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“Sex and The City” star Willie Garson has died at age 57

‘Favorite job happened when the cameras stopped rolling’

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Willie Garson image via Titus Welliver Twitter

NEW YORK – In a tweet on Tuesday, actor Titus Welliver broke the news of the death from pancreatic cancer of his friend and fellow actor Willie Garson. Garson’s 20 year-old son Nathan, a student at The College of Wooster, a private liberal arts college in Wooster, Ohio, added his own heartbreaking tribute to his father in an Instagram post.

The actor was in New York City reprising his role of Stanford Blatch in HBO’s Sex and the City‘s revival series,  And Just Like That.

According to an exclusive interview by Page Six in 2020, the actor’s favorite role however was that of ‘Dad.’

Willie Garson found professional success on shows including ā€œSex and the Cityā€ and ā€œWhite Collar,ā€ but his favorite job happened when the cameras stopped rolling. […] ā€œHeā€™s an adult and soon to be taking care of me which is really why I got him to be honest,ā€ Garson said at the time. ā€œHeā€™s lovely and a really special guy. Heā€™s wonderful and heā€™s in college in Ohio.ā€

The New Jersey-born actor also told us that he ā€œalways wanted to have a child,ā€ so he decided to pursue adoption as a single parent.

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GLAAD to honor Oprah Winfrey with Lifetime Achievement Award

Ceremony to take place in Los Angeles on Thursday

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Oprah Winfrey on CBS News program "Person to Person" with Norah Oā€™Donnell last fall. Oā€™Donnell spoke with Winfrey about life lessons, the road to happiness and the new book Winfrey co-authored. (CBS News YouTube screenshot)

To the pantheon of LGBTQ allies honored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation with the Lifetime Achievement Award, luminaries such as Barbra Streisand, Cher and Liza Minnelli enter Oprah Winfrey.

The global media icon, philanthropist and longtime advocate for LGBTQ rights will be honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 35th annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on March 14, 2024. The award honors Winfreyā€™s unwavering commitment to promoting equality, acceptance and understanding for the LGBTQ community throughout her remarkable career, cementing her place among the most influential and dedicated allies in the fight for equality.

Born in rural Mississippi and raised in Milwaukee and Nashville, Winfreyā€™s journey to becoming a media mogul and cultural influencer began when she was just a teenager. At the age of 19, she landed her first job in media as a young intern at WLAC-TV (now WTVF-TV), the CBS affiliate in Nashville. Her natural talent and charisma quickly earned her a position as the first African American female news anchor at the station, setting the stage for a groundbreaking career that would span decades.

In 1984, Winfrey relocated to Chicago to host WLS-TVā€™s morning talk show, ā€œAM Chicago.ā€ Little did she know that this move would be the catalyst for her meteoric rise to fame. The show, later renamed ā€œThe Oprah Winfrey Show,ā€ became a cultural phenomenon, attracting millions of viewers across the U.S. and in more than 100 countries worldwide. Winfreyā€™s unique blend of empathy, wisdom and storytelling resonated with audiences, making her one of the most beloved and influential figures in media history.

A pivotal moment in Winfreyā€™s career came in 1986 when she negotiated a groundbreaking contract with King World Productions, the company founded by legendary boxing promoter Don King. The contract gave Winfrey full ownership of ā€œThe Oprah Winfrey Showā€ and allowed her to produce the show through her own production company, Harpo Productions. This unprecedented deal demonstrated Winfreyā€™s business acumen and laid the foundation for her future success, paving the way for her to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in the world.

Throughout her career, Winfrey has consistently used her platform to shine a light on important social issues, including LGBTQ rights, racial equality and womenā€™s empowerment. Her compassionate and empathetic approach to storytelling has helped to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes and promote understanding and acceptance of marginalized communities.

In 1997, Winfrey featured Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show, providing a platform for the comedian to publicly come out as gay. This groundbreaking episode helped to normalize LGBTQ visibility in mainstream media and paved the way for greater acceptance and understanding of the community.

Winfreyā€™s dedication to LGBTQ equality is further evident in her portrayal of strong, complex characters like Sofia in the acclaimed 1985 film ā€œThe Color Purple,ā€ which featured one of the first same-sex kisses in a mainstream Hollywood production.

