Watch Billy Eichner Tell Colton Unrwood He Might Be 'the First Gay Bachelor'

Contents:

• BILLY EICHNER PRAIS ‘SEX AND THE CY’ FOR ‘MORE AUTHENTIC’ AND ‘RADIL’ PORTRAYALS OF GAY MEN
• BILLY EICHNER ELOQUENTLY EXPLAS WHY HE DIDN’T ST CHRIS EVANS AS GAY MAN BROS
• BILLY EICHNER WANTED ‘BROS’ TO STAR ‘GAY RYAN REYNOLDS,’ EMBODY ‘TOM HANKS AND MEG RYAN’ ROM-COM
• BILLY EICHNER FORAW COLTON UNRWOOD BEG 'FIRST GAY BACHELOR' IN 2019
• BILLY EICHNER SAYS 'BROS' GAY SEX SCEN WILL BE 'EYE-OPENG FOR CERTA PEOPLE'
• BILLY EICHNER’S VERY GAY ‘BROS’ TRAILER HAS RADILIZED METHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSESSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED AUG. 05, 2022 1:28PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAY 20, 2022 11:31PM EDT UNIVERSALTHIS IS A PREVIEW OF OUR POP CULTURE NEWSLETTER THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, WRTEN BY SENR ENTERTAMENT REPORTER KEV FALLON. TO RECEIVE THE FULL NEWSLETTER YOUR BOX EACH WEEK, SIGN UP FOR HERE.THIS WEEK:CRYG WH THE CRAWLEYS.BOWG DOWN TO BILLY EICHNER.ALL- ON WHATEVER MDY KALG’S DOG.A PERFECT VIO.A TERRIBLE TWEET.I CAN’T STOP WATCHG THE BROS TRAILERTHERE IS SOMETHG THAT HAPPENS EVERY TIME A NEW TRAILER FOR A ROM- OR ROMANTIC FILM OR TV SERI WH GAY LEADS OUT. I CHEER. OBNOXLY. I TWEET ABOUT AND WRE ABOUT AND SG S PRAIS AS IF I’M JENNIFER HOLLIDAY UNHGG HER JAW TO BELT OUT THE FAL RIFFS OF “AND I AM TELLG YOU I’M NOT GOG.” THIS IS AMAZG! THIS IS IMPORTANT! THIS SERV OUR PRAISE! I WOULD NEVER TAKE ANY OF THAT BACK, PECIALLY AFTER OBSERVG HOW, RECENT YEARS, EACH OF THOSE PROJECTS WOULD BE MET WH AN EQUALLY PASSNATE AND IMPRSIVELY VOL—THK, THIS SE, JENNIFER HUDSON UNHGG HER JAW TO BELT OUT THE FAL RIFFS OF “AND I AM TELLG YOU I’M NOT GOG”—CRICISM.IT’S NOT JT THE EXPECTED BACKLASH OM NSERVATIV AND HOMOPHOB, BUT ATTACKS OM WH THE LGBT MUNY OM PEOPLE WHO ARE TRATED THAT THE CHARACTERS MIGHT NOT REPRENT A KD OF QUEERNS THEY INTIFY WH, A DIVERSY THAT REFLECTS REALY, OR FALLS TO TRAPS LIKE RELYG ON THE TRMA OF A G-OUT NARRATIVE OR BEG TOO CHASTE, A PROMISE OFTEN MA TO BE MORE “PALATABLE.”THOSE ARE ALL VALID ISSU TO TAKE WH ANY PROJECT. I’M THE FIRST TO ADM THAT I TEND TO BE OVERLY EXCED MY CHEERLEADG OF THE SHOWS AND MOVI, BEE I DO SEE SUCH VALUE THEIR EXISTENCE, EVEN IF THEY’RE IMPERFECT. BUT THE BROS TRAILER RADILIZED ME.BILLY EICHNER’S HISTORIC FILM, THE FIRST GAY ROM- OM A MAJOR STUD, LEFT ME SLACK-JAWED.IT’S NOT JT THAT ’S RNCHY AND ANK ABOUT WHAT GAY DATG LIFE IS LIKE FOR A CERTA KD OF MAN, BUT ABOUT THE SEX ASPECT AS WELL. IT’S NOT JT THAT STARS ACTUAL OUT GAY ACTORS; FACT, THE ENTIRE PRCIPAL ST, EVEN THOSE WHO ARE PLAYG HETEROSEXUAL CHARACTERS, ARE ACTORS WHO INTIFY AS LGBT. IT’S NOT JT THAT THE WORD “BUTT-FUCKED” IS SUALLY TOSSED OFF A MOVIE TRAILER.IT’S THE SHREWD META NSTCTN OF EVERYTHG I HAD BEEN SCRIBG BEFORE THAT SEEMS TO DRIVE THE NARRATIVE. EICHNER’S CHARACTER IS ASKED TO PEN A MOVIE SCRIPT ABOUT TWO GAY MEN FALLG LOVE, BUT IS ASKED TO MAKE , AS HE SURMIS, “SOMETHG A STRAIGHT GUY MIGHT LIKE.”IT’S A FILM THAT IS THE PRODUCT OF YEARS OF BOTTLED-UP EXASPERATN. EVEN IF I PROBABLY WON’T BE ABLE TO SHAKE MY SISTENCE ON SCREAMG OM THE RAFTERS HOW GREAT ANY PIECE OF GAY NTENT IS, EVEN IF MIGHT ACTUALLY BE A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT BROS IS EXPOSG, I FEEL AWAKE TO NOW.OR MAYBE THIS IS JT ME DOG THE SAME THG AGA: BEG OVERLY EFFIVE OVER A GAY ROM- THAT SEEMS LIKE ULD BE EXCG. WHATEVER. AT THE VERY LEAST, ’S A GOOD TRAILER, Y’ALL. WATCH HERE.WHAT THE WORLD IS GOG ON WH MDY KALG’S VELMA?IT IS “UPONTS” WEEK, WHICH THE TV DTRY MEANS ’S THE TIME WHEN WORKS AND STREAMERS MAKE CISNS ABOUT RENEWALS AND NCELLATNS AND MAKE SPLASHY PRENTATNS TO ADVERTISERS ATTEMPTG TO SELL THE NEW SHOWS THEY’RE ANNOUNCG.THAT’S WHY THERE WAS A PILE-UP OF NEWS SURROUNDG THE NCELLATN OF, WELL, JT ABOUT EVERYTHG ON THE CW AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FAL SEASON OF RIVERDALE. IT’S ALSO WHY THERE SEEMED TO BE AN AVALANCHE OF PRS RELEAS TOUTG NEW PROJECTS THAT ARE BEG GREENL, LIKE A CBS TV ADAPTATN OF TE LI, YET ANOTHER YELLOWSTONE SPOFF (STARRG HARRISON FORD AND HELEN MIRREN?!?), AND WHATEVER GOD’S NAME THIS NEW VELMA ANIMATED SERI IS OM MDY KALG, WHICH THROUGH ONE PHOTO ALONE HAS ALREADY BEE MY FAVORE TV SHOW OF ALL TIME.THE NEWS SELF IS EXCG, BUT NOT LIFE-CHANGG. KALG, WHOSE RECENT PROJECTS NEVER HAVE I EVER AND THE SEX LIV OF COLLEGE GIRLS ARE SO EAKG GOOD, IS GOG TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCE AND STAR AS THE VOICE OF VELMA A SPOFF ANIMATED SERI OF THE SOBY-DOO RTOONS FOR HBO MAX.I’M TO ! THEN I SAW THE PHOTO OF KALG PRENTG THE SERI AT UPONTS, WHICH CLUD A MASSIVE STILL OF A SCENE WHICH RTOON VELMA WALKS ON WHAT APPEARS TO BE A WOMAN WH THE TOP OF HER HEAD CHOPPED OFF BLEEDG OUT ON THE FLOOR OF A LOCKER ROOM WHILE NAKED WOMEN GAWK OM BEHD HER, SOAP BUBBL ALL THE RIGHT PLAC FOR (RTOON) MOSTY. SCREENSHOT “WHAT THE WORLD?” IS A PHRASE THAT WAS CRAFTED SPECIFILLY FOR THIS. I HAVEN’T THE SLIGHTT IA WHAT’S GOG ON, BUT ’S ENTIRELY UNEXPECTED AND I NNOT WA.THE MOST DELIGHTFUL THG YOU WILL EVER WATCHBY SOME MIRACLE—A BLSG OM GOD RETURN FOR A GOOD ED I HADN’T EVEN KNOWN I’D MTED—A VIO OF PATRICK SWAYZE AND JENNIFER GREY DOG THE FAL DANCE OM DIRTY DANCG WAS TWEETED TO MY TIMELE THIS WEEK. INSTEAD OF “(I’VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE,” THE MIC IS REPLACED WH THE THEME SONG OM THE MUPPET SHOW.WATCH HERE. GIPHY I KNOW WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LIKE TWTER ANYMORE. WHILE I WAS WRG THIS NEWSLETTER, EVEN MORE UPSETTG ELON MK NEWS BROKE.BUT…AND HEAR ME OUT…WHAT IF A SE WHERE A VIO WHICH THE FAL DANCE OM DIRTY DANCG IS POSTED BUT ’S THE MUPPET SHOW THEME SONG STEAD IS ACTUALLY THE GREATT PLACE ON EARTH AND WE SHOULD MAKE SURE LASTS FOREVER?THE WEEK’S MOST INPREHENSIBLE NEWSSHORTLY AFTER WRG THAT ENDORSEMENT, I READ A TWEET THAT SAID, “TOM CISE TRODUCED A SERI OF PERFORMANC AT THE FALE OF A HORSE SHOW THAT KICKED OFF CELEBRATNS TO MARK THE PLATUM JUBILEE CELEBRATNS OF BRA’S QUEEN ELIZABETH,” AND CHANGED MY MD. GIPHY I ULD HAVE THE BED BRA TST OF NASA, NATO, AND EVERY NOBEL WNER OF THE LAST 20 YEARS, AND I STILL WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO PREHEND OR MAKE SENSE OF THAT TWEET. BURN ALL DOWN. NOT WORTH .WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK:DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA: A LIGHTFUL TIME. DON’T OVERTHK . (FRI. THEATERS)MEXIN PIZZA: THE MIL: THE DOLLY PARTON TA BELL MEXIN PIZZA TIKTOK MIL IS REAL. CAN SOMEONE TEACH ME HOW TO E TIKTOK? (THURS. ON TIKTOK)RUPL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS: EVERYONE’S A WNER! NO REALLY, THAT’S THE NCE—’S ALL PAST WNERS. (FRI. ON PARAMOUNT+)MEN: NOTHG SRIER THAN MEN. (FRI. THEATERS)WHAT TO SKIP THIS WEEK:2000 MUL: D*N*SH D’S**Z*’S NEW MOVIE AND LET’S NOT GIVE ATTENTN. (FRI. THEATERS) 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 KEV FALLON
