September 2007 Archives
The wait is over. ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Brothers & Sisters" have their season premieres tonight. I've seen both episodes and they are the continuation of a very good thing. Sally Field is back, fresh off her Emmy win for her performance as Nora Walker and, of course, we all can't wait to see more of Matthew Rhys as Kevin who has another same-sex smooch in the very first episode.
I write a little bit more about what I saw and have interviews with "Housewives" cast member Brenda Strong and "Brothers & Sisters" co-stars Emily VanCamp and Sarah Jane Morris in my Hollywood Joe blog.
Check it out!
Also tonight...
The second eason debut of Showtime's "Dexter" starring Michael C. Hall. I am completely hooked on this series about a serial killer who only offs bad people. When I think of James Spader winning another Emmy for "Boston Legal" when Hall was not even nominated for what is TV's best performance by any actor, the whole thing loses credibility. Hall's character isn't gay like he was as David on "Six Feet Under," but he is even more mesmerizing here.
''I don't think that's gonna happen, dude, certainly not. If I was a gay man, I wouldn't want me to represent [the gay community]."
- Adam Sandler's response to being asked at a press conference in Mexico City for "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" if he thought he might become a gay icon.
"I feel sorry for him. I think it’s really sad. What a tragic character. He’s tragic. People like Ted Haggart [sic] – that’s tragic. Or Mark Foley. These are living tragedies. They’re people who want to be part of a society that does not want them, and so they’re willing to be secretive about their sexuality and hide who they are, and really who they are is not bad, it’s not criminal at all. But it drives them to sort of criminalizing acts. It’s really sad."
- Margaret Cho to journalist Julie Bolcer on disgraced Senator Larry Craig.
"It's nice when you're playing music with a group of guys to all be touching in a slightly homoerotic but mostly friendly way. We do the huddle thing, and we tell each other how wonderful we all think the others are. We want to all feel good about ourselves and about playing music. It's important to huddle before every show. It keeps you in touch. You can't go on stage without a huddle."
- Maroon 5's Adam Levine to VH-1 on the band's pre-show ritual.
"F**k that. I don't really care about that. I don't understand that kind of attitude. When you ask me a question like that, when somebody says "too gay," I don't understand what "too gay" means... I can't give credence to that. I can't pay attention to that. I can't honor that kind of attitude. All I can really do is play a character who has integrity, who has the strength to be honest, the strength to be human, trying to figure out their life, and make it as good and filled with integrity as I possibly can."
- Ron Rifkin to AfterElton.com when asked to respond to criticism that "Brothers & Sisters" was already too gay.
"I’m going to be brutally honest here. I find a lot of it totally vacuous. People say you’ve got to have taken a lot of drugs before you “get it.” I’m pretty sure that you have to take a lot of drugs. What kind of drugs are you gay guys taking?"
- Annie Lennox to HX magazine when asked about dance remixes.
Anderson Cooper was a welcome sight at the Elton John AIDS fundraiser a few days ago. The CNN anchor, very tight-lipped about his personal life to the enormous frustration of some, was asked by New York's Daily Intelligencer if he had been working out lately because "your biceps are really big lately."
Anderson: "Wow. What is my workout routine -- I've never been asked that question! Um, I don’t know, I've just been … working with a trainer and uh, I don't know, lifting a little weight, and running a little. I don't know....Uh, you know, I just turned 40, so yes, I'm trying to be a little bit healthier now and trying to eat a little bit more sensibly. And also, with traveling so much, you know, it's tough when you're in Iraq to do anything, so I try to work out when I'm here.This is really … I sound ridiculous."
On a more serious note, he told the New York Daily News: "I talk to young gay friends in New York, and some of them seem to think the AIDS problem is a thing of the past. … The reality is that it's getting worse, not better."
It seems to be pretty clear that Sherri Shepherd's presence certainly brightens up "The View." This woman is loud and funny and opinionated and I likie her. Entertainment Weekly has an interview with her in its new issue and I wanted to share with you some of the highlights:
On her new job: "I was very scared coming here because this wasn't hiding behind lines. I wasn't used to the level of crticism you get. People have I-will-jump-off-a-building-if-Sherri-joins-"The View" blogs."
