Openly gay TV veteran Paris Barclay (Glee, Sons Of Anarchy) was elected president of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) at the organization's national biennial convention in Los Angeles, according to the Hollywood Reporter. In addition, the 147 delegates who represent more than 15,000 DGA members elected new officers and members of the National Board of Directors. Barclay told the delegates, "As the son of a glass blower and a tile maker from Chicago, I am extremely humbled to have the honor to serve in the footsteps of the legendary leaders of the DGA like Frank Capra, Robert Wise and Gil Cates."
Madonna told the New York Post that she was so exhausted at times during her recent MDNA world tour that she would regularly burst into tears before going on stage, according to RTE.ie. She said, ''I was a mess. I would have my bad nights, and I would cry and I would say I don't want to do this. ... But there's something about pushing yourself." Madonna ended her 88-date tour last December; the series grossed more than $300 million.
Sandra Bullock will not be in the film remake of Annie, according to TheWrap.com . A second attempt to get her in the cast fell through. Bullock was in line to play Miss Hannigan, who runs the orphanage where Annie (Quvenzhane Wallis) and her friends live. Annie is scheduled to debut in theaters Christmas Day 2014, the same day as Disney's star-studded Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods.
James Gandolfini—known primarily for his role as Tony Soprano on the TV show The Sopranos—died June 19 in Rome at age 51 of cardiac arrest, according to the L.A. Times. Gandolfini was traveling with a group that reportedly included wife Deborah Lin and their 9-month-old daughter, Liliana. LGBT audiences may remember that Gandolfini played gay hitman Winston Baldry in the Julia Roberts-Brad Pitt movie The Mexican, Out.com noted.
Project Runway will return to Lifetime for its 12th season, which debuts Thursday, July 18, according to a press release. Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia and Zac Posen will be judges, with Tim Gunn returning as mentor. Guest judges will include Kelly Osbourne, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, actress Kate Bosworth and original Runway judge Michael Kors, among others. Also, for the first time, the show's fans will be able to interact with viewers across the country in real time during each episode through the new interactive on-screen feature PlayRunway.
Logo announced a full season order (22 episodes) for a new scripted soap, The Vines of Sauvignon Blanc, to be produced solely on Twitter's micro-video sharing app, Vine, a press release stated. Clocking in at six seconds per episode, the entire season will play out in slightly more than two minutes. The Vines of Sauvignon Blanc follows a wealthy vineyard owner who is told he only has two minutes and six seconds to live as his family plots for power and prestige, all while being incredibly pressed for time.
The Disney Channel has announced that an episode of the next season of its children's series Good Luck Charlie will feature a family with two moms—the first time a show on the channel has done so, according to TVGuide.com . Producers are currently casting the couple, with production set for the week of June 24. Because Good Luck Charlie is coming to a close, the characters are only expected to appear in this one episode.
The Food Network said it is dropping Southern chef Paula Deen, according to CBS News. The development happened barely an hour after the celebrity cook posted the first of two videotaped apologies online begging forgiveness from fans and critics troubled by her admission to having used racial slurs in the past. Deen also acknowledged she briefly considered hiring all Black servers for her brother's 2007 wedding.
The late rapper Tupac Shakur may have songs featured in a musical, according to RollingStone.com . HIs songs are set to be featured in an upcoming musical, Holler if Ya Hear Me, which may hit Broadway in the 2013-14 theater season. Produced by Shakur's mother, Afeni Shakur, the musical is an original story about two childhood friends in a fictional Midwestern industrial city as they chase their dreams.
WhatsYourPrice.com, which advertises itself as the world's only dating-auction website, revealed its ranking of cities with the most expensive first dates, according to a press release. Regarding Gay Pride dates, St. Louis is the most expensive first date, at $142.88. Others in the top 10 include Santa Monica, Calif.; Salt Lake City, Utah; San Diego; Boston; Atlanta; San Francisco; Minneapolis, Miami; and Dallas.
The British show Downton Abbey has added another talented American actor, as Golden Globe and Emmy winner Paul Giamatti is joining the cast, according to the New York Post. The actor will join the cast as Harold, the maverick brother of Elizabeth McGovern's Lady Cora Grantham. He will appear in the season four finale alongside Shirley MacLaine, who joined "Downton" last season as McGovern's mother, Martha Levinson.