• TIFF: BILLY EICHNER ON HOLLYWOOD EMBRACG A GAY ROM-COM: “WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG?”
• HOW BILLY EICHNER BEME MATT DDGE ‘IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORY’CHARACTER STUDYEICHNER TALKS ABOUT THE SURPRISG THGS HE AND DDGE HAVE MON, THE RIGHT-WG MEDIA FIGURE’S GS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, AND CHANNELG THE MAN BENEATH THE FEDORA.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED SEP. 21, 2021 5:39AM EDT TA THORPE/FX“EXCLUSIVE: BILLY EICHNER IS PERFECT CASTG AS MATT DDGE.”IT WOULDN’T BE A STRETCH TO IMAGE THAT HEADLE, OR SOMETHG LIKE —MAYBE WH “BOMBSHELL” OR “SCOOP” AS THE TEASE—SPLASHED ACROSS THE DDGE REPORT, THE NEWS WEBSE FOUND BY MATT DDGE. IN FACT, WHEN REVIEWS WERE FIRST PUBLISHED FOR IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORY, THE FX SERI CHRONICLG THE MONI LEWSKY AND BILL CLTON SNDAL, DDGE ACTUALLY DID PUBLISH A VERSN OF THAT.“THE SE POSTED A PICTURE OF ME AS DDGE AS ONE OF S MA STORI,” EICHNER TELLS THE DAILY BEAST. “IN CLASSIC DDGE STYLE, THE HEADLE WAS SOMETHG LIKE, ‘DDGE STEALS THE SHOW’... EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WAS SAYG THAT.”IN IMPEACHMENT, EICHNER PLAYS THE JOURNALIST, WHO MIGHT BE CHARACTERIZED AS “REVERED” OR “NOTOR,” PENDG ON WHO IS TALKG ABOUT HIM. BUT WHAT’S UNNIABLE IS THAT HE WAS—AND IS—FLUENTIAL. ON THE OCSN OF THE SERI G OUT, APPEARS THE AGGREGATN KG IS KEEN FOR EVERYONE TO REMEMBER THAT. IN 1995, AS THE UNTRY WAS DIALG UP TO THE TER VIA AMERI ONLE ON MONSTRO SKTOP PUTERS, MATT DDGE STARTED DDGE REPORT, A GOSSIP LUMN THAT REGURGATED WHISPERS ABOUT HOLLYWOOD AND D.C. GOGS-ON WH AMPLIFIED HYSTERICS AND A RABID HUNGER FOR DIRT. WHAT STARTED AS A NEWSLETTER GREW TO A WEBSE THAT, BY 1998, HAD EXPLOD POPULARY AND HAD THE EAGER EY OF TSELTOWN AND BELTWAY PLAYERS.TAKG ADVANTAGE OF THAT RAPT ATTENTN, NOT TO MENTN THE FAST-AND-LOOSE EDORIAL STANDARDS OF POSTG ON THE TER, DDGE POSNED HIMSELF AT THE CENTER OF U.S. POLIL HISTORY. HE WAS THE ONE WHO PUBLISHED THAT NEWSWEEK REPORTER MICHAEL ISIKOFF WAS WORKG ON A STORY ABOUT U.S. PRINT BILL CLTON’S SECRET AFFAIR WH A WHE HOE TERN. IT GO WHOUT SAYG, THEN, THAT DDGE WOULD BE A PIVOTAL FIGURE IMPEACHMENT, THE THIRD ERATN OF RYAN MURPHY’S AMERIN CRIME STORY SERI. AS WH THE PREV SEASONS, WHICH FOCED ON THE O.J. SIMPSON TRIAL AND ANDREW CUNANAN’S MURR SPREE, IMPEACHMENT REAM A NEWS STORY THAT BEME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON OM THE PERSPECTIV OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE LIV BEME FODR FOR A MEDIA FERNO.THAT MEANS THAT IMPEACHMENT, FALLY, GIV AN OVERDUE VOICE TO MONI LEWSKY (PLAYED BY BEANIE FELDSTE), WHOSE PERSPECTIVE AND OWN STORY WAS NEVER VALIDATED, LET ALONE AMPLIFIED, WHEN A BLUE DRS, A BERET, AND AN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL PTIVATED THE WORLD. BUT THAT NEW NTEXT ALSO APPLI TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS THE ORB OF THE MASSIVE NEWS STORY, LIKE SARAH PLSON’S LDA TRIPP, ANALEIGH ASHFORD’S PLA JON, AND, THE FIRST EPISO TO FEATURE HIM A MAJOR WAY ON TUDAY NIGHT, EICHNER’S MATT DDGE.EICHNER, WHO BEME A HOEHOLD NAME WH THE POPULARY OF HIS GUERRILLA GAME SHOW BILLY ON THE STREET AND HAS SCE STARRED PARKS AND RECREATN, DIFFICULT PEOPLE, AND RYAN MURPHY’S AMERIN HORROR STORY SERI, WAS SURPRISED WHEN MURPHY REACHED OUT ABOUT PLAYG DDGE IMPEACHMENT. BUT WHEN HE STARTED TO REARCH THE MEDIA FIGURE, “ONE OF THE MOST FASCATG, SURPRISG, AND UNNERVG THGS” THAT HE DISVERED, HE SAYS, IS HOW MUCH THE TWO OF THEM HAVE MON.OVER THE YEARS, DDGE HAS BEE AN INIC FIGURE TO NSERVATIV AND FANATICS ON THE FAR RIGHT. “OUR POLICS ULD NOT BE FURTHER APART, AND HE HAS ALIGNED HIMSELF WH PEOPLE THAT I FD SO SPIBLE,” EICHNER SAYS. BILLY EICHNER AS MATT DDGE IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORYFX BUT THE ACTOR, WHO IS OPENLY GAY AND CURRENTLY PRODUCTN ON TWO HISTORIC STUD FILMS, WAS FASCATED THAT DDGE, WHO HAS BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN RELATNSHIPS WH MEN AND, S AGO, WAS A REGULAR FIXTURE OF GAY BARS AND CLUBS, HAS SCE NIED BEG GAY. AT A TIME WHEN NSERVATIVE MEDIA STARS ARE CRAVEN FOR AIRTIME AND ATTENTN, DDGE HAS BEE SOMEWHAT OF A RECLE.WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, DDGE WAS REPORTEDLY OBSSED WH MADONNA AND WOULD BUY NEW ISSU OF VARIETY OFF OF THE NEWSSTAND SO THAT HE ULD CHECK OUT THE WEEKEND’S BOX-OFFICE RETURNS—A SHOWBIZ CURSY THAT EICHNER CERTALY INTIFI WH. “THERE WOULD BE A HEADLE [ON DDGE REPORT] LIKE, ‘WE’RE ATTACKG FALLUJAH!’ AND THEN UNRNEATH , WOULD SAY ‘STREISAND ADDS TO MALIBU COMPOUND.’”ESPECIALLY GIVEN HIS MUTED PUBLIC PERSONA RECENT YEARS, EICHNER ENJOYED LVG TO DDGE’S PRE-DDGE REPORT DAYS—TUDAY’S EPISO OPENS SHOWG HIS TIME AS A MANAGER A CBS STUDS GIFT SHOP—AND EVENTUAL EMBRACE OF A MANNERED 1930S MUCKRAKER PERSONA, PLETE WH AN AFFECTED ACCENT MOLED AFTER WALTER WCHELL AND A FEDORA. (IN ONE SURREAL SCENE TUDAY’S EPISO OF IMPEACHMENT THAT TAK PLACE AT A PARTY THROWN BY LRA INGRAHAM, COBIE SMULRS’ ANN COULTER MEETS EICHNER’S DDGE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND SAYS, “NICE HAT. IS SER?”)TAKG A BREAK OM PRODUCTN ON BROS, THE UPG GAY ROM- THAT MAK EICHNER THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO WRE AND STAR A MAJOR HOLLYWOOD STUD FILM, EICHNER TALKED TO THE DAILY BEAST ABOUT THE SURPRISG MONALI HE DISVERED WH DDGE, HIS IMPRSN OF THE MEDIA FIGURE’S GS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, AND MUCH MORE.I AM EXCED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT PLAYG MATT DDGE, WHO IS A PERSON I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD TALK TO YOU ABOUT PLAYG.IT WAS ALL PART OF MY GRAND PLAN. [LGHS] I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKG ABOUT.I IMAGE THAT ACTORS SOMETIM THK ABOUT THE REAL-LIFE PEOPLE THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO PLAY ONE DAY, AND I’M NOT SURE THAT MATT DDGE WOULD BE ON ANYONE’S RADAR. BUT IS KD OF A GREAT ROLE.IT TURNED OUT TO BE A GREAT ROLE, Y. I MEAN, I CERTALY WASN’T EXPECTG . BUT ONE NIGHT I GOT AN EMAIL OM MR. MURPHY SAYG THAT HE WANTED ME TO PLAY MATT DDGE IMPEACHMENT, AND I WAS SO EXCED. BEE ONCE I SAT DOWN TO THK ABOUT , I THOUGHT, “YOU KNOW WHAT, I THK THAT’S ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD STG. THAT ACTUALLY MAK SENSE.” WHAT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM BEFORE YOU WERE OFFERED THE PART?I DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE, BUT I AM THAT AGE GROUP OF MEDIA-SAVVY PEOPLE WHO ED TO N HOME AND IMMEDIATELY CHECK DDGE