Born On This Day- August 7th... John Glover

I first made note of John Glover & Meryl Streep in small parts in just 2 scenes in the film Julia (1977). They both made quite an impression in essentially tiny roles. I have watched his career with interest & have enjoyed his performances,most often playing villains, in film & on TV.

Mr. Glover has done extensive stage work on Broadway, Off-Broadway & regional theatre. Highlights for me include an Emmy nominated turn in An Early Frost, one of the first movies to deal with AIDS & in Annie Hall, in another tiny role, he utters to Diane Keaton, the very funny line: "Touch my heart. With your foot." He has had reoccurring roles on Frasier, Murder She Wrote, Law & Order, Brothers & Sisters, Heroes, & as Lux Luther's father Lionel on Smallville. John Glover received a Tony nomination this year as Lucky in Waiting For Godot. For me the apex of his long career was playing 2 roles, twin brothers in Love! Valor! Compassion! for which he won the Tony & repeated the role in the film version. I really loved this very fine performance.

He lives in NYC with his long time partner- sculptor Adam Kurtzman. Glover turns 67 years old today.

Considering Meryl Streep On Her Birthday

"Instant gratification is not soon enough. "



I saw The Devil Wears Prada again while I was Shingled. Wow, that film certainly still stands up. She is not gay, but does she have the making of a Gay Icon? She turns an astonishing 63 today & she has never been bigger at the box office. I love her. She is an actor goddess to me. I love her doing anything, but I like her best doing comedy & singing.

Meryl Streep has received 15 Academy Award nominations & 23 Golden Globe nominations (winning 6), more than any other person in film history. Her work has also earned her 2 Emmy Awards, 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Cannes Film Festival award, 3 New York Film Critics Circle Awards, 4 Grammy Award nominations, a BAFTA award, & a Tony Award nomination.

I first time I saw her was on stage in The Taming Of The Shrew with Raul Julia at The Public Theatre in 1975. At the start of her film career, I wasn't really on board. She seemed all accents & technique. I was wrong. Her work is inspired, heartfelt & transcendent. My favorite Streep film performances:

Manhattan
Silkwood
Out Of Africa
Postcards From The Edge (love her singing!)
The Bridges Of Madison County
Adaptation (fearless,& without vanity as always)
The Hours
A Prairie Home Companion (again, the singing)
The Devil Wears Prada
Julie & Julia
& Angels In America

She is funny, self effacing, & the best actor of my generation. I forgive her for Mama Mia. Next up? Streep as Margaret Thatcher! Please, share your favorite Streep performance.

Born On This Day- May 6th... Harvey Fierstein

“If you don't look, you don't know,”

Well, first of all, there is that voice. I always think of my distinctive voice, made possible by decades of pot smoking & whiskey drinking, but Harvey Fierstein brings it all to a whole new level. .. a 300-pound man who sounds like he's been chain-smoking since the age of 3.

Fierstein grew up in Bensonhurst, the son of a handkerchief manufacturer & a school librarian. He attended Pratt & began his career in the mid-1970s performing in drag bars under the name Virginia Hamm. It was Fierstein's collection of interconnected, semi-autobiographical one-act plays in the late '70s- Torch Song Trilogy, that eventually brought him to Broadway. (He also starred in the big screen adaptation.). He has the distinction of winning Tony Awards for both writing & playing the lead role in his long-running play, about a gay drag performer & his quest for true love & family.

Fierstein has since effectively become a celebrity spokesperson & champion for gay civil rights. He describes himself as a "first real, live, out-of-the-closet queer on Broadway". He wrote the book for the musical La Cage aux Folles & he has been nominated for 11 Tony Awards (the Tonys are a high Holy Day at my house & will be broacast live next Sunday). Fierstein has been featured in the films Bullets Over Broadway, Mrs. Doubtfire, Death to Smoochy, & Independence Day.

Fierstein's turn as Edna Turnblatt in Hairspray earned him a Tony award in 2003. Fierstein virtually owned the role, but he was ultimately turned down for movie version of Hairspray. (Closet case-John Travolta was cast instead.). He played Tevye in the revival of Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway & & then toured the country in the iconic role. His brave, unlikely & open portrayal of a straight father of 3 daughters in the Jewish- The Sound Of Music earned him rave reviews all over the country. My first professional role was as Motel the tailor in Fiddler On The Roof in 1971. I have a soft spot for this show & I think it would nifty to play Grandma Tzeitel in Harvey’s production. Harvey, if you are reading this...

