a&e features
The ‘Stonewall’ brouhaha
Director says he’s proud of film, despite activist backlash
Jeremy Irvine as Danny in ‘Stonewall,’ throws the first brick. The filmmakers have drawn considerable ire for centering the action around Danny, a fictional character. (Photo courtesy Roadside Attractions)
When the world got its first look at the “Stonewall” trailer in August, reaction was swift and withering with some even calling for LGBT people to boycott the film, a dramatization of the 1969 New York riots that were a turning point for gay rights.
The film was assailed, from snarky social media posts (“Ah yes! That wonderful point in gay history where super models got really angry”) to outright vitriol. Pat Cordova-Goff, who identifies as a “transwomyn of color” is calling for a boycott with the Gay-Straight Alliance Network. “Do not throw money at the capitalistic industry that fails to recognize true s/heros. Do not support a film that erases our history. Do not watch ‘Stonewall,’” she writes.
The beefs are essentially that historical events have been “whitewashed,” that trans characters are pushed to the sidelines and played by non-trans actors and that, as Tim Teeman wrote for the Daily Beast, “everyone appears to have been bused in from laughably predictable central casting.” The events are centered around a fictional character named Danny, a white Midwestern teen kicked out of his home for being gay. Ironically, few have pointed out that Jeremy Irvine, the 25-year-old “War Horse” actor who plays him, is straight.
Irvine, director Roland Emmerich and writer Jon Robin Baitz (all white, the latter two gay) have defended the film, which opens on Friday, Sept. 25 (it’s screening at area theaters such as Landmark E Street Cinema, ArcLight Bethesda, Angelika Film Center and more). They counter that most of the criticism is based on the trailer, not the film itself, that the true events of the riots are shrouded in myth and that any dramatization uses artistic license to varying degrees. Legendary gay writer Larry Kramer defended the filmmakers.
Emmerich, widely known for helming major films like “Independence Day” (1996), “Godzilla” (1998) and the Mel Gibson vehicle “The Patriot” (2000), is already at work on his next project. The German-born auteur spoke to the Blade by phone from his Los Angeles home. His comments have been slightly edited for length.
Jonny Beauchamp, left, as Ray, and Vlad Alexis as Cong in ‘Stonewall.’ Although the filmmakers have been accused of ‘whitewashing’ history, it does include several Latino and African-American gender-nonconforming characters. (Photo courtesy Roadside Attractions)
WASHINGTON BLADE: What was the genesis of “Stonewall”?
ROLAND EMMERICH: Actually a producer friend of mine, Michael Fossat, proposed it to me. I was kind of like, “I don’t know, with so many great gay directors, why should I do a gay movie?” But then I started checking it out and read a lot and at the same time I took a tour of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center and saw the homeless youth program and I realized that 40 percent of homeless youth are LGBT. Compared to the overall population, that’s actually quite a big number and so slowly I kind of started thinking that maybe this is something for me. We started looking for a writer and I read this terrific play by Robbie Baitz and it kind of came together. First we wrote a script and then we took it from there.
BLADE: The trailer got a lot of criticism. Did it give the wrong impression of the film or were people too quick to judge the film based on it?
EMMERICH: I like the trailer. We premiered it at the GLAAD awards and it got a standing ovation. Nobody had any criticism of it there. It’s very unfortunate that some people kind of felt it was kind of some sort of whitewashing, but it isn’t. The film itself uses a white character as a catalyst but the film itself is actually quite ethnically diverse. It has, you know, like all facets of the LGBT community both historic and invented. I didn’t comment on it much because I really felt I didn’t want to comment on criticism of the trailer.
BLADE: I’m not a filmmaker. What dramatic purpose does it serve to have a character such as Danny to center the action around? Why was that a device you wanted to utilize?