REPORT. THE WERE THE DAYS BEFORE IPHON AND BEFORE TWTER, AND DDGE REPORT IS REALLY WHAT YOU CHECKED ORR TO SEE WHAT THE HOTTT BREAKG NEWS WAS POLICS AND ENTERTAMENT AND PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHG. HE VERED ALL.DID YOU KNOW ANYTHG ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE?I DIDN’T KNOW A TON ABOUT DDGE’S PERSONAL LIFE. I HAD HEARD MORS OVER THE YEARS THAT HE WAS GAY. ONCE I HEARD THAT, MA SENSE TO ME BEE ONE THG I ALWAYS THOUGHT WAS SO FUNNY ABOUT DDGE REPORT IS THAT JT SEEMS TO BE SURPRISGLY SKEWED TO A GAY MALE SENSIBILY, TERMS OF THE POP CULTURE THAT VERED. THERE WOULD BE A HEADLE LIKE, “WE’RE ATTACKG FALLUJAH!” AND THEN UNRNEATH , WOULD SAY, “STREISAND ADDS TO MALIBU COMPOUND.” I REMEMBER HIM CHRONICLG MADONNA WHEN SHE SISTED ON PERFORMG THE DROWNED WORLD TOUR EVEN RIGHT AFTER 9/11. HE CHRONICLED MADONNA JT AS CLOSELY AS HE WOULD CHRONICLE WHAT WAS HAPPENG WASHGTON, D.C. HE WOULD VER THE BOX OFFICE EVERY WEEK AS IF WAS A WAR.HE HAS NIED BEG GAY OVER THE YEARS, EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT HIS RELATNSHIPS WH ME. HE’S SORT OF TALKED-ABOUT CIRCL ABOUT HIS SEXUALY.HE HAS BEEN Y OVER THE YEARS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, THOUGH THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO NOTED FOR THE RERD THAT HE HAS HAD BOYIENDS, HE IS GAY, AND THAT HE ED TO LOVE GOG TO GAY BARS AND GAY CLUBS WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER D.C. AND WT HOLLYWOOD. SO I DON’T REALLY THK THERE’S MUCH OF A MYSTERY THERE. “HE HAS BEEN Y OVER THE YEARS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, THOUGH THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO NOTED FOR THE RERD THAT HE HAS HAD BOYIENDS, HE IS GAY, AND THAT HE ED TO LOVE GOG TO GAY BARS AND GAY CLUBS WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER D.C. AND WT HOLLYWOOD. SO I DON’T REALLY THK THERE’S MUCH OF A MYSTERY THERE.” DID ANY OF THAT IMPACT HOW YOU PLAYED HIM?THERE’S CLEARLY A LACK OF FORT AROUND HIM DISCSG HIS SEXUALY PUBLICLY, OR NFIRMG OUTRIGHT PUBLICLY. I’LL BE HONT AND SAY HELPED ME NNECT. BEE ONE OF THE MOST FASCATG, SURPRISG, AND HONTLY UNNERVG THGS THAT I EXPERIENCED DOG REARCH ABOUT HIM WAS WHEN I READ ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD AND HIS HIGH SCHOOL YEARS, BEE I SWEAR WAS LIKE I ULD HAVE BEEN READG ABOUT MYSELF. THAT WAS REALLY SHOCKG TO ME BEE OUR POLICS, YOU KNOW, ULD NOT BE FURTHER APART. AND HE HAS ALIGNED HIMSELF WH PEOPLE THAT I FD SO SPIBLE.WHAT DID YOU HAVE MON WH HIM?WE WERE BOTH PEOPLE WHO E OM MIDDLE-CLASS FAI. WE’RE BOTH EAST COAST KIDS. HE GREW UP RIGHT OUTSI OF D.C. I GREW UP QUEENS, RIGHT OUTSI OF MANHATTAN. IT’S CLOSE, BUT ’S LIKE ’S ONE OF THOSE THGS LIKE ’S CLOSE, BUT SO FAR. YOU’RE JT DREAMG OF THE DAY YOU N ACTUALLY LIVE THE BIG CY AND NOT JT BE A HALF-HOUR AWAY.RIGHT. FEELG JT OUTSI THE ACTN AND WANTG TO BE .READG ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD, I FOUND OUT HOW MUCH HE LOVED ENTERTAMENT AND TV. HE WAS OBSSED WH MADONNA. HE WAS OBSSED WH READG THE BOX OFFICE RULTS EVERY WEEKEND. ONE OF HIS IENDS TOLD A STORY ABOUT HOW, WHEN DDGE DISVERED VARIETY, HE WOULD GO TO THE NEWSSTAND EVEN AS A CHILD AND BUY . I LERALLY HAD THAT SAME EYE-OPENG EXPERIENCE AS A KID. IN THE LOL NEWSPAPER OR ON THE LOL TV NEWS, YOU WOULD GET THE TOP FIVE MOVI AT THE BOX OFFICE EVERY WEEK. BUT THEN VARIETY YOU GOT THE TOP 50. I REMEMBER ALMOST FALLG OVER WHEN I REALIZED I HAD ACCS TO THAT RMATN. TAKG POP CULTURE THAT SERLY IS VERY RELATABLE.WE WEREN’T PLETELY ALIKE. THE MAN ALSO WALKED AROUND HIS HIGH SCHOOL WH THE FEDORA ON AND A NOTERD THAT SAID “PRS” HIGH SCHOOL. HE HAD THIS FASCATN WH THIS SORT OF WALTER WCHELL-STYLE, OLD-SCHOOL MUCKRAKG JOURNALISM.HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FEDORA?[LGHS] I KNEW WAS G, OBVLY. IT’S INIC FOR HIS PERSONA. ONE OF THE REASONS I’M SO THANKFUL FOR RYAN MURPHY IS BEE HE SE BEYOND THE PERSONA THAT PEOPLE WERE FIRST TRODUCED TO ME AS. BILLY ON THE STREET AND PARKS AND REC AND THE WHOLE, LIKE, SHOUTY GUY. RYAN ALWAYS SE BEYOND THAT AND THKS OF ME AS A REAL ACTOR, SO I LOVE THE CHANCE TO PUT ON A DIFFERENT TYPE OF STUME AND THE HAT. IT ACTUALLY HELPED ME GET TO CHARACTER.THE SCENE WHERE YOU AS MATT DDGE MEET COBIE SMULR’S ANN COULTER AT LRA INGRAHAM’S CKTAIL PARTY WAS LIKE A SURREAL MAD LIBS OF MEDIA FIGUR.I LOVED . IT WAS LIKE THIS NSERVATIVE CLASH OF THE TANS. LOOK, I’M A GUY WHO LOV THE MEDIA. I LOVE BLE NEWS. THROUGH BILLY ON THE STREET AND OTHER THGS, I’VE MET SO MANY FAMO ACTORS, BUT ONE OF THE TIM I WAS MOST STARSTCK WAS MEETG DANA BASH OM CNN AT THE WHE HOE CORRPONNTS’ DNER. IF I EVER MEET RACHEL MADDOW, I WOULD FALL OVER. THE WAY PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT BTS IS HOW I FEEL ABOUT RACHEL MADDOW. SO PEOPLE LIKE DDGE AND ANN COULTER—AND LET ME BE CLEAR, MY POLICS DO NOT ALIGN WH THEIRS ANY WAY AND I FD THEM TO BE RATHER SPIBLE—BUT I N’T NY THE FACT THEY’RE A LTLE ENTERTAG. LDA TRIPP (SARAH PLSON) AND MONI LEWSKY (BEANIE FELDSTE) IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORY FX IT’S TERTG THAT HE AND ANN COULTER HANDLED BEG THE SPOTLIGHT SO DIFFERENTLY.I DON’T THK HE WAS FORTABLE BEG FAMO. I THK MA HIM FEEL VULNERABLE AND MA HIM FEEL EXPOSED. AND HE REALLY BEME A RECLE. I MEAN, ’S HARD TO FD ANY FOOTAGE OF HIM RECENT YEARS, WHEREAS ANN COULTER HAS BEEN OMNIPRENT.WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THE WHOLE WALTER WCHELL PERSONA?ONE NCERN I HAD WAS THAT YOUNGER PEOPLE WATCHG THIS SERI, OR PEOPLE WHO JT DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT DDGE, WOULD THK THAT I JT CID TO DO A WEIRD VOICE. BEE UNLIKE ANN COULTER, WHO’S ON TV ALL THE TIME, DDGE SHIED AWAY OM ON-MERA APPEARANC. SO I DID WORRY A LTLE B ABOUT THAT.DO YOU KNOW IF HE’S SAID ANYTHG OR HAD ANY REACTN TO YOU PLAYG HIM?I DON’T KNOW IF HE’S SEEN , BUT ONE OF THE MOST SURREAL AND PERFECT MOMENTS OF THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS LAST WEEK. THE DDGE REPORT POSTED A PICTURE OF ME AS MATT DDGE ON DDGE REPORT AS ONE OF THE MA STORI. IN CLASSIC DDGE STYLE, THE HEADLE WAS SOMETHG LIKE, “DDGE STEALS THE SHOW”... EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WAS SAYG THAT. IMAGE, BACK WHEN I WAS NNG HOME TO READ THOSE HEADL ON DDGE REPORT, THKG THAT ONE DAY THERE’LL BE A PICTURE OF ME NOT ONLY ON THE DDGE REPORT, BUT PLAYG MATT DDGE.THAT HAS TO BE SURREAL.IT’S BEYOND SURREAL. YOU TLY ULD NOT HAVE PREDICTED. SO, HE IS FELY AWARE OF . AND I DON’T KNOW HIM PERSONALLY, BUT I HAVE A FEELG HE’S GETTG A KICK OUT OF . THAT’S MY GUT FEELG. KEV FALLON
• BILLY EICHNER PREDICTED THAT COLTON UNRWOOD WAS 'THE FIRST GAY BACHELOR' 2 YEARS AGO
• BILLY EICHNER'S GAY ROM-COM MAK HISTORY WH ALL-LGBTQ CAST: 'A LONG OVERDUE DREAM'