On her lack of knowledge on some subjects (she said she didn't know if the world was flat): "I've been doing so much hustling and surviving and taking care of my family, and I feel like I can finally sit up and breathe and learn something. I think I represent a body of women who don't know a lot. I'm the one who can sit up there and say, 'Who is General Petraeus?' I'm not pretending nothing."
On Rosie O'Donnell: "She can't deny a brawl, but she's able to handle it. I ain't gonna be trying to fight you. I'm the person you come to when you want prayer."
On former "Less Than Perfect" co-star Andy Dick: "I think if I didn't have God, I would be like Andy Dick. I would be pretty lost."
On her teen crush on Michael Jackson who she wanted to marry: "It was just after "Thriller" came out. I would take the bus out to his compound every day. i would write his mother letters. I never pictured us having sex; I just thought we'd wear matching jumpsuits."
OK, the Michael Jackson thing is a little scary but her honesty and candor are so refreshing...and funny!
I'm so excited that filming has begun on "Sex and the City: The Movie." I've seen every episode of this series countless times but still find myself watching them on TBS or KTLA in LA several times a week. So the other night, i dreamed that I was in an episode..or that the show was my real life or something. I'm not sure which. But Samantha (Kim Cattrall) was my friend in the dream and she kept trying to give me advice. That's all I really remember. But it felt kinda cool to be part of that gang for awhile. Carrie wasn't in my dream but I like this photo of Sarah Jessica Parker so much that I wanted to post it.
Doesn't she look swell?
Remember Jason Chambers who I interviewed a few weeks ago and posted a buncha pictures of because he's so friggen hot? Well, here is a clip of Jason talking about "Human Weapon," his show on The History Channel. He looks fit and healthy but confessed that he's suffered so many injuries and wear and tear that he has the body of somebody in their 80s.
Uh, not a chance.
I've been obsessed this week with trying to adjust to lfe with two blogs. My first concern is not letting the double-blog duty impact Out In Hollywood as I start this new venture and try and give it an identity. I've received lotsa nice messages but also gotten some feedback that Hollywood Joe isn't gay enough! I'm sure it'll be gay plenty of the time since I'm plenty gay - we're only four days in.
Anyway, I started this post because I wanted to pay tribute to all the blogger friends who have been so supportive of my work and I wanted to showcase some of theirs. The photo at your left is of me and my buddy Michelle Nicolosi at the Directors Guild of America Awards in 2001. We met working at the LA Times back in 1989, have had some great joint birthday parties and were the Will & Grace of the Belmont Shore social scene in the late 90s when we were both single and wild. Michelle is unique and brilliant and has not only won a Pulitzer Prize, but is now a managing editor of the Seattle Post Intelligencer where she has lived with her great love, Mark Matassa, for several years now. Mark has been battling serious health problems in recent years and they chronicle that and other bits of life in their brilliant blog M&M....
My old Newport Beach roomate and close friend Danny Sullivan also met at The Times and have been tight for 18 years. I was a groomsman at his wedding to the lovely Lorna in England back in 1992 and their son, Rhys, is my godson. Danny is also scary brilliant and has become one of the world's foremost experts on search engine technology. It's so weird to be driving from work and suddenly hear him on NPR or to see him on "Nightline." He is based in England near Stonehenge and has an eclectic blog called DAGGLE where he writes about all kinds of quirky stuff from all the tech stuff to building a tree house (pictured above) for Rhys and his older son Declan...
Then there is Ted Johnson, managing editor of Variety. Despite our often turbulent personal past, we have managed, somehow, to remain the closest of friends. Nearly two decades after we met and gone though so many professional incarnations, we seem to have found our bliss as bloggers. Ted launched Wilshire & Washington this year about the intersection between politics and the entertainment business. He's broken a lot of news and this has led to him appearing on "The Today Show," "Good Morning America" and the photo of him (above, left) is from an appearance on "Hardball with Chris Matthews."...
