Andrew Rannells And Tuc Watks Make Their Relatnship 'Instagram Official' - Towleroad Gay News

Contents:

• TUC WATKS, ONE LIFE TO LIVE STAR, COM OUT AS GAY, REVEALS HE’S A SGLE DAD TO TWS
• TUC WATKS MARRIED, HBAND/PARTNER, BOYIEND, GAY, NET WORTH
• TUC WATKS IS THE GAY CHARACTER ACTOR OF HIS GENERATN
• IS TUC WATKS’ COL GAY REAL LIFE?
• IS TUC WATKS GAY REAL LIFE? WHO IS THE UNUPLED CAST/ACTOR DATG 2022? DO HE HAVE A BOYIEND? REDD UPDATE!
• HOW ANDREW RANNELLS AND TUC WATKS FELL LOVE WHILE MAKG ‘THE BOYS THE BAND’SHOWMANCINGPHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS VIA INSTAGRAMKISSG THE RAFTERS, HOMCHOOLG SEND-GRA TWS, AND G OUT TO MARIE OSMOND: THE “BOYS THE BAND” STARS TALK TO THE BEAST ABOUT THEIR UNEXPECTED RELATNSHIP.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED OCT. 22, 2020 1:50AM EDT / PUBLISHED SEP. 30, 2020 4:33AM EDT IN THE WTER OF 2018, ANDREW RANNELLS AND TUC WATKS ARRIVED AT A NEW YORK CY PHOTOSHOOT FOR T, THE NEW YORK TIM STYLE MAGAZE, ALONGSI PRODUCER RYAN MURPHY AND THE UNPRECENTED ENSEMBLE ST OF THE BOYS THE BAND: JIM PARSONS, ZACHARY QUTO, MATT BOMER, AND A ROSTER OF OUT GAY CELEBRI -STARRG THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY REVIVAL OF MART CROWLEY’S LANDMARK PLAY, ALL PLAYG GAY MEN WHOUT ANY RISK TO THEIR REERS OR PUBLIC IMAGE.RANNELLS AND WATKS WERE ST AS LARRY AND HANK, LOVERS 1968 WHO HAD BEEN LIVG AS “ROOMMAT,” TORTURG EACH OTHER OVER WARRG EXPECTATNS WHEN TO SEX, MONOGAMY, AND MMENT. THE ACTORS WERE STCTED TO ACT VAGUELY CHARACTER WHILE POSG FOR THE MAGAZE’S PHOTOS, WHICH MEANT THE PAIR SPENT THE MORNG LIGHTLY FLIRTG.“I REMEMBER STANDG NEXT TO TUC AND NOT KNOWG HIM SUPER WELL, BUT LOOKG AT HIM AND THKG, ‘AH, FUCK. THIS IS GOG TO HAPPEN ISN’T ?’” RANNELLS TELLS THE DAILY BEAST. “‘WE’RE GOG TO BE THOSE TWO ACTORS WHO HAVE A SHOWMANCE.’” NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY HE WAS RIGHT. THE TWO DID BEG DATG TOWARD THE END OF THE BOYS THE BAND’S BROADWAY N THE SUMMER OF 2018, BUT WASN’T JT A TRYST THAT EXPIRED ON CLOSG NIGHT. THEY’VE BEEN A RELATNSHIP EVER SCE, G OUT PUBLICLY AS A UPLE A LTLE OVER A YEAR AGO SEPARATE INSTAGRAM POSTS. THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS AND PRS TERVIEWS HAVE SCE BEE PUBLIC RERDS OF THEIR LIFE TOGETHER AS A FAY: BIRTHDAYS, TRIPS, GOOFY SELFI. SCE THE PANMIC STARTED, FOR EXAMPLE, RANNELLS HAS PLAYED GUT TUTOR DURG VIRTUAL LEARNG SSNS FOR WATKS’ SEVEN-AND-A-HALF-YEAR-OLD TWS, WHO HE HAD VIA A SURROGATE 2013. (A PHOTO RANNELLS POSTED OF ONE OF THE TWS SLUMPED OVER HIS LAPTOP FEAT HTS AT HOW WELL THAT WAS GOG.)RANNELLS’ REER BEGAN ON BROADWAY, WHERE HE STARRED THE BOOK OF MORMON, FALSETTOS, AND HATON, BEFORE BREAKG OUT HOLLYWOOD WH ROL ON GIRLS, THE INTERN, AND THE UPG NETFLIX FILM VERSN OF THE MIL THE PROM, OPPOSE NILE KIDMAN AND MERYL STREEP. WATKS MA HIS NAME AS A DAYTIME TV HEARTTHROB, STARTG HIS NEARLY 20-YEAR N AS DAVID VICKERS ON ONE LIFE TO LIVE 1994, WH MEMORABLE ROL THE MUMMY AND DPERATE HOEWIV THAT FOLLOWED.THAT THE UPLE—RANNELLS IS 42 AND WATKS IS 54—HAVE BEEN SO SUALLY AND AFFECTNATELY PUBLIC WH THEIR RELATNSHIP IS STILL, 2020, REMARKABLE. BUT ’S PERHAPS EVEN MORE POIGNANT NSIRG THAT THE TWO OCSNS THEY HAVE PLAYED LOVERS ON SCREEN THE TIME THAT THEY’VE BEEN DATG (SELF AN UNUAL ACPLISHMENT