BILLY EICHNER PRAIS ‘SEX AND THE CY’ FOR ‘MORE AUTHENTIC’ AND ‘RADIL’ PORTRAYALS OF GAY MEN

As Entertament Weekly pots out, as a Universal property, "Bros" is the first gay romantic edy to be released by a major stud. As Variety not, a profile of Billy Eichner, he's the first openly gay man to wre and star a major stud movie, which is as excg as is shockg.

"I hear people talkg about diversy and cln, but I often see gay people left out of those nversatns. The edy muny, which has always been such a straight man's game, has not been kd to openly gay men. Likewise, the "Billy on the Street" star argued that there's still homophobia herent the stg procs, too.

BILLY EICHNER ELOQUENTLY EXPLAS WHY HE DIDN’T ST CHRIS EVANS AS GAY MAN BROS

" As the Los Angel Tim pots out, the edian seemgly hted that Unrwood might be gay when he met him years prr. To paraphrase an early episo of Law & Orr, Bros didn’t fail at the box office bee was a gay theatril live-actn rom-. Eichner took some grief onle when he discsed the film as the first gay rom-, revisg his statement to the first mastream, major stud theatril rom-.

BILLY EICHNER WANTED ‘BROS’ TO STAR ‘GAY RYAN REYNOLDS,’ EMBODY ‘TOM HANKS AND MEG RYAN’ ROM-COM

Universal would have had to fend off accatns of homophobia had they nied the film a theatril release. Wh “Bros, ” Billy Eichner is takg a hatchet to the bumper-sticker slogan of film (streamg on Peack) stars the actor-edian, known for "Billy on the Street" and "Parks and Recreatn, " and Le Macfarlane and marks the first romantic edy om a major stud centerg on two gay men. “(Viewers) are gettg all the lgh-out-loud moments of a Judd Apatow movie that they expect, the jok and the physil edy, but they’re also gettg a peek behd the curta at gay culture that you might thk you know om a handful of s characters you’ve seen on TV, but you don’t really know.

BILLY EICHNER FORAW COLTON UNRWOOD BEG 'FIRST GAY BACHELOR' IN 2019

”'Fire Island':Hulu's gay rom- pays steamy, stormy o to 'Pri and Prejudice''Meet Cute':The profound qutn Kaley Cuo and Pete Davidson's dark rom- asks'Bros' wrtl wh 'strange pestal' of masculyManls is next to godls for Bobby and Aaron, as each stggl to live up to rigid imag of masculy their personal liv. Throughout the film, Bobby is plagued by the secury that Aaron isn't tly attracted to him bee he don't embody the mcly Adonis type often glorified  gay culture. “It’s fun for straight dienc to see the ways that straight relatnships and gay relatnships are siar and do overlap, and ’s also excg, fun and fascatg to see the ways which they differ, ” Eichner says.