I really like & admire Harvey Fierstein. He has been a vocal gay rights activist, speaking out for gay people, queer theater, & AIDS causes. He has been a spokesman for the Services Legal Defense Fund, a group that advocates for the rights of gays & lesbians in the military. Fierstein: "Time will tell us what we did and didn't do. The way that I look at it, the only thing that I will definitely take credit for is that Torch Song & La Cage Aux Folles, 2 of my shows, were the first ever gay themed shows to make money on Broadway. I think that counts more than anything."

Harvey Fierstein Turns 59 years old today. He is currently appearing in the revival of La Cage Aux Folles. The production & his performance received raves. He lives in 7 acres in Connecticut. Harvey... Let's have cocktails & have a chat.

Born On This Day- June 5th... Chad Allen

In the terrific & engaging 1980s TV series- St Elsewhere, one of the main characters has a young son who was autistic. In the series finale- The Last One, it is revealed that all the storylines occurred inside the head of the young autistic boy. That boy was played by Chad Allen Lazarri. As a child actor, Allen went on to work on TV series- Our House, My Two Dads, & Dr. Quinn- Medicine Woman, none of which I have ever seen, although My Two Dads is a title that might work well for my porn debut.

In 1996, at age 21, Allen was outed in The Globe which published photos (sold to the paper by his then boyfriend) of him kissing another man, in a hot tub at a party . Since that time he has been a leading & outspoken advocate of gay rights.

I was especially taken with his strong work in Save Me opposite Stephen Lange, Judith Light & Robert Gant. Developed & produced by Allen himself, Save Me explores the life of a young gay sex & drug addicted man who is forced into a Christian-run ministry in an attempt to cure him of his "gay affliction", where instead he is faced with the truth in his heart & spirit. The film does not take the easy way out & avoids clichés. Stephen Lang was excellent, & Judith Light gives an astonishing performance of understated depth & nuance. Gant & Allen play very moving & complicated characters & they have their shirts off in several scenes.

Since 2005's Third Man Out, Allen portrays lead character Donald Strachey, a gay private detective in a partnered relationship, in a series of TV movies based on novels by Richard Stevenson.

Allen is in a 4 year relationship with actor Jeremy Glazer, who he met on the set of Save Me.  Allen is the best friend of one of my most favorite bloggers, the delicious Philip of the fabulous Felix In Hollywood. Check out his little spot on the Internet & when you are in LA, take his tour. Felix Knows his Hollywood History! Allen turns 37 years old today. I admire his talent, activism & good looks.

Born On This Day- May 29th... Rupert James Hector Everett

We were already big fans of his good looks & his talent. The Husband waited on Rupert Everett, in town for the Seattle International Film Festival showing of Another Country, at the then famous gay dining spot- The Ritz Café on Capitol Hill is Seattle. The Husband came home with the sordid tale of Everett’s bad behavior, culminating in his passing out, face first into a plate of food. I somehow loved the actor even more.

At 15 years old, Rupert Everett ran away from boarding school & went to London to become an actor. He starred opposite Kenneth Brannagh in the play Another Country when he was 23. He did the film version, based on the life of the  gay spy Guy Burgess, with Colin Firth when he was 25. He came out when he was 29 & the offers dried up. He gave interesting & deft performances in Pret-a-Porter & The Madness of King George, but when he starred opposite Julia Roberts in My Best Friend’s Wedding, the industry was abuzz with the idea of the “gay best friend” as an asset for a story line. It was unique to have a gay character who is happily partnered, not a victim, not dying, or not a sissy. He carried the film with the charm of Cary Grant.

That charm followed with roles as gay Christopher Marlowe in Shakespeare in Love, An Ideal Husband, Inspector Gadget, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Next Best Thing, The Importance of Being Earnest, & the overlooked- Stage Beauty. He is the voice of Prince Charming in the money making Shrek franchise, disproving his own theory that out actors can’t get work.

