"I wish I were 25 years younger. But I don't think I would be his 'type'—if you know what I mean."—Greg Louganis answers a reporter's question about which "Splash" contestant wore their swimsuit well. His answer, not surprisingly, was Drake Bell. Well, you didn't think he was going to choose Nicole Eggert, did you?
I knew that summer was upon us when I received an email saying Panda Express was giving away orange chicken to celebrate the summer solstice. Obviously, it was time to shut down the beach house in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and head to the beach house in Provincetown, Mass.—but not before taking in a performance of Well-Strung at the Colony Theatre in South Beach. I was an immediate fan of this string quartet after their sold-out run in Provincetown. Seeing the last vestiges of that show along with a tantalizing glimpse of their new one, I was reminded of what initially attracted me. It wasn't the guys' good looks, the witty banter or the sexual overtones (or undertones). It's actually very simple—they're genuinely good musicians. Chamber music is one of those rare things you can't fake—either you've got it, or you ain't. Check out Well-String this summer at the Ptown Art House (PTownArtHouse.com ).
A pair of sexy French swimmers are taking part in an anti-homophobia campaign. Florent Manaudou (Olympic gold medalist) and Frédérick Bousquet (world record holder) posed as a hunky gay couple getting amorous in a shower for photographer Olivier Ciappa's Facebook page. The photo is titled "les couples imaginaires" or, for those of you lacking a foreign tongue, "imaginary couples." Here is Ciappa's description: "You're with the person you love. Not a man. Not a woman. Then, at the session, I disappear. For they are one with each other." I presume he said this in French. It sounds very Truffaut—or at least should have included some umbrellas. As it happens, the two lads do have a relationship—Frédérick is dating Florent's sister, and they have a daughter. How fantastique for someone with two accents in his name to be straight! C'est la vie.
Legendary diver Greg Louganis has announced his engagement. The four-time Olympian is engaged to Johnny Chaillot, who is a paralegal. They've been together about a year and a half, and plan to wed in the fall—presumably in a state where gay marriage is legal. When it was noted that they look strikingly similar, Greg said, "The more I fall in love with Johnny, the more I fall in love with myself." I bet that sounded a whole lot better in French, too!
I recently had a fascinating encounter with Wilson Cruz. Actually, we had two encounters. The first one took place on a busy street miles away from West Hollywood, when Wilson recognized me from his cab en route from LAX. However, the fascinating one was when we got to catch up in the flesh at LA Pride. While we were talking, a young-ish actor wanted to thank Wilson for giving him a career. Back when this guy was a mere child, he saw Cruz on My So-Called Life playing TV's first gay teen. It gave him hope that he could not only have a career as an actor, but could also be an openly gay actor. Later, Wilson told me that he's heard many similar tales from people around the country during his work as the strategic giving officer for GLAAD. This got me thinking—with the resignation of Herndon Graddick as president of GLAAD, why not install someone who can not only talk the talk but has actually walked the walk? I'd certainly get behind Wilson—of course, I'd have to get in line!
I'm sure that Neil Patrick Harris has inspired oodles of people with his high-profile acting and hosting gigs. Once How I Met Your Mother wraps up next season, he'll be back on Broadway, and his vehicle is both old and new. He'll be playing the transgender rocker in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Although John Cameron Mitchell's musical was a phenomenon off-Broadway, on the road and, as a film, it never played Broadway ... until now. It's not as much of a stretch for NPH as you may think. After all, he was one of the replacements for Alan Cumming in Cabaret on Broadway in 2003. And this was opposite the formidable Sally Bowles of Deborah Gibson.
Our "Ask Billy" question is from Patrick in Rochester: "I just came back from London and saw the most gorgeous guy in an ad for laundry detergent. What do you know about soccer player Matt Jarvis? GOD—what a hottie!"
Matt Jarvis is a footballer—soccer, to us Yanks. The 27-year-old is as notable for his athletic skill as he is for his physical beauty and hunky physique. He's been a huge (and I do mean huge) advocate for gay rights, specifically in regard to professional sports. You probably saw a spoof of an ad he did for the UK's leading gay publication, Attitude. He said the following when he was asked to be on their cover: "I sat down with my wife, Sarah, and had a look and saw what it was about and came to a decision that it would be a really good thing to be a part of. ... I've never had a gay teammate but that doesn't mean there aren't gay footballers. In any other line of work, no one would even bat an eyelid or think to ask someone if they're gay. It's because it's football." They might bat an eyelid at his photo, where his clearly delineated member points due east on BillyMasters.com .
When we can begin and end with hot guys who are both well-strung and well-hung, it's definitely time to end yet another column. While I'm thrilled to be heading back to Boston and Provincetown, one thing makes me miss LA—the fact that Charles Busch and members of the original cast of "The Divine Sister" will be at LA Theatre Works to record their uproarious portrayals July 11-14. Thank God their performance will be immortalized for all posterity at LATW.org . Of course, every breath I've ever uttered can be found on www.BillyMasters.com, the site that has no delusions of grandeur. If you need my immediate assistance (and why wouldn't you), drop a note to Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you before Louganis and his beau pose for that French photographer ... or a mirror! So, until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.
