Most of 'Whe Lot' season 2 st nomated for an Emmy — but not 'the gays' |

Contents:

• ‘WHE LOT’ STAR ON THAT POOP, GAY ROL, AND BEG OUT HOLLYWOOD
• MIKE WHE AND ‘THE WHE LOT’ STARS BREAK DOWN THAT JAW-DROPPG TWIST: I WANT TO ‘MAKE GAY SEX TRANSGRSIVE AGA’
• 'THE GAYS' OF THE WHE LOT DIDN'T GET ANY EMMY NOMATNS, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE DID
• WHE LOT STAR THEO JAM EYEG GAY ROLE GEE MICHAEL BPIC
• WHE LOT STAR JAKE LACY WAS “THRILLED” TO PLAY A TOTAL ASSHOLETV’S MOST STABLE BOYIEND DIGS TO HIS REPUGNANT NEW HBO CHARACTER, HIS ROLE BEG THE RIRDOS, AND ALMOST BEG ST PROMISG YOUNG WOMAN.BY JOANNA ROBSONJULY 12, 2021FACEBOOKXEMAILSAVE STORYPHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN JAYSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHERE’S A FAIAR FACE MIKE WHE’S BUZZY NEW HBO DRAMEDY THE WHE LOT THAT MAY LULL DIENC TO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURY. IT’S JAKE LACY, WHO’S GOT A LONG HISTORY OF PLAYG THE SWEET, STABLE LOVE TERT OPPOSE PLITED, MSY FEMALE PROTAGONISTS THE OFFICE, OBV CHILD, GIRLS, HIGH FILY, AND MORE. HE’S SO FAMO FOR PLAYG NICE GUYS THAT VULTURE MA A LIST ABOUT . BUT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE WHE LOT, ’S APPARENT THAT THIS LACY CHARACTER IS DIFFERENT. HE’S WEARG BRIGHT PK AT BRO SHORTS, BUT NOT HIS TRAMARK LACY GR. AS IF THAT WEREN’T ENOUGH OF A RED FLAG, HIS BSQUE, UNSG LIVERY OF AN EARLY LE—“NO OFFENSE? LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE”—SHOULD LET YOU KNOW THAT WHE’S SHOW WILL MAKE YOU RETHK YOUR FAVORE ONSCREEN GOOD GUY. IN WHE LOT, LACY IS PLAYG SHANE PATTON, ONE OF SEVERAL WELL-HEELED VATNERS AT THE TULAR, EXCLIVE RORT HAWAII. SHANE IS ON HIS HONEYMOON WH HIS LOVELY BRI RACHEL (ALEXANDRA DADDAR)—BUT LIKE MOST OF THE PRIVILEGED GUTS AT THIS LUXUR HOTEL, SHANE IS EXTREMELY UNHAPPY WH HIS LOT LIFE. HIS BIG PROBLEM? THE HOTEL HAS BOOKED HIM TO A SLIGHTLY LS PALATIAL SUE THAN THE ONE HIS MOTHER PROMISED HIM. SHANE HAS SEVERAL OBNOX ANGL, ALL OF WHICH LACY ATTACKS WH GTO. THE ACTOR SPOKE WH VANY FAIR ABOUT UPENDG THE NICE GUY TROPE, WHAT WAS LIKE TO FILM WHE LOT DURG THE PANMIC, AND ABOUT AARON SORK’S UPG FILM BEG THE RIRDOS, STARRG NILE KIDMAN AND JAVIER BARM AS LUCILLE BALL AND DI ARNAZ. VANY FAIR: WHEN HIGH FILY WAS RELEASED, YOU DISCSED YOUR HISTORY OF PLAYG NICE GUY BOYIENDS AND SAID YOU WERE HOPG TO PLAY CHARACTERS WHO WERE A LTLE MORE TERTG—LS LIKE “JT WALLPAPER,” I THK IS HOW YOU PUT . JAKE LACY: AS I HEAR THAT BACK I’M LIKE, “DON’T SAY THAT STUFF, JAKE. DON’T SAY ‘JT WALLPAPER’ TO PEOPLE. COME ON, MAN.”WELL, I THK HIGH FILY DID FULFILL THAT PROMPT. BUT WHE LOT IS OBVLY SOMETHG VERY DIFFERENT. HOW TENTNAL WAS THAT CHOICE FOR YOU? WERE YOU LOOKG TO BLOW UP YOUR NICE GUY PERSONA?  