While Michelle, Danny and Ted are among my oldest friends, I've known San Jose Mercury sportswriter David Kiefer even longer. Dave is family to me, my brother really. We went to SDSU together and have navigated the newspaper business, supporting each other, for two decades now. Dave has covered the San Francisco Giants but with three beautiful blonde daughters and a beautiful blonde wife, he is sticking closer to home these days directing prep sports coverage and writing the blog After School...Some newer friends are also doing tremendous work in the blogosphere. Kenneth Walsh's Kennethinthe212 is a must-read and I was especially moved by an item he posted today on the impact the movie "Parting Glances" had on his life when he saw it 20 years ago...My work buddy Julia Scott had her best day ever yesterday for her relatively new blog The Bargain Hunter which is growing each day due to her hard work and dedication...Brent Hopkins, an extraordinary person and journalist, continues to amaze and inspire with his terrific stories in our paper and his blogs The PaperTrail (a union blog not officially affiliated with the Daily News) and It's A Crime. Brent did a pretty funny write-up of my run-in with a traffic cop in Palm Springs last week... And finally, if you want to know anything about transportation in LA, my sweet and funny friend Sue Doyle, one of the hardest working reporters around, writes about it in her blog Along For the Ride...
Check out some of these sites!!!
Last year, The Advocate assigned me to interview famed psychic Miss Cleo who was ready to come out publicly. The story got a lot of reaction but, for me, the nicest reaction was from Miss Cleo herself who had been so nervous about doing the interview but was so grateful for how it turned out. I let her tell her story and gave her a fair shake and she was actually surprised!
Anywho, The Advocate has paid a return visit with Miss Cleo a year later and here are some excerpts from a piece written by Brandon Voss:
On reaction to her coming out: "There definitely was some fallout but nothing that I couldn't navigate. I was a little concerned about my Jamaican landlord, but he gave me no worries.... Now, I have some family members I haven't heard from at all -- and these are people who'd call me once a month. Part of it is I don't think they know what to say. And part of it is they're not sure how much information I'm going to give them!
On her love life: "...Cleo is single. With my second wife -- which means I didn't do too well with the first one -- there were some issues of alcoholism, and she became emotionally abusive to me and physically abusive to my youngest daughter. A lot of people fail to recognize that domestic violence is an issue in our community, and that's something I'm really trying to work on getting out there. Unfortunately, once I got away from that relationship four years and some change later, my youngest looked at me and said, “Mommy, no more women, please.” You want to talk about heartbroken? I promised her, “I will not live my life until you are 18.” That was really tough, but I felt so much guilt.
On Britney Spears: "I was rooting for young Britney on the [MTV] VMAs. I'm not a fan of that type of music, but I wanted her to come out, be happy, and show her stuff. I feel so bad for those young girls. I don't even know if they get an opportunity to hear advice, because everybody has a paycheck from them. If people want to protect their jobs, they're letting these girls do anything they want to do. When you're a celebrity, the media really takes such a toll. You can't fart north without someone talking about it. Yeah, she's a young mom who has made mistakes—so what? Join the line."
Read the entire piece on Advocate.com.
Earlier post: MISS CLEO COMES OUT
Now his on-screen brother is denying what everyone seems to think is true. Dominic Purcell, who plays his brother on "Prison Break," joked to an Australian radion station: “People like to jump to conclusions about him....“Went is not gay. I’ve tried it on him many times and he just buffs me right back.”
Well, I guess that settles it.
Miller recently told InStyle Germany that his gay rumour “can’t be killed. I’d like to have a girlfriend and a family. But I haven’t met the right one yet. Until then I’m focusing on my job.”
The "Glass Closet" panel I participated in at USC yesterday was moderated by Howard Bragman, the well-known gay publicist who has repped some of the biggest names in showbiz and sports. His current clients include John Amaechi, Martina Navratilova and...Isaiah Washington. The former "Grey's Anatiomy" star hired Bragman after his infamous "I did not call T.R. a f****t" incident at the Golden Globes.