Everett has written 2 novels & a memoir, in which he included the fact that for a time he was a rent boy. I very much enjoyed reading Rupert's memoir- Red Carpets & Other Banana Skins.  He names names, something I admire in a memoir. He is honest, hugely funny & deeply wise about human nature, particularly his own. His beautiful face, his lovely manners, all his attractive qualities seemed worth the cash to me.

Rupert Everett has been urging gay stars not to come out & to keep their sexuality a secret as it could end their film career. He came out as gay 25 years ago & admitted that since then, he has been given only supporting roles.

Everett is now suggesting that aspiring actors stay in the closet as it could harm their career: “It's not that advisable to be honest. It's not very easy, &, honestly, I would not advise any actor necessarily, if he was really thinking of his career, to come out... The fact is that you could not be, & still cannot be, a 25 year old homosexual trying to make it in the British film business or the American film business or even the Italian film business. It just doesn't work & you're going to hit a brick wall at some point. You're going to manage to make it roll for a certain amount of time, but at the first sign of failure, they'll cut you right off. I'm sick of saying: ‘Yes, it's probably my own fault.’ Because I've always tried to make it work & when it stops working somewhere, I try to make it work somewhere else. But the fact of the matter is, & I don't care who disagrees, it doesn't work if you're gay.”

Everett added that he does believe he is happier than those other major stars who are keeping their sexuality a secret: “I think, all in all, I'm probably much happier than they are. I may not be as rich or successful, but at least I'm vaguely free to be myself.”

John Schlesinger was a great director, responsible for Midnight Cowboy & Sunday, Bloody Sunday, ground breaking gay themed films. But, I think The Next Best Thing is one of the worst movies I have ever had to sit through. Drek, not Shrek. I stayed with it for Mr. Everett.

Everett turns 52 years old today & is looking his age. I would still do him. but then like Everett, I can be very shallow.

Born On This Day- May 26th... Actor Alec McCowen

Alec McCowen is one of those terrific, highly trained English actors, best known for classical roles including Shakespeare, who dabbles in TV & film, & is always good no matter the quality of the project.

I first took note of him in the a favorite film from teens- Travels With My Aunt, starring Maggie Smith, & directed by George Cukor in 1972.

His many stage successes include: Toulouse-Lautrec in Moulin Rouge (1954), Barnaby Tucker in The Matchmaker (1954), Mercutio in R&J at The Old Vic, Friar Rolfe in Hadrian the 7th, for which he won an Evening Standard Award for the London production & a Tony nomination. I was lucky enough to see him in Molière's The Misanthrope opposite the very talented Diana Rigg in 1973. McCowen originated the role of psychiatrist Martin Dysart in Peter Shaffer's Equus, but his greatest achievement was his one-man performance of the complete text of Saint Mark's Gospel (1978), for which he received worldwide acclaim & a Tony nomination.

Among his many film roles, check out McCowen’s work in my favorite Scorcese flick- The Age Of Innocence.

His partner of 20+ years was actor Geoffrey Burridge, who died in 1987 from an AIDS-related illness. In McCowen was featured on the British version of the celebrity surprise show This Is Your Life.  He was shocked at the slight from the show's complete failure to mention Geoffrey Burridge, who had died 2 years before. Brave for the time, McCowen insisted that his late partner be acknowledged on the program.

Born On This Day- May 25th... Actor/Activist Ian McKellen

"I remember losing only one job because of my coming out. I was supposed to play one of the lead roles in Harold Pinter's 'Betrayal' who eventually were given to Ben Kingsley & Jeremy Irons. The producer Sam Spiegel dropped a sexist comment about wives during a meeting & when I replied I was fortunate to be gay, I was quickly shown the door.”

We both belong to Acting Guilds & we both became passionate about theatre after viewing Peter Pan. We both started acting as a child, did university theatre, moved on to regional theatre & came to work in movies & TV later in life… & we are both big old homos who thought working in the theatre was a good place to meet guys. I guess the similarities end there. Sir Ian McKellen is the greatest actor of last 50 years & I am a dilettante.

Sir Ian McKellen became an actor to meet men. He admits he felt isolated when he was younger, but thought he would meet other gay people if he embarked on a stage career: "I'd heard that a lot of professional actors were gay. Acting seemed like a chance for me to meet like-minded people. You know, at that time same-sex love in Britain got you into prison. Homosexuality was being completely hushed up. Gay teachers, politicians or firemen - that was something unthinkable. When I was young I thought I was the only gay Brit. That's why I was glad to find people like me in the actors guild."