I WAS THRILLED THAT WAS DIFFERENT, BUT WAS NOT AS SPECIFIC AS “I WILL NO LONGER DO STABLE BOYIEND ROL.” MY HISTORY DOG SUPPORTIVE, STABLE GUYS LENDS SELF TO SHANE WHE LOT, BEE HE THKS HE IS THAT GUY. HE THKS HE’S THIS TCH. YOU HAVE THAT PERSON ALSO BEHAVG AS A PETULANT CHILD. I LIKE THAT DICHOTOMY MORE THAN JT A PERSON WHO LOOKS LIKE A VILLA, BEG A VILLA. THAT HAS S PLACE. IT’S ALSO FUN TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT SEEMS AFFABLE TO BE A LTLE GROSS. YOU JT WANNA BE LIKE, BUDDY, LET GO WH THE ROOM. YOU HAVE EVERYTHG ELSE. DID YOU HAPPEN TO SEE PROMISG YOUNG WOMAN? IT’S A PARA OF STABLE, NICE GUY BOYIEND ACTORS. I WAS LIKE, WHERE’S JAKE LACY? HONTLY, WAS A SCHLG THG. I WAS SHOOTG HIGH FILY AT THE TIME. I REALLY WANTED TO BE A PART OF . I DID SEE , AND LOVED WHAT THEY DID. BUT, Y—NICE GUY GO BAD, E ON! I READ AN TERVIEW WH EMERALD FENNELL WHERE SHE SAID SHE WANTED TO ST THE FAIAR FAC, PARTICULARLY OM TV. AUDIENC ARE A LTLE MORE VULNERABLE TO THOSE PEOPLE BEG GROSS BEE YOU’VE VED TO YOUR HOME. TO THEN HAVE THAT FACE BE THE SG FACE OF SEXUAL ASSLT IS REALLY UNNERVG. WERE THEY LOOKG AT YOU FOR THE ROLE THAT BO BURNHAM PLAYED OR A DIFFERENT ONE?NO, NO. A DIFFERENT ONE. SHANE WHE LOT IS A SIAR BA AND SWCH. WE GET BAD VIB OFF HIM IMMEDIATELY, BUT BEE OF YOUR BACKGROUND AND BEE THERE ARE THE MOMENTS WHERE HE THKS HE’S JT GOG TO PROVI FOR HER, I KEPT ROOTG FOR HIM TO FIGURE OUT. HE’S NOT PARTICULARLY PALATABLE AND ISN’T PARTICULARLY GENERO, BUT HE’S NOT A LIAR AND HE’S NOT GASLIGHTG ANYONE—WHICH MAK EVEN MORE PLITED FOR ME TO UNRSTAND HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND THEIR PLACE THE WORLD. I SEE HOW THEY GOT THERE, BUT DON’T MEAN I LIKE WHAT IS. SHANE’S RELATNSHIP TO , HE WANTS TO HAVE SEX WH HIS WIFE. THERE IS NO PROBLEM WH THAT. BUT IF THAT’S ALL THERE IS AND ’S EXCLIVELY FOR YOU AND NOT THE OTHER PERSON, THEN STARTS TO BE A PROBLEM. MOST POPULARADAM SANDLER FDS LOW-KEY TRIUMPH YOU ARE SO NOT INVED TO MY BAT MZVAHBY SAVANNAH WALSHAND JT LIKE THAT: MICHAEL PATRICK KG KNOWS WHEN THE AUDIENCE TURNED ON CHE DIAZBY CHRIS MURPHYNETFLIX’S MURDGH MURRS IS OFFICIALLY RETURNG FOR SEASON 2: EXCLIVEBY SAVANNAH WALSHI WAS READG AN OLD TERVIEW MIKE WHE GAVE ABOUT WHY HE WAS SO FASCATED WH REALY TELEVISN. HE SAID SOMETHG ABOUT HOW THE JUICIT VERSN OF THE GENRE, THERE’S JT A TREMENDO LACK OF SELF-AWARENS. WATCHG WHE LOT, SO MANY OF THE CHARACTERS ARE FECTED WH THAT LACK OF SELF-AWARENS. THE BT OF WHE LOT IS WHEN PEOPLE ARE GOG ABOUT THEIR LIV, AND THEY DON’T KNOW THEY’RE BEG AWFUL. I WISH I HAD BEEN MORE KEYED- ON THAT. AS A VIEWER, WHAT I LIKE VOYRISM IS A PERSON WHO HAS NO CLUE HOW TERRIBLE THEY ARE. WHETHER ’S A MOVIE OR ON THE STREET. IF YOU WERE THE LOBBY OF A HOTEL AND OVERHEARD YOUR CHARACTER, SHANE, YOU MIGHT GET THIS ELECTRIC CHARGE THKG AT LEAST YOU’RE NOT AS BAD AS HE IS. YOU N FEEL SO MORALLY SUPERR, RIGHT? IT GIV YOU THE MORAL HIGH GROUND, BUT I HOPE THE HIGH GROUND DON’T LAST. I HOPE THAT PEOPLE ARE WATCHG AND THK, “OH MAN, I’M A PART OF THAT.” SO WHAT WAS