Thursday, November 16, 2006
So yesterday afternoon I had a client come in who is gay (B+ - B-
lister) and who I helped with a domestic partnership agreement for he
and his partner. When I saw the appointment on my calendar, I assumed it
had something to do with the agreement but I was wrong..
It had
to do with a role he is most likely going to get and what effect it will
have on his life and career. I do not represent him for anything but
the above mentioned agreement. He came to me for advice as an attorney
and also as a friend and I was touched..Agents, managers and publicists
are trained to look at the dollar signs and how can I get my client
those dollar signs and we tend to put blinders on to anything else but
those dollars..I have those same blinders at times although I really do
try to not do otherwise, but it does slip out and I do not think anyone
is completely altruistic except for those who have taken a vow to do so
and not always even them..
In the last few months there have been
a few celebrities outed by bloggers and I do not really understand why
because in at least one of the cases everyone already knew he was gay
and so the only thing it seeks to do is to harm his career..
There
are many more gay actors and actresses in Hollywood than the general
public probably realizes..It runs the gamut from A listers to D listers
and everywhere in between..For the most part, producers and casting
agents and managers and those "inside" know who is gay and who is
not..This has been especially true since California passed a domestic
partnership law and so more and more couples are coming to my office and
other offices to take advantage of the law and make sure each party is
provided for..
Most people I know, knew that Neil Patrick Harris
was gay and he never tried to hide it. I do not know NPH well, but we
know each other enough to say hi and have a chat if we see each
other..NPH did not need to be "outed" since he was already out..He
wasn't trying to be anything other than what he is..
The problem
is that a particular blogger decided that everyone needed to know NPH
was gay and in my opinion was very malicious in the way he went about it
and was seeking out people who had slept with NPH, etc..
NPH
lets face it kind of disappeared after Doogie for the most part..He was
making a living doing theatre and was doing very well for himself but
not like he is now..So, then he gets a chance in Harold and Kumar and
everyone sees him now as this crazy heterosexual party guy everyone
wants to hang out with and this translates into "How I Met Your Mother"
where he is basically the same character..It is just Harold and Kumar
reinforced..People in Hollywood know he is gay, but the general public
does not know and they are loving NPH..
What will happen now to
NPH? He is an incredible actor, but will people want to believe what
they saw in Harold & Kumar? Was Ellen ever a romantic lead after
"Mr. Wrong?"
When I share secrets and confidences with the
readers of this blog I do so in a format which makes sure that no one
gets hurt or loses a job or forces someone to do something they did not
want to do just to satisfy the egomanical lusting of a blogger looking
for more readers..
Now..back to my office yesterday afternoon..we
are discussing in much greater detail and more people we know who may
be forced into this same type of situation..My client has a chance at a
role that will make him an A lister in an instant..this will mean more
money, opportunity, and fulfilling his dream..At the same time he does
not want anything to happen that will jeopardize his 3 year relationship
with his partner and their future together..He is afraid that he will
be given this opportunity, take it and do well, and then have it taken
away by someone who has nothing better to do than be cruel..Or he can
walk away from the role, continue his career which is nice and steady
and probably will not come on the radar of anyone trying to harm and
everything will be fine...This is the dilemma he finds himself in now
and it sucks that it has to be a dilemma..Hollywood is fantasy and
dreams and that is what the whole industry is based on from cartoons to
porn...everyone is willing to play along with the fantasy and dream as
long as it does not hurt the bottom line and it sucks when you are not
able to make the choice of whether or not to keep the dream going..
I
am 99% sure of what his decision will be and I wish I could tell you,
but that might be too many clues, and I am not going to take away
anyone's dream...
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