Bros is the first gay romantic edy wh a mostly LGBTQ st to be given a wi release by a major stud.

BILLY EICHNER SAYS 'BROS' GAY SEX SCEN WILL BE 'EYE-OPENG FOR CERTA PEOPLE'

Billy Eichner took to Twter this weekend to share his thoughts on the disappotg receptn his gay rom- Bros received at the natn's cemas. " Based on enthiastic cril reactn at the Toronto Internatnal Film Ftival, and robt social media attentn, Universal Pictur had expected Bros – which is the first gay romantic edy wh a mostly LGBTQ st to be given a wi release by a major stud — to open the range of $8-10 ln. Eichner hted at broar acceptance issu, tweetg that at one pot a theater cha had "lled Universal and said they were pullg the trailer bee of the gay ntent.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the “SATC” premiere, Eichner spoke wh People magaze about the impact of seeg real gay bars onscreen the New York Cy-based HBO seri.

BILLY EICHNER’S VERY GAY ‘BROS’ TRAILER HAS RADILIZED METHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSESSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED AUG. 05, 2022 1:28PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAY 20, 2022 11:31PM EDT UNIVERSALTHIS IS A PREVIEW OF OUR POP CULTURE NEWSLETTER THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, WRTEN BY SENR ENTERTAMENT REPORTER KEV FALLON. TO RECEIVE THE FULL NEWSLETTER YOUR BOX EACH WEEK, SIGN UP FOR HERE.THIS WEEK:CRYG WH THE CRAWLEYS.BOWG DOWN TO BILLY EICHNER.ALL- ON WHATEVER MDY KALG’S DOG.A PERFECT VIO.A TERRIBLE TWEET.I CAN’T STOP WATCHG THE BROS TRAILERTHERE IS SOMETHG THAT HAPPENS EVERY TIME A NEW TRAILER FOR A ROM- OR ROMANTIC FILM OR TV SERI WH GAY LEADS OUT. I CHEER. OBNOXLY. I TWEET ABOUT AND WRE ABOUT AND SG S PRAIS AS IF I’M JENNIFER HOLLIDAY UNHGG HER JAW TO BELT OUT THE FAL RIFFS OF “AND I AM TELLG YOU I’M NOT GOG.” THIS IS AMAZG! THIS IS IMPORTANT! THIS SERV OUR PRAISE! I WOULD NEVER TAKE ANY OF THAT BACK, PECIALLY AFTER OBSERVG HOW, RECENT YEARS, EACH OF THOSE PROJECTS WOULD BE MET WH AN EQUALLY PASSNATE AND IMPRSIVELY VOL—THK, THIS SE, JENNIFER HUDSON UNHGG HER JAW TO BELT OUT THE FAL RIFFS OF “AND I AM TELLG YOU I’M NOT GOG”—CRICISM.IT’S NOT JT THE EXPECTED BACKLASH OM NSERVATIV AND HOMOPHOB, BUT ATTACKS OM WH THE LGBT MUNY OM PEOPLE WHO ARE TRATED THAT THE CHARACTERS MIGHT NOT REPRENT A KD OF QUEERNS THEY INTIFY WH, A DIVERSY THAT REFLECTS REALY, OR FALLS TO TRAPS LIKE RELYG ON THE TRMA OF A G-OUT NARRATIVE OR BEG TOO CHASTE, A PROMISE OFTEN MA TO BE MORE “PALATABLE.”THOSE ARE ALL VALID ISSU TO TAKE WH ANY PROJECT. I’M THE FIRST TO ADM THAT I TEND TO BE OVERLY EXCED MY CHEERLEADG OF THE SHOWS AND MOVI, BEE I DO SEE SUCH VALUE THEIR EXISTENCE, EVEN IF THEY’RE IMPERFECT. BUT THE BROS TRAILER RADILIZED ME.BILLY EICHNER’S HISTORIC FILM, THE FIRST GAY ROM- OM A MAJOR STUD, LEFT ME SLACK-JAWED.IT’S NOT JT THAT ’S RNCHY AND ANK ABOUT WHAT GAY DATG LIFE IS LIKE FOR A CERTA KD OF MAN, BUT ABOUT THE SEX ASPECT AS WELL. IT’S NOT JT THAT STARS ACTUAL OUT GAY ACTORS; FACT, THE ENTIRE PRCIPAL ST, EVEN THOSE WHO ARE PLAYG HETEROSEXUAL CHARACTERS, ARE ACTORS WHO INTIFY AS LGBT. IT’S NOT JT THAT THE WORD “BUTT-FUCKED” IS SUALLY TOSSED OFF A MOVIE TRAILER.IT’S THE SHREWD META NSTCTN OF EVERYTHG I HAD BEEN SCRIBG BEFORE THAT SEEMS TO DRIVE THE NARRATIVE. EICHNER’S CHARACTER IS ASKED TO PEN A MOVIE SCRIPT ABOUT TWO GAY MEN FALLG LOVE, BUT IS ASKED TO MAKE , AS HE SURMIS, “SOMETHG A STRAIGHT GUY MIGHT LIKE.”IT’S A FILM THAT IS THE PRODUCT OF YEARS OF BOTTLED-UP EXASPERATN. EVEN IF I PROBABLY WON’T BE ABLE TO SHAKE MY SISTENCE ON SCREAMG OM THE RAFTERS HOW GREAT ANY PIECE OF GAY NTENT IS, EVEN IF MIGHT ACTUALLY BE A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT BROS IS EXPOSG, I FEEL AWAKE TO NOW.OR MAYBE THIS IS JT ME DOG THE SAME THG AGA: BEG OVERLY EFFIVE OVER A GAY ROM- THAT SEEMS LIKE ULD BE EXCG. WHATEVER. AT THE VERY LEAST, ’S A GOOD TRAILER, Y’ALL. WATCH HERE.WHAT THE WORLD IS GOG ON WH MDY KALG’S VELMA?IT IS “UPONTS” WEEK, WHICH THE TV DTRY MEANS ’S THE TIME WHEN WORKS AND STREAMERS MAKE CISNS ABOUT RENEWALS AND NCELLATNS AND MAKE SPLASHY PRENTATNS TO ADVERTISERS ATTEMPTG TO SELL THE NEW SHOWS THEY’RE ANNOUNCG.THAT’S WHY THERE WAS A PILE-UP OF NEWS SURROUNDG THE NCELLATN OF, WELL, JT ABOUT EVERYTHG ON THE CW AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FAL SEASON OF RIVERDALE. IT’S ALSO WHY THERE SEEMED TO BE AN AVALANCHE OF PRS RELEAS TOUTG NEW PROJECTS THAT ARE BEG GREENL, LIKE A CBS TV ADAPTATN OF TE LI, YET ANOTHER YELLOWSTONE SPOFF (STARRG HARRISON FORD AND HELEN MIRREN?!?), AND WHATEVER GOD’S NAME THIS NEW VELMA ANIMATED SERI IS OM MDY KALG, WHICH THROUGH ONE PHOTO ALONE HAS ALREADY BEE MY FAVORE TV SHOW OF ALL TIME.THE NEWS SELF IS EXCG, BUT NOT LIFE-CHANGG. KALG, WHOSE RECENT PROJECTS NEVER HAVE I EVER AND THE SEX LIV OF COLLEGE GIRLS ARE SO EAKG GOOD, IS GOG TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCE AND STAR AS THE VOICE OF VELMA A SPOFF ANIMATED SERI OF THE SOBY-DOO RTOONS FOR HBO MAX.I’M TO ! THEN I SAW THE PHOTO OF KALG PRENTG THE SERI AT UPONTS, WHICH CLUD A MASSIVE STILL OF A SCENE WHICH RTOON VELMA WALKS ON WHAT APPEARS TO BE A WOMAN WH THE TOP OF HER HEAD CHOPPED OFF BLEEDG OUT ON THE FLOOR OF A LOCKER ROOM WHILE NAKED WOMEN GAWK OM BEHD HER, SOAP BUBBL ALL THE RIGHT PLAC FOR (RTOON) MOSTY. SCREENSHOT “WHAT THE WORLD?” IS A PHRASE THAT WAS CRAFTED SPECIFILLY FOR THIS. I HAVEN’T THE SLIGHTT IA WHAT’S GOG ON, BUT ’S ENTIRELY UNEXPECTED AND I NNOT WA.THE MOST DELIGHTFUL THG YOU WILL EVER WATCHBY SOME MIRACLE—A BLSG OM GOD RETURN FOR A GOOD ED I HADN’T EVEN KNOWN I’D MTED—A VIO OF PATRICK SWAYZE AND JENNIFER GREY DOG THE FAL DANCE OM DIRTY DANCG WAS TWEETED TO MY TIMELE THIS WEEK. INSTEAD OF “(I’VE HAD) THE TIME OF MY LIFE,” THE MIC IS REPLACED WH THE THEME SONG OM THE MUPPET SHOW.WATCH HERE. GIPHY I KNOW WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LIKE TWTER ANYMORE. WHILE I WAS WRG THIS NEWSLETTER, EVEN MORE UPSETTG ELON MK NEWS BROKE.BUT…AND HEAR ME OUT…WHAT IF A SE WHERE A VIO WHICH THE FAL DANCE OM DIRTY DANCG IS POSTED BUT ’S THE MUPPET SHOW THEME SONG STEAD IS ACTUALLY THE GREATT PLACE ON EARTH AND WE SHOULD MAKE SURE LASTS FOREVER?THE WEEK’S MOST INPREHENSIBLE NEWSSHORTLY AFTER WRG THAT ENDORSEMENT, I READ A TWEET THAT SAID, “TOM CISE TRODUCED A SERI OF PERFORMANC AT THE FALE OF A HORSE SHOW THAT KICKED OFF CELEBRATNS TO MARK THE PLATUM JUBILEE CELEBRATNS OF BRA’S QUEEN ELIZABETH,” AND CHANGED MY MD. GIPHY I ULD HAVE THE BED BRA TST OF NASA, NATO, AND EVERY NOBEL WNER OF THE LAST 20 YEARS, AND I STILL WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO PREHEND OR MAKE SENSE OF THAT TWEET. BURN ALL DOWN. NOT WORTH .WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK:DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA: A LIGHTFUL TIME. DON’T OVERTHK . (FRI. THEATERS)MEXIN PIZZA: THE MIL: THE DOLLY PARTON TA BELL MEXIN PIZZA TIKTOK MIL IS REAL. CAN SOMEONE TEACH ME HOW TO E TIKTOK? (THURS. ON TIKTOK)RUPL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS: EVERYONE’S A WNER! NO REALLY, THAT’S THE NCE—’S ALL PAST WNERS. (FRI. ON PARAMOUNT+)MEN: NOTHG SRIER THAN MEN. (FRI. THEATERS)WHAT TO SKIP THIS WEEK:2000 MUL: D*N*SH D’S**Z*’S NEW MOVIE AND LET’S NOT GIVE ATTENTN. (FRI. THEATERS) 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 KEV FALLON

