Alanis Romances Lesbian Doctor
You oughta know that Alanis Morissette is more than just an angsty singer—she's an actress, to boot. ( Did you catch her zippy turn as God in Kevin Smith's Dogma? ) Her latest thespian turn will be a lesbian one, as she pops up on FX's Nip/Tuck for three episodes as a love interest for Liz, the show's lesbian anesthesiologist, played by sexy Roma Maffia. Morissette's run on the popular cable drama—which, as Romeo has reported, is currently boasting guest appearances by the likes of Rosie O'Donnell, Catherine Deneuve, Brooke Shields and Kathleen Turner, among others—kicks off Oct. 31. Sorry to disappoint those looking for lesbian plotlines from Morissette off-screen—Romeo hears she's still happily entangled with abs-enhanced actor Ryan Reynolds.
Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford Commit An American Crime
The luminous Catherine Keener—on something of a hot streak since The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Capote—will star in An American Crime, based on the true story of a suburban housewife who kidnapped a teenage girl and kept her locked up in a basement in 1960s Indiana. Rising star Ellen Page ( X3, Hard Candy ) portrays the abductee, and Bradley Whitford ( The West Wing, Studio 60 ) will play a prosecuting attorney. James Franco ( Flyboys ) also stars for gay director Tommy O'Haver, whose credits include Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss and Ella Enchanted. And if it all sounds rather dark, just look to lesbian super-producer Christine Vachon's attachment to the project—she's good at getting that kind of stuff made. Anticipate this twisted drama to surface in theaters sometime in 2007.
Last Dance Boogies Toward Broadway
The name Paul Jabara might not mean much to you younger readers, so come sit on Uncle Romeo's lap. Back in the 1970s, this gay songwriter was responsible for many of the great hits of disco, including No More Tears ( Enough Is Enough ) , The Main Event, the gay anthem It's Raining Men, and the Oscar-winning Last Dance. Of course, these days, you're not a truly important songwriter until someone turns your work into a Broadway musical, so Jabara is getting his moment in the footlights: Last Dance, his very own Mamma Mia!, if you will, is being developed under the direction of Philip McKinley, who guided Hugh Jackman to a Tony in the Peter Allen musical The Boy from Oz. Last Dance will premiere in summer 2007 at the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, N.Y., with an eye toward Broadway.
Director Fox Bursts Bubble
Director Eytan Fox ( Yossi and Jagger ) is no stranger to controversy, but he may not have been prepared for the international anger over his new film, The Bubble. The film recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, but it's already angering audiences worldwide. For one thing, it's a love story between an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian refugee—and, on top of that, they're both gay. But while people on both sides of the ongoing Middle East conflict may be griping about the movie—often without having bothered to see it first—gay critics have praised the sexy love story, calling it both touching and timely. American audiences will have their own opportunity to see for themselves when the movie opens in the U.S. next year.
Romeo San Vicente likes bubbles in his bathtub and in his champagne. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com .