FOR A HOLLYWOOD GAY UPLE) HAVE BEEN PERD PIEC WHERE THEIR CHARACTERS WERE CLOSETED, ROMANCG SECRET, AND MEANT TO FEEL SHAME.A FIRST ROUND OF GIGGLY “WHAT IS LIKE TO SHOOT LOVE SCEN WH YOUR REAL-LIFE BOYIEND” PRS HAPPENED EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN SEASON TWO OF SHOWTIME’S BLACK MONDAY PREMIERED, WHICH ST WATKS AS A POLICIAN SECRETLY HOOKG UP WH RANNELLS’ WALL STREET STOCKBROKER 1980S NEW YORK. NOW THE CURSY IS PIQUED AGA, WH THE MOVIE VERSN OF THE BOYS THE BAND AVAILABLE WEDNDAY ON NETFLIX, RNG THE TONY-WNG REVIVAL’S ORIGAL ST AND S DIRECTOR, JOE MANTELLO.CROWLEY’S 1968 PLAY DRAMATIZ, AS CULTURE WRER MARK HARRIS SAYS, “THE MOST FAMOLY TOXIC GAY BIRTHDAY PARTY THE HISTORY OF NEW YORK CY.” PARSONS’ CHARACTER, MICHAEL, IS HOSTG THE AFFAIR AT HIS APARTMENT, GATHERG A SMATTERG OF IENDS FOR AN EVENG THAT, AS BOOZE FLOWS AND BTERNS LAT, VOLV TO ACID-SOAKED EXAMATNS OF SELF-LOATHG AND SPAIR. IT’S A CRACKLG WORK OF W AND SIGHT, BUT ALSO A SNAPSHOT OF GAY MEN’S TIC SELF-PY AND TERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA. ADVERTISEMENT L LIKE MICHAEL’S DAMNG PROCLAMATN, “SHOW ME A HAPPY HOMOSEXUAL AND I’LL SHOW YOU A GAY RPSE,” HAVE MEMORIALIZED THE WORK AS A LIGHTNG ROD THE MUNY. THOSE WHO NMN AS A CEL RELIC OF SHAME AT A CERTA TIME HISTORY ARE EQUALLY PASSNATE AS THOSE WHO CELEBRATE AS “A TONE OF ANKNS, EMPATHY, AND EVEN LIBERATN,” AS HARRIS WR.THE FIRST THG WATKS REMEMBERS ABOUT MEETG RANNELLS REHEARSALS IS HOW WARM AND AFFECTNATE HE WAS. “I REMEMBER THKG, THIS IS GOG TO BE GREAT, BEE HANK AND LARRY SPEND THE ENTIRE PLAY BICKERG AND ANGRY AND RENTFUL TOWARDS EACH OTHER,” HE TELLS THE DAILY BEAST. “SO TO CREATE THAT RELATNSHIP WH SOMEONE WHO IS RG AND THOUGHTFUL AND LOVELY, WE HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE.”NEHER N PPOT EXACTLY WHEN THGS OFFICIALLY TURNED ROMANTIC, JT THAT WAS LATER THE PLAY’S BROADWAY N.“FOR ME WAS A LTLE B LIKE THAT QUOTE, ‘HOW DO YOU FALL LOVE? THE SAME WAY YOU FALL ASLEEP: SLOWLY AND THEN ALL AT ONCE.’” WATKS SAYS. “I WOKE UP ONE DAY AND REALIZED, I THK I REALLY LIKE THIS GUY.”THE PAIR IS SPEAKG OVER ZOOM OM SEPARATE ASTS. WATKS IS CALIFORNIA, WHERE HE IS “UP TO MY EYEBALLS WH HOMCHOOL.” THE TWS ARE SEND GRA, SO “’S AS IF I’M SEND GRA ALSO.”HE CLARIFI THAT HE IS NOT THE TWS’ TEACHER, PER SE, BUT THAT HIS OFFICIAL TLE IS “LEARNG ACH.” “IT’S SORT OF A SEXY TLE,” RANNELLS QUIPS AS, ANOTHER RNER OF THE ZOOM WDOW, WATKS BLH. “I’M GLAD ANDREW THKS ’S A SEXY TLE.” ADVERTISEMENT RANNELLS HAS BEEN BACK NEW YORK, WHERE HE JT FISHED DIRECTG AN EPISO OF AMAZON’S MORN LOVE ANTHOLOGY SERI, WHICH HE ALSO ADAPTED OM A 2017 SAY HE WROTE FOR THE NEW YORK TIM LUMN THAT SPIRED THE SHOW.TLED “DURG A NIGHT OF CASUAL SEX, URGENT MSAG GO UNANSWERED,” THE SAY REUNTS WHEN RANNELLS WHEN 22 AND HAD AN APATHETIC NIGHT OF SEX WH “A FACELS MEMORY OM YOUR EARLY 20S,” A BOY NAMED BRAD. HE HAD BEEN IGNORG LLS OM HIS SIBLGS ALL EVENG. WHEN HE FALLY LEFT BRAD NAKED THE BED TO GO TO CHECK HIS MSAG, HE LEARNED HIS FATHER HAD LLAPSED AT HIS NIECE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY, HAVG SUFFERED EHER A HEART ATTACK OR STROKE. “I WOKE UP ONE DAY AND REALIZED, I THK I REALLY LIKE THIS GUY.” THE LUMN BEME A RNERSTONE FOR A BOOK OF SAYS RANNELLS PUBLISHED LAST YEAR TLED TOO MUCH IS NOT ENOUGH: A MEMOIR OF FUMBLG TOWARD ADULTHOOD, ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE MOVG TO NEW YORK OM OMAHA AND FLOUNRG AS HE TRIED TO FD HIS PLACE THE THEATER MUNY AND E TO TERMS WH HIS OWN SEXUALY.