“My girliends and my gay iends were the exact right people to be pulled by ‘Sex and the Cy, '” Eichner said. It was one of the only shows that created what, at that time, felt like a more thentic — not perfectly thentic — look at gay men and our relatnships wh women.

It was reprentg women and gay men, to a lser gree, but to much more of a gree than existed TV and films at the time. Eichner relled one of his earlit “SATC” memori of seeg Stanford (Willie Garson) gog to a gay bar his unrwear. “You did not see many shows at that pot that had scen at gay bars, let alone wh guys standg their unrwear for Unrwear Night.

“I immediately knew, bee I’d been there several tim, was shot at an actual gay bar Chelsea New York lled Barracuda, which is still there.

TIFF: BILLY EICHNER ON HOLLYWOOD EMBRACG A GAY ROM-COM: “WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG?”

This is before textg, but I remember llg my iends — both my girliends and my gay iends — and sayg, ‘You guys have to watch this show. Related | Pretty Hurts: The Joy and Heartache of Colton HaynIt's a match none of uld have predicted--who would have thought the two gay actors on the show would end up havg sex wh each other? “We need to show all the homophob like Clarence Thomas and all the homophob on the Supreme Court that we want gay love stori and we support LGBTQ people.

Bros is the first gay romantic edy -wrten by and starrg a gay man to be backed by a major stud (Universal) and receive a wi theatril distributn.

