Jonathan Bent Talks Starrg Hallmark's 1st Gay-Led Holiday Film

Contents:

• JONATHAN BENT WANTED TO CREATE A GAY UNCLE BUCK FOR THE HOLIDAY STER
• MAKE THE YULETI GAY: INSI THE MAKG OF THIS YEAR'S LGBTQ HOLIDAY MOVI
• MAKE THE YULETI GAY WH THE NEW LGBTQ CHRISTMAS MOVI
• OPEN MENUVIOSHOPWELLNSFOODCULTUREFAYLIVGSTYLETRAVELNEWSBOOK CLUBGMA3: WYNTKNEWSLETTERPRIVACY POLICY — YOUR US STATE PRIVACY RIGHTS — CHILDREN'S ONLE PRIVACY POLICY — INTERT-BASED ADS — TERMS OF USE — DO NOT SELL MY INFO — CONTACT USCOPYRIGHT © 2023 ABC NEWS INTER VENTUR. ALL RIGHTS RERVED.SEARCHMI STRONG: CHARI TO SUPPORT WILDFIRE RELIEF EFFORTSCULTURESEPTEMBER 23, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL ANNOUNC CHRISTMAS MOVIE FEATURG GAY UPLE LOOKG TO ADOPT
• HALLMARK'S FIRST GAY CHRISTMAS MOVIE IS HERE — AND GEE KRISSA IS OVERJOYED TO BE A PART OF
• ‘TIS THE SEASON FOR GAY CHRISTMAS MOVI

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

The Hallmark Channel is gettg to the gay Christmas a part of s Countdown to Christmas event, Hallmark Channel has announced s first Christmas movie that foc on a gay Holiday Ster will be released on December 11 on The Hallmark Channel and will star Mean Girls alum Jonathan Bent, Gee Krissa, and Chelsea — Becky VanValkenburg (@Becky VanValkenburg). He mak the trip wh his hband Jake, played by Brad Harr, and the pair wa to hear about the possible adoptn of their first 's only September, but wh Hallmark announcg s slate of holiday movi, and other platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and Lifetime havg also announced holiday movi and specials, so far, The Holiday Ster is the only one to foc on gay characters.

Startg 2020, Christmas was for the gays.

MAKE THE YULETI GAY: INSI THE MAKG OF THIS YEAR'S LGBTQ HOLIDAY MOVI

RELATED | 23 Christmas Songs by LGBTQ+ Artists to Make the Yuleti Gay.

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.

MAKE THE YULETI GAY WH THE NEW LGBTQ CHRISTMAS MOVI

'" 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.

Like, "Oh wow, he is gay. Gay characters have been featured Hallmark movi before; Bent, fact, has played married gay man The Christmas Hoe and The Christmas Hoe 2 2020 and 2021.

OPEN MENUVIOSHOPWELLNSFOODCULTUREFAYLIVGSTYLETRAVELNEWSBOOK CLUBGMA3: WYNTKNEWSLETTERPRIVACY POLICY — YOUR US STATE PRIVACY RIGHTS — CHILDREN'S ONLE PRIVACY POLICY — INTERT-BASED ADS — TERMS OF USE — DO NOT SELL MY INFO — CONTACT USCOPYRIGHT © 2023 ABC NEWS INTER VENTUR. ALL RIGHTS RERVED.SEARCHMI STRONG: CHARI TO SUPPORT WILDFIRE RELIEF EFFORTSCULTURESEPTEMBER 23, 2020HALLMARK CHANNEL ANNOUNC CHRISTMAS MOVIE FEATURG GAY UPLE LOOKG TO ADOPT

“We felt that was time for a story wh a gay uple,” says Daly, who April signed Bent to an exclive, multi-picture al. The Holiday Ster lands at a time when gay rom-s are havg a moment.

In an terview wh Out, Bent reflected on the fact that he's the face of gay holiday movi as of 2022.

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

"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.

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR GAY CHRISTMAS MOVI

Bent, as an executive producer, origally me up wh the ia of a “gay ‘Uncle Buck’ for Hallmark” on the set of another holiday movie three years ago. “It was important that the actor was openly gay and out; was important to me that we were able to tell the story loud and proud, ” Bent said.

Likeng the shoot to a kd of “gay summer mp” wh queer creativ on both sis of the mera, Bent and Krissa both relled a day on set when they unrstood the power of posive reprentatn. However, Massey said, a dispary still exists: While straight actors n always play gay, openly gay actors are not always nsired for straight rol.

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.