December 21 2010 8:10 PM ET
Sibling Revelry
Brothers & Sisters special guest star Richard Chamberlain clears up recent breakup rumors about his longtime relationship and advises other gay actors to stay safely in the closet.
December 21 2010 12:55 PM ET
A for Pay
After a memorable guest arc as Sylar’s young apprentice on Heroes, Dan Byrd showed off his superpowers of droll sarcasm as Travis Cobb, the mama’s boy to Courteney Cox’s hot mama in Cougar Town, which is now in its second season on ABC. Byrd also scored the key role of Brandon, a bullied gay high school student, in the hit teen comedy Easy A. In this modern revamp of The Scarlet Letter, out December 21 on DVD, Brandon begs his friend Olive — Golden Globe nominee Emma Stone — to feign that she had sex with him, news that will end the antigay abuse. As easygoing as expected, the 25-year-old straight actor speaks to The Advocate about Easy A’s “it gets better” message and the promise of gay Cougar townsfolk.The Advocate: Brandon in Easy A is the first gay character you’ve played. Did you or your representatives have any hesitations about your taking a gay role at this point in your career?Dan Byrd: I definitely didn’t have any hesitations about it, and I don’t think anybody else voiced any concern either. I’m at the point in my career where I have to take the opportunities that are given to me, and this seemed like a great opportunity. It wasn’t a big part, but it was a pivotal one with good scenes that seemed like a lot of fun. There wasn’t really a question.Do you feel like actors of your generation don’t worry about getting typecast as gay characters or being falsely perceived as gay in real life?Yeah, I like to think that those walls are eroded at this point. Personally, it’s not something I consider much at all. But if were to get offered another similar part now, I might think twice about it — not because of it being gay, but because I wouldn’t want to play the same kind of part I just played. I know there’s totally a double standard there, though, because it’s much easier in Hollywood for straight guys to play gay guys than it is for gay guys to play straight guys. It’s not fair, but we’re making progress. In most teen movies, gay characters are often just sassy sidekicks who bear the brunt of offensive gay jokes. Were you careful to play Brandon respectfully?Yeah, everybody was on the same page about that. During the audition process, my interpretation was never stereotypically over-the-top. My inclination has always been to try to be as honest and as truthful as possible, and then the comedy should come out of that. Honestly, I think that’s why I got the job: They wanted to take a more subtle approach to the character.
December 15 2010 10:05 PM ET
Dream Weaver
Prayers for Bobby star Sigourney Weaver discusses the film’s continued impact, offers words of advice for bullied gay youth, and expresses her hope for a chance to play a gay character.
December 10 2010 2:55 PM ET
Fisher Priceless
Carrie Fisher may not really have the power to turn men gay, but she does have a gift for turning gay lemons into lemonade in Wishful Drinking, her autobiographical solo show that’s been filmed for a new HBO special.
December 08 2010 2:40 PM ET
A Very Beekman Christmas
Brent Ridge of Planet Green’s The Fabulous Beekman Boys makes the yuletide gay with partner Josh Kilmer-Purcell, starting with a holiday TV special.
December 07 2010 1:15 PM ET
My Two Big Gay Weddings
The new series Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys explores the relationship between women and their best gay male friends. One of the series’ stars, Joel Derfner, recalls how his friend Sarah came to his wedding-planning rescue.
November 18 2010 5:00 AM ET
Ryan Kwanten: Kwanten Leap
There’s more to the True Blood himbo than meets the naked eye — including a wild new role, a younger gay brother, and a surprisingly humble outlook on acting.
November 10 2010 11:30 AM ET
25 Years Later
Aidan Quinn and director John Erman reminisce about making the landmark television drama, the challenges raised by nervous TV executives, and why both consider the film a career highlight.
October 12 2010 4:00 AM ET
Parallel Worlds
Fringe actress Jasika Nicole never imagined that her upbringing—as a biracial lesbian from the South—would perfectly prepare her for a career in sci-fi TV.
October 11 2010 4:45 PM ET
Trevor Donovan on ’s Teddy
90210's Trevor Donovan talks about playing a closeted high schooler, looking forward to Teddy's more intimate scenes, and why he's hoping his story line can save lives.
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