In addition to her work in television and film, Winfrey has built a vast media empire that includes the creation of the Oprah Winfrey Network, a partnership with Discovery Communications, and the publication of O, the Oprah Magazine. Her business savvy and entrepreneurial spirit have made her one of the most successful and influential figures in the entertainment industry, with a net worth estimated at $2.6 billion as of 2023.

But Winfreyā€™s impact extends far beyond her financial success. She has also been a tireless advocate for education and philanthropy, donating millions of dollars to charitable causes and establishing the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, which provides education and support for underprivileged girls. Winfreyā€™s commitment to giving back to the communities that have supported her throughout her journey is a testament to her character and her belief in the power of education to transform lives.

In her personal life, Winfrey is known for her love of reading, her commitment to personal growth and self-improvement and her close friendships with celebrities like Gayle King and Tyler Perry. Despite years of speculation and rumors surrounding the nature of her relationship with King, Winfrey has always maintained a dignified silence, emphasizing the importance of love, acceptance and the right to privacy. Her unwavering support for the LGBTQ community, both in her professional and personal life, has made her a role model and a beacon of hope for millions of people around the world.

Winfreyā€™s fierce determination to fight discrimination and promote equality has been a constant throughout her career. In 1987, she confronted racism head-on by taking her show to the predominantly white community of Forsyth County, Ga. During a heated town hall meeting, one audience member expressed his fear of racial integration, stating, ā€œIā€™m afraid of [Black people] coming to Forsyth County.ā€ Winfrey responded with her signature grace and wisdom, saying, ā€œI hear your fear. When I look at your face, I see the fear. But how are you going to get past it if you donā€™t allow yourself the opportunity to get to know other people?ā€ This powerful exchange demonstrated Winfreyā€™s unique ability to facilitate difficult conversations and promote understanding across racial divides.

From her willingness to confront white segregationists in Georgia to her ongoing efforts to elevate diverse voices and stories through her work in television, film and theater, Winfrey has always been a champion for social justice. Her legacy as a trailblazer and an advocate for the marginalized will continue to inspire generations to come.

In the words of GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis, ā€œOprah Winfrey has been a beacon of hope and inspiration for the LGBTQ community for decades. Her groundbreaking work in media has not only entertained and informed millions of people around the world, but it has also helped to change hearts and minds and promote greater understanding and acceptance for our community.ā€

Maya Angelou, one of Winfreyā€™s most important influences, put it best;Ā ā€œIā€™ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.ā€ As Winfrey accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award, her legacy of compassion, empathy and unwavering commitment to equality serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring impact of a life well-lived.

The GLAAD Media Awards, which have been held annually since 1990, recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBTQ community. As As Winfrey prepares to accept this prestigious award on March 14, 2024, her extraordinary journey and unwavering commitment to LGBTQ equality serve as a powerful reminder of the impact that one person can have on the world.

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High flying and adored, Chita Rivera charts her path to heaven

D.C. native passed away on Tuesday at 91

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Entertainment Tonight interviews Chita Rivera on the red carpet at a 2018 event in New York (ET YouTube screenshot)

She never danced Evita, but she was still ā€œhigh flying adored.ā€ Today, Chita Rivera has left the stage, but she clearly will never dance out of the hearts of all who loved, admired and respected her.

Clearly, she was a talent no one could reckon. Born in 1933 as Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero, Chita Riveraā€™s rise to stardom began with ballet classes at the age of 11. Her undeniable talent led her from the School of American Ballet to the spotlight of Broadway, where she broke ground as one of the first Hispanic women to achieve leading roles in theater during a time when representation was minimal.

She is known in critical circles as ā€œthe greatest musical-theater dancer ever.ā€Ā Jason Alexander has been one of the first Broadway voices to speak of her passing and said, ā€œThis extraordinary woman, the incomparable. Chita Rivera was one of the greatest spirits and colleagues Iā€™ve ever known. She set the bar in every way. I will cherish her always. Dance in heaven, my friend.ā€

She was the original Velma Kelly in “Chicago” and racked up 10 Tony nominations and two wins. Her performances were life changing. In 2009, she was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contributions to American culture.