“I KEPT GETTG THE KIDS AT STAGE DOORS ON BROADWAY THKG THAT BASILLY I WAS LIKE HATCHED OUT OF AN EGG TO THE BOOK OF MORMON,” HE SAYS ABOUT WHY HE WROTE THE BOOK. “THAT I JT APPEARED AND ALL OF A SUDN HAD THIS GREAT SHOW THAT WAS A H. BUT THAT'S NOT THE SE. THERE WERE A LOT OF TIM THAT THGS WERE KD OF ROUGH.”THAT NDOR, WHEN TO EVERYTHG OM THE DTRY TO HIS SEX LIFE, IS SOMETHG THAT WATKS SPECIFILLY ADMIR. “I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT IF BEG GAY WAS A BIG BOX STORE, WE WOULD PUT ANDREW RANNELLS UP ONT, AS THE GREETER. LIKE, ‘THIS IS WHAT ’S LIKE! IT’S OKAY. COME ON !’” ADVERTISEMENT NOW THAT THERE’S PUBLIC TERT HIS LOVE LIFE, ’S BEEN TERTG FOR RANNELLS TO REFLECT ON THE FACT THAT HE NEVER FELT PRSURED TO BE THE CLOSET, OR WORRIED WHAT G OUT ULD MEAN FOR HIS REER. HE WAS 32 WHEN HE STARRED THE BOOK OF MORMON AND WAS ST ON GIRLS AS LENA DUNHAM’S GAY BT IEND, ELIJAH. AFTER ONE SEASON OF GIRLS, RYAN MURPHY ST HIM THE NEW NORMAL, A NBC S ABOUT A GAY UPLE ADOPTG THEIR FIRST CHILD.“AROUND THAT TIME I WAS ASKED TO BE ON THE VER OF OUT MAGAZE, AND MY PUBLICIST AT THE TIME SAID, ‘IT’S A BELL YOU N’T UNRG,’” HE REMEMBERS. EVEN REUNTG THE STORY NOW, HE LOOKS BAFFLED. “I WAS LIKE, ‘WELL LET’S FUCK’ RG . THIS SEEMS LIKE THE TIME.’ I WAS LIKE 33 AND I’D ALWAYS BEEN OUT. AND I WAS ALSO PLAYG TWO GAY CHARACTERS ON TELEVISN. BUT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HER SAYG THAT. ‘IT’S A BELL YOU N’T UNRG.’”WATKS’ OWN EXPERIENCE WAS DIFFERENT, THAT HE ACTUALLY HAD A PUBLIC G OUT, A CISN THAT HE WRTLED WH FOR S BEFORE DOG .IT WAS 2013, A FEW MONTHS AFTER HIS TWS, CATCHEN AND CURTIS, WERE BORN. THE PREV SPRG, HE HAD WRAPPED HIS N ON DPERATE HOEWIV, ON WHICH HE PLAYED ONE HALF OF A GAY UPLE THAT MOV TO WISTERIA LANE. HE WENT ON MARIE OSMOND’S HALLMARK CHANNEL TALK SHOW MARIE AND REVEALED FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT HE WAS A GAY SGLE DAD AND HAD WELED HIS CHILDREN VIA SURROGATE.“I E OM 20 YEARS OF WORKG AN DTRY THAT FELT LIKE I WASN’T SAFE SAYG WHO I WAS, TELLG THE TTH ABOUT WHO I WAS THENTILLY,” HE SAYS, REMEMBERG THE TIME. “BUT SOMETHG TOGGLED OVER AFTER I HAD KIDS. I THOUGHT DON’T MAKE SENSE TO NOT TELL THE TTH ABOUT WHO I AM WH KIDS NEXT TO ME. I DIDN’T WANT THEM TO LOOK UP AND SEE THAT THEY HAD A DAD WHO WAS AAID TO TELL THE TTH.”RANNELLS, WHO HAS SEEN THE CLIP, LGHS. “WHO ELSE HAS A PUBLIC G OUT STORY WHERE THEY N SAY, ‘WELL I TOLD MARIE OSMOND…’” ADVERTISEMENT NETFLIX “SHE DID ASK IF THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I’D SPOKEN ABOUT PUBLICLY,” WATKS REMEMBERS, “AND I SAID, ‘WELL YOU’RE THE FIRST OSMOND I’VE TOLD.’”STILL, NEHER OF THE EXPERIENC PREPARED THE ACTORS FOR THE TIDAL WAVE OF ATTENTN THEY WOULD RECEIVE WHEN THEY “ME OUT,” SO TO SPEAK, AS A UPLE ON INSTAGRAM.IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR, RANNELLS POSTED A PHOTO OF HIMSELF BASHFULLY SPOONG WATKS A POOL, PLANTG A LIGHT KISS ON THE BACK OF WATK’S SHOULR. TWO DAYS LATER, WATKS POSTED HIS OWN PHOTO OF THE TWO OF THEM, A BLACK-AND-WHE PICTURE OF THE PAIR SHIRTLS OUTSI, WH RANNELLS' HANDS AROUND HIS WAIST. THE PTN: “IT’S HARD TO HI @ANDREWRANNELLS. HE’S 6’2” AND SH BRIGHTLY.”