Early in his career he was spotted by Maggie Smith. She recommended McKellen to Laurence Olivier, then building his new National Theatre at the Old Vic.. His first production at the National was Franco Zeffirelli's 1965 production of Much Ado About Nothing, with Maggie Smith, Robert Stephens, Albert Finney, Derrick Jacobi & newcomer Michael York.

Sir Ian worked through the ranks in repertory theatre & tours of the classics. At the Edinburgh Festival in 1969, Ian performed both Richard II & Edward II & blew audiences & critics away. McKellen:"I remember one heady evening in my dressing room at the Piccadilly, when I introduced Noel Coward to Rudolf Nureyev. I thought, I suppose I'd arrived".

McKellen was persuaded to join the Royal Shakespeare Company by its artistic director, Trevor Nunn. His range included Dr Faustus & Romeo. His Macbeth in 1976, with Judi Dench is considered to be the best since Lawrence Olivier. The company took The Three Sisters & Twelfth Night on tour to 26 towns in the UK & then on to the USA. He loved to take theatre to the people: " it truly was the most enjoyable thing I have ever done".

On Broadway in 1980, McKellen played Salieri in Amadeus. He created the role for which F. Murray Abraham would later win an Oscar. McKellen was consoled with the Tony Award. Also on Broadway, he played Richard III as a wicked plotter creating a fascist state in future England. He brilliantly recreated the role on film.

Never really in the closet to the theatre community, in 1988, McKellen admitted he was gay while discussing Section 28, Margret Thatcher’s legislation that would make the "public promotion of homosexuality" a crime. He became a one of the foremost campaigners for Gay Rights, co-founding the Stonewall group. John Gielgud would be a contributor in secret.

McKellen originated the role of Max in Bent, about the suffering of gays under the Nazis. The film version featured Clive Owen as Max, McKellen as Uncle Freddie, & with Mick Jagger appearing in drag. He appeared in Tales Of The City, & in And The Band Played On, about the discovery of & early fight against HIV. As activist Bill Kraus, Ian stood out in a cast including Richard Gere, Anjelica Huston, Steve Martin, receiving an Emmy nomination .

Even as a full blown movie star, McKellen returned to ensemble theatre for a season at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, appearing in The Seagull, The Tempest & Noel Coward’s Present Laughter. On screen he would appear in small art house film fare: The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (another Oscar nom), X-Men, & The Da Vinci Code.

McKellen is responsible for 2 of my favorite performances in 2 of my very favorite films: hilarious & outragous in Cold Comfort Farm & pretty, witty & very gay, & Oscar nominated as director James Whale in Gods & Monsters. I can’t think of a living person that I admire more. Sir Ian McKellen is one of the greatest actors of all time & a relentless activist for equal rights. He remains happily single as he turns 72 years old today.

Born On This Day- April 14th... Acting Great, John Gielgud

He is a personal favorite of mine. Most people remember him for his Oscar winning performance as Dudley Moore's butler in 1981's Arthur. He was more romantic than Laurence Olivier, & more sensitive than Ralph Richardson. Sir John Gielgud was the greatest Shakespearean performer of the 20th century. His portrayal, as a very young man, of Hamlet is considered the best of all time. Gielgud is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, & Tony Award. Known for his beautiful delivery, he was called the "voice that wooed the world". He was still acting on stage at the age of 82 & he now has a West End theatre named after him.

On stage, Gielgud knew exactly what he was doing, but for half of his time on this earth, he was a big old mess in private. Gielgud was a revered acting talent, but his career was almost ended by his sexuality in a time when being gay was considered a crime. Today, when homosexual acts between consenting adults have been legal in Britain for more than 40 years, it is difficult to imagine that gays were taking enormous risks to be together. Sex acts between men, even performed in total privacy, were against the law & could lead to ruined careers & several years in jail.


One incident in Gielgud’s life so crippled him, that although he was at the apex of success when it happened, he contemplated suicide. In 1953, after a rehearsal of his starring role in A Day By The Sea, the 49 year old actor, enjoyed drinks with friends, & then went on the hunt for an intimate encounter. He visited one of London's infamous underground public lavatories seeking sex. Gielgud had done this before, but this time he was arrested by one of Scotland Yard's young recruits picked for their looks & assigned to the urinals for the purposes of entrapment.


