The Hallmark Channel's First Gay-Themed Movie Stars 'Mean Girls' Jonathan Bent | Them

Contents:

• JONATHAN BENT WANTED TO CREATE A GAY UNCLE BUCK FOR THE HOLIDAY STER
• MAKE THE YULETI GAY WH THE NEW LGBTQ CHRISTMAS MOVI
• 10 QUEER CHRISTMAS MOVI TO MAKE THE YULETI GAY
• HALLMARK PREMIER S FIRST LGBTQ HOLIDAY MOVIE WH A GAY LEAD UPLE
• TV’S GAY CHRISTMAS MOVI ARE AS BENIGN, CHARMG AND CLICHE AS WE ALWAYS HOPED THEY’D BE
• THE HALLMARK CHANNEL'S FIRST GAY CHRISTMAS MOVIE STARS 'MEAN GIRLS' JONATHAN BENT
• HALLMARK RELEAS ITS FIRST GAY CHRISTMAS MOVIE WH TWO LEADG MEN
• HALLMARK DEBUTS THEIR FIRST CHRISTMAS MOVIE WH A GAY COUPLE
• SAVE OR SPEND: WARDROBE PICKS FOR YOUR BUDGETOPEN MENUVIOSHOPCULTUREFAYWELLNSFOODLIVGSTYLETRAVELNEWSBOOK CLUBGMA3: WYNTKNEWSLETTERPRIVACY POLICYYOUR US STATE PRIVACY RIGHTSCHILDREN'S ONLE PRIVACY POLICYINTERT-BASED ADSTERMS OF USEDO NOT SELL MY INFOCONTACT USCOPYRIGHT © 2023 ABC NEWS INTER VENTUR. ALL RIGHTS RERVED.SEARCHCULTUREHALLMARK CHANNEL ANNOUNC CHRISTMAS MOVIE FEATURG GAY UPLE LOOKG TO ADOPT3:40HALLMARK APOLOGIZ FOR PULLG AD PICTG GAY UPLE BYTONY MORRISON AND LLEY MSERSEPTEMBER 23, 2020, 9:59 AM•4 M READHALLMARK CHANNEL AND S PARENT PANY, CROWN MEDIA FAY NETWORK, ARE LIVERG ON A PROMISE TO DIVERSIFY THEIR HOLIDAY MOVI."MEAN GIRLS" ACTOR JONATHAN BENT WILL STAR "THE CHRISTMAS HOE," WHICH FEATUR A STORYLE ABOUT A GAY UPLE LOOKG TO ADOPT THEIR FIRST CHILD, ACRDG TO MICHELLE VIRY, EXECUTIVE VICE PRINT OF PROGRAMMG FOR CROWN MEDIA FAY NETWORK.MORE: HALLMARK ANNOUNC PLANS TO BUT 'LGBTQ STORYL, CHARACTERS AND ACTORS'BENT'S -STARS CLU "ONE TREE HILL" ACTOR ROBERT BUCKLEY, ANA AYORA OF "IN THE DARK," VETERAN ACTOR TREAT WILLIAMS, "NYPD BLUE" STAR SHARON LAWRENCE AND ACTOR BRAD HARR. "THE CHRISTMAS HOE" PREMIER ON SUNDAY, NOV. 22 AT 8 P.M. ET/PT.A SYNOPSIS FOR "THE CHRISTMAS HOE" READS: "WORKG THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT CISNS, MCHELL FAY MATRIARCH PHYLIS (LAWRENCE) AND PATRIARCH BILL (WILLIAMS), HAVE SUMMONED THEIR TWO GROWN SONS -- MIKE (BUCKLEY) AND BRANDON (BENT) -- HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. IT IS THEIR HOPE THAT BRGG THE FAY TOGETHER TO RECREATE THE CHRISTMAS HOE WILL HELP THEM FD ROLUTN AND MAKE A MEMORABLE HOLIDAY FOR THE ENTIRE FAY AND MUNY. AS BRANDON AND HIS HBAND, JAKE (HARR), MAKE THE TRIP HOME, THEY ARE ANXLY AWAG A LL ABOUT THE ADOPTN OF THEIR FIRST CHILD. MEANWHILE, MIKE RENNECTS WH ANDI (AYORA), HIS HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART.""OUR HOLIDAY TABLE IS BIGGER AND MORE WELG THAN EVER. THIS YEAR'S MOVI REFLECT OUR MOST DIVERSE REPRENTATN OF TALENT, NARRATIV AND FAI," VIRY SAID WEDNDAY. "OUR MOVI ARE ROOTED WARMTH AND POSIVY, MEANGFUL NNECTNS, FAY GATHERGS AND SEASONAL TRADNS -- A WNG FORMULA WE HOPE WILL BRG OUR LNS OF