Virgil Films will offer a digital download release of one of the movie Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams, which is being issued on the heels of the film's recent successful theatrical run, according to ArtistDirect.com . Starting July 1, fans can download a version directly from the filmmakers (Stevie Nicks and Dave Stewart) at inyourdreamsmovie.com . The doc is an intimate portrait of Nicks, the Grammy-winning artist and member of iconic rock band Fleetwood Mac, as she creates an album with Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame.
"Broadway Bares 23: United Strips of America," which was held June 23 at Roseland Ballroom and featured 220 dancers, raised an all-time record high, bringing in $1,430,241 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, according to Playbill.com . With this year's record total, the 23 editions of Broadway Bares have raised more than $11.3 million for Broadway Cares. This year's event featured appearances and salutes Alan Cumming, Billy Porter, Christopher Sieber, Andy Cohen and Judith Light, among others.
Nevada's Matthew Simmons, a former Marine, won the Mr. Gay World USA 2013 pageant, according to Out.com . Simmons wore a black Speedo-style swimsuit and Marine Corps Blue Dress uniform to win the competition over 25 other contestants after answering a question about what makes a strong man. Simmons now will represent the USA in the Mr. Gay World competition in Belgium Aug. 5.
In an excerpt of his new book, Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies, that is on Out.com, pro football player and marriage-equality advocate Chris Kluwe discusses the hypocrisy he perceives in anti-gay individuals. At one point, Kluwe writes, "If there's one thing I've noticed over the years, it's that people love to use the 'it's for the children' argument whenever they feel like they're on shaky logical ground. ... Well, I, for one, am tired of seeing children used to disguise bigotry. I'm tired of watching the 'morally upright' teach generation after generation that it's okay to preach vitriol and obscenity as long as you include the phrase 'for the children.'"
Rihanna has hit out at Daily Mail columnist Liz Jones after she called the singer a "toxic role model for her army of young fans," according to Digital Spy. In the article, Jones suggested that Rihanna toned down her image for advertising deals and to get on the cover of the U.S. version of Vogue magazine. In response, Rihanna wrote on Instagram, "LOL!!!! My money got a bad habit of pissing people off!! If you sincerely wanna help little girls more than their own parents do, here's a toxic tip: don't be amateur with your articles, you sound bitter!"
In France, Alain Guiraudie was named best director in the Un Certain Regard sidebar at last month's Cannes Film Festival for his gay-themed thriller L'Inconnu Du Lac (Stranger by the Lake), according to Deadline.com . However, the movie's advertising—which shows two men kissing—has proven to be too much for some in that country. In the Parisian suburbs of Versailles and Saint-Cloud, a series of promotional posters was pulled at the request of the individual town halls.
The late gay icon Eartha Kitt has inspired a new lifestyle brand, Simply Eartha, created by daughter Kitt Shapiro, according to a press release. When Eartha passed away on Christmas Day 2008, Shapiro found many of her mother's random thoughts ("Kitt-sms") written and stashed in drawers. Repurposing/recycling was of great importance to her mother so Shapiro designed a way to use the "Kitt-isms" and classic photos to honor her mother.
Out gay Pet Shop Boys singer-songwriter Neil Tennant has said he was offered a judging role on American Idol after Simon Cowell left, Gay Star News noted. The "It's A Sin" singer told Popjustice believes the producers wanted a "bitchy gay Englishman" on the show. He said, "I got them to send me a DVD of the program. I watched the first two minutes and I just thought, 'I can't do this.'"
Days of Our Lives star Chandler Massey—who recently won a Daytime Emmy for playing gay character Will Horton—appeared at his first Pride event June 22 when he rode in the parade in Columbus, Ohio, and met with fans after, according to Gay Star News. Massey said, "What's been overwhelming is how many people have told me how much the Will and Sonny storyline has helped them in some way. They are saying some amazing things and it is a reminder to me that Days is really doing something special."
Lesbian tennis legend Martina Navratilova says gay men still feel oppressed on the court—and that many are still in the closet when it comes to their sexuality, according to Pink News. She said she knew that there were professional male tennis players who were gay, but none would go public. She added, "It is more difficult in team sports as you may not get to play. But that does not explain why there are no gay male tennis players at all." Navratilova, 56, came out of the closet in 1981.
