Celebrity: July 2008 Archives

Ok, not really.

But Daniel Craig is signed on to star in Memoirs of Hadrian, based on the bestselling book of the same name. Craig will portray the title character, a Roman emperor who ruled from 117 to 138 A.D., who allegedly had an affair with a teenage Greek, Antinuos, while married.

But my question is this: will Memoirs follow in the footsteps of other films of this genre, by de-gaying its hero? (Think Alexander and Troy.) We'll have to wait and see...

In the meantime, I'll be making my dream casting list for the young lad to play Antinuos. I wonder what that Greek kid is up to who woos Alexis Bledel in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants...

Adamo Ruggiero, the openly gay star of Degrassi: The Next Generation (currently airing Fridays on The N) has just landed another gig. Canada's YTV has just announced Adamo will act as the host of The Next Star, a kids' talent search.

In a recent interview with BC Magazine, he talks not only about his take on hosting a competition series, but also about what 2008 has held for him: he came out in January, attended the GLAAD Media Awards in April, and began to lend his support to The Trevor Project. "This has been such a big gay year for me," he said. "It's something I've been wanting to do in my heart for so long."

Check out the exclusive interview from January where Adamo officially came out:

John Barrowman, openly gay star of stage (Sunset Boulevard) and screen (Torchwood), recently appeared in The Making of Me, a BBC One documentary examining the science behind what makes people act the way they do. Several celebrities were selected for the series for various reasons; Barrowman participated in order to understand what makes a person gay.

In an article for BBC News Magazine, Barrowman writes, "just because I'm comfortable with my sexuality doesn't mean that I'm not curious about it and that's one of the reasons I agreed to take this journey to discover the making of me."

The series premiered on July 24, but only on England's BBC One, and very few clips have been made available to an audience outside of the UK. From what we've seen, the episode looks carefully constructed and endlessly fascinating, so if you, dear reader, has any connection whatsoever with BBC One, please urge the network to have the special air here in the States!

While we wait patiently for a broadcasting miracle, meet his very sweet parents by clicking on the link here.

And meet his very cute partner, Scott Gill, by viewing the clip below.

Direct from Ausiello's new digs at EW (he formerly scooped for TV Guide):

Barb and Christine are getting married on The New Adventures of Old Christine? I'm all for gay marriage, but it needs to be Christine and Daniel. — Andrea
Ausiello: Actually, after hearing where this story is headed, I'm fairly certain it needs to be Barb and Christine. Although Julia Louis-Dreyfus was very reluctant to reveal details of this hilarious plot twist at press tour, she was willing to divulge to me that the union will last the entire season (at least), the unlikely duo will keep separate residences, and when series creator Kari Lizer pitched her the idea last month, her response went something like this: "Bring it on." Actually, since that's a direct quote, it's safe to say it went exactly like that. [7/23/08]

Beloved Golden Girls actress Estelle Getty died today at her home in Los Angeles. She was 84.

"Our mother-daughter relationship was one of the greatest comic duos ever, and I will miss her," co-star Bea Arthur said in a statement.

We will miss you too. Please read the full story at CNN.com.

UPDATE: The Lifetime Network, on Friday starting at noon, will air 10 Golden Girls episodes showcasing Getty's Sophia.

In the meantime, you must absolutely check out this clip:

In the newest copy of TV Guide, the Q&A with Cybill Shepherd includes this bit:

Don't forget to tune into daytime sudser As the World Turns tomorrow -- Cyndi Lauper will be paying a special visit to Oakdale, playing a role in bringing Jake and Noah back together!