It is not a surprise that she was revered at her passing. What was shocking was that she passed at all. If there was anyone who you could anticipate had the spirit and will to live forever, it was Chita Rivera. She somehow seemed immortal. 

And she loved LGBTQ people.

It was a mere decade ago when Rivera chose to celebrate her 80th birthday by headlining a sold-out show, “Chita-A Celebration,” at the August Wilson Theater. The event benefited Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS.

ā€œThe roar for her was deafening,ā€ they report. After six rapturous standing ovations, Rivera stood proud, having raised $413,660 for the cause in that single performance. ā€œI had no idea celebrating my 100th birthday would be so much fun,ā€ quipped the then 80-year old.

If Rivera was at all a diva, she was a generous one. ā€œIā€™m not comfortable with just me, me, me. Thatā€™s boring,ā€ she has said. Rivera was a publicly vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights. She was among the luminaries who supported many AIDS benefit concerts and took a firm stance for equality. Through her philanthropic efforts, Rivera contributed to nurturing acceptance and championing the visibility of LGBTQ individuals in the arts.

Rivera was personally touched by the AIDS crisis having lost dozens of friends to the disease. She spoke publicly about it when she was performing in “Kiss of a Spider Woman.” ā€œItā€™s a very difficult role for me to play in these times, when youā€™ve lost so many friends, and suddenly youā€™re standing there and youā€™re playing ā€˜Death.ā€™ And youā€™ve just heard about some friends (who have died), you know? Sometimes itā€™s really, really hard. But then I get all kinds of things from it: I get strength from having to go right through it. When Larry Kert (her “West Side Story” co-star) passed away, I thought I saw him in the balcony when I was singing “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” Thereā€™s a lot going on. Itā€™s a serious play, an important play. And this a good time right now because we need all of these channels open. We gotta get them in there to get the message out there.ā€

GLAAD put out a statement at her passing on Tuesday, ā€œBroadway legend Chita Rivera has sadly passed away at age 91. Rivera spent much of her long career advocating for LGBTQ people and people living with HIV and AIDS. Our hearts go out to everyone who loved her.ā€Ā Ā 

GLAAD President Sara Kate Ellis, wrote her own personal tribute, ā€œSo sad to hear about the death of Chita Rivera. I had the pleasure of spending time with her at Remember the Ribbon: A Tribute to World AIDS Day in 2022. She spent much of her life advocating for the LGBTQ community and people living with HIV and AIDS. Sending love to her family.ā€

Rivera observed of her own legacy, ā€œMany of the shows I danced in donā€™t exist on film, but they do exist in the memories of those who were in the theater for that single moment in time. And nothing can replace that.ā€

She lived her life in single moments. The record of what she accomplished is imbedded in hearts, minds, memories and the forever told stories of Broadway. She will always be known by reputation and by legacy. As she makes her way up the red carpet, we can only hope she is greeted by her throng of angels, all those who passed before her. They know the exact name that we, who she has left, should have for her.

Legend.

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Queer nominees leave empty handed from disastrous Golden Globes

On the road toward a very ā€˜straight and narrowā€™ Oscar night?

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Matt Bomer was one of a few queer nominees but lost the Golden Globe. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

By now, even if you didnā€™t watch them, you probably already know that Sunday nightā€™s presentation of the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards was pretty much a debacle.

From its tense first few minutes, when host Jo Koy (seriously, how many people had to say ā€œnoā€ to the job before they got to Jo Koy?) took his opening monologue rapidly past ā€œirreverentā€ to ā€œdisrespectfulā€ as his audience squirmed uncomfortably, it was clear that the eveningā€™s attempt at a free-wheeling but good-natured roast of Hollywood disguised as an awards show was not going to go as planned. Koyā€™s efforts at snark were met with palpable hostility from the celebrity crowd, most of whom looked like they would rather be anywhere else but in the audience at the Beverly Hilton, and things just got worse from there.