VIEWERS MUCH-NEED LEVY AND HOLIDAY CHEER AT THE END OF A TOUGH YEAR."EDOR’S PICKSHALLMARK ANNOUNC PLANS TO BUT 'LGBTQ STORYL, CHARACTERS AND ACTORS'JUL 16, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL SCHL MARATHON OF FEEL-GOOD HOLIDAY MOVI AMID MASS SELF-QUARANTEMAR 19, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL APOLOGIZ FOR PULLG GAY-THEMED WEDDG ADDEC 15, 2019AMID CRICISM THAT NONE OF THE PREVLY-ANNOUNCED HOLIDAY FILMS FEATURED AN LGBTQ LEAD, A HALLMARK CHANNEL SPOKPERSON TOLD "GOOD MORNG AMERI" JULY THE PANY WAS "MTED TO CREATG A HALLMARK EXPERIENCE WHERE EVERYONE FEELS WELE" AND WOULD BE ANNOUNCG "LGBTQ STORYL, CHARACTERS AND ACTORS" THE FUTURE.MORE: IN REVERSAL, HALLMARK WILL RESTATE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE ADSIN ADDN TO "THE CHRISTMAS HOE," CROWN MEDIA ANNOUNCED WEDNDAY THAT CANDACE CAMERON BURE WILL STAR HER NTH HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGAL CHRISTMAS MOVIE, "IF ONLY I HAD CHRISTMAS," AND LACEY CHABERT WILL APPEAR TWO FILMS, "TIME FOR US TO COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS" AND "CHRISTMAS WALTZ," WHICH ALSO FEATUR HER "LOVE, ROMANCE AND CHOLATE" -STAR WILL KEMP. HOLLY ROBSON PEETE WILL ALSO STAR TWO MOVI: "CHRISTMAS DOCTOR" AND THE FOURTH STALLMENT OF "CHRISTMAS EVERGREEN: BELLS ARE RGG." VETERANS ALISON SWEENEY, DANI MCKELLAR AND TAMERA MOWRY-HOELEY WILL ALSO RETURN FOR NEW PROJECTS.NEWERS TO THE WORK CLU "RIVERDALE" ACTRS MARISOL NICHOLS, "PRETTY LTLE LIARS" STAR JANEL PARRISH AND JEREMY JORDAN OF "SUPERGIRL," AMONG OTHERS.HALLMARK CHANNEL'S "COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS" KICKS OFF SATURDAY, OCT. 24 AT 8 P.M. ET/PT WH "JGLE BELL BRI," WHILE HALLMARK MOVI & MYSTERI' "MIRACL OF CHRISTMAS" BEGS AN HOUR LATER, WH "CHRISTMAS TREE LANE."EDOR’S PICKSHALLMARK ANNOUNC PLANS TO BUT 'LGBTQ STORYL, CHARACTERS AND ACTORS'JUL 16, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL SCHL MARATHON OF FEEL-GOOD HOLIDAY MOVI AMID MASS SELF-QUARANTEMAR 19, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL APOLOGIZ FOR PULLG GAY-THEMED WEDDG ADDEC 15, 2019UP NEXT CULTURE—LUPA NYONG'O REMEMBERS CHADWICK BOSEMAN EMOTNAL TRIBUTE 3 YEARS AFTER HIS ATHAUGT 28, 2023MILEY CYS ON HOW HER PERSPECTIVE ON FAME AND SUCCS IS DIFFERENT OM HER DADAUGT 28, 2023KHLOE KARDASHIAN SHAR SWEET PHOTO WH HER 2 KIDS: 'MOMMY'S CUBS'AUGT 28, 2023'DANCG WH THE STARS' JUDGE DEREK HOUGH MARRI HAYLEY ERBERTAUGT 28, 2023UP NEXT CULTURE—LUPA NYONG'O REMEMBERS CHADWICK BOSEMAN EMOTNAL TRIBUTE 3 YEARS AFTER HIS ATHAUGT 28, 2023MILEY CYS ON HOW HER PERSPECTIVE ON FAME AND SUCCS IS DIFFERENT OM HER DADAUGT 28, 2023KHLOE KARDASHIAN SHAR SWEET PHOTO WH HER 2 KIDS: 'MOMMY'S CUBS'AUGT 28, 2023'DANCG WH THE STARS' JUDGE DEREK HOUGH MARRI HAYLEY ERBERTAUGT 28, 2023