EMMERICH: Well, a friend of mine told me his story and that interested me a lot because it’s still a story that happens today with kids getting thrown out of their homes for being gay. These are often quaint kind of middle-class homes and then they end up on the street and I just felt that would be a unique approach because these stories show that you can be in that situation and hold on to your dignity and your dream and not lose them in the process. So it was a coming-of-age story with kids, which I could imagine very well. Also, the overall theme was one of unrequited love. When you look at the movie, it’s a lot about people who love somebody and it’s not that the other person doesn’t love them, but they cannot be together and yet at the end they all come together and create something great. That was overall, dramatically, I’d say, when I started with Robbie, you first talk about the approach you want to take. We are also big (J.D.) Salinger fans and he was a big writer in the ‘60s, you know. So that was a type of an influence, and it all came together from there. When you do your research on this, you realize there’s not really one standout character in these riots. I loved the idea that it was this group of homeless kids that we know about who were part of it. Just an overall riot of many people who had just had it. You know how riots happen. It was actually really sparked by a lesbian who resisted arrest. That’s what really threw everything into high gear.
BLADE: Theoretically could the film have worked with somebody like Marsha P. Johnson as the protagonist? Could you have gotten a green light with that approach?
EMMERICH: Well we never did get a green light. I gave my own green light. I love the Marsha P. Johnson character. I have friends who are trans women, but it felt to me like I’m a white male, I’m openly gay and we can have all forms of sexuality in this film, but I think it’s good to use somebody very close to yourself, you know, and find truth in that. We also didn’t want to make the Jonny Beauchamp character (Ray, a composite) as just Sylvia Rivera because she was the one who said she was at the Stonewall that night. I didn’t want to invent stuff around Sylvia. She was not a club kid and didn’t really have any relationship like that. So all this kind of came together through discussions and we used a lot of historical characters but also with these invented characters. I thought it was a better approach, at least for me, to show the feel this time had. We talked to some Stonewall veterans and we only found white guys, you know? I think actually there was one who wanted to call me but then this person died shortly after.
Director Roland Emmerich says ‘Stonewall,’ despite its relatively small budget, was a tough film to get made. (Photo courtesy Roadside Attractions)
BLADE: How was the shoot?
EMMERICH: Well it was odd because we wanted to make it first on location in New York but it was too expensive and we found they’d never let us do what we wanted to do there. … New York is a very expensive town. So we ended up doing it in Montreal where we were able to use some Canadian actors and get a huge tax rebate. Once we decided to film it there, everything came together nicely. We had a very nice shoot, like 42 days, and it was one, big, happy family.
BLADE: Was it hard to get it financed?
EMMERICH: It was about $17 million and we got like $4 million back in tax rebates and the rest we did as a pre-sale to Germany and other countries. A friend of mine and I put in the rest. We went to all my usual contacts and they all said, “Oh, this is too niche, there’s no real big name in it,” and blah, blah, blah.
BLADE: Are the Hollywood bean counters squeamish about gay themes or is there a legit point in the math?
EMMERICH: No, they’re not. When somebody like, you know, Sean Penn takes on Harvey Milk, they’re all there because they know that’s an actor who can win an Oscar. So there’s more incentive to do films like that where the actor can be the incentive. They also say things like, “Why is he making a movie like that, why is he not making one of his big movies where we can make a lot of money?” And I’m saying, “I will make those movies, but I want to make other movies too.” I like these smaller projects sometimes, like “Anonymous.” Nobody wanted me to do that one either, but it’s fine.
BLADE: What’s it like making a small film like “Stonewall” versus a big-budget action spectacle like “Independence Day?” Do the headaches increase with the scope as one might expect or not necessarily?
EMMERICH: I think it is more complex making a film like “Independence Day” because you’re dealing with a little bit more complex techniques, like shooting half the movie on bluescreen, where it’s very, very tough to keep the actors involved. “Stonewall” was a very different method, a very old-fashioned method actually, where we actually built the street and everything, then in the back we had some photographic backgrounds and maybe only one or two scenes were bluescreen, the march and one other scene. It was a very gritty atmosphere on the set and I think the actors get something out of that. … I got a lot of knowledge working on those big movies that I could use in “Stonewall,” you know? I just kind of know how to make things realistic looking when they’re not.
BLADE: Sometimes controversy works in your favor. Will it help you here?
EMMERICH: Maybe it brought more attention to the film. I don’t know if people would have known about it otherwise. Now at least the gay people know. Sometimes a controversy works against you and sometimes it works for you. We won’t know till it comes out. It’s an interesting dynamic. Nobody knows what will happen but you never know this with any movie what will happen. I’m quite content. I’m already making my next movie. I’m very proud of the movie we did and everybody who was involved.
