Jonathan Bent on Hallmark's gay Christmas movie The Holiday Ster |

Contents:

• JONATHAN BENT WANTED TO CREATE A GAY UNCLE BUCK FOR THE HOLIDAY STER
• THE HOLIDAY STER: 7+ THOUGHTS I HAD WHILE WATCHG HALLMARK'S NEW GAY ROM-COM
• JONATHAN BENT ON LEADG HALLMARK’S FIRST GAY CHRISTMAS MOVIE
• HALLMARK PREMIER S FIRST LGBTQ HOLIDAY MOVIE WH A GAY LEAD UPLE
• HALLMARK'S 'HOLIDAY STER' SHOWS -STARS' SPARKS S FIRST GAY LEADS HOLIDAY MOVIE
• HALLMARK'S FIRST GAY CHRISTMAS MOVIE IS HERE — AND GEE KRISSA IS OVERJOYED TO BE A PART OF
• 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 ANNOUNC PLANS TO BUT 'LGBTQ STORYL, CHARACTERS AND ACTORS'2:14HALLMARK CHANNEL BYGOOD MORNG AMERIJULY 16, 2020, 7:15 PM•3 M READHALLMARK MOVI WILL BE MORE DIVERSE THE NEAR FUTURE.ON THURSDAY, AMID CRICISM THAT NONE OF THE PANY'S 40 UPG HOLIDAY MOVI FEATURE AN LGBTQ LEAD, A HALLMARK CHANNEL SPOKPERSON TOLD "GOOD MORNG AMERI" THAT CHANGE IS G.IN THE G MONTHS, THE REPRENTATIVE SAID, HALLMARK WILL MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT "PROJECTS FEATURG LGBTQ STORYL, CHARACTERS AND ACTORS.""DIVERSY AND CLN IS A TOP PRRY FOR ," READ THE PANY'S STATEMENT. "WE ARE MTED TO CREATG A HALLMARK EXPERIENCE WHERE EVERYONE FEELS WELE."EDOR’S PICKSHALLMARK CHANNEL SCHL MARATHON OF FEEL-GOOD HOLIDAY MOVI AMID MASS SELF-QUARANTEMAR 19, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL APOLOGIZ FOR PULLG GAY-THEMED WEDDG ADDEC 15, 2019THE BT HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVI, ACRDG TO EXPERTS DEC 25, 2018LAST YEAR, HALLMARK APOLOGIZED FOR REMOVG A ZOLA MERCIAL THAT FEATURED A GAY UPLE AMID PLATS OM ONE MILLN MOMS, A NSERVATIVE GROUP THAT IS A PART OF THE AMERIN FAY ASSOCIATN. HALLMARK'S PARENT PANY, CROWN MEDIA, ALSO VOWED TO PARTNER WH LGBTQ ADVOCY GROUP GLAAD "TO BETTER REPRENT THE LGBTQ MUNY ACROSS OUR PORTFOL OF BRANDS.""THE CROWN MEDIA TEAM HAS BEEN AGONIZG OVER THIS CISN AS WE'VE SEEN THE HURT HAS UNTENTNALLY ED. SAID SIMPLY, THEY BELIEVE THIS WAS THE WRONG CISN," HALLMARK CARDS CEO MIKE PERRY SAID A STATEMENT AT THE TIME. "WE ARE TLY SORRY FOR THE HURT AND DISAPPOTMENT THIS HAS ED.""ACROSS OUR BRAND, WE WILL NTUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO BE MORE CLIVE AND CELEBRATE OUR DIFFERENC," HE ADD.MORE: HALLMARK MEDIA CEO LEAV, MONTH AFTER SAME-SEX AD BACKLASHHALLMARK'S "COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS" MOVI AND HALLMARK MOVI & MYSTERI' ANCHISE "MIRACL OF CHRISTMAS" WILL KICK OFF FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23. SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS CLU: HALLMARK CHANNEL· "A ROYAL HOLIDAY," STARRG LRA OSN, AARON TVE AND KRYSTAL JOY BROWN· "JGLE BELL BRI," STARRG JULIE GONZALO AND RONNIE ROWE· "A CHRISTMAS TREE GROWS BROOKLYN," STARRG ROCHELLE AYT AND MARK TAYLOR· "IF I ONLY HAD CHRISTMAS," STARRG CANDACE CAMERON BURE· "DELIVER BY CHRISTMAS," STARRG ALVA AUGT AND EN BAILEY· "ON THE 12TH DATE OF CHRISTMAS," STARRG MALLORY JANSEN AND TYLER HYN· "CHRISTMAS WALTZ," STARRG LACEY CHABERT· "CHRISTMAS VIENNA," STARRG SARAH DREW AND BRENNAN ELLTT· "CHRISTMAS EVERGREEN 4," STARRG RIYA BERNARD AND HOLLY ROBSON PEETE· "CHATE CHRISTMAS," STARRG MERRT PATTERSON AND LE MACFARLANE· "CROSS COUNTRY CHRISTMAS," STARRG RACHAEL LEIGH COOK· "CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL," STARRG TAMERA MOWRY-HOLEY· "WHEN CALLS THE HEART CHRISTMAS 2020," STARRG ER KRAKOW, PASLE HUTTON, JACK WAGNER, KAVAN SMH, CHRIS MCNALLY, KEV MCGARRY, PL GREENE, ANDREA BROOKS AND MART CUMMSHALLMARK MOVI & MYSTERI· "CHRISTMAS TREE LANE," STARRG ALICIA WT AND ANDREW WALKER· "HOLLY & IVY," STARRG JANEL PARRISH, JEREMY JORDAN, AND MARISOL NICHOLS· "THE CHRISTMAS BOW," STARRG LUCIA MIRELLI AND MICHAEL RADY· "CRANBERRY CHRISTMAS," STARRG NIKKI DELOACH AND BENJAM AYR· "CHRISTMAS DOCTOR," STARRG HOLLY ROBSON PEETEEDOR’S PICKSHALLMARK CHANNEL SCHL MARATHON OF FEEL-GOOD HOLIDAY MOVI AMID MASS SELF-QUARANTEMAR 19, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL APOLOGIZ FOR PULLG GAY-THEMED WEDDG ADDEC 15, 2019THE BT HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVI, ACRDG TO EXPERTS DEC 25, 2018UP 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?