JONATHAN BENT WANTED TO CREATE A GAY UNCLE BUCK FOR THE HOLIDAY STER

In the movie, which buts Sunday, Bent plays Sam, a gay guy whose personal life suffers at the st of his profsnal life — work over marriage. '" Add to the formula the actor's love of the '80s classic Uncle Buck starrg John Candy, pl his sire to see a movie that was "really thentic to what 's like beg a gay man 2022. " And that turned to me and my love for Uncle Buck, the movie wh John Candy that I grew up on, and I kd of put those ias together and I said, "What if Uncle Buck was gay?

Sam is beg really thentic to what 's like beg a gay man 2022 and what that experience is. As gay men, we're navigatg what our liv look like wh kids, or gettg married, or whout kids, and 's not black or whe — there's so many different avenu to startg a fay and havg a chosen fay.

Somethg I found so funny is how Sam realiz that Jason is gay — when Jason ments on Sam's sho.

MAKE THE YULETI GAY WH THE NEW LGBTQ CHRISTMAS MOVI

Like, "Oh wow, he is gay.

10 QUEER CHRISTMAS MOVI TO MAKE THE YULETI GAY

The tradn ntu 2021, wh films starrg RuPl, Michael Urie, Jonathan Ben and more — pl appearanc by gay favor like Jennifer your holiday season bge-watchg ssns acrdgly wh the upg movi and specials. 2, NetflixTony-wng director Michael Mayer (“Sprg Awakeng”) helms Netflix’s first gay holiday film, which se perpetually sgle Peter (Michael Urie) beggg his bt iend, Nick (Philemon Chambers), to e home wh him and pretend to be his boyiend to put an end to his fay’s nstant meddlg.

But the se is put to the tt when his mother (another gay fave, Kathy Najimy) sets him up wh her hunky traer (“Brothers and Sisters” actor Le Macfarlane) to “Sgle All the Way” for stg three out actors as gay characters — and for stg Jennifer Coolidge, perd. 3, NetflixFormer nttants return to the tents for a pair of holiday-themed episos: In “The Great Christmas Bakg Show, ” out ic Tom Allen subs for Noel Fieldg to -host wh gay prenter Matt Lus as season ne’s Jon Jenks and Kim-Joy Hewlett and season 11’s Herme and Rowan Williams whip up wondro Yuleti treats. “The showstopper challenge, they’ve got to make a ftive feast illn ke, ” judge Pl Hollywood teased, acrdg to “The Great New Year’s Bakg Show, ” 's season five wner Nancy Birtwhistle up agast season ne champn Rahul Mandal and two nttants om season 19: Gay nerd Henry Bird and wchy Helena Garcia.

Baneatta’s gay son, Kenny (Anthony Chatmon II), brgs his boyiend, Logan (Derek Chadwick), home for the holidays but is given an icy receptn. 18, Hallmark ChannelLast year, after sparkg outrage by pullg a jewelry ad featurg lbian bris, Hallmark ma amends by featurg the first gay uple one of s many, many holiday movi: "The Christmas Hoe" sred more than 13 ln viewgs over the 2020 holiday season, so a sequel was a no-braer. In the origal, Bill and Phylis Mchell (Treat Williams and Sharon Lawrence) ved their adult sons home for the holidays, then drop a bomb that they’re sellg the fay time around, gay son Brandon (Jonathan Ben) and his hband, Jake (Brad Harr), pete wh Brandon’s straight brother, Mike (Robert Buckley), to see who n create the most ftively rated Christmas hoe.