"A Plague Over England" was the phrase invented by the then-Home Secretary David Maxwell Fyffe, who vowed to wipe out homosexuality before it destroyed the country. As a result, the police were arresting more than 10,000 gay men a year. Against this background that clueless Gielgud was arrested. A former public schoolboy who came from a famous theatrical family, he had never been in any doubt that he preferred men.


One of his first acting jobs in the 1920s was to understudy the very gay Noel Coward. In 1926, during the run of Coward's play The Constant Nymph, Gielgud had his first serious romance, with actor John Perry, who gave up his own stage career to live with his much more successful lover in a flat in Covent Garden.


Gielgud's homosexuality was common knowledge in the theatre world, but audiences only knew of his astonishing talent. After his Hamlet became a box office sensation in 1934, the British public idolized him. Other actors- Alec Guinness, Edith Evans & Richard Burton thought he simply the best there was.


In 1953, the year of the Elizabeth 2’s Coronation, Gielgud was nominated for a knighthood. It was the very height of his remarkable career. He was directing himself in a new production, & he had a new lover- interior designer Paul Anstee. Despite his new knighthood, & being one of the most celebrated actors in the world, there he was, the actor was arrested & charged with "persistently importuning men for immoral purposes".


Despite his high profile, Gielgud was not recognized. He was fined & urged to see a doctor about his perverse sex life, a common recommendation at a time when homosexuality was considered a medical problem. Gielgud's luck did not last, a reporter from London's Evening Standard happened to be in court that morning & recognized the actor's silver voice. When Gielgud was on his way to rehearsal that same afternoon, he saw his name on the front page of the late editions of the newspaper. 


The humiliation was too much for the sensitive Gielgud. A Conservative peer, Lord Winterton, called for him to be horsewhipped in the street after being stripped of his knighthood. His company of players were very supportive, & when the play finally opened, Gielgud's adoring public proved more than understanding & applauded giving him the blessing he longed for. This vindication was not enough for Gielgud, & 5 months into the run, he suffered a breakdown & was forced to leave the play.


Our own USA government denied Gielgud a visa to tour The Tempest around the country. Choreographer Frederick Ashton denounced Gielgud as having "ruined it for us all". Soon after, Gielgud’s acting style would fall out of style, yet he continued to work by moving in the modern theatre, doing the works of Pinter & Beckett. Gielgud continued to work into his 90s. He had roles in 3 films in 1997, including the piano tutor in Shine. 

His career enjoyed a renaissance in his old age. He even achieved respectability in his love life. At a Tate Gallery exhibition in the 1960s, Gielgud met artist Martin Hensler, 30 years his junior, who shared his love of gardening. They remained a couple for 40 years, & died only months apart in 2000.

Born On This Day- April 11th...Song & Dance Man, Joel Grey

I don’t know how I came to latch on to him. The heart wants what the heart wants. For some reason from an early age, I have been attracted to the all purpose show biz journeymen: Screen, Stage, Concerts, TV, Nightclubs, commercials; actor/singer/dancers: Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Liza, Fred Astaire, Noel Coward. I became fascinated with Joel Grey in the mid-1960s. I wanted to model my career on his & strangely... I wanted to kiss him.

I look back now, & I am actually embarrassed that I had a Joel Grey scrapbook; what sort of really weird little gay child was I? I was 12 years old, & while visiting the grandparents in rural Illinois, I insisted that they drive 80 miles to St Louis to see Joel Grey (& Bernadette Peters) in George M! at the Muni (The Municipal Opera). I need you to understand, I didn’t want the grandparents to take me to the musical; I wanted them to drop me off a block away & I would enter on my own.  I would see the show solo (so very cosmopolitan) & not have to share my Joel Grey moment with the rubes. I loved seeing the musical about the life of George M. Cohen & I was zany- over the moon for Mr. Grey’s performance. Singing, Dancing, Acting. The thrill lasted for months.

