An interview with ‘Madam Secretary’s Erich Bergen As Blake Moran, the newly out bisexual assistant to Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni) in the CBS drama “Madam Secretary,” Erich Bergen is the picture of perfection. Handsome, fit, conservatively-attired and well-groomed with very important hair, Blake has it (almost) all together. Sure, there are loose ends – a difficult mother and a recently resurfaced male ex – but he is nothing if not good at tying everything up so they don’t come undone again. I had the pleasure of speaking with Bergen, whom many will recognize from his portrayal of […]
And Then There Was Nun
Filmmaker Ryan White keeps viewers riveted with The Keepers Almost 50 years after Sister Cathy Sesnik, who taught at Archbishop Keough, an all-girls high school, was murdered in Baltimore, there are still many unanswered questions about the case. Not only has that not stopped former students of hers from seeking the truth, it also caught the attention of gay filmmaker Ryan White (The Case Against 8), director of Netflix doc series The Keepers. White, whose maternal side of the family has roots in Baltimore (a family member was also one of Sister Cathy’s students) initially thought he would be making […]
And Then There Was Nun
Filmmaker Ryan White keeps viewers riveted with The Keepers Almost 50 years after Sister Cathy Sesnik, who taught at Archbishop Keough, an all-girls high school, was murdered in Baltimore, there are still many unanswered questions about the case. Not only has that not stopped former students of hers from seeking the truth, it also caught the attention of gay filmmaker Ryan White (The Case Against 8), director of Netflix doc series The Keepers. White, whose maternal side of the family has roots in Baltimore (a family member was also one of Sister Cathy’s students) initially thought he would be making […]
True Blue
An interview with singer/songwriter and Broadway actress Morgan James If you haven’t heard Morgan James sing, then you don’t know what you’re missing. A white girl from Idaho with the voice of a black gospel choir soloist, James has careers on Broadway (Motown: The Musical, The Addams Family, and more) and as a singer/songwriter (her debut studio album came out in 2014). More recently, she released an EP and completed a new studio disc of original songs. She can also be seen performing Joni Mitchell’s Blue in its entirety on her YouTube channel (Youtube.com/user/morganjamesonline). In fact, if they’re still looking […]
Touch of Mink
An interview with Mink Stole Every single one of John Waters’ movies has its memorable and quotable lines. Mink Stole, an actress who has appeared in every Waters feature has had the privilege of saying many of them. In Serial Mom (Shout! Factory), for instance, as Dottie Hinkle, a woman being relentlessly harassed by someone calling her and spewing a string of obscenities. Dottie finally has her fill and, in a hilarious courtroom scene, unleashes her own nasty mouthful. Serial Mom, in which Stole co-starred alongside Kathleen Turner as the titular murderous mother, holds up well nearly 25 years after […]
Lucky Charmer
An Interview With Gay Writer James Hart, Former Husband Of Carly Simon You could probably also call James Hart’s memoir Lucky Jim (Cleis Press, 2017), Lucky to Be Alive Jim. After all, he survived a traumatic childhood with an abusive father, the loss of a close friend (and first love), life in a Catholic seminary, alcohol and drug abuse, a pair of failed marriages, including one to superstar singer/songwriter Carly Simon, and the death of his son. He also came out as a gay man in the process. Hart doesn’t hold back in the telling of his warts-and-all tale, and […]
Lucky Charmer
An Interview With Gay Writer James Hart, Former Husband Of Carly Simon You could probably also call James Hart’s memoir Lucky Jim (Cleis Press, 2017), Lucky to Be Alive Jim. After all, he survived a traumatic childhood with an abusive father, the loss of a close friend (and first love), life in a Catholic seminary, alcohol and drug abuse, a pair of failed marriages, including one to superstar singer/songwriter Carly Simon, and the death of his son. He also came out as a gay man in the process. Hart doesn’t hold back in the telling of his warts-and-all tale, and […]
World of Wonder
An interview with Ian Axel and Chad King of A Great Big World With only two full-length albums to its name, pop duo A Great Big World, comprised of Chad King (who publicly came out as gay in 2014) and Ian Axel, appears to have the world at their feet. Hit singles such as the Grammy-winning ballad “Say Something” (a duet with Christina Aguilera) and “Hold Each Other” have cemented their relationship with fans worldwide. Influenced as much by artists such as XX fun. and Ben Folds as they are by the music and lyrics of Alan Menken and Howard […]
Moonlight Becomes Him
An interview with Tarell McCraney It’s no exaggeration to say that you haven’t seen anything like Moonlight). Written and directed by Miami-native Barry Jenkins, Moonlight is based on a short play by gay playwright and Miami-native Tarell McCraney. Presented in three separate chapters, Moonlight tells the heartrending story of Chiron, as a child, a teen, and an adult, growing up in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood. The three actors – Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes – are exceptional, and the supporting cast, including Mahershala Ali (drug kingpin Juan), Janelle Monae (Juan’s girlfriend Teresa), Naomie Harris (Chiron’s mother Paula), and […]
Playing the Piano Man
An interview with Simon Helberg If Simon Helberg didn’t already have a substantial gay following from the comical interplay between his character Howard and Raj (played by Kunal Nayyar) on the beloved sitcom The Big Bang Theory, his Golden Globe Award-nominated portrayal of sexually ambiguous pianist Cosme McMoon in Florence Foster Jenkins (Paramount) will remedy that. Based on the true story of society hostess Jenkins (played by Meryl Streep), an opera fanatic with a tin ear when it came to her own operatic renditions. But that didn’t stop her from performing concerts, including a legendary one at Carnegie Hall. McMoon, […]