I had wondered aloud during the summer how a gay publicist could square repping a client who was coming across as homophobic. Howard told me yesterday that "I don't believe Isaiah is homophobic. I believe he made a mistake. A person who is homophobic does not take gay roles in movies and does not have gay friends. He made a mistake."
After signing on with Bragman's Fifteen Minutes firm, Washington taped a few PSA messages for GLAAD and went to, for lack of a better word, "gayhab," to try and figure out why he said the things he said. Then, ABC fired him anyway.
Here's where Howard and I really differ: I thought Washington's post-firing interviews with Larry King, blogger Keith Boykin and a Houston newspaper showed him in a very negative light as he lashed out at ABC for making him jump through PR hoops then firing him anyway. And worst of all to many, he attacked T.R. Knight and painted him as a schemer and a liar. Remember, it was T.R. who came out after speculation over who Washington was referring to as a f****t during a scuffle with Patrick Dempsey on the set of "Grey's" last fall.
"I think it's been overcovered," Bragman said. "Not all slurs are created equal."
Bragman thought the post-firing interviews went well.
Obviously, we disagree.
But Washington seems to have landed on his feet, for now, with at least five episodes of NBC's "Bionic Woman" which fihished a strong second in overall viewers in its premiere Wednesday night but finished ahead of ABC's "Grey's" spinoff "Private Practice" in the coveted 18-49 demographic.
I guess I still don't understand how Howard Bragman can represent Isaiah Washington but I do have much respect for his experience in this industry and for what he has achieved. Here are a few of the things he had to say during the USC event that I jotted down:
On changing attitudes toward gays on TV: "It is so generational. We grew up on 'Leave it to Beaver' and 'My Three Sons' and these kids come home and watch 'Queer As Folk' and 'Will & Grace" in syndication."
On what will help more actors come out: "What's gonna happen is the Jackie Robinson moment. The A-list actor who comes out and thrives....it will stiffen everyone's back."
That's a U.S. senator having to explain this to the outgoing, homophobic Joint Chief of Staffs Peter Pace. Maybe Pace can have a chat with the newly-reformed Tim Hardaway. Or maybe Pace can just go away and let the many gays and lesbians currently serving in the military continue to do so without their leader kicking sand in their eyes. BTW, kudos to Sen. Tom Harkin for at least trying to enlighten this homophobe. Here is a clip:
Of all the homophobes we've had to hear about this year, Tim Hardaway was certainly one of the worst. Reacting to former NBA player John Amaechi coming out in his book "Man in the Middle," Hardaway infamously said: "I hate gay people" among other bigoted things.
So it was a shocker this morning when I read on Towleroad.com that the former NBA player has quietly been working with LGBT youth! He hasn't talked about it until now, it seems, because he doesn't wan t people to thimk he's doing some kind of PR-driven Isaiah Washington gayhab thing. The former player for the Miami Heat has been attending and working with the YES Institute, an advocacy center for LGBT youth. The group seeks to prevent teen suicides while boosting the self-esteem of children and keeping them free of violence and discrimination."
Says Hardaway: "I was scared out of my ... mind. I didn't know how they were going to act toward me. But you know what? They welcomed me with open arms. That eased a lot of my nervousness."
"I just wanted to go in and get educated, that's all. Get educated on what I said and why I said those things. I'm working on understanding it now. I'm not really trying to make amends. I've been there trying to get help. "I had no idea how much I hurt people. A lot of people."
I'll say. So what do you guys think? Does he mean it? Or does he miss those NBA-connected paydays??
This drives a co-worker of mine crazy but I just love saying or writing this: "The Itty Bitty Titty Committee." It's not a little rhyme I made up in grade school, it's the name of a new lesbian-themed comedy that opens in New York today (in just one theatre before it expands in the coming weeks). "Titty" screened at Outfest on awards night but I was so busy interviewing folks, I missed most of it.
Since it's not yet in wide release, I can tell you that I did see two movies this weekend that are in a theatre near you: the romantic comedy "Feast of Love" which has a few hot lesbian scenes, and the action flick "The Kingdom" which stars Jamie Foxx. I think Jamie Foxx is one helluva good actor but, let's face it, what I really like about him is that he is one of the sexiest men alive.