BLADE: How much straight support will the movie need to be successful?
EMMERICH: That will be a very interesting thing. … When we tested the movie, it actually tested better with straight people than gay because straight people don’t have all this sense of they think they know what it was about. Gay people think, “Oh, it was because Judy Garland died,” and they think they know the story, where as straight audiences don’t think like that. They think, “What was the story like and how did I get into the story and what did I learn?” They were actually amazed at how emotional they got in the story. I hope for a wider audience but it’s also not a big release. It’s like a 100-print release, so it’s perfect for me. We’ll see what happens.
BLADE: Have you been out your entire career?
EMMERICH: At the beginning in Germany I wasn’t out because I never wanted to become the gay director and it was kind of a typical thing in Germany, if you were out it was like you were a gay director and you only did gay movies, so I didn’t think it was good to come out. It was also a different time. Then I came to America and, of course, my friends knew, but at a certain point I realized I’m making big movies, I can be out, so I came out. This was like maybe 20 years ago, which was a bit late. I’m 59 turning 60, so it was a little different time. For me, “Stonewall” represents this mythical moment. I went to Christopher Street the first time I was in New York and stood in front of the Stonewall and it was always kind of like Germany to me. A little bit of this coming out, this proud moment because of what happened there.
Otoja Abit as Marsha P. Johnson in ‘Stonewall.’ (Photo by Philippe Bossé; courtesy of Roadside Attractions)
a&e features
Have yourself a merry John Waters Christmas
Annual holiday show returns to Alexandria and Baltimore
When it comes to iconic Christmas scenes in movies, none can top the tree-toppling tantrum thrown by cha-cha heels-deprived Dawn Davenport in John Waters’s fifth full-length feature “Female Trouble” from 1974. Therefore, it’s not surprising that Waters continues to make art out of Christmas, performing his spoken word Christmas tour in cities across the country. Waters has even more reason to celebrate with the release of his new red vinyl 7” single, a cover of Little Cindy’s “Happy Birthday Jesus (A Child’s Prayer)” on the A-side, and “A Pig Latin Visit From St. Nicholas” on the B-side. If you’re still looking for unique Christmas gifts, consider this record. As always, John was kind enough to make time for an interview in advance of his tour dates.
BLADE: John, in preparation for this interview with you, I went back and listened to Little Cindy’s original rendition of “Happy Birthday Jesus (A Child’s Prayer)” on your “A John Waters Christmas” CD.
JOHN WATERS: One thing I did, if you notice, I make the same stumble in my recording that she did in the original.
BLADE: It sounded to me like she got choked up.
WATERS: No, I think she just stumbles over a word, so I stumbled over the same word. It’s appropriation, insanely.
BLADE: Is this a song you first became aware of in your youth or when you were an adult?
WATERS: When I was doing the Christmas album, I had this friend named Larry Benicewicz. He was kind of my idea man with music. He knew every single old record. I would say to him, “Weird Christmas songs,” when we were doing a soundtrack, or a song about bears, or a song about this, and he would give me all these tapes. It was one of the ones he played for me. A lot of the songs I put in my movies and on my records, I did know as a kid. I did not know this one, but I immediately embraced it. I don’t think it’s campy. I think it really is spiritual in a weird way. My doing it makes it a novelty record. I am really for novelty records, and there aren’t any anymore. Why was there not a COVID novelty record? That’s insane. The dance “The Bug” that’s on the “Hairspray” soundtrack would be perfect for COVID.
BLADE: The thing that struck me was that for a Christmas song in the voice of a child, a kind of death pall hangs over it, with lines like, “If I was good you’d let me live with you” and “they nailed you to the cross, they wanted you to die.”
WATERS: All of it! When I see children at midnight mass kneeling in front of a nude man nailed to a cross, I feel like I’m at The Eagle! It is S&M, it’s creepy. I took the same cover (photo) from her record to parody and put my face on it. The same thing I did with The Singing Dogs last year when I covered (their version of) “Jingle Bells.” I’m really into novelty records. I love them and I’m trying to bring them back. I don’t expect anybody to ever play these records. Even The Singing Dogs one said on it, “Please do not play this record” [laughs]. And the flipside, the Pig Latin version, is almost impossible to listen to.
