Some of Hollywood's hottest celebrities joined the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ( GLAAD ) for its 22nd annual GLAAD Media Awards ceremony, held at the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles April 10. The star-studded evening, sponsored by ROKK Vodka, featured honorees such as Kristin Chenoweth, NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt and the best in television and journalism. Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones hosted the event.
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their representation of LGBT individuals and the issues that affect their lives. Proceeds from the evening's event also fund the organization's work to heighten stories of LGBT people and issues that strengthen equality.
Windy City Times caught up with a handful of celebrities on the ROKK Vodka Blue Carpet.
Windy City Times: Mike O'Malley, you play the parent of a gay teen on Glee. Was that a role that took some figuring out for you personally, or was it a no-brainer?
Mike O'Malley: One of the best things about being on Glee is that I have the privilege of playing a character who connects emotionally with audiences. It makes me feel good as an actor. More importantly, though, it feels good to know that I am portraying a parent of a gay teen, and that I get to—through my character—show other parents that loving your gay teen is the most important thing in the world. It's about loving your kids, period.
Windy City Times:Jason Stuart, you're about as out of the closet as they come, and you continue to be as funny as you are serious when it come to issues affecting the LGBT community. What can we expect to see you in next, and what do you want our readers to know about you?
Jason Stuart: Well, thank you, baby boy… daddy's here and he's got candy! Seriously, though, I am who I am and I'm happy. When I first started off in the biz, there wasn't this kind of support for the gays, so it's good to see it happening now. And, as far as what you can see me in next… I just did a film with Hilary Duff called Home Invasion. It's a thriller where I play the BFF to the lead. People get poisoned, it's scary and people get really upset. And here's what I want to say to Chicago: I love you, Windy City! I mean it—thank you, Chicago! You guys have always been so fabulous to me and I miss you.
Windy City Times:Robert Gant, you've got a leading-man look and you play a lot of straight roles. Of course you also starred in Queer As Folk. What can you tell us about being openly gay in Hollywood? Is it harder to gain, or keep, an audience when you're an openly gay actor?
Robert Gant: Yeah, I've tended to play a lot of straight roles. I think, for whatever reason, when they're casting a gay roll, they're often looking for a stereotype, which is silly. But I do think things are shifting and moving right now. And, I think that before we know it, all that's going to be irrelevant. Things are getting better [ for gay people ] in Hollywood and in a lot of other places. I wouldn't be surprised if being an openly gay actor becomes trendy and in-demand in the not too distant future."
GLAAD Award recipients included Kristin Chenoweth ( presented by Sean Hayes ) ; Project Runway's Mondo Guerra, Michael Costello, and producer Jonathan Murray; and NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt ( presented by Dolly Parton ) . Parton even sang an abridged version of her hit song "Nine-to-Five," driving the capacity ballroom bonkers.
For a compete list of award recipients, or to watch video of the event, go to http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards/22/la.
Photos on this page courtesy Janice K. Langbehn.