Anyway, I write about what's new at the movies and how I think the movies might fare in my weekly BOX OFFICE BUZZ column. Also, check out my chat with "Feast" star Greg Kinnear in my other blog, HOLLYWOOD JOE.
Poor Noah, he's finally accepting himself and realizing what a great guy he has in Luke but he's got no idea that his creepy dad is completely BONKERS! I want these two young guys to go out on a real date, enjoy their romance. But, with this nutjob always lurking around the corner, that will not come for sometime.
Still, I'm glad to see Noah opening up so much, emotionally, to Luke.
Here is a lengthy clip from Thursday's show that will catch you up!
The USC event I participated in this afternoon was a terrific discussion with a lot of people who I respect and admire, Had I known they were gonna post YouTube clips of it, I wouldn't have been scribbling notes the entire time!
Here are some clips of Wilson Cruz, a very talented aftor who came out more than a decade ago when he co-starred with Clare Danes in "My So-Called Life." If only all stars could be this well-adjusted and thoughtful:
My favorite quote from that was when he was asked what advice he'd give to other performers who are considering coming out: "I tell them to make sure they're doing it for themselves - for very personal reasons. You can't do it because you want to be a hero to other people."
Here's are a few other clips from the spirited event presented by the Norman Lear Center at the USC Annenberg School of Communications:
I don't own a single Justin Timberlake CD and the only song of his that I can even name is "Sexyback." I know he used to be in NSYNC, was once a mousketeer, and has dated Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz and now Jessica Biel. What I didn't know was how completely buff he is! Here, Justin shows off his terrific physique over the weekend at a concert in Sacramento.
T.R. sure seems a lot more relaxed during this appearance on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show. He seems to be getting more self-assured in the public eye all the time...
Have you heard about the forthcoming drama that will follow a man's journey into transitioning to a woman? It's a pilot from "Nip/Tuck" creator Ryan Murphy who will direct with Brad Pitt executive producing.
The transgendered character will be played by..........Joseph Fiennes. He's a beautiful man and, I think, will probably be a beautiful woman. It's just a pilot at this stage but I predict it will go to series. Fiennes' parents will be played by Blythe Danner and Robert Wagner.
Production will begin later next month.
I'm going to0 be out of pocket until this afternoon because I'm going to USC to try and find a college-aged boyfriend! Just a joke. But maybe I'll drop by a fraternity party or two. OK, the real reason I'm going is this:
"Glass Closet" Panel Discussion at USC, September 27
Event date: September 27, 2007
The Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication is hosting a panel discussion on sexuality and politics in Hollywood and Washington, D.C. "The Glass Closet" will be moderated by publicist Howard Bragman; panelists include communication school director Larry Gross; journalists Ray Richmond, Greg Hernandez, and David Ehrenstein; and actor Wilson Cruz. The panel convenes at 12 p.m., Thursday, September 27, at the USC Annenberg School for Communication, 3502 Watt Way in Los Angeles, Room 207. For more information and to RSVP, e-mail enter@usc.edu. (The Advocate)
I'll provide you with a run-fown of what was discussed, could be interesting. The moderator, Howard Bragman, is the gay publicist who represents Isaiah Washington! Hmmmmmmmmmmm.
...if I'm really all that concerned about the fact that tennis stud Andy Roddick had to withdraw from the Thailand Open yesterday because of a knee injury or if I wanted an excuse to post this nice photo of him. Maybe it's a little bit of both. Either way, hope you recover quickly Andy!!!
This is the second and final part of an interview I had with singer Darren Hayes this month. In part one, we talked about his new album and a well-publicized restaurant altercation that he is now eager to put past him.
On the day that we spoke, Hayes had attended a civil partnership ceremony of two friends which he said was "beautiful" and he was also a guest at Elton John's wedding to David Furnish: "It was a big deal because Elton is such a famous perspon and it was an important moment. It was a very powerful statement to make, soemeone who had been knighted by the Queen and an official card carrying homo. I loved it!”
As far as the raging debate over same-sex marriage in the U.S., Hayes says: "Obviously it's a divided issue. There’s so many people in the country, so many opinions. The land mass is as big as Europe, I think it's a miracle that America manages to be so cohesive. England really surprised me, In terms of social reform, medical care and civil partnerships, it is quite forward thinking. I think Australia and America will catch up."
Hayes entered into a civil partnership with his boyfriend of three years, Richard Cullen, on June 19, 2006 in London and announced it on his official website the next month:
"What I'm most of proud of is I had nothing to promote and nobody outed me. I lived in America for seven years and I adore the country. But it can be quite aggressive the way people are outed, people like Lance Bass, who were dragged out of the closet. For me, it was a very conscious decision that I made in a very calm and sort of measured state of mind."
“I think we made a decision in our relationship to humanize it. We werern't going to be this hidden couple. I talk about Richard pretty openly. If I attend events, sometimes he's there. It's a fine line that we try to walk. Like any relationship, he is a part of me and a part of everything I do."
"Brothers & Sisters" has its second-season premiere this Sunday night and I can tell you that Saul, played by Ron Rifkin, gets a visit from Milo Peterman (Michael Nouri), a man from his past who - I'm just guessing here - was once his lover. I say let them make out already! But seriously, this is a storyline that is probably going to take some time since Saul does not seem even remotely as accepting of his own sexuality as his gay nephew, Kevin (Matthew Rhys), is.
AfterElton.com has posted what seems to be to be the most extensive interview with Rifkin yet on the direction of his character. I'll give you a few nibbles then you can go feast on the whole thing by clicking HERE.
On Saul being revealed to be gay at the end of last season: "I was very excited about the possibility of playing an older guy whose life had been a certain way and had lived in a certain time, and even though his family was obviously very close, and very intense, and very passionate, and loved and supported each other, he just had a secret."
On what happened between he and Milo in te past: "There's a scene in the third or fourth episode where we meet again and we do have some communication with each other, but I think it's a struggle for Saul. He's a very loving guy. All he has is his family. He loves those kids. I think he's confronting issues that have plagued him and, hopefully, he'll handle it with grace. And hopefully the world around him, that is to say his family, will embrace him for it."
Will Saul will turn to Kevin for advice?: "Oh, I think there will be something between them. I think if I were a young man having come out to my family then find out I have an uncle who might be gay, I'd have issues with that. I'd either be excited about the possibility, if I were Kevin, or angry that he hadn't [come out]. As far as Saul is concerned, it feels like it might be problematic because he kept it a secret for so long."
"As the World Turns" was unbelievable today! Luke and Noah kiss and it's a pretty good one...at least it was until daddy dearest shows up. Check out the clip which also includes the events leading up to the smooch!
p.s. Thanks to the readers who pointed out that in a recent post, I refered to Noah as Nate. Just one of those stupid mistakes.
I attended the premiere of "Feast of Love" last night and did a write-up on the evening on my new blog Hollywood Joe. I hope you'll give it a read. But for Out In Hollywood readers, I'd like to point out that one of the love stories depicted in the film - and by far the most eroitic - is the relationship between the characters played by Selma Blair and Stana Katic. Blair is married to Greg Kinnear in the film and Katic aggressively woos her right underneath her nose. It is stunning and kind of beautiful because after that, her character comes alive.
On her way into the theater last night, Katic said: "I think what's wonderful about this film is it shows different renditions of love, different levels, different age groupings. I think it's wonderful in life to constantly be open to those opportunities with people and this film does a real nice, delicate job of showing those kinds of relationships."
Loved her in "Feast of Love" where her character is bold and determined to win the heart of this woman who is surprised at her instant attraction to another female. It's one terrific part of a wonderful film.
And because of that, the women SHOULD be on the poster of the movie.
Singer Darren Hayes called me from London (he lives in the Notting Hill part of the city) recently and we had a good gab about his music, being an out performer, and about the alleged the incident in a restaurant where he was accused of saying racially abusive things to a door person.