BLADE: I’m so glad you mentioned that. “A Pig Latin Visit From St. Nicholas” reminded me of the lost art of speaking in Pig Latin. I also recall watching the PBS series “Zoom” as an adolescent and learning to speak “ubbi dubbi,” a distant relative of Pig Latin. Do you think that the time is right for a Pig Latin or ubbi dubbi revival?
WATERS: Here’s the thing, I never could pick up any language, except Pig Latin. I’ve been in every foreign country. Foreign countries have given me money to learn to speak the language. I can never do it! But Pig Latin…my parents and other parents in the ‘50s spoke Pig Latin so kids couldn’t understand what they were saying. Then my mother taught it to me, and I used it. The hardest take to shoot in “Pink Flamingos” was not eating the dog shit. It was when the cast skipped, in one take, saying “E-way, are-yay e-they ilthiest-fay eople-pay in-hay e-they ole-hay ide-way orld-way.” We’re the filthiest people in the whole wide world in Pig Latin. We had to do so many takes so they could do it once without screwing it up. In “Polyester,” Edith (Massey) answers the phone, “ello-hay.” I did a photo piece where it was all subtitled in Pig Latin. Like “osebud-Ray” (from “Citizen Kane”) or in “Streetcar,” “ella-Stay!” [Laughs] All the iconic dialogue translated into Pig Latin. My assistant who helped me do it, had never heard of Pig Latin. She really got good at it because she lived in many foreign countries and can pick up languages. But it’s not that easy to do it correctly and read it. Your computer will translate into Pig Latin.
BLADE: AI understands Pig Latin?
WATERS: I guess that’s AI. It wasn’t 100% right, but it was close. I can speak it if I look at it, but just do a bit at a time. It was a challenge that no one would possibly care about or want to do.
BLADE: I think you pulled it off very well.
WATERS: If you want people to leave on Christmas morning, you put it on. That’s how you get your guests to leave. It’s time to go.
BLADE: Ood-gay i-bay! How did your relationship with record label Sub Pop, which released 2021, 2022, 2024, and new 2025 holiday singles, come about?
WATERS: I believe the first thing I did for them was “Prayer to Pasolini.” They came to me through Ian Brennan. He’s won a couple Grammys for World Music, but he is also is one of my agents who does the Christmas tour and a lot of my shows, anything with music. He helped me arrange each one of the songs. He had a relationship with Sub Pop. It was perfect. My friends in Baltimore, (the band) Beach House, have had huge success.
BLADE: That’s right, they’re on Sub Pop!
WATERS: Yes! I’m happy to be on it. I’ve even been to the warehouse and posed for pictures like Jackie Suzanne used to do.
BLADE: Is there any chance that “A John Waters Christmas” might be reissued on vinyl by Sub Pop?
WATERS: No. It’s such a nightmare to get the rights and to renew them. You have to find the publisher and the writer, and they usually hate each other. It doesn’t matter if it’s obscure or famous, it’s hard to get. You have to make the deal. The singer doesn’t get anything unless they play it on the radio. It would be so complicated legally, and there would be such a [laughs] tiny audience for it. I hope it will come out again. The same thing with the one for Valentine’s Day. I had two of them that did quite well when they came out; “A Date With John Waters and “A John Waters Christmas.” The “John Waters Christmas” album is still the soundtrack that plays whenever I’m doing my spoken word Christmas show as people are entering the theater.
BLADE: Aside from your annual Christmas show tour, what else do you do for the holidays now, and are there any traditions that you’ve carried over from your family?
WATERS: Certainly! I have two sisters, my brother’s widow, and me, so there are four and we take turns each year to have the Christmas dinner. Mine was last year. An entire sit-down dinner. Mom’s China, the silverware, the entire full dinner. It’s pretty traditional. I don’t have a Christmas tree, but I do decorate the electric chair from “Female Trouble.” That is a tradition in my family. We do have Christmas decorations, but they’re usually weird ones that fans sent me. I have one with Divine knocking over the Christmas tree, and the Christmas tree lights up, all sorts of amazing things. There is definitely a tradition here that might be a little altered, but it is definitely a tradition. I used to have a giant party every year, but COVID ended that. I still wouldn’t want 200 people in my house breathing right now.