THE PROCS, SHOOTG THIS HAWAII THE MIDDLE OF COVID? THEY HAD MA ARRANGEMENTS WH THE STATE THAT WE WERE QUARANTED FOR A CERTA AMOUNT OF TIME, AND THEN WH A NUMBER OF TTS WOULD BE ALLOWED OUT OF OUR ROOMS. BUT WE WEREN’T EVER ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE HOTEL GROUNDS. FOR THE FIRST HALF, WE WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE AT THE HOTEL. THERE WERE NO GUTS, AND THERE WAS A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF STAFF. SO THE NCERN OF GETTG COVID WAS PRETTY LOW; WE WERE ALL JT THERE WH ONE ANOTHER. FRED [HECHGER] AND STEVE [ZAHN] AND I WOULD HAVE DNER TOGETHER EVERY NIGHT. SO THEN YOU GO TO WORK ON AARON SORK’S NEW FILM, BEG THE RIRDOS. YOUR CHARACTER AND HIS PARTNERS CREATED AND WROTE ALL OF I LOVE LUCY. I FEEL LIKE HISTORY HAS ERASED THEM OM THE EQUATN.  YEAH! SO I PLAY BOB CARROLL JR., WHO ALONG WH MALYN PUGH [PLAYED BY ALIA SHAWKAT] AND JS OPPENHEIMER [PLAYED BY TONY HALE] WROTE EVERY EPISO OF I LOVE LUCY. WHICH IS NUTS, WHEN YOU THK OF HOW MANY EPISOS THEY WERE DOG PER SEASON. AARON SORK, WHO WROTE AND DIRECTED , WAS VERY KEEN TO SAY THIS IS A PATG, NOT A PHOTOGRAPH. THIS IS NOT A KEN BURNS DOCUMENTARY. MOST IMPORTANTLY, ’S A GUY WHO IS NEVER SEEN OR HEARD, AND HAS HIS ENTIRE LIFE TETHERED TO THE TWO PEOPLE. IF THEY GO DOWN, HE GO DOWN. HOW DO YOU MEAN? THE STORY IS THAT—AND ’S TE— A SGLE WEEK OF I LOVE LUCY, [BALL] WAS ACCED OF BEG A MUNIST, AT THE PEAK OF MCCARTHYISM, AND DI WAS ACCED OF SLEEPG WH LL GIRLS. ALSO, SHE WAS PREGNANT WH HER SEND CHILD AND HAD TO GO TO CBS AND SAY, “YOU’RE GOG TO DO SOMETHG YOU’VE NEVER DONE AND PUT A PREGNANT WOMAN ON TELEVISN.” AND THIS ALL HAPPENED 48 HOURS. NO ONE ASSOCIATED WH THE SHOW KNEW WHETHER THEY WOULD EVEN SHOOT ON FRIDAY, OR WHETHER THE TWO WOULD EVER WORK AGA. SO THAT’S THE HUMAN STORY BEYOND THE IN OF LUCILLE BALL. MOST POPULARADAM SANDLER FDS LOW-KEY TRIUMPH YOU ARE SO NOT INVED TO MY BAT MZVAHBY SAVANNAH WALSHAND JT LIKE THAT: MICHAEL PATRICK KG KNOWS WHEN THE AUDIENCE TURNED ON CHE DIAZBY CHRIS MURPHYNETFLIX’S MURDGH MURRS IS OFFICIALLY RETURNG FOR SEASON 2: EXCLIVEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHAT PATG-VERS-PHOTOGRAPH APPROACH, DO TAKE THE PRSURE OFF OF TRYG TO BRG INS LIKE LUCY AND DI TO LIFE? I HOPE DO. I ALSO THK THAT THERE’S NO POT TELLG THAT STORY IF YOUR PURPOSE IS TO DO AN EXACT REPLI. THAT’S JT SPLAY. IT’S TOUGH, BEE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF PERSONAL NNECTNS TO ANYTHG SURROUNDG THEIR LEGACY AND THEY’RE GOG TO HAVE TO GET OVER . IF YOU THK YOU’RE GOG TO NEVER WORK AGA AND AT THE SAME TIME MAYBE YOUR MARRIAGE MIGHT END THE NEXT 72 ARE THE THGS THAT THE STORY IS ALG WH MORE THAN “DID WE GET THE HAIR RIGHT.” THE WAY THE TER WORKS IS TO BE LIKE, “LET’S FD A THG TO SCRATCH AND THEN PICK UNTIL ’S A PROBLEM.” SOMETIM I AGREE, AND SOMETIM I DON’T. AND THIS LAST YEAR, WHEN WE WERE ALL STUCK AT HOