"And so I actually told this woman who was the Disney-ite, 'But didn't you know that all my characters are gay?' Which really made her nervous."—Johnny Depp discusses his portrayal of Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. We also learn something else—the role was written for Hugh Jackman. Hugh as a swarthy, drunken pirate with lots of eye makeup? Be still my heart.
Dec. 1 was World AIDS Day—a day where we remember all the people we've lost to the disease, but raise awareness regarding HIV. While I know it's almost sacrilege to make any barbs about AmFAR Founding National Chairman Elizabeth Taylor, I do need to report on a story that I find somewhat implausible. According to an article La Liz wrote for the British newspaper The Independent, while volunteering at a syringe-exchange center in New York City she was stunned to learn that this was the first time many drug users reported receiving any medical attention. What I'm stunned to hear is that Elizabeth was well enough to be volunteering anywhere. The frail old lady I saw dozing off in a wheelchair in mid-conversation with Prince Charles a few months back looks more like she'd be mistaken for a patient than someone showing up for volunteer duty. Back in 2001, she could barely figure out how to present an award at The Golden Globes—how well do you think she's gonna be nine years later handling sharp objects? With junkies? I'm guessing most of the people there didn't get any new syringes—they just got spritzed with White Diamonds as Liz said, "These have always brought me luck!"
You may have heard about the murder of Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen, who was shot five times while driving home from the Burlesque premiere. What was initially considered a random shooting is now being considered a premeditated murder. The police are reviewing surveillance video from the widow of Buddy Hackett, whose home is adjacent to where the shooting took place. When the cops went to interview a person of interest, he shot himself in the head. That person, known only as Harold, claimed to be a hit man. This gets more and more intriguing, but let's not lose sight of the real tragedy—the last thing poor Ronni did was sit through Burlesque!
The big entertainment news of the week is that James Franco and Anne Hathaway will co-host the 2011 Academy Awards. They're two hot young actors and I'm sure the Academy is hoping they'll bring in younger viewers. At least Hathaway has been nominated for an Oscar and is probably a member of the Academy. And Franco—well, maybe he'll bring in some viewers from General Hospital!
Daniel Radcliffe is no stranger to gay rumors. What's refreshing is he not only doesn't seem to care, but he's also fueling the fire. In the latest Harry Potter flick, he has to slip on the clothes of a female character, Fleur Delacour, after she drank some potion—or perhaps someone put on a Gloria Gaynor record. Anyhoo, Danny said, "I was actually quite pleased, and this is only going to add fuel to the fires of the rumour that I'm gay. I don't really care. I'm sort of passed the point of caring. I looked fantastic in Fleur's outfit! I think I looked really good. It was these sort of skin tight trousers with a clingy top and a nice little cropped blue jacket on top. Really nice. I was really pleased." I bet—it sounds eerily similar to the ensemble I wore to Thanksgiving dinner with the folks!
Like Radcliffe, Jim Carrey doesn't care if anyone thinks he's gay. With the imminent release of I Love You Phillip Morris (which you can still watch on BillyMasters.com and catch the review of in this week's issue of Windy City Times), Carrey revealed that he took a cut in pay: "There are very few scripts that I would come across that I would pay to do and this was one of them. I didn't mind taking a big salary cut. I'm here to do extreme and interesting things." He also says he thoroughly enjoyed making out with Ewan McGregor: "It was a dream come true. I mean, look at the guy. I have to say, he is a great kisser."
Apparently we've come to the end of the Michael Verdugo saga. He's the Hollywood, Fla., cop who was on HGTV's Design Star and also starred in the gay porn fetish flick Rope Rituals. After the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ruled that he should not be stripped of his license, he attempted to be reinstated to his previous position claiming that the arbitrator handling the original case was biased. However, last week a judge ruled there was no bias and denied the request. Verdugo is free to apply for work at any other police force in Florida—or perhaps return to gay porn, where I'm sure he would be welcomed with open arms. And if you forget what all the fuss was about, head to BillyMasters.com, where you can see every inch of Mikey in action.
Could it be that those oh-so-close reality stars have had a falling out? So say people on the sidelines who whisper that the up-and-comer has had enough of the golden boy's ego and cut off all ties. While everyone knows their professional collaboration ended earlier this year, it was kept kinda quiet that the reason was their personal break-up. Kinda tricky working together, but both boys are fast on their feet.
When my blind item subjects are footloose and fancy free, it's definitely time to end yet another column. I must tell you that I'm really getting into the holiday spirit. Why just yesterday I was laying on the beach in Fort Lauderdale in my festive red Speedo and thinking of jingling some bells. Instead, because I've devoted to you readers, I dashed home and spent time on www.BillyMasters.com—the site that always gives you a reason to celebrate. If you've got a question or concern, just drop a note to Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you Carrey and Radcliffe fight over a fetching frock for the Oscars. Until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.