THE HOLIDAY STER: 7+ THOUGHTS I HAD WHILE WATCHG HALLMARK'S NEW GAY ROM-COM

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.

Like, "Oh wow, he is gay. Hallmark is ready to make history wh The Holiday Ster, the work’s first-ever holiday rom wh a gay uple the lead rol. Sam postpon his holiday Hawaii and hightails to the suburbs where he meets Jason DeVo (Gee Krissa), Kathleen’s handsome, sgle, and gay neighbor.

JONATHAN BENT ON LEADG HALLMARK’S FIRST GAY CHRISTMAS MOVIE

You uld also wa until Friday, December 16 and pair The Holiday Ster wh Lifetime’s gay romance Christmas movie, A Christmas to Treasure (starrg real life spo Taylor Frey and Kyle Dean Massey). Like I said about The Christmas Hoe 2020, cludg queer people (which, BTW, should clu more than jt cis, whe, gay men) fay ntent like holiday movi helps the “gay agenda” tremendoly — the “gay agenda” beg wantg to… ntue to exist.

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

The other major succs: this is a storyle that uld only be done wh a gay uple. The Holiday Ster is a Christmas movie about the credibly unique bond between gay men and their niec and nephews — fay members who have long stood for children due to the hurdl facg gay upl or gay men lookg to adopt. Hallmark has donned the gay apparel, y’all.

In 2020, Hallmark buted s first same-sex uple, and now the work’s evolutn has led to an entire rom- wh a gay uple as the foc. The Holiday Ster buted on Hallmark on December Christmas Hoe was the first Hallmark movie to feature a gay uple promently, but The Holiday Ster is their first film centered around a gay uple. Clearly, The Holiday Ster was always wrten (or at least altered) wh a gay uple md.

HALLMARK'S 'HOLIDAY STER' SHOWS -STARS' SPARKS S FIRST GAY LEADS HOLIDAY MOVIE

In an terview wh Out, Bent reflected on the fact that he's the face of gay holiday movi as of 2022. "Am I the gay Kg of Christmas? "In the movie, Bent plays Sam, a gay man who babyss his niece and nephew durg the holidays and asks for help om a handsome neighbor, Jason, played by Gee Krissa.

