Entertainment News from Eye On Weho

Eye on Entertainment
Nathaniel Grey
Entertainment Editor
April 1, 2011

Life Imitates Art

While the aim of this column has always been to cover unique and amusing Gay & Lesbian focused entertainment news, as it's author living in Hollywood, that focus, occasionally, involves personal experience. This past week, I had my second opportunity to be a production assistant on Sirius XM Radio's The Derek and Romaine Show, while it broadcast from The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center's Village on McCadden. Though the show regularly airs live from the Sirius XM studios in New York, the duo comes to Hollywood about twice a year, making it possible to interview celebrities who aren't easily accessed from the Big Apple. This latest West Coast field trip brought my second encounter with Six Feet Under and True Blood creator Alan Ball. As a brief background to the rest of this story, some of you know that I earn a living as an Instructor for the Improv Comedy Club's Traffic School division. Traffic School is for people who are given the opportunity by the courts to clear a ticket from their motor vehicle record by attending an 8-hour driver safety class. Improv Traffic School, naturally, is taught with humor - a quality in which Alan Ball excels. While chatting in the impromptu green room I set up at the Village, Alan inquired about my injury, which causes me to currently hobble about with a cane. I prefer to believe he felt I looked too young to be using a cane and those who think differently can just go suck eggs. I explained how, on December 15th of last year, while walking the three blocks from the Village to my Hollywood apartment, I was crossing N. Highland with pedestrian right of way when a driver turned right without stopping. As many people do, he was turning while looking for the threat of oncoming traffic from the left but not looking at the danger of plowing into ME on the right. So here I am three months after surgery telling Alan Ball the irony of a traffic school teacher who was hit by a car driven by someone who could have benefited from taking my class. At this point Alan, sharing my amusement at life's ironies said, "You realize that sounds like an episode of Six Feet Under that I would have written." So second only to making Lily Tomlin laugh at party last spring, making Alan Ball laugh is another highlight to the short time I have lived in Hollywood.

In other Alan Ball news, during his interview with Derek and Romaine, he revealed that True Blood returns to HBO with 12 new episodes on June 26. While it has been common knowledge that this season will bring witches to the show's collection of vampires, werewolves and fairies, Ball announced that Allan Hyde will return as Godric. Though the character only appeared on three episodes of True Blood he retained a huge fan base. Yet it was not the outcries of those fans that have revived him, it was a slight green card problem that caused Hyde to ask Ball to write something for him so that a work assignment could validate his remaining in the United States. Since Godric died in his final episode one can only assume his appearance will be via flashback. ***

On the first day of the Hollywood broadcast, the guests included the very sexy Jon Huertas from Castle, the type-cast as evil guy Mark Pelligrino (Jacob on Lost,) and the BEAUTIFUL, funny and charming, could have talked to her all day, Regina King (How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Southland.) I mention them as they are rather well known and immediately recognized stars who arrived on their own, drove themselves to the venue and did not bring an entourage or even assistants. Yet the next day I couldn't help but be amused when Million Dollar Listing co-star Josh Flagg showed up with both a publicist and manager. Really? Later in the day, while chatting with Romaine she told me that because Josh is currently doing his very first promo tour for both the series and his book, the manager is tagging along due to Josh's lack of interview experience. Funny thing is, the manager stared at his phone and texted through the whole interview and Josh did a wonderful job, carrying on a natural conversation. Despite the mini-entourage he was quite engaging and didn't come close to the ‘prima donna’ club. Interesting True Blood note, Jon Huertas told me that he has a history of auditioning for parts which Kevin Alejandro is also up for and was even in the running for the True Blood role of Jesus. Fans of Mark Pellegrino may enjoy knowing that he is a huge comic book fan and while waiting to go on air was catching up on the original black and white graphic novel version of the hit AMC series The Walking Dead.

On Wednesday, the final day of broadcast, Josh Kilmer-Purcell from The Fabulous Beekman Boys arrived early, giving us plenty of time to chat and visit. Unfortunately, I didn't know who he was. Sure the call sheet mentioned his credit as from The Fabulous Beekman Boys and though I'd seen it mentioned in a TV Guide somewhere, my cable doesn't get the Green Channel so I'd never seen it. Despite my ignorance I quickly learned that this cute and intelligent man is also a knight on a white horse, quick to rescue anyone in distress. As previously mentioned, I currently teeter around on a cane, and have embraced my injuries as an advantage to accessorize so I've purchased a number of different colored and shaped canes over these recovery months. While visiting with Josh, I noticed security had let some audience members in a bit early while we were on the air - live. Trying to rush outside and catch the couple before noisily entering the broadcast area, my weak leg strength did not allow for the rapid pace my mind insisted upon and I took a substantially embarrassing tumble in the hallway. Before I could even reach for my cane Josh was at my side, with a chair and lending aid. I'd just met this man ten minutes earlier and here he was leaping to help a stranger. Even at the end of his interview he came back to the green room to check on me. I politely declined his offer to call for an ambulance and even drive me to a doctor or hospital. Wow, what a sweetheart. Thank you, Josh Kilmer-Purcell. Of course being the professional I am I still had three more hours before the show ended at 7pm and wouldn't think of going home early. And besides, Alan Ball hadn't arrived yet. :0)

And lastly, don't miss out on the annual 'Evening With Women' benefit for the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center that will fill up the Beverly Hilton Ballroom on April 16th starting at 6:00pm. Though the venue is best known as the home of the Golden Globe Awards Ricky Gervais will not anywhere in the vicinity. This year’s event will feature entertainment by Cyndi Lauper, Juliette Lewis, Sarah Silverman and Cat Power. Though the latter is also known as Charlyn Marie Marshall or Chan Marshall I still have never hard of her. If the lineup doesn't wet your appetite, you have to attend just for the auction items. The 2010 edition featured an impressive array of live auction itetms including a Pink Vespa autographed by none other than Pink herself. Audience interest was high enough and when the curtain opened to unveil Pink sitting on the Vespa with a cocktail in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other, the crowd went wild and bidding sky rocketed. Most of the crowd was unaware of Pink's attendance though I had seen paparazzi crowd her arrival and was not surprised by her stage debut. So that would explain how my first reaction was the thought, "Is she supposed to be smoking in here?" I was leading a team of bid collectors, who, upon hearing the word "sold," would contact the winning bidder wherever they sat and collect their relevant information so that they could easily pay for their winnings later in the evening. After the Vespa winner had her photo taken while sitting behind Pink on the Vespa, I headed back to my position in the back of the ballroom where I was confronted by rather tall spikey haired blond woman. With glazed eyes and slurred speech she managed to utter: "What's the bitch doing on my Vespa?" Rather surprised that a Vespa would be satisfactory horsepower for this towering Amazon, I kindly stated: "Well, she's the one with the winning bid." The Blond replied with alcohol reeking breath "what the f--k are you talking about, I bid $6,000 for the thing." To which I responded: "yes, and the bidding increased beyond that and it just sold with a final bid for $12,000. Would you like to increase the bid?" Knowing full well she wouldn't and couldn't. Through a combination of shocked mouth expression and blank stare she exclaimed "F--k no!" as her partner sitting at the table near her reached for her arm and said, "Gloria, sit down you're embarrassing yourself." So there you are, a new angle for my column. Entertainment and celebrity news, with icing on the cake being, most of it are personal stories you won't get from any other TV show, magazine or website.

Until next time, I'm Nathaniel Grey and I was born this way.

Return to Home Page