We could go on about the lackluster, often tone-deaf writing, or the poorly conceived ā€œstunt pairingsā€ of stars as presenters, or the general sloppiness that made the show feel precarious from beginning to end, but fortunately, thereā€™s no need for us to relive all that here. The reason youā€™re reading this (since this is the Blade, after all) is to find out about the ā€œqueer takeā€ on the Golden Globes; unfortunately, the only one we can offer is that there really was no queer take on the Golden Globes.

Going into the ceremony, which, as always with the Hollywood Foreign Press Associationā€™s annual awards show, bestowed the organization’s honors for both film and television, there were only a handful of out queer acting nominees. Two of these competed in a single category (Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture Drama): Colman Domingo, nominated for his star turn in the title role of ā€œRustin,ā€ and Andrew Scott, who was up for his widely acclaimed performance in Andrew Haighā€™s ethereal gay ghost story, ā€œAll of Us Strangers.ā€ Both lost the award to Cillian Murphy, the star of Christopher Nolanā€™s ā€œOppenheimer.ā€

The other out nominee in the film acting categories, previous four-time Golden Globe winner Jodie Foster, was competing as Best Supporting Female Actor in Any Motion Picture for her performance in the Netflix biopic ā€œNyad,ā€ but she lost to Daā€™Vine Joy Randolph of Alexander Payneā€™s ā€œThe Holdovers.ā€

On the TV side, out gay performer Matt Bomer, nominated as Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie for Showtimeā€™s queer historical romance ā€œFellow Travelers,ā€ lost to Steven Yuen in the Netflix smash, ā€œBeef.ā€ Natasha Lyonne – who identifies as straight but has always been open about her bisexual attractions – was up for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series as the star of ā€œPoker Face.ā€ That award went instead to Ayo Edebiri of ā€œThe Bear.ā€

Itā€™s true that Billie Eilish – who was nominated alongside brother Finneas Oā€™Connell for co-writing Best Original Song nominee ā€œWhat Was I Made For?ā€ from ā€œBarbie,ā€ an award that they went on to win – has identified publicly as being attracted to both males and females, something she recently reasserted in a Variety interview (before following up with an Instagram post commenting that ā€œliterally who caresā€ about her sexuality), so at least there was one winner from the queer community during the evening.

As for the movies and shows themselves, several of the nominated titles included queer characters and themes, with Best Picture nominees ā€œMaestroā€ (about bisexual composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein) and ā€œMay Decemberā€ (from pioneering ā€œNew Queer Cinemaā€ filmmaker Todd Haynes) as the most obvious examples. Both films received multiple nods; neither walked away with a single win. In the TV division, several queer-oriented shows, from ā€œFellow Travelersā€ to ā€œThe Last of Usā€ to ā€œTed Lasso,ā€ lost in their respective categories, and ā€œWanda Sykes: Iā€™m An Entertainer,ā€ the out lesbian comedianā€™s Netflix special nominated for the newly added Best Standup Performance category, lost to former Golden Globes host Ricky Gervaisā€™ ā€œRicky Gervais: Apocalypse.ā€

There were few queer moments of note, in fact, during the event, though the presence of trans ā€œEuphoriaā€ star Hunter Schaefer onstage as a presenter was a welcome nod to inclusion. A more positive spin can be found by acknowledging the show of diversity – an issue around which the Golden Globes has long been deservedly criticized – among the winners. Several acting wins went to Black performers (Randolph, Edebiri) and performers of Asian descent (Yuen and ā€œBeefā€ co-star Ali Wong), while Lily Gladstone became the first indigenous American performer to win a Golden Globe as Best Leading Female Actor (Motion Picture Drama) for ā€œKillers of the Flower Moon.ā€ (Note: Gladstone has identified as “middle-gendered” in subsequent interviews and uses she/they pronouns.) We can only be thrilled for these well-deserved wins.

Still, if the Golden Globes are – as theyā€™ve long been considered – the official ā€œkick-offā€ of Awards Season and an important (if not always accurate) indicator of the likeliest big contenders at the subsequent (and more prestigious) ceremonies to follow over the next few weeks, it looks like we might be on the road toward very ā€œstraight and narrowā€ Oscar night.

The complete list of nominees and winners can be found at the Golden Globes website.

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