BLADE: I was looking at your tour schedule and wondered if there are any new cities in which you’ve never performed the John Waters Christmas show that have been added to this year’s schedule?
WATERS: I don’t think there’s a city in America in which I haven’t done one show! The only places I haven’t been to are Hawaii and Alaska. I could do it there, but it’s too long on a tour. I can’t think of a city I haven’t played in in America over the last 50 years. The Christmas show is completely different every year. It doesn’t matter if you saw it last year.
Some gifts scream practical, others whisper luxury, and a few flat-out blur the lines. From cocoa that feels ceremonial to a cologne that linger like a suggestive smirk, this year’s ultimate gift picks prove that thoughtful (and occasionally naughty) presents don’t have to be prosaic. Welcome to your holiday cheat sheet for festive tangibles that get noticed, remembered, and maybe even result in a peck of gratitude planted under the mistletoe. Consensually, of course.
Amber Glass Champagne Flutes
Pop the champs – but make it vintage. These tulip-shaped stunners in amber-tinted glass bring all the Gatsby vibes without the Jazz-age drama. Whether you’re toasting a milestone or celebrating a Tuesday, their seven-ounce capacities and hand-wash-only care make ‘em as practical as they are pretty. Pair with a thoughtful bottle of bubs and gift with a glittering wink. $18, NantucketLooms.com
Disaster Playbook by Here Comes the Apocalypse
Because the end of the world shouldn’t be a solo act, this spiral-bound guide is your step-by-step roadmap to surviving and thriving when everything else goes sideways, which might be sooner than you think. Packed with checklists, drills, and a healthy dose of humor, it’s like a survival manual written by your most prepared (and slightly snarky) friend. Whether you’re prepping for a zombie apocalypse or, more realistically, REVOLUTION!, this playbook’s got your back. $40, HereComesTheApocalypse.com
Wickless Vulva Candles
Bold, luxurious, and completely flame-free, CTOAN’s wickless candles melt from beneath on a warmer, releasing subtle, sophisticated fragrances, like sandalwood or lavender. The vulva-shaped wax adds a playful, provocative element to any space –perfect for a bedroom, living room, or anywhere you want elegance with an edge. A gift that celebrates form, intimacy and self-expression, no fire required. $39, CTOANCO.com
Villeroy & Boch Royal Classic Christmas Collection
Every meal is a mini celebration – with whimsy at every place setting – in Villeroy & Boch’s Royal Classic festive dinnerware collection that hits all the right notes. Made from premium German porcelain, it features nostalgic little toys, nutcrackers, and rocking horses in delicate relief, giving your holiday spread a playful but refined twist. Dishwasher- and microwave-safe, it’s luxe without the fuss. Gift a piece to a special someone, or start a collection they’ll use (and show off) for years to come. $22-$363, Villeroy-Boch.com
Greenworks Electric Lawnmower
You a ’hood queen who considers lawn care performance art – or just wants to rule the cul-de-sac in quiet, emission-free glory? Greenworks’ zero-turn electric mower has the muscle of a 24-horsepower gas engine but none of the fumes, drama or maintenance. Six 60V batteries and a 42-inch deck mean you can mow up to two-and-a-half acres on a single charge – then plug in, recharge, and ride again. It’s whisper-quiet, slope-ready, and smooth enough to make you wonder why you ever pushed anything besides your queer agenda. The perfect gift for the homeowner who loves sustainability, symmetry, and showing off their freshly striped yard like that fresh fade you get on Fridays. $5,000, GreenworksTools.com
Molekule Air Purifier
For the friend who treats their space like a sanctuary (or just can’t stand sneezes), the Molekule Air Pro is magic in motion. Covering up to 1,000 square feet, it doesn’t just capture allergens, VOCs, and smoke – it destroys them, leaving your air feeling luxury-clean. FDA-cleared as a Class II medical device, it’s serious science disguised as modern design. Gift it to your city-dwelling, pet-loving, candle-burning friend who likes their living room as pristine as their Instagram feed. $1,015, Molekule.com
Cipriani Prosecco Gift Set
