Arts & Entertainment
A milestone in the hourglass
‘WilSon’ gay power couple on ‘Days’ makes soap history
Guy Wilson (left) as Will, Deidre Hall as Marlena and Freddie Smith as Sonny on ‘Days of Our Lives.’ Will and Sonny made history this week as the first same-sex male wedding on a daytime soap. (Photo by Howard Wise, JPI Studios)
Long-running NBC daytime soap “Days of Our Lives” made history this week when characters Sonny Kiriakis (son of Justin and Adrienne) and Will Horton (son of Lucas and Sami) were united in marriage by Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), Will’s grandmother. They’re not the first ever same-sex couple (“All My Children” had a 2009 lesbian wedding) but they’re the first male soap power couple and first same-sex male wedding.
Actor Guy Wilson, who took over the role of Will in episodes airing in January (actor Chandler Massey won two Daytime Emmys playing Will starting in 2010), caught up with the Blade during a break in filming this week. The Los Angeles-based actor, who, along with co-star Freddie Smith who plays Sonny, is straight, says it’s been an honor to work on the show in a groundbreaking storyline.
“I’ve had to pinch myself,” the 28-year-old San Francisco native says. “You know, part of my interest in going into entertainment at a young age was to hopefully make a difference in life. And I feel at 28, which I still feel very, very young, so to be part of something so special at a young age and that I care about on a personal level, it’s a blessing. It’s part of why I was so excited back in August when I heard I had a chance of getting this part, to see it now come to fruition and to get to do what I love everyday, it’s all I need to be happy.”
Wilson, who met his predecessor Massey a couple times in 2011 when Wilson had auditioned for two other roles on the show, says he and Smith have “found a really comfortable place.”
“We’re obviously friends but playing roles that are so emotionally intimate, you know, we’ve definitely developed a special kind of bond. It’s almost too simple to say he’s one of my best friends because we’ve shared this emotional journey together for the last almost seven months. … He’s definitely one of the most important people in my life.”
Wilson, who’s also had roles on “NCIS,” “Castle,” “Bones” and “Breaking Bad” says the fast shooting schedule in daytime has been a challenge with most scenes shooting after one quick rehearsal, but he’s growing accustomed to the pace. The wedding scenes were shot about four months ago, which is typical.
Working with soap parents Bryan Dattilo (Lucas) and Alison Sweeney (Sami), both longtime vets of the show, has been grounding. He says Hall has gone above and beyond in her efforts to make him feel welcome and get him up to speed.
“She never hesitated at any point to share all of her knowledge and all of her experience with me and to be really detailed with that information and with that level of specificity made it so much easier to continue the relationship between Will and Marlena, which is very important to the show.”
And long-time executive producer Ken Corday whose parents started the show in 1965? Wilson isn’t sure if he was around when he auditioned, but says he’s seen him “a few times” on the set.
“I really like that man,” he says. “He’s very cool.”
Wilson laughs when asked if Salem, the show’s fictional base town, has a gay bar.
“If there are, I haven’t been to them,” he says with a chuckle.
Of course, given the medium, it’s inevitable that Will and Sonny will have many ups and downs if they stay on the show. Wilson says as an actor, he looks forward to that.
“With conflict comes growth,” he says. “One thing that’s been very satisfying about the whole WilSon (as fans have dubbed it) storyline is they do a really good job of communicating with each other. I actually think they have one of the healthier relationships on daytime TV. … But with adulthood comes adult problems so as an actor I’m very excited to tackle those.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1KWoY6fLQE
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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