couture."

He will also executive produce, and MADGUYS' Madonna will produce The Brian Epstein Story won the Huw Wheldon Award for Best Arts Program or Series at this past Sunday's British Academy Television Awards (BAFTA). Epstein was the closeted founding manager of The Beatles who eventually killed himself.

Gay British actor Dirk Bogarde, star of such classics as Darling, The Damned, Death in Venice and The Servant, died on May 8 of a heart attack. In 1961 Bogarde made history by being the first major star to play a gay role in Victim. He was 78 Jamie Lee Curtis, Danny DeVito, Neve Campbell and Bette Midler are reportedly set to star in the upcoming film Drowning Mona.

The movie, about a murder in a small town, is being produced by Al Corley who was one of two actors to portray Steven Carrington, Blake's gay son, on Dynasty. So far only two lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender characters currently on network television are certain to not return next season. Mad About You's recurring Debbie Buchman (Robin Bartlett), Paul's sister, and her girlfriend Joan (Suzie Plakson) were two of the best lesbian representations GLAAD has seen, recently seen in bed together.

Kyle Secor

Mad About You ends its 7-year run on May 24. Other shows or characters in question include Dr. Dennis Hancock (Vondie Curtis-Hall) on Chicago Hope and bisexual Detective Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor) on Homicide: Life On the Streets. Liz Smith is reporting that Nathan Lane is the top choice for the role of Zero Mostel in a Broadway version of Mel Brooks' film The Producers.

Debra Messing, Grace Adler of Will & Grace, is set to portray Mary Magdalene in the upcoming CBS mini-series Jesus. The four-hour extravaganza starts production next week in Morocco. And you thought Will was the only Mary in that household!

Throughout the coming week, each of the major television networks will begin announcing their fall TV line-ups. Look for spin-offs of Law & Order and Buffy: The Vampire Slayer spin-off, as well as the series Wasteland from Dawson's Creek creator Kevin Williamson Also highly likely: the deaths of NewsRadio and Homicide. The Hotsheet will keep you posted.

GLAAD has added the new film British import Get Real, which is enjoying a successful roll out in theaters nationwide throughout May, to its choices for "The 20 Best Lesbian & Gay Films of the 20th Century." If you haven't voted yet, visit www.glaad.org/glaad/20bestfilms/splash.html.

VCR Alert:
Tuesday, May 18: Emmy-winning openly gay director Paris Barclay directs a special 90 minute NYPD Blue (ABC, 9:30PM EST/PST).

Wednesday, May 19: Scott Thompson on Late Night with Conan O'Brian (NBC, 12:35AM EST/PST)

Vote for "The 20 Best Lesbian & Gay Films of the 20th Century" at www.glaad.org