HALLMARK PREMIER S FIRST LGBTQ HOLIDAY MOVIE WH A GAY LEAD UPLE

19, LifetimeLast year, Lifetime buted s first gaycentric holiday flick, "The Christmas Setup, " and this season, 's brgg a lbian romance to the small this holiday tale om "The Christmas Setup" screenwrer Michael J. For Lifetime, which last year had “The Christmas Setup, ” the channel’s first-ever movie starrg gay leads, the move was a big one: the premiere of “Unr the Christmas Tree, ” s first movie featurg lbians as the uple at the center of a holiday romance.

Meanwhile, Hallmark ma a smaller step by settg “The Christmas Hoe 2: Deck Those Halls, ” a sequel to 2020’s “The Christmas Hoe, ” which featured Jonathan Bent and Brad Harr as a gay uple lookg to adopt. The dispary between the extents to which the Christmas-obssed ble channels are focg on LGBTQ holiday ntent 2021 is nsistent wh their rpective cisns ma on the matter last year, when Lifetime st a gay uple as leads “The Christmas Setup” and Hallmark featured s first homosexual uple as part of an ensemble “The Christmas Hoe.

“Even though we’ve got ‘Unr the Christmas Tree, ’ which is a real highlight, we’ve got several others the mix that are clive, whether they’re gay upl or jt characters, we’ve been tryg to make sure that people are reprented across the board, ” Lifetime head of programmg Amy Wter told TheWrap durg an Oct.

TV’S GAY CHRISTMAS MOVI ARE AS BENIGN, CHARMG AND CLICHE AS WE ALWAYS HOPED THEY’D BE

When “The Christmas Setup, ” Lifetime’s first-ever movie starrg gay leads, played by married--real-life uple Ben Lewis and Blake Lee, buted last year, Wter told TheWrap she had been lookg for a project starrg LGBTQ leads for some time, but was very agast somethg “really sacchare. “The fact that big Hallmark — the greetg-rd divisn — overturned Bill Abbott’s cisn on the Zola ad shows that the pany is ser about diversy their mographics, and we’re seeg lots of baby steps the 2020 and 2021 movi wh gay and lbian B-stori. (Durg the Abbott era, spottg a queer uple was like tryg to fd a gay character a 1940s movie that somehow slipped past the Productn Co.

However, ’s a good first step that there are even enough movi for me to create this list of Hallmark movi wh gay characters.

THE HALLMARK CHANNEL'S FIRST GAY CHRISTMAS MOVIE STARS 'MEAN GIRLS' JONATHAN BENT

Most gay characters and upl the movi are whe and male. Let’s be clear, as of the start of 2021, no Hallmark movie has featured gay characters as leads.

No matter what official Hallmark reps say, The Christmas Hoe and Mix Up the Mederranean do not feature gay leads. While I tly enjoyed The Christmas Hoe and loved seeg the happily married gay uple, they played send-fiddle to the ma straight uple’s romantic storyle.

It jt so happens that Jeremy Jordan, who is playg that straight man is also playg his gay tw.

HALLMARK RELEAS ITS FIRST GAY CHRISTMAS MOVIE WH TWO LEADG MEN

This do not qualify as a gay lead character, and dog the bare mimum isn’t enarg Hallmark to anyone. The only memorable thg about this movie was one of the only tim a Hallmark character has said “I am gay. Y, back 2012, Hallmark premiered a Christmas movie which the sister proclaimed she was gay.

HALLMARK DEBUTS THEIR FIRST CHRISTMAS MOVIE WH A GAY COUPLE

At first, I thought was jt a way to keep a man om htg on her, but an earlier scene shows that she actually is gay.