HOW BILLY EICHNER BEME MATT DDGE ‘IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORY’CHARACTER STUDYEICHNER TALKS ABOUT THE SURPRISG THGS HE AND DDGE HAVE MON, THE RIGHT-WG MEDIA FIGURE’S GS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, AND CHANNELG THE MAN BENEATH THE FEDORA.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED SEP. 21, 2021 5:39AM EDT TA THORPE/FX“EXCLUSIVE: BILLY EICHNER IS PERFECT CASTG AS MATT DDGE.”IT WOULDN’T BE A STRETCH TO IMAGE THAT HEADLE, OR SOMETHG LIKE —MAYBE WH “BOMBSHELL” OR “SCOOP” AS THE TEASE—SPLASHED ACROSS THE DDGE REPORT, THE NEWS WEBSE FOUND BY MATT DDGE. IN FACT, WHEN REVIEWS WERE FIRST PUBLISHED FOR IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORY, THE FX SERI CHRONICLG THE MONI LEWSKY AND BILL CLTON SNDAL, DDGE ACTUALLY DID PUBLISH A VERSN OF THAT.“THE SE POSTED A PICTURE OF ME AS DDGE AS ONE OF S MA STORI,” EICHNER TELLS THE DAILY BEAST. “IN CLASSIC DDGE STYLE, THE HEADLE WAS SOMETHG LIKE, ‘DDGE STEALS THE SHOW’... EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WAS SAYG THAT.”IN IMPEACHMENT, EICHNER PLAYS THE JOURNALIST, WHO MIGHT BE CHARACTERIZED AS “REVERED” OR “NOTOR,” PENDG ON WHO IS TALKG ABOUT HIM. BUT WHAT’S UNNIABLE IS THAT HE WAS—AND IS—FLUENTIAL. ON THE OCSN OF THE SERI G OUT, APPEARS THE AGGREGATN KG IS KEEN FOR EVERYONE TO REMEMBER THAT. IN 1995, AS THE UNTRY WAS DIALG UP TO THE TER VIA AMERI ONLE ON MONSTRO SKTOP PUTERS, MATT DDGE STARTED DDGE REPORT, A GOSSIP LUMN THAT REGURGATED WHISPERS ABOUT HOLLYWOOD AND D.C. GOGS-ON WH AMPLIFIED HYSTERICS AND A RABID HUNGER FOR DIRT. WHAT STARTED AS A NEWSLETTER GREW TO A WEBSE THAT, BY 1998, HAD EXPLOD POPULARY AND HAD THE EAGER EY OF TSELTOWN AND BELTWAY PLAYERS.TAKG ADVANTAGE OF THAT RAPT ATTENTN, NOT TO MENTN THE FAST-AND-LOOSE EDORIAL STANDARDS OF POSTG ON THE TER, DDGE POSNED HIMSELF AT THE CENTER OF U.S. POLIL HISTORY. HE WAS THE ONE WHO PUBLISHED THAT NEWSWEEK REPORTER MICHAEL ISIKOFF WAS WORKG ON A STORY ABOUT U.S. PRINT BILL CLTON’S SECRET AFFAIR WH A WHE HOE TERN. IT GO WHOUT SAYG, THEN, THAT DDGE WOULD BE A PIVOTAL FIGURE IMPEACHMENT, THE THIRD ERATN OF RYAN MURPHY’S AMERIN CRIME STORY SERI. AS WH THE PREV SEASONS, WHICH FOCED ON THE O.J. SIMPSON TRIAL AND ANDREW CUNANAN’S MURR SPREE, IMPEACHMENT REAM A NEWS STORY THAT BEME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON OM THE PERSPECTIV OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE LIV BEME FODR FOR A MEDIA FERNO.THAT MEANS THAT IMPEACHMENT, FALLY, GIV AN OVERDUE VOICE TO MONI LEWSKY (PLAYED BY BEANIE FELDSTE), WHOSE PERSPECTIVE AND OWN STORY WAS NEVER VALIDATED, LET ALONE AMPLIFIED, WHEN A BLUE DRS, A BERET, AND AN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL PTIVATED THE WORLD. BUT THAT NEW NTEXT ALSO APPLI TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS THE ORB OF THE MASSIVE NEWS STORY, LIKE SARAH PLSON’S LDA TRIPP, ANALEIGH ASHFORD’S PLA JON, AND, THE FIRST EPISO TO FEATURE HIM A MAJOR WAY ON TUDAY NIGHT, EICHNER’S MATT DDGE.EICHNER, WHO BEME A HOEHOLD NAME WH THE POPULARY OF HIS GUERRILLA GAME SHOW BILLY ON THE STREET AND HAS SCE STARRED PARKS AND RECREATN, DIFFICULT PEOPLE, AND RYAN MURPHY’S AMERIN HORROR STORY SERI, WAS SURPRISED WHEN MURPHY REACHED OUT ABOUT PLAYG DDGE IMPEACHMENT. BUT WHEN HE STARTED TO REARCH THE MEDIA FIGURE, “ONE OF THE MOST FASCATG, SURPRISG, AND UNNERVG THGS” THAT HE DISVERED, HE SAYS, IS HOW MUCH THE TWO OF THEM HAVE MON.OVER THE YEARS, DDGE HAS BEE AN INIC FIGURE TO NSERVATIV AND FANATICS ON THE FAR RIGHT. “OUR POLICS ULD NOT BE FURTHER APART, AND HE HAS ALIGNED HIMSELF WH PEOPLE THAT I FD SO SPIBLE,” EICHNER SAYS. BILLY EICHNER AS MATT DDGE IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORYFX BUT THE ACTOR, WHO IS OPENLY GAY AND CURRENTLY PRODUCTN ON TWO HISTORIC STUD FILMS, WAS FASCATED THAT DDGE, WHO HAS BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN RELATNSHIPS WH MEN AND, S AGO, WAS A REGULAR FIXTURE OF GAY BARS AND CLUBS, HAS SCE NIED BEG GAY. AT A TIME WHEN NSERVATIVE MEDIA STARS ARE CRAVEN FOR AIRTIME AND ATTENTN, DDGE HAS BEE SOMEWHAT OF A RECLE.WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, DDGE WAS REPORTEDLY OBSSED WH MADONNA AND WOULD BUY NEW ISSU OF VARIETY OFF OF THE NEWSSTAND SO THAT HE ULD CHECK OUT THE WEEKEND’S BOX-OFFICE RETURNS—A SHOWBIZ CURSY THAT EICHNER CERTALY INTIFI WH. “THERE WOULD BE A HEADLE [ON DDGE REPORT] LIKE, ‘WE’RE ATTACKG FALLUJAH!’ AND THEN UNRNEATH , WOULD SAY ‘STREISAND ADDS TO MALIBU COMPOUND.’”ESPECIALLY GIVEN HIS MUTED PUBLIC PERSONA RECENT YEARS, EICHNER ENJOYED LVG TO DDGE’S PRE-DDGE REPORT DAYS—TUDAY’S EPISO OPENS SHOWG HIS TIME AS A MANAGER A CBS STUDS GIFT SHOP—AND EVENTUAL EMBRACE OF A MANNERED 1930S MUCKRAKER PERSONA, PLETE WH AN AFFECTED ACCENT MOLED AFTER WALTER WCHELL AND A FEDORA. (IN ONE SURREAL SCENE TUDAY’S EPISO OF IMPEACHMENT THAT TAK PLACE AT A PARTY THROWN BY LRA INGRAHAM, COBIE SMULRS’ ANN COULTER MEETS EICHNER’S DDGE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND SAYS, “NICE HAT. IS SER?”)TAKG A BREAK OM PRODUCTN ON BROS, THE UPG GAY ROM- THAT MAK EICHNER THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO WRE AND STAR A MAJOR HOLLYWOOD STUD FILM, EICHNER TALKED TO THE DAILY BEAST ABOUT THE SURPRISG MONALI HE DISVERED WH DDGE, HIS IMPRSN OF THE MEDIA FIGURE’S GS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, AND MUCH MORE.I AM EXCED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT PLAYG MATT DDGE, WHO IS A PERSON I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD TALK TO YOU ABOUT PLAYG.IT WAS ALL PART OF MY GRAND PLAN. [LGHS] I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKG ABOUT.I IMAGE THAT ACTORS SOMETIM THK ABOUT THE REAL-LIFE PEOPLE THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO PLAY ONE DAY, AND I’M NOT SURE THAT MATT DDGE WOULD BE ON ANYONE’S RADAR. BUT IS KD OF A GREAT ROLE.IT TURNED OUT TO BE A GREAT ROLE, Y. I MEAN, I CERTALY WASN’T EXPECTG . BUT ONE NIGHT I GOT AN EMAIL OM MR. MURPHY SAYG THAT HE WANTED ME TO PLAY MATT DDGE IMPEACHMENT, AND I WAS SO EXCED. BEE ONCE I SAT DOWN TO THK ABOUT , I THOUGHT, “YOU KNOW WHAT, I THK THAT’S ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD STG. THAT ACTUALLY MAK SENSE.” WHAT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM BEFORE YOU WERE OFFERED THE PART?I DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE, BUT I AM THAT AGE GROUP OF MEDIA-SAVVY PEOPLE WHO ED TO N HOME AND IMMEDIATELY CHECK DDGE REPORT. THE WERE THE DAYS BEFORE IPHON AND BEFORE TWTER, AND DDGE REPORT IS REALLY WHAT YOU CHECKED ORR TO SEE WHAT THE HOTTT BREAKG NEWS WAS POLICS AND ENTERTAMENT AND PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHG. HE VERED ALL.DID YOU KNOW ANYTHG ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE?I DIDN’T KNOW A TON ABOUT DDGE’S PERSONAL LIFE. I HAD HEARD MORS OVER THE YEARS THAT HE WAS GAY. ONCE I HEARD THAT, MA SENSE TO ME BEE ONE THG I ALWAYS THOUGHT WAS SO FUNNY ABOUT DDGE REPORT IS THAT JT SEEMS TO BE SURPRISGLY SKEWED TO A GAY MALE SENSIBILY, TERMS OF THE POP CULTURE THAT VERED. THERE WOULD BE A HEADLE LIKE, “WE’RE ATTACKG FALLUJAH!” AND THEN UNRNEATH , WOULD SAY, “STREISAND ADDS TO MALIBU COMPOUND.” I REMEMBER HIM CHRONICLG MADONNA WHEN SHE SISTED ON PERFORMG THE DROWNED WORLD TOUR EVEN RIGHT AFTER 9/11. HE CHRONICLED MADONNA JT AS CLOSELY AS HE WOULD CHRONICLE WHAT WAS HAPPENG WASHGTON, D.C. HE WOULD VER THE BOX OFFICE EVERY WEEK AS IF WAS A WAR.HE HAS NIED BEG GAY OVER THE YEARS, EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT HIS RELATNSHIPS WH ME. HE’S SORT OF TALKED-ABOUT CIRCL ABOUT HIS SEXUALY.HE HAS BEEN Y OVER THE YEARS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, THOUGH THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO NOTED FOR THE RERD THAT HE HAS HAD BOYIENDS, HE IS GAY, AND THAT HE ED TO LOVE GOG TO GAY BARS AND GAY CLUBS WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER D.C. AND WT HOLLYWOOD. SO I DON’T REALLY THK THERE’S MUCH OF A MYSTERY THERE. “HE HAS BEEN Y OVER THE YEARS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, THOUGH THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO NOTED FOR THE RERD THAT HE HAS HAD BOYIENDS, HE IS GAY, AND THAT HE ED TO LOVE GOG TO GAY BARS AND GAY CLUBS WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER D.C. AND WT HOLLYWOOD. SO I DON’T REALLY THK THERE’S MUCH OF A MYSTERY THERE.” DID ANY OF THAT IMPACT HOW YOU PLAYED HIM?THERE’S CLEARLY A LACK OF FORT AROUND HIM DISCSG HIS SEXUALY PUBLICLY, OR NFIRMG OUTRIGHT PUBLICLY. I’LL BE HONT AND SAY HELPED ME NNECT. BEE ONE OF THE MOST FASCATG, SURPRISG, AND HONTLY UNNERVG THGS THAT I EXPERIENCED DOG REARCH ABOUT HIM WAS WHEN I READ ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD AND HIS HIGH SCHOOL YEARS, BEE I SWEAR WAS LIKE I ULD HAVE BEEN READG ABOUT MYSELF. THAT WAS REALLY SHOCKG TO ME BEE OUR POLICS, YOU KNOW, ULD NOT BE FURTHER APART. AND HE HAS ALIGNED HIMSELF WH PEOPLE THAT I FD SO SPIBLE.WHAT DID YOU HAVE MON WH HIM?WE WERE BOTH PEOPLE WHO E OM MIDDLE-CLASS FAI. WE’RE BOTH EAST COAST KIDS. HE GREW UP RIGHT OUTSI OF D.C. I GREW UP QUEENS, RIGHT OUTSI OF MANHATTAN. IT’S CLOSE, BUT ’S LIKE ’S ONE OF THOSE THGS LIKE ’S CLOSE, BUT SO FAR. YOU’RE JT DREAMG OF THE DAY YOU N ACTUALLY LIVE THE BIG CY AND NOT JT BE A HALF-HOUR AWAY.RIGHT. FEELG JT OUTSI THE ACTN AND WANTG TO BE .READG ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD, I FOUND OUT HOW MUCH HE LOVED ENTERTAMENT AND TV. HE WAS OBSSED WH MADONNA. HE WAS OBSSED WH READG THE BOX OFFICE RULTS EVERY WEEKEND. ONE OF HIS IENDS TOLD A STORY ABOUT HOW, WHEN DDGE DISVERED VARIETY, HE WOULD GO TO THE NEWSSTAND EVEN AS A CHILD AND BUY . I LERALLY HAD THAT SAME EYE-OPENG EXPERIENCE AS A KID. IN THE LOL NEWSPAPER OR ON THE LOL TV NEWS, YOU WOULD GET THE TOP FIVE MOVI AT THE BOX OFFICE EVERY WEEK. BUT THEN VARIETY YOU GOT THE TOP 50. I REMEMBER ALMOST FALLG OVER WHEN I REALIZED I HAD ACCS TO THAT RMATN. TAKG POP CULTURE THAT SERLY IS VERY RELATABLE.WE WEREN’T PLETELY ALIKE. THE MAN ALSO WALKED AROUND HIS HIGH SCHOOL WH THE FEDORA ON AND A NOTERD THAT SAID “PRS” HIGH SCHOOL. HE HAD THIS FASCATN WH THIS SORT OF WALTER WCHELL-STYLE, OLD-SCHOOL MUCKRAKG JOURNALISM.HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FEDORA?[LGHS] I KNEW WAS G, OBVLY. IT’S INIC FOR HIS PERSONA. ONE OF THE REASONS I’M SO THANKFUL FOR RYAN MURPHY IS BEE HE SE BEYOND THE PERSONA THAT PEOPLE WERE FIRST TRODUCED TO ME AS. BILLY ON THE STREET AND PARKS AND REC AND THE WHOLE, LIKE, SHOUTY GUY. RYAN ALWAYS SE BEYOND THAT AND THKS OF ME AS A REAL ACTOR, SO I LOVE THE CHANCE TO PUT ON A DIFFERENT TYPE OF STUME AND THE HAT. IT ACTUALLY HELPED ME GET TO CHARACTER.THE SCENE WHERE YOU AS MATT DDGE MEET COBIE SMULR’S ANN COULTER AT LRA INGRAHAM’S CKTAIL PARTY WAS LIKE A SURREAL MAD LIBS OF MEDIA FIGUR.I LOVED . IT WAS LIKE THIS NSERVATIVE CLASH OF THE TANS. LOOK, I’M A GUY WHO LOV THE MEDIA. I LOVE BLE NEWS. THROUGH BILLY ON THE STREET AND OTHER THGS, I’VE MET SO MANY FAMO ACTORS, BUT ONE OF THE TIM I WAS MOST STARSTCK WAS MEETG DANA BASH OM CNN AT THE WHE HOE CORRPONNTS’ DNER. IF I EVER MEET RACHEL MADDOW, I WOULD FALL OVER. THE WAY PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT BTS IS HOW I FEEL ABOUT RACHEL MADDOW. SO PEOPLE LIKE DDGE AND ANN COULTER—AND LET ME BE CLEAR, MY POLICS DO NOT ALIGN WH THEIRS ANY WAY AND I FD THEM TO BE RATHER SPIBLE—BUT I N’T NY THE FACT THEY’RE A LTLE ENTERTAG. LDA TRIPP (SARAH PLSON) AND MONI LEWSKY (BEANIE FELDSTE) IMPEACHMENT: AMERIN CRIME STORY FX IT’S TERTG THAT HE AND ANN COULTER HANDLED BEG THE SPOTLIGHT SO DIFFERENTLY.I DON’T THK HE WAS FORTABLE BEG FAMO. I THK MA HIM FEEL VULNERABLE AND MA HIM FEEL EXPOSED. AND HE REALLY BEME A RECLE. I MEAN, ’S HARD TO FD ANY FOOTAGE OF HIM RECENT YEARS, WHEREAS ANN COULTER HAS BEEN OMNIPRENT.WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THE WHOLE WALTER WCHELL PERSONA?ONE NCERN I HAD WAS THAT YOUNGER PEOPLE WATCHG THIS SERI, OR PEOPLE WHO JT DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT DDGE, WOULD THK THAT I JT CID TO DO A WEIRD VOICE. BEE UNLIKE ANN COULTER, WHO’S ON TV ALL THE TIME, DDGE SHIED AWAY OM ON-MERA APPEARANC. SO I DID WORRY A LTLE B ABOUT THAT.DO YOU KNOW IF HE’S SAID ANYTHG OR HAD ANY REACTN TO YOU PLAYG HIM?I DON’T KNOW IF HE’S SEEN , BUT ONE OF THE MOST SURREAL AND PERFECT MOMENTS OF THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS LAST WEEK. THE DDGE REPORT POSTED A PICTURE OF ME AS MATT DDGE ON DDGE REPORT AS ONE OF THE MA STORI. IN CLASSIC DDGE STYLE, THE HEADLE WAS SOMETHG LIKE, “DDGE STEALS THE SHOW”... EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WAS SAYG THAT. IMAGE, BACK WHEN I WAS NNG HOME TO READ THOSE HEADL ON DDGE REPORT, THKG THAT ONE DAY THERE’LL BE A PICTURE OF ME NOT ONLY ON THE DDGE REPORT, BUT PLAYG MATT DDGE.THAT HAS TO BE SURREAL.IT’S BEYOND SURREAL. YOU TLY ULD NOT HAVE PREDICTED. SO, HE IS FELY AWARE OF . AND I DON’T KNOW HIM PERSONALLY, BUT I HAVE A FEELG HE’S GETTG A KICK OUT OF . THAT’S MY GUT FEELG. KEV FALLON