Effervescent with stone-fruit sweetness and a touch of Italian flair, the Cipriani Bellini & Prosecco gift set brings brunch-level glamour to any day of the week. The Bellini blends rich white-peach purée with sparkling wine, while the dry ’secco keeps things crisp and celebratory. Pop a bottle, pour a flute, and suddenly winter weeknights feel like a party – even with your pants off. $36, TotalWine.com
Woo(e)d Cologne
British GQ recently crowned Woo(e)d by ALTAIA the “Best Date Night Fragrance,” and honestly, they nailed it. Confident without being cocky – smoky gaïac and Atlas cedarwood grounds the room while supple leather and spicy cardamom do all the flirting – it’s a scent that lingers like good conversation and soft candlelight. Gift it to the one who always turns heads – or keep it for yourself and let them come to (and then on) you. $255, BeautyHabit.com
Lococo Cocoa Kit
Keep the run-of-the-mill mugs in the cabinet this Christmas and pull out Lococo’s handcrafted Oaxacan versions that demand you slow down and sip like it matters. Paired with a wooden scoop, rechargeable frother, and Lococo’s signature spice hot-chocolate blend (vegan, gluten-free, with adaptogenic mushrooms), this holiday kit turns Mexi-cocoa into a mini ritual you’ll look forward to. Perfect for anyone who loves a little indulgence with a side of ¡A huevo! energy.
Manta Sleep Mask
Total blackout, zero pressure on the eyes, and Bluetooth speakers built right into the straps, this ain’t your mama’s sleep mask — but it could be. The Manta SOUND sleep mask features C-shaped eye cups that block every hint of light while ultra-thin speakers deliver your favorite white noise, meditation, or late-night playlist straight to your ears. With 24-hour battery life, breathable fabric, and easy-to-adjust sound, it turns any bed (or airplane seat) into a five-star sleep suite. Perfect for anyone who treats shut-eye like an art form (or just wants to escape their roommate’s late-night bingin’ and/or bangin’). $159, MantaSleep.com
Shacklelock Necklace
Turn the industrial-chic vibe of a shackle into a sleek statement. Mi Tesoro’s platinum-plated stainless-steel necklace sits on an 18-inch wheat chain, featuring a shackle-style latch pendant that’s waterproof, tarnish-free, and totally fuss-les. Beyond style, it nods to a classic gesture in the queer leather community: replacing a traditional Master lock with something elegant to quietly signal belonging to someone special. Wear it solo for a minimalist edge or layer it like you mean it; either way this piece locks in both your look and your intentions. $90, MiTesoroJewelry.com
Parkside Flask Mojave Edition
Wine nights get a desert glow-up with Parkside’s limited-edition 750-milliliter all-in-one flask draped in sun-washed bronze and badland hues like sage, sand, and terracotta – with magnetic stemless tumblers that snap on for effortless shareability. It keeps your vino chilled for 24 hours, pours without drips (no tears for spilled rosé, please), and even lets you laser-engrave your own mantra or inside joke. Perfect for picnics, surprise rooftop clinks, or gifting to your favorite wine (or desert) rat. $149, HighCampFlasks.com
Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has published in more than 100 outlets across the world. Connect with him on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.
a&e features
Meet Mr. Christmas
Hallmark’s Jonathan Bennett on telling gay love stories for mainstream audiences
Jonathan Bennett believes there are two kinds of people in the world — those who love Hallmark movies and liars. And in Season 2 of Finding Mr. Christmas, which the Mean Girls star co-created with Ben Roy, Bennett is searching for Hallmark’s next leading man.
“It’s so fun for people because everyone in their life has someone they know that they think should be in Hallmark movies, right? The UPS driver, the barista at the coffee shop, the dentist,” Bennett says. “So we’re testing their acting abilities, we’re testing who they are, but we’re also looking for that star quality — the thing that makes them shine above everyone else. It’s almost something you can’t explain, but we know it when we see it.”
Season 2’s cast includes a former NFL player for the Green Bay Packers, a few actors, and a realtor. The 10 men compete in weekly festive-themed acting challenges, one of which included having to ride a horse and act out a scene with Alison Sweeney. The contestants were chosen from a crop of 360 potential men, and Bennett gives kudos to the show’s Emmy-nominated casting director, Lindsay Liles (The Bachelor, Bachelor in Paradise).