The scene shifts to Seattle, in 1991. I am fully adult, in my late 30s & I have done a little acting, singing & dancing myself. I am "day jobbing" as a maitre d’ at a swank, upscale vegetarian eatery. I’m not easily impressed by celebrity. In the year of having this job, I have sat regular- Tom Skerritt & his many actor guests such as Yaphet Kotto & Meg Ryan, but I am not prepared when I have to face my childhood idol- Joel Grey when he & guest enter the cafe.

I gently explain to the Oscar, Tony, BAFTA, & Golden Globe winner (he is one of only 8 actors to win a Tony & Oscar for the same role) & his guest, that we have a short wait, & that while trying not to offend the others in line, I will do everything I can to get them a table very soon. I consider kicking the lingering, tea drinking lesbians out. While standing at the host podium, a few inches away from the object of my childhood obsession-JOEL GREY, a small group of 20 something veg-heads enter & push their way up to me & my waiting list. I keep thinking- “No! Please! Don’t bother Mr.Joel Grey, he is MY guest.”  When the group reaches me, they shriek & giggle, point, & then ask- “Hey, aren’t you that guy in SINGLES?”

Yes indeed, boys & girls, I was recognized as an actor in front of the man whose photos, reviews, programs & ticket stubs filled a little homosexual theatre nerd’s scrapbook.


Joel Grey: “You are in the movie SINGLES?”

Stephen: (sheepish, yet sexy, with genuine humility) “Yes, Mr. Grey. Cameron Crowe was really fun to work with. It was a great shoot.”

Joel Grey: "My daughter is a friend of Campbell Scott & I believe he is on that film. He is such a nice young man… & so smart & talented. He is really gonna go places.”

Stephen: (a bit bodacious) “& that would be Jennifer Grey, star of DIRTY DANCING?... & yes Campbell Scott is quite talented & a sweetheart.

Then it happens.I held off for so long & now sickeningly, I gush. I tell this great performer about the experience of seeing George M! all by myself at 12 years old & about the scrapbook & even the crush. I have met & worked with many celebrities & important actors by this point in my life, & I have never behaved like this. & I am on the job! What was wrong with me? It was as if my circuit board overloaded.

Joel Grey: (laughing & smiling) “Well Mr. Appears in SINGLES, you are just something else!”

Stephen: (crossing Mr. Grey's name off the waiting list) "Your table is ready, Mr. Grey. This way, please."

Joel Grey tears off a corner of the wait-list from the clip board, borrows my pen, & takes a moment to write something down. I pray it is not a complaint to the owners & about my blathering. Am I the gayest thing he has ever encountered? He smiles & sticks the paper in my jacket pocket.

On my first chance, I read his note: “Thanks for being such a big fan for so many years. Love, Joel Grey”. I go in the walk-in fridge & cry. I cry for the little 12 year gay boy who would have never believed it possible. I still have the note. It is in a cigar box with Merle Oberon’s place card from MGM’s 50th Anniversary Ball, my ticket stub from the 1974 Academy Awards, my call sheet from Drugstore Cowboy, a post card from my father postmarked from Rutledge, Georgia, & a love letter from the Husband.


Happy Birthday, Joel Grey!

Born On This Day- March 21st... Character Actor James Coco

James Coco was a pudgy & bald character actor whom I admired a great deal, for reasons you can easily grasp. He worked steadily for over 3 decades in commercials, TV, Films & on stage.

Coco's career climax came as a struggling gay actor & buddy to a boozy Broadway actress played by Marsha Mason in the film Only When I Laugh (1981). As the supportive friend who wants to be a "big, big star," Coco was winsome, waggish, winning, wise, & over the top gay. He received a well deserved Oscar nomination as Supporting Actor.


Coco was associated with the works of one of my favorite playwrights- Terrence McNally. He played in an off-Broadway double-bill of one-act plays- Sweet Eros/Witness (1968), followed by Here's Where I Belong, a disastrous Broadway musical adaptation of East of Eden that closed on opening night. They had far greater success with Next, which ran for more than 700 performances & won Coco the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance.


Coco also achieved success with Neil Simon, who wrote The Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1969) specifically for him & Doris Roberts. It won him a Tony Award nomination as Best Actor in a Play. More work in Simon projects included a Broadway revival of the musical Little Me & films: Murder By Death, The Cheap Detective, & Only When I Laugh.