“I JT ULDN’T NOT TALK ABOUT ANYMORE,” WATKS SAYS. “IT WAS JT OUT OF EXCEMENT. IT WAS JT JOY. YOU’RE ALWAYS A LTLE TREPIDAT TO PUT THGS THAT ARE TIMATE ABOUT YOUR LIFE OUT THERE FOR THE WORLD TO SEE, BUT I JT ULDN'T HELP ANYMORE JT BEE I LIKED HIM SO DARN MUCH.”THAT “THE KIDS WERE WEIGHG ON INSTAGRAM,” AS RANNELLS SAYS, WAS CERTALY NEW FOR THE TWO OF THEM. “BUT THERE WE ARE.” ADVERTISEMENT THE OCSN OF THE BOYS THE BAND FILM G OUT MEANS THE OPPORTUNY TO WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE OF THEIR URTSHIP.THE STCTURE OF THE PLAY IS SUCH THAT, AFTER ABOUT 90 MUT OF SRCHED-EARTH BARG OF THEIR SOULS AND SECURI ABOUT LOVE AND THEIR RELATNSHIP, THEIR CHARACTERS RETREAT TO A BALNY BEDROOM THAT’S SEMI-HIDN BEHD A OSTED-GLASS WALL, WHERE THEY WOULD MIME HEAVY NVERSATN AND CUDDLG, AND, FALLY, AS THE LIGHTS GO DOWN ON THE PLAY, TEAR OFF EACH OTHER’S SHIRTS AND START AGGRSIVELY MAKG OUT.“YEP, THE FIRST TIME WE KISSED WAS BEE OF OUR JOB,” RANNELLS SAYS. “I MEAN I N ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF BUT I CERTALY WANTED TO, AND I WAS LOOKG FORWARD TO . BUT WAS STRANGE THAT WE WERE GETTG PAID TO DO .”WATKS TIMAT THAT THOSE 20 MUT EACH NIGHT IS WHEN THEY REALLY GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER. “WE WERE AN TIMATE SETTG, AND AN TIMATE SETTG, YOU TEND TO HAVE TIMATE NVERSATNS.” AT LEAST, AS RANNELLS TERJECTS, WHEN THEY WEREN’T TAKG TURNS NAPPG.ONE NIGHT LATE TO THE N, ONE OF WATKS’ GOOD IENDS ME OM OUT OF TOWN TO SEE THE PLAY. THEY MET FOR A DRK AFTER THE SHOW AND THE FIRST THG HIS IEND SAID WAS, “YOU’RE SEEG RANNELLS, AREN’T YOU?” WATKS WAS SHOCKED. HE WAS, BUT HE HADN’T TOLD ANYONE. HOW ULD HE HAVE KNOWN? “AND HE SAID, ‘WELL, AT CURTA LL YOU GUYS HOLD EACH OTHER'S HAND LONGER THAN YOU NEED.’”IT’S A RARE EXPERIENCE TO STAR A FILM VERSN OF A PLAY YOU SPENT MONTHS WORKG ON, AND TO DO WH THE SAME ACTORS OM THAT PRODUCTN. AT THIS POT, THE ST KNOWS EACH OTHER ON A EPER LEVEL, SOMETHG THAT THROUGH THE PERFORMANC. IT’S ALSO GRATIFYG FOR THEM THAT, AFTER DOG A PLAY THAT LIVED, BREATHED, AND EVOLVED, THE FILM VERSN IS FE. ADVERTISEMENT “I ACTUALLY REMEMBER THE LAST TIME ANDREW WALKED OUT OF MY DRSG ROOM ON OUR LAST NIGHT OF THE PLAY AND MY HEART WAS MY THROAT AND MY STOMACH WAS ON THE FLOOR,” WATKS SAYS. “IT FELT REALLY SAD. I FELT LIKE I WAS LOSG SOMETHG. BUT SOMETHG HAPPENED WHEN WE FISHED THE MOVIE. SOMEHOW, FELT LIKE WAS PLETE. I DIDN’T FEEL THE SADNS.”IF ONE OF THE ENDG NOT OF THE BOYS THE BAND IS HOPE FOR THE FUTURE TELEGRAPHED THROUGH THE LOVE AND PASSN YOU SEE AS LARRY AND HANK START TO RENNECT AND HOOK UP, THEN THERE’S SOMETHG POIGNANT—AND CERTALY META— THE FACT THAT THE ACTORS THAT SCENE HAVE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER OF THEIR OWN TOGETHER, TOO.WHEN THE NVERSATN IS OVER AND ’S TIME FOR GOODBY, RANNELLS AND WATKS EASE A LTLE B THEIR RPECTIVE ZOOM WDOWS.“TUC, YOUR BEARD IS LOOKG VERY HANDSOME,” RANNELLS PLIMENTS.“THANK YOU, I GREW THIS MORNG,” HE JOK, PUFFG HIS CHEEKS OUT AS IF HE IS EXTDG HAIRS BY FORCE. “PHED RIGHT OUT.” RANNELLS DOUBL OVER LGHG AS WATKS SHOUTS, “MISS YOU, RANNELLS!”“MISS YOU, TOO,” HE SAYS BACK. “I’LL LL YOU LATER.” KEV FALLON