SAVE OR SPEND: WARDROBE PICKS FOR YOUR BUDGETOPEN MENUVIOSHOPCULTUREFAYWELLNSFOODLIVGSTYLETRAVELNEWSBOOK CLUBGMA3: WYNTKNEWSLETTERPRIVACY POLICYYOUR US STATE PRIVACY RIGHTSCHILDREN'S ONLE PRIVACY POLICYINTERT-BASED ADSTERMS OF USEDO NOT SELL MY INFOCONTACT USCOPYRIGHT © 2023 ABC NEWS INTER VENTUR. ALL RIGHTS RERVED.SEARCHCULTUREHALLMARK CHANNEL ANNOUNC CHRISTMAS MOVIE FEATURG GAY UPLE LOOKG TO ADOPT3:40HALLMARK APOLOGIZ FOR PULLG AD PICTG GAY UPLE BYTONY MORRISON AND LLEY MSERSEPTEMBER 23, 2020, 9:59 AM•4 M READHALLMARK CHANNEL AND S PARENT PANY, CROWN MEDIA FAY NETWORK, ARE LIVERG ON A PROMISE TO DIVERSIFY THEIR HOLIDAY MOVI."MEAN GIRLS" ACTOR JONATHAN BENT WILL STAR "THE CHRISTMAS HOE," WHICH FEATUR A STORYLE ABOUT A GAY UPLE LOOKG TO ADOPT THEIR FIRST CHILD, ACRDG TO MICHELLE VIRY, EXECUTIVE VICE PRINT OF PROGRAMMG FOR CROWN MEDIA FAY NETWORK.MORE: HALLMARK ANNOUNC PLANS TO BUT 'LGBTQ STORYL, CHARACTERS AND ACTORS'BENT'S -STARS CLU "ONE TREE HILL" ACTOR ROBERT BUCKLEY, ANA AYORA OF "IN THE DARK," VETERAN ACTOR TREAT WILLIAMS, "NYPD BLUE" STAR SHARON LAWRENCE AND ACTOR BRAD HARR. "THE CHRISTMAS HOE" PREMIER ON SUNDAY, NOV. 22 AT 8 P.M. ET/PT.A SYNOPSIS FOR "THE CHRISTMAS HOE" READS: "WORKG THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT CISNS, MCHELL FAY MATRIARCH PHYLIS (LAWRENCE) AND PATRIARCH BILL (WILLIAMS), HAVE SUMMONED THEIR TWO GROWN SONS -- MIKE (BUCKLEY) AND BRANDON (BENT) -- HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. IT IS THEIR HOPE THAT BRGG THE FAY TOGETHER TO RECREATE THE CHRISTMAS HOE WILL HELP THEM FD ROLUTN AND MAKE A MEMORABLE HOLIDAY FOR THE ENTIRE FAY AND MUNY. AS BRANDON AND HIS HBAND, JAKE (HARR), MAKE THE TRIP HOME, THEY ARE ANXLY AWAG A LL ABOUT THE ADOPTN OF THEIR FIRST CHILD. MEANWHILE, MIKE RENNECTS WH ANDI (AYORA), HIS HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART.""OUR HOLIDAY TABLE IS BIGGER AND MORE WELG THAN EVER. THIS YEAR'S MOVI REFLECT OUR MOST DIVERSE REPRENTATN OF TALENT, NARRATIV AND FAI," VIRY SAID WEDNDAY. "OUR MOVI ARE ROOTED WARMTH AND POSIVY, MEANGFUL NNECTNS, FAY GATHERGS AND SEASONAL TRADNS -- A WNG FORMULA WE HOPE WILL BRG OUR LNS OF VIEWERS MUCH-NEED LEVY AND HOLIDAY CHEER AT THE END OF A TOUGH YEAR."EDOR’S PICKSHALLMARK ANNOUNC PLANS TO BUT 'LGBTQ STORYL, CHARACTERS AND ACTORS'JUL 16, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL SCHL MARATHON OF FEEL-GOOD HOLIDAY MOVI AMID MASS SELF-QUARANTEMAR 19, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL APOLOGIZ FOR PULLG GAY-THEMED WEDDG ADDEC 15, 2019AMID CRICISM THAT NONE OF THE PREVLY-ANNOUNCED HOLIDAY FILMS FEATURED AN LGBTQ LEAD, A HALLMARK CHANNEL SPOKPERSON TOLD "GOOD MORNG AMERI" JULY THE PANY WAS "MTED TO CREATG A HALLMARK EXPERIENCE WHERE EVERYONE FEELS WELE" AND WOULD BE