We spoke prior to police recommending earlier this week that no formal charges be filed and that there was no racist undertone to the July 22 incident.
"I could never think, let alone utter a racist remark. It's just not who I am," Hayes said. "As a gay man, I find the notion of discriminating against a human being because of race, gender or sexuality to be abhorrent. It goes against everything I have stood for."
An altercation did take place at the restaurant and Hayes received a warning. The singer says the racial element "was a horrible thing to be accused of and I want to thank all of my friends, family and fans for giving me the benefit of the doubt. The experience has been frustrating and at times made me very sad, but through it all I have to say I support the legal system and our right of protection under the law. I'm glad the truth is out there. I just want to concentrate on my music now.”
Hayes was set to kick off his latest tour in Scotland this week, play in London Oct. 3 then play in his native Australia until Oct. 25 before heading to the U.S. for six weeks of promotion. He has not done a full-scale concert in the states in seven years and hopes to do some shows next year.
The 35-year-old Australian singer-songwriter debuted in 1996 as the frontman and singer of the pop duo Savage Garden which had the hots "I Want You", "To the Moon and Back," "Truly Madly Deeply," "I Knew I Loved You" and "The Animal Song." Savage Garden sold more than 23 million albums worldwide before parting ways in 2001.
"It would've been easier to stay in the band or keep the name, I chose a more difficult path," he says.
Hayes released his first solo album, "Spin" in 2002. After his second solo album didn't meet expectations, Hayes left his record label to form one of his own: Powdered Sugar.
Now he is doing things on his own terms which he said is made clear with his new album, "This Delicate Thing We've Made." He says it's his most personal collection of songs - ever.
“I love the record in general because it's been the result of a lot of artistic struggle. I fought realy hard to be in this place in my career, to be an honest person and someone who makes reocrds that are exactly the way I want them to be, regardless of marketing etc."
"I think it's an album in the old sense, when a collection of songs had a purpose. It's not a reaction to what is happening to radio, it's endearingly crafted and put together and it offers something to people who think maybe magic is missing from records today.”
TOMORROW: In part 2 of our interview, Darren tells us about coming out and how he feared it would hurt his career and some other things I'll have to leave you in suspense about...
I know we like shjots of him running and playing frisbee on the beach but the man does have to dress up every now and then. He does clean up well, as you can see from these pictures of Matthew shooting a commercial on Castiglione St. in Paris on Tuesday for fashion house Dolce & Gabbana.
Elton John's AIDS foundation gala drew some big names last night. Among the biggest was CNN anchor Anderson Cooper who looked mighty handsome sandwiched between Elton and his husband David Furnish. He is quite the silver fox.
Also there was K.D. Lang who performed some songs with Elton...
Hey there. Mega-technical problems this morning with our blogging system. I'd pull my hair out in frustration, if I had any. I'm trying to post!
I chatted up Billy Baldwin and transgender actress Candis Cayne the other day about their TV love affair on "Dirty Sexy Money" which premieres tonight on ABC. I'll have to send you over to my other blog, Hollywood Joe to read it. Sorry for the inconvenience!
It's on right now so turn on the TV!!! But if yer stuck in the office, like me, AfterElton.com is live blogging NOW!!!
It is...Eric Bana! What a cool dude. He was snapped on the Toronto set of his latest movie "The Time Traveler's Wife." Love the look.
Let me just start by saying that I'm just so over Rosie right now. You all know that I have been a big champion of hers in the past but she's starting to bug me. First, she hints that Barbara Walters should retire and now she has posted an item on her blog taking issue with the news this week that ratings for "The View" were up by 16 percent vs. a year ago. I got the numbers out of Daily Variety, the showbiz bible but here is what Rosie had to say:
"While im all about creative use of ratings, I think we need to do something with the lovely people at the view insisting that the ratings are up without rosie when in fact they are not. Please check out perez hilton from yesterday stating their ratings are up +16% versus YAG."
Here is the real data based on live plus same day viewing:
P2+ 3,