TUC WATKS, ONE LIFE TO LIVE STAR, COM OUT AS GAY, REVEALS HE’S A SGLE DAD TO TWS

As San Delfo's neighbor Bob Hunter, Watks played one-half of a gay uple (wh Kev Rahm) who wanted to adopt a baby. Speakg wh Marie Osmond a new terview airg Monday, April 29, on Osmond's Hallmark Channel talk show Marie, Watks reveals publicly for the first time that he's gay.

TUC WATKS MARRIED, HBAND/PARTNER, BOYIEND, GAY, NET WORTH

"And when I was young, I knew three thgs: I knew I was gay, I knew one day I was gonna be a dad, and I knew that Gene Wilr's Willy Wonka and the Cholate Factory was gog to be the bt movie of all time. Watks publicly me out as gay April 2013, terviews wh the medias.

He knew he was gay sce Tuc was a child, and now he has fally revealed to the fans. Watks explaed that he knew he was gay even as a young boy.

TUC WATKS IS THE GAY CHARACTER ACTOR OF HIS GENERATN

Ironilly, Watks played a gay man who wanted to adopt a baby wh his same-sex partner on “Dperate Hoewiv.

IS TUC WATKS’ COL GAY REAL LIFE?

'Dign by Maane Romagosa for ThrillistDign by Maane Romagosa for ThrillistTuc Watks would like for you to thk of him as a gay Kev Kle.

Col may have broken the likable protagonist's heart, but he is no mere of Unupled's but, Thrillist talked to Watks, who is datg his former -star Andrew Rannells, about beg one of his generatn's go-to gay TV actors, g out on The Marie Osmond Show of all plac, and why trippg on a stairse changed his reer.

IS TUC WATKS GAY REAL LIFE? WHO IS THE UNUPLED CAST/ACTOR DATG 2022? DO HE HAVE A BOYIEND? REDD UPDATE!

Thrillist: You're the rare gay character actor who has nsistently played a wealth of gay rol. Tuc Watks: It's funny you mentned that, bee I am a gay actor who's been playg gay characters sce the '90s. When I did rol like I Thk I Do and Beggars and Choosers, people said, "You n't be a gay actor and play gay rol if you want to play a wir range of rol.