“She has a tough job because she has to find 10 guys that are going to be good reality television, but also have the talent to act, carry a scene, and lead a Hallmark movie eventually,” he says. To be the right fit for a Hallmark leading man, Bennett singles out five key characteristics: you have to be funny, charming, kind, have a sense of humor, and you have to do it all with a big heart.
Of course, Finding Mr. Christmas wouldn’t be Finding Mr. Christmas without its signature eye candy — something Bennett describes as “part of the job” for the contestants. “I can’t believe Hallmark let me get away with this. I dressed them as sexy reindeer and put them in harnesses attached to a cable 30 feet in the air, and they had to do a sexy reindeer photo shoot challenge,” he says with a laugh. “This season is just bigger and bolder than last. People are responding to not only all the craziness that we put them through, but also comparing and contrasting the guys in their acting scenes when we do them back-to-back.”
Season 1 winner Ezra Moreland’s career has been an early testament to the show’s success at finding rising talent. On seeing the show’s first winner flourish, Bennett says, “Now to watch him out in the world, just booking commercial after commercial and shining as an actor and a model, I think the show gave him the wings to do that. He learned so much about himself, and he took all that into his future auditions and casting. He just works nonstop. I’ve never seen an actor book more commercials and modeling gigs in my life.”
Bennett has been a star of plenty of Hallmark movies himself, including the GLAAD-award-winning The Groomsmen: Second Chances, which makes him a fitting host. Among those movies are 2020’s Christmas House, which featured the first same-sex kiss on the network and had a major impact on Bennett’s career as an openly gay man. “Hallmark’s been so great about supporting me in queer storytelling. But again, I don’t make gay movies for gay audiences. I make gay love stories for a broad audience, and that’s a huge difference, right? We’re not telling stories inside baseball that only the gay community will understand.”
He continues, “The backdrop of a Hallmark Christmas movie is very familiar to these people who watch. And so when you tell a gay love story, and you tell it no differently than a straight love story in that space, they’re able to understand. It’s able to change hearts and minds for people who might not have it in their lives.”
While Hallmark has become a major staple of Bennett’s career, he started off wanting to be a Broadway actor. And before the first season of Finding Mr. Christmas aired, Bennett took a break from TV to make his Broadway debut in Spamalot, replacing Michael Urie as Sir Robin and starring alongside Ethan Slater and Alex Brightman.
“That was my dream since I was five years old – then I booked a movie called Mean Girls, and everything kind of changes in your life. You no longer become a person pursuing Broadway, you become a part of pop culture,” Bennett recalls. “And to be honest, when I hit 40, I was like, ‘I’m probably never going to get to live that dream.’ And that’s okay, because I got to do other dreams and other things that were just as cool but different. So I honestly never thought it would happen.”
Bennett is still determined to make his way back on Broadway with the right role — he calls Spamalot the “best experience” of his life, after all — but he’s got another Hallmark show lined up with Murder Mystery House, which he co-created. The show was recently greenlit for development and intends to bring the Hallmark mystery movie to life. “It’s kind of like our version of The Traitors,” Bennett admits.
Looking back on both seasons, Bennett says that what makes Finding Mr. Christmas stand out in the overcrowded reality TV landscape is that everyone involved makes it with heart: “This isn’t a show where you’re going to watch people throw drinks in each other’s faces and get into big fights. The thing that has amazed me so much about this show, the more we’ve done it, is that every season, 10 guys come in as competitors, but they leave as a family and as brothers. That’s something you don’t get on any other network.”
Finding Mr. Christmas airs every Monday on Hallmark through December 20, with episodes available to stream on Hallmark+.
PHOTOS: The Holiday Show
The best books to give this holiday season
Studio’s ‘Mother Play’ draws from lesbian playwright’s past
Choose U ambassadors share lived experiences with HIV, personal reflections, and insights
DOJ seeks to join lawsuit against Loudoun County over trans student in locker room
EXCLUSIVE: George Santos speaks out on prison, Trump pardon, and more
The harsh truth about HIV phobia in gay dating
Victory Institute honors transgender Spanish senator in D.C.
Kazakh Senate tables anti-LGBTQ propaganda bill