ANNOUNCG "LGBTQ STORYL, CHARACTERS AND ACTORS" THE FUTURE.MORE: IN REVERSAL, HALLMARK WILL RESTATE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE ADSIN ADDN TO "THE CHRISTMAS HOE," CROWN MEDIA ANNOUNCED WEDNDAY THAT CANDACE CAMERON BURE WILL STAR HER NTH HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGAL CHRISTMAS MOVIE, "IF ONLY I HAD CHRISTMAS," AND LACEY CHABERT WILL APPEAR TWO FILMS, "TIME FOR US TO COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS" AND "CHRISTMAS WALTZ," WHICH ALSO FEATUR HER "LOVE, ROMANCE AND CHOLATE" -STAR WILL KEMP. HOLLY ROBSON PEETE WILL ALSO STAR TWO MOVI: "CHRISTMAS DOCTOR" AND THE FOURTH STALLMENT OF "CHRISTMAS EVERGREEN: BELLS ARE RGG." VETERANS ALISON SWEENEY, DANI MCKELLAR AND TAMERA MOWRY-HOELEY WILL ALSO RETURN FOR NEW PROJECTS.NEWERS TO THE WORK CLU "RIVERDALE" ACTRS MARISOL NICHOLS, "PRETTY LTLE LIARS" STAR JANEL PARRISH AND JEREMY JORDAN OF "SUPERGIRL," AMONG OTHERS.HALLMARK CHANNEL'S "COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS" KICKS OFF SATURDAY, OCT. 24 AT 8 P.M. ET/PT WH "JGLE BELL BRI," WHILE HALLMARK MOVI & MYSTERI' "MIRACL OF CHRISTMAS" BEGS AN HOUR LATER, WH "CHRISTMAS TREE LANE."EDOR’S PICKSHALLMARK ANNOUNC PLANS TO BUT 'LGBTQ STORYL, CHARACTERS AND ACTORS'JUL 16, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL SCHL MARATHON OF FEEL-GOOD HOLIDAY MOVI AMID MASS SELF-QUARANTEMAR 19, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL APOLOGIZ FOR PULLG GAY-THEMED WEDDG ADDEC 15, 2019UP NEXT CULTURE—LUPA NYONG'O REMEMBERS CHADWICK BOSEMAN EMOTNAL TRIBUTE 3 YEARS AFTER HIS ATHAUGT 28, 2023MILEY CYS ON HOW HER PERSPECTIVE ON FAME AND SUCCS IS DIFFERENT OM HER DADAUGT 28, 2023KHLOE KARDASHIAN SHAR SWEET PHOTO WH HER 2 KIDS: 'MOMMY'S CUBS'AUGT 28, 2023'DANCG WH THE STARS' JUDGE DEREK HOUGH MARRI HAYLEY ERBERTAUGT 28, 2023UP NEXT CULTURE—LUPA NYONG'O REMEMBERS CHADWICK BOSEMAN EMOTNAL TRIBUTE 3 YEARS AFTER HIS ATHAUGT 28, 2023MILEY CYS ON HOW HER PERSPECTIVE ON FAME AND SUCCS IS DIFFERENT OM HER DADAUGT 28, 2023KHLOE KARDASHIAN SHAR SWEET PHOTO WH HER 2 KIDS: 'MOMMY'S CUBS'AUGT 28, 2023'DANCG WH THE STARS' JUDGE DEREK HOUGH MARRI HAYLEY ERBERTAUGT 28, 2023

It also had the most subtle ht of a gay uple I have ever seen on TV. This movie also marks the first time a gay uple has shared an on-screen kiss on any Hallmark work. Though there is no POC love tert as of yet, Dani McKellar’s Kayleigh was given a gay bt iend, which for Hallmark is a gigantic step forward.

My only knock on the movie is how Hallmark attempted to market as the work’s first movie wh gay leads. This is the send Kimberly Stad/Pl Campbell llaboratn that has clud a gay uple. I love how they’re slowg chippg away at archaic notns of love one edy and one gay character at a time.