HOW ANDREW RANNELLS AND TUC WATKS FELL LOVE WHILE MAKG ‘THE BOYS THE BAND’SHOWMANCINGPHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS VIA INSTAGRAMKISSG THE RAFTERS, HOMCHOOLG SEND-GRA TWS, AND G OUT TO MARIE OSMOND: THE “BOYS THE BAND” STARS TALK TO THE BEAST ABOUT THEIR UNEXPECTED RELATNSHIP.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED OCT. 22, 2020 1:50AM EDT / PUBLISHED SEP. 30, 2020 4:33AM EDT IN THE WTER OF 2018, ANDREW RANNELLS AND TUC WATKS ARRIVED AT A NEW YORK CY PHOTOSHOOT FOR T, THE NEW YORK TIM STYLE MAGAZE, ALONGSI PRODUCER RYAN MURPHY AND THE UNPRECENTED ENSEMBLE ST OF THE BOYS THE BAND: JIM PARSONS, ZACHARY QUTO, MATT BOMER, AND A ROSTER OF OUT GAY CELEBRI -STARRG THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY REVIVAL OF MART CROWLEY’S LANDMARK PLAY, ALL PLAYG GAY MEN WHOUT ANY RISK TO THEIR REERS OR PUBLIC IMAGE.RANNELLS AND WATKS WERE ST AS LARRY AND HANK, LOVERS 1968 WHO HAD BEEN LIVG AS “ROOMMAT,” TORTURG EACH OTHER OVER WARRG EXPECTATNS WHEN TO SEX, MONOGAMY, AND MMENT. THE ACTORS WERE STCTED TO ACT VAGUELY CHARACTER WHILE POSG FOR THE MAGAZE’S PHOTOS, WHICH MEANT THE PAIR SPENT THE MORNG LIGHTLY FLIRTG.“I REMEMBER STANDG NEXT TO TUC AND NOT KNOWG HIM SUPER WELL, BUT LOOKG AT HIM AND THKG, ‘AH, FUCK. THIS IS GOG TO HAPPEN ISN’T ?’” RANNELLS TELLS THE DAILY BEAST. “‘WE’RE GOG TO BE THOSE TWO ACTORS WHO HAVE A SHOWMANCE.’” NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY HE WAS RIGHT. THE TWO DID BEG DATG TOWARD THE END OF THE BOYS THE BAND’S BROADWAY N THE SUMMER OF 2018, BUT WASN’T JT A TRYST THAT EXPIRED ON CLOSG NIGHT. THEY’VE BEEN A RELATNSHIP EVER SCE, G OUT PUBLICLY AS A UPLE A LTLE OVER A YEAR AGO SEPARATE INSTAGRAM POSTS. THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS AND PRS TERVIEWS HAVE SCE BEE PUBLIC RERDS OF THEIR LIFE TOGETHER AS A FAY: BIRTHDAYS, TRIPS, GOOFY SELFI. SCE THE PANMIC STARTED, FOR EXAMPLE, RANNELLS HAS PLAYED GUT TUTOR DURG VIRTUAL LEARNG SSNS FOR WATKS’ SEVEN-AND-A-HALF-YEAR-OLD TWS, WHO HE HAD VIA A SURROGATE 2013. (A PHOTO RANNELLS POSTED OF ONE OF THE TWS SLUMPED OVER HIS LAPTOP FEAT HTS AT HOW WELL THAT WAS GOG.)RANNELLS’ REER BEGAN ON BROADWAY, WHERE HE STARRED THE BOOK OF MORMON, FALSETTOS, AND HATON, BEFORE BREAKG OUT HOLLYWOOD WH ROL ON GIRLS, THE INTERN, AND THE UPG NETFLIX FILM VERSN OF THE MIL THE PROM, OPPOSE NILE KIDMAN AND MERYL STREEP. WATKS MA HIS NAME AS A DAYTIME TV HEARTTHROB, STARTG HIS NEARLY 20-YEAR N AS DAVID VICKERS ON ONE LIFE TO LIVE 1994, WH MEMORABLE ROL THE MUMMY AND DPERATE HOEWIV THAT FOLLOWED.THAT THE UPLE—RANNELLS IS 42 AND WATKS IS 54—HAVE BEEN SO SUALLY AND AFFECTNATELY PUBLIC WH THEIR RELATNSHIP IS STILL, 2020, REMARKABLE. BUT ’S PERHAPS EVEN MORE POIGNANT NSIRG THAT THE TWO OCSNS THEY HAVE PLAYED LOVERS ON SCREEN THE TIME THAT THEY’VE BEEN DATG (SELF AN UNUAL ACPLISHMENT FOR A HOLLYWOOD GAY UPLE) HAVE BEEN PERD PIEC WHERE THEIR CHARACTERS WERE CLOSETED, ROMANCG SECRET, AND MEANT TO FEEL SHAME.A FIRST ROUND OF GIGGLY “WHAT IS LIKE TO SHOOT LOVE SCEN WH YOUR REAL-LIFE BOYIEND” PRS HAPPENED EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN SEASON TWO OF SHOWTIME’S BLACK MONDAY PREMIERED, WHICH ST WATKS AS A POLICIAN SECRETLY HOOKG UP WH RANNELLS’ WALL STREET STOCKBROKER 1980S NEW YORK. NOW THE CURSY IS PIQUED AGA, WH THE MOVIE VERSN OF THE BOYS THE BAND AVAILABLE WEDNDAY ON NETFLIX, RNG THE TONY-WNG REVIVAL’S ORIGAL ST AND S DIRECTOR, JOE MANTELLO.CROWLEY’S 1968 PLAY DRAMATIZ, AS CULTURE WRER MARK HARRIS SAYS, “THE MOST FAMOLY TOXIC GAY BIRTHDAY PARTY THE HISTORY OF NEW YORK CY.” PARSONS’ CHARACTER, MICHAEL, IS HOSTG THE AFFAIR AT HIS APARTMENT, GATHERG A SMATTERG OF IENDS FOR AN EVENG THAT, AS BOOZE FLOWS AND BTERNS LAT, VOLV TO ACID-SOAKED EXAMATNS OF SELF-LOATHG AND SPAIR. IT’S A CRACKLG WORK OF W AND SIGHT, BUT ALSO A SNAPSHOT OF GAY MEN’S TIC SELF-PY AND TERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA. ADVERTISEMENT L LIKE MICHAEL’S DAMNG PROCLAMATN, “SHOW ME A HAPPY HOMOSEXUAL AND I’LL SHOW YOU A GAY RPSE,” HAVE MEMORIALIZED THE WORK AS A LIGHTNG ROD THE MUNY. THOSE WHO NMN AS A CEL RELIC OF SHAME AT A CERTA TIME HISTORY ARE EQUALLY PASSNATE AS THOSE WHO CELEBRATE AS “A TONE OF ANKNS, EMPATHY, AND EVEN LIBERATN,” AS HARRIS WR.THE FIRST THG WATKS REMEMBERS ABOUT MEETG RANNELLS REHEARSALS IS HOW WARM AND AFFECTNATE HE WAS. “I REMEMBER THKG, THIS IS GOG TO BE GREAT, BEE HANK AND LARRY SPEND THE ENTIRE PLAY BICKERG AND ANGRY AND RENTFUL TOWARDS EACH OTHER,” HE TELLS THE DAILY BEAST. “SO TO CREATE THAT RELATNSHIP WH SOMEONE WHO IS RG AND THOUGHTFUL AND LOVELY, WE HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE.”NEHER N PPOT EXACTLY WHEN THGS OFFICIALLY TURNED ROMANTIC, JT THAT WAS LATER THE PLAY’S BROADWAY N.