As he told Out magaze: “The fact of the matter is, we need people to go see this movie, gay people and straight people, orr for them, meang the powers that be Hollywood, to greenlight more movi like this.

This is not a review, but I do happen to thk Bros is good and funny and sexy, cisive about certa aspects of urban gay life, and totally worth seeg. Watchg the movie, ’s clear to me that Eichner’s tert queer history, and where morn gay romance fs to , go far eper than marketg.

BILLY EICHNER PREDICTED THAT COLTON UNRWOOD WAS 'THE FIRST GAY BACHELOR' 2 YEARS AGO

), seems terted gay love more theory than practice; at 40, he’s yet to have a real relatnship. Durg another ambivalent night out at the club, he plas to a iend (the wonrful Guy Branum) about how, spe marketg ourselv as pecially smart, many gays are really very stupid—only to tch the eye of a ballpped hunk, Aaron (Le Macfarlane), who by all appearanc is que dumb and yet very hot. “As a kid watchg them, ” he told Out, “and probably as a gay kid, ma me want to be an adult … a plited relatnship Manhattan.

BILLY EICHNER'S GAY ROM-COM MAK HISTORY WH ALL-LGBTQ CAST: 'A LONG OVERDUE DREAM'

” Of Bros, he add: “I really wanted to do a movie at that level and that style, but that was about a gay uple, bee we tly had never gotten that. I do not flt Eichner for his love of the movi (readg him rhapsodize about them is enarg, actually), but his sire to create a gay one—and his belief that such a film would be any way “historic” or polilly potent—don’t make sense to me.

Durg my screeng of Bros, I had this naggg sense that, however much I lghed at each smartly crafted set piece about morn gay life, the movie was somehow cramped or cluttered, that need more edg.