Coco's other film credits: Ensign Pulver, Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, Man of La Mancha, Such Good Friends, A New Leaf, The Wild Party, & The Muppets Take Manhattan.


Coco was known for his cooking capabilities, publishing several best-selling cookbooks & making frequent guest appearances on talk shows dressed in his chef's hat & apron. Coco died of a heart attack in NYC, in 1987 at the age of just 56.

Born On This Day- December 4th... Unexpected Personal Muse Deanna Durbin

This is not a proof sheet for headshots, but the actual product. A Seattle commercial photographer loved to use me for shoots & projects, & this was his 1987 promotional calendar for his studio. What can I say... the camera loves me.

Yesterday, while waiting for the MAX train, a young woman that I serve on the Portland Downtown Retail Commission with, saw me & stopped to comment that she had watched Drugstore Cowboy on IFC the previous evening & was surprised & delighted by my work in the film. This morning at work & received the following email, just as I was reading who was born on December 4th & attempting to come up with ideas for a post:
Hi Stephen

After we spoke today, I remembered you were also one of the video dates from Singles. One of my favorite movies ever. Your bit was awesome, and I remembered it without even going on IMDB! Great part. Good work. I can't believe that movie is almost 20 years old, that era feels like yesterday. Your Fan, Lisa

She really should be just a footnote to me; I truly have a deep love of film history. although I never really cared  for or about her, Deanna Durbin ends up holding a place in my personality & the direction my life turned because of a little anecdote.


Durbin made her first film appearance in 1936 with Judy Garland in Every Sunday & subsequently signed a contract with Universal Studios, where she was paid $400,000 per film. Her success as the ideal teenage girl in films such as Three Smart Girls (1936) was credited with saving the studio from bankruptcy. In 1938 Durbin won a special Oscar for Best Juvenile Actor. She was Universal’s top star.

As she grew older, Durbin grew dissatisfied with the girl-next-door roles assigned to her, & attempted to portray a more mature & sophisticated style. But the film noirs Christmas Holiday (1944) & Lady on a Train (1945) were not as well received as her musical comedies & romances had been. While she was working 1936-1948, Durbin’s fan club was the largest in the world.



She was, like Judy Garland, a Hollywood creation & a world-wide phenomenon. Yet, Durbin withdrew from Hollywood & retired from acting & singing in 1949. She married film producer-director Charles Henri David in 1950, & the couple moved to a farmhouse outside of the village Neauphle-le-Chateau, outside of Paris. Since then she has withdrawn from public life & she continues to fiercely guard her privacy. Unlike Garbo, who famously strolled the streets of New York, Durbin truly does want to be alone.


In 1980, she sent a current photo of herself to Life Magazine, with a note explaining that she was upset at the stories of being overweight. Since her retirement, Durbin has granted only a single interview in 1983, to film historian David Shipman.
Unlike Garbo, who famously strolled the streets of New York, Durbin truly does want to be alone in order to lead a normal life.

Winston Churchill adored her movies, & Durbin was Anne Frank’s favorite Hollywood star.


So here is the anecdote. It was told to me a very successful film & stage producer who I briefly slept with for a few months in 1974. I won’t name him, but I will tell you that I got to hold the Tony Award that he won (one of several) for Wonderful Town while he did unspeakable things to my 20 year old body. Here we go:

Garland had suffered from extreme drug & alcohol abuse, & she had become overweight & very ill, After a long convalescence, weight loss, & vocal rest, she returned to the concert stage with a simple program of 'just Judy.' Her Concert at Carnegie Hall in NYC on the night of April 23, 1961, has been called "the greatest night in show business history". Garland's live concerts had become huge successes at the time & the double album of the event was a gigantic best seller, spending 73 weeks on the Billboard chart, including 13 weeks #1. It won 7 Grammys, including Album of the Year.It seems that when Judy Garland was enjoying her amazing comeback with her fabled concerts, she was trying to reach her childhood rival- Deanna Durbin who lived in a farmhouse with no telephone. Garland would not give up her attempt to reach the reclusive Durbin & was finally able to speak to her via a telephone at the local parish. Garland gushed to Durbin about her new found success & her happy circumstances. When there was finally a pause, Durbin said: “Oh Judy dear… are you still in that shitty business?”

Durbin’s retort has lived on as my mantra whenever I am asked why I retired from acting.