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

HALLMARK'S FIRST GAY CHRISTMAS MOVIE IS HERE — AND GEE KRISSA IS OVERJOYED TO BE A PART OF

It jt so happens that Jeremy Jordan, who is playg that straight man is also playg his gay tw. 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. 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 ANNOUNC PLANS TO BUT 'LGBTQ STORYL, CHARACTERS AND ACTORS'2:14HALLMARK CHANNEL BYGOOD MORNG AMERIJULY 16, 2020, 7:15 PM•3 M READHALLMARK MOVI WILL BE MORE DIVERSE THE NEAR FUTURE.ON THURSDAY, AMID CRICISM THAT NONE OF THE PANY'S 40 UPG HOLIDAY MOVI FEATURE AN LGBTQ LEAD, A HALLMARK CHANNEL SPOKPERSON TOLD "GOOD MORNG AMERI" THAT CHANGE IS G.IN THE G MONTHS, THE REPRENTATIVE SAID, HALLMARK WILL MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT "PROJECTS FEATURG LGBTQ STORYL, CHARACTERS AND ACTORS.""DIVERSY AND CLN IS A TOP PRRY FOR ," READ THE PANY'S STATEMENT. "WE ARE MTED TO CREATG A HALLMARK EXPERIENCE WHERE EVERYONE FEELS WELE."EDOR’S PICKSHALLMARK CHANNEL SCHL MARATHON OF FEEL-GOOD HOLIDAY MOVI AMID MASS SELF-QUARANTEMAR 19, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL APOLOGIZ FOR PULLG GAY-THEMED WEDDG ADDEC 15, 2019THE BT HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVI, ACRDG TO EXPERTS DEC 25, 2018LAST YEAR, HALLMARK APOLOGIZED FOR REMOVG A ZOLA MERCIAL THAT FEATURED A GAY UPLE AMID PLATS OM ONE MILLN MOMS, A NSERVATIVE GROUP THAT IS A PART OF THE AMERIN FAY ASSOCIATN. HALLMARK'S PARENT PANY, CROWN MEDIA, ALSO VOWED TO PARTNER WH LGBTQ ADVOCY GROUP GLAAD "TO BETTER REPRENT THE LGBTQ MUNY ACROSS OUR PORTFOL OF BRANDS.""THE CROWN MEDIA TEAM HAS BEEN AGONIZG OVER THIS CISN AS WE'VE SEEN THE HURT HAS UNTENTNALLY ED. SAID SIMPLY, THEY BELIEVE THIS WAS THE WRONG CISN," HALLMARK CARDS CEO MIKE PERRY SAID A STATEMENT AT THE TIME. "WE ARE TLY SORRY FOR THE HURT AND DISAPPOTMENT THIS HAS ED.""ACROSS OUR BRAND, WE WILL NTUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO BE MORE CLIVE AND CELEBRATE OUR DIFFERENC," HE ADD.MORE: HALLMARK MEDIA CEO LEAV, MONTH AFTER SAME-SEX AD BACKLASHHALLMARK'S "COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS" MOVI AND HALLMARK MOVI & MYSTERI' ANCHISE "MIRACL OF CHRISTMAS" WILL KICK OFF FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23. SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS CLU: HALLMARK CHANNEL· "A ROYAL HOLIDAY," STARRG LRA OSN, AARON TVE AND KRYSTAL JOY BROWN· "JGLE BELL BRI," STARRG JULIE GONZALO AND RONNIE ROWE· "A CHRISTMAS TREE GROWS BROOKLYN," STARRG ROCHELLE AYT AND MARK TAYLOR· "IF I ONLY HAD CHRISTMAS," STARRG CANDACE CAMERON BURE· "DELIVER BY CHRISTMAS," STARRG ALVA AUGT AND EN BAILEY· "ON THE 12TH DATE OF CHRISTMAS," STARRG MALLORY JANSEN AND TYLER HYN· "CHRISTMAS WALTZ," STARRG LACEY CHABERT· "CHRISTMAS VIENNA," STARRG SARAH DREW AND BRENNAN ELLTT· "CHRISTMAS EVERGREEN 4," STARRG RIYA BERNARD AND HOLLY ROBSON PEETE· "CHATE CHRISTMAS," STARRG MERRT PATTERSON AND LE MACFARLANE· "CROSS COUNTRY CHRISTMAS," STARRG RACHAEL LEIGH COOK· "CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL," STARRG TAMERA MOWRY-HOLEY· "WHEN CALLS THE HEART CHRISTMAS 2020," STARRG ER KRAKOW, PASLE HUTTON, JACK WAGNER, KAVAN SMH, CHRIS MCNALLY, KEV MCGARRY, PL GREENE, ANDREA BROOKS AND MART CUMMSHALLMARK MOVI & MYSTERI· "CHRISTMAS TREE LANE," STARRG ALICIA WT AND ANDREW WALKER· "HOLLY & IVY," STARRG JANEL PARRISH, JEREMY JORDAN, AND MARISOL NICHOLS· "THE CHRISTMAS BOW," STARRG LUCIA MIRELLI AND MICHAEL RADY· "CRANBERRY CHRISTMAS," STARRG NIKKI DELOACH AND BENJAM AYR· "CHRISTMAS DOCTOR," STARRG HOLLY ROBSON PEETEEDOR’S PICKSHALLMARK CHANNEL SCHL MARATHON OF FEEL-GOOD HOLIDAY MOVI AMID MASS SELF-QUARANTEMAR 19, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL APOLOGIZ FOR PULLG GAY-THEMED WEDDG ADDEC 15, 2019THE BT HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVI, ACRDG TO EXPERTS DEC 25, 2018UP 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.