“FOR ME WAS A LTLE B LIKE THAT QUOTE, ‘HOW DO YOU FALL LOVE? THE SAME WAY YOU FALL ASLEEP: SLOWLY AND THEN ALL AT ONCE.’” WATKS SAYS. “I WOKE UP ONE DAY AND REALIZED, I THK I REALLY LIKE THIS GUY.”THE PAIR IS SPEAKG OVER ZOOM OM SEPARATE ASTS. WATKS IS CALIFORNIA, WHERE HE IS “UP TO MY EYEBALLS WH HOMCHOOL.” THE TWS ARE SEND GRA, SO “’S AS IF I’M SEND GRA ALSO.”HE CLARIFI THAT HE IS NOT THE TWS’ TEACHER, PER SE, BUT THAT HIS OFFICIAL TLE IS “LEARNG ACH.” “IT’S SORT OF A SEXY TLE,” RANNELLS QUIPS AS, ANOTHER RNER OF THE ZOOM WDOW, WATKS BLH. “I’M GLAD ANDREW THKS ’S A SEXY TLE.” ADVERTISEMENT RANNELLS HAS BEEN BACK NEW YORK, WHERE HE JT FISHED DIRECTG AN EPISO OF AMAZON’S MORN LOVE ANTHOLOGY SERI, WHICH HE ALSO ADAPTED OM A 2017 SAY HE WROTE FOR THE NEW YORK TIM LUMN THAT SPIRED THE SHOW.TLED “DURG A NIGHT OF CASUAL SEX, URGENT MSAG GO UNANSWERED,” THE SAY REUNTS WHEN RANNELLS WHEN 22 AND HAD AN APATHETIC NIGHT OF SEX WH “A FACELS MEMORY OM YOUR EARLY 20S,” A BOY NAMED BRAD. HE HAD BEEN IGNORG LLS OM HIS SIBLGS ALL EVENG. WHEN HE FALLY LEFT BRAD NAKED THE BED TO GO TO CHECK HIS MSAG, HE LEARNED HIS FATHER HAD LLAPSED AT HIS NIECE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY, HAVG SUFFERED EHER A HEART ATTACK OR STROKE. “I WOKE UP ONE DAY AND REALIZED, I THK I REALLY LIKE THIS GUY.” THE LUMN BEME A RNERSTONE FOR A BOOK OF SAYS RANNELLS PUBLISHED LAST YEAR TLED TOO MUCH IS NOT ENOUGH: A MEMOIR OF FUMBLG TOWARD ADULTHOOD, ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE MOVG TO NEW YORK OM OMAHA AND FLOUNRG AS HE TRIED TO FD HIS PLACE THE THEATER MUNY AND E TO TERMS WH HIS OWN SEXUALY.“I KEPT GETTG THE KIDS AT STAGE DOORS ON BROADWAY THKG THAT BASILLY I WAS LIKE HATCHED OUT OF AN EGG TO THE BOOK OF MORMON,” HE SAYS ABOUT WHY HE WROTE THE BOOK. “THAT I JT APPEARED AND ALL OF A SUDN HAD THIS GREAT SHOW THAT WAS A H. BUT THAT'S NOT THE SE. THERE WERE A LOT OF TIM THAT THGS WERE KD OF ROUGH.”THAT NDOR, WHEN TO EVERYTHG OM THE DTRY TO HIS SEX LIFE, IS SOMETHG THAT WATKS SPECIFILLY ADMIR. “I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT IF BEG GAY WAS A BIG BOX STORE, WE WOULD PUT ANDREW RANNELLS UP ONT, AS THE GREETER. LIKE, ‘THIS IS WHAT ’S LIKE! IT’S OKAY. COME ON !’” ADVERTISEMENT NOW THAT THERE’S PUBLIC TERT HIS LOVE LIFE, ’S BEEN TERTG FOR RANNELLS TO REFLECT ON THE FACT THAT HE NEVER FELT PRSURED TO BE THE CLOSET, OR WORRIED WHAT G OUT ULD MEAN FOR HIS REER. HE WAS 32 WHEN HE STARRED THE BOOK OF MORMON AND WAS ST ON GIRLS AS LENA DUNHAM’S GAY BT IEND, ELIJAH. AFTER ONE SEASON OF GIRLS, RYAN MURPHY ST HIM THE NEW NORMAL, A NBC S ABOUT A GAY UPLE ADOPTG THEIR FIRST CHILD.“AROUND THAT TIME I WAS ASKED TO BE ON THE VER OF OUT MAGAZE, AND MY PUBLICIST AT THE TIME SAID, ‘IT’S A BELL YOU N’T UNRG,’” HE REMEMBERS. EVEN REUNTG THE STORY NOW, HE LOOKS BAFFLED. “I WAS LIKE, ‘WELL LET’S FUCK’ RG . THIS SEEMS LIKE THE TIME.’ I WAS LIKE 33 AND I’D ALWAYS BEEN OUT. AND I WAS ALSO PLAYG TWO GAY CHARACTERS ON TELEVISN. BUT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HER SAYG THAT. ‘IT’S A BELL YOU N’T UNRG.’”WATKS’ OWN EXPERIENCE WAS DIFFERENT, THAT HE ACTUALLY HAD A PUBLIC G OUT, A CISN THAT HE WRTLED WH FOR S BEFORE DOG .IT WAS 2013, A FEW MONTHS AFTER HIS TWS, CATCHEN AND CURTIS, WERE BORN. THE PREV SPRG, HE HAD WRAPPED HIS N ON DPERATE HOEWIV, ON WHICH HE PLAYED ONE HALF OF A GAY UPLE THAT MOV TO WISTERIA LANE. HE WENT ON MARIE OSMOND’S HALLMARK CHANNEL TALK SHOW MARIE AND REVEALED FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT HE WAS A GAY SGLE DAD AND HAD WELED HIS CHILDREN VIA SURROGATE.“I E OM 20 YEARS OF WORKG AN DTRY THAT FELT LIKE I WASN’T SAFE SAYG WHO I WAS, TELLG THE TTH ABOUT WHO I WAS THENTILLY,” HE SAYS, REMEMBERG THE TIME. “BUT SOMETHG TOGGLED OVER AFTER I HAD KIDS. I THOUGHT DON’T MAKE SENSE TO NOT TELL THE TTH ABOUT WHO I AM WH KIDS NEXT TO ME. I DIDN’T WANT THEM TO LOOK UP AND SEE THAT THEY HAD A DAD WHO WAS AAID TO TELL THE TTH.”RANNELLS, WHO HAS SEEN THE CLIP, LGHS. “WHO ELSE HAS A PUBLIC G OUT STORY WHERE THEY N SAY, ‘WELL I TOLD MARIE OSMOND…’” ADVERTISEMENT NETFLIX “SHE DID ASK IF THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I’D SPOKEN ABOUT PUBLICLY,” WATKS REMEMBERS, “AND I SAID, ‘WELL YOU’RE THE FIRST OSMOND I’VE TOLD.’”STILL, NEHER OF THE EXPERIENC PREPARED THE ACTORS FOR THE TIDAL WAVE OF ATTENTN THEY WOULD RECEIVE WHEN THEY “ME OUT,” SO TO SPEAK, AS A UPLE ON INSTAGRAM.IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR, RANNELLS POSTED A PHOTO OF HIMSELF BASHFULLY SPOONG WATKS A POOL, PLANTG A LIGHT KISS ON THE BACK OF WATK’S SHOULR. TWO DAYS LATER, WATKS POSTED HIS OWN PHOTO OF THE TWO OF THEM, A BLACK-AND-WHE PICTURE OF THE PAIR SHIRTLS OUTSI, WH RANNELLS' HANDS AROUND HIS WAIST. THE PTN: “IT’S HARD TO HI @ANDREWRANNELLS. HE’S 6’2” AND SH BRIGHTLY.”“I JT ULDN’T NOT TALK ABOUT ANYMORE,” WATKS SAYS. “IT WAS JT OUT OF EXCEMENT. IT WAS JT JOY. YOU’RE ALWAYS A LTLE TREPIDAT TO PUT THGS THAT ARE TIMATE ABOUT YOUR LIFE OUT THERE FOR THE WORLD TO SEE, BUT I JT ULDN'T HELP ANYMORE JT BEE I LIKED HIM SO DARN MUCH.”THAT “THE KIDS WERE WEIGHG ON INSTAGRAM,” AS RANNELLS SAYS, WAS CERTALY NEW FOR THE TWO OF THEM. “BUT THERE WE ARE.” ADVERTISEMENT THE OCSN OF THE BOYS THE BAND FILM G OUT MEANS THE OPPORTUNY TO WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE OF THEIR URTSHIP.THE STCTURE OF THE PLAY IS SUCH THAT, AFTER ABOUT 90 MUT OF SRCHED-EARTH BARG OF THEIR SOULS AND SECURI ABOUT LOVE AND THEIR RELATNSHIP, THEIR CHARACTERS RETREAT TO A BALNY BEDROOM THAT’S SEMI-HIDN BEHD A OSTED-GLASS WALL, WHERE THEY WOULD MIME HEAVY NVERSATN AND CUDDLG, AND, FALLY, AS THE LIGHTS GO DOWN ON THE PLAY, TEAR OFF EACH OTHER’S SHIRTS AND START AGGRSIVELY MAKG OUT.“YEP, THE FIRST TIME WE KISSED WAS BEE OF OUR JOB,” RANNELLS SAYS. “I MEAN I N ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF BUT I CERTALY WANTED TO, AND I WAS LOOKG FORWARD TO . BUT WAS STRANGE THAT WE WERE GETTG PAID TO DO .”WATKS TIMAT THAT THOSE 20 MUT EACH NIGHT IS WHEN THEY REALLY GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER. “WE WERE AN TIMATE SETTG, AND AN TIMATE SETTG, YOU TEND TO HAVE TIMATE NVERSATNS.” AT LEAST, AS RANNELLS TERJECTS, WHEN THEY WEREN’T TAKG TURNS NAPPG.ONE NIGHT LATE TO THE N, ONE OF WATKS’ GOOD IENDS ME OM OUT OF TOWN TO SEE THE PLAY. THEY MET FOR A DRK AFTER THE SHOW AND THE FIRST THG HIS IEND SAID WAS, “YOU’RE SEEG RANNELLS, AREN’T YOU?” WATKS WAS SHOCKED. HE WAS, BUT HE HADN’T TOLD ANYONE. HOW ULD HE HAVE KNOWN? “AND HE SAID, ‘WELL, AT CURTA LL YOU GUYS HOLD EACH OTHER'S HAND LONGER THAN YOU NEED.’”IT’S A RARE EXPERIENCE TO STAR A FILM VERSN OF A PLAY YOU SPENT MONTHS WORKG ON, AND TO DO WH THE SAME ACTORS OM THAT PRODUCTN. AT THIS POT, THE ST KNOWS EACH OTHER ON A EPER LEVEL, SOMETHG THAT THROUGH THE PERFORMANC. IT’S ALSO GRATIFYG FOR THEM THAT, AFTER DOG A PLAY THAT LIVED, BREATHED, AND EVOLVED, THE FILM VERSN IS FE. ADVERTISEMENT “I ACTUALLY REMEMBER THE LAST TIME ANDREW WALKED OUT OF MY DRSG ROOM ON OUR LAST NIGHT OF THE PLAY AND MY HEART WAS MY THROAT AND MY STOMACH WAS ON THE FLOOR,” WATKS SAYS. “IT FELT REALLY SAD. I FELT LIKE I WAS LOSG SOMETHG. BUT SOMETHG HAPPENED WHEN WE FISHED THE MOVIE. SOMEHOW, FELT LIKE WAS PLETE. I DIDN’T FEEL THE SADNS.”IF ONE OF THE ENDG NOT OF THE BOYS THE BAND IS HOPE FOR THE FUTURE TELEGRAPHED THROUGH THE LOVE AND PASSN YOU SEE AS LARRY AND HANK START TO RENNECT AND HOOK UP, THEN THERE’S SOMETHG POIGNANT—AND CERTALY META— THE FACT THAT THE ACTORS THAT SCENE HAVE A HAPPILY EVER AFTER OF THEIR OWN TOGETHER, TOO.WHEN THE NVERSATN IS OVER AND ’S TIME FOR GOODBY, RANNELLS AND WATKS EASE A LTLE B THEIR RPECTIVE ZOOM WDOWS.“TUC, YOUR BEARD IS LOOKG VERY HANDSOME,” RANNELLS PLIMENTS.“THANK YOU, I GREW THIS MORNG,” HE JOK, PUFFG HIS CHEEKS OUT AS IF HE IS EXTDG HAIRS BY FORCE. “PHED RIGHT OUT.” RANNELLS DOUBL OVER LGHG AS WATKS SHOUTS, “MISS YOU, RANNELLS!”“MISS YOU, TOO,” HE SAYS BACK. “I’LL LL YOU LATER.” KEV FALLON

There was a time not so long ago that the gay characters were the gay clown or the troubled person or the psychopath. I was a gay actor who shouldn't play gay rol if I wanted to play straight rol. But I was also a gay actor who they weren't hirg to play the straight rol bee they knew I was gay.

That's on Netflix, and 's yet to Watks and Neil Patrick Harris 'Unupled' | NetflixWhen straight actors play gay rol, we talk about what they chose to do wh their mannerisms.

Movie stars and A-list TV stars get to play a wir range, but I thk most of the stuff that I've played, whether 's straight or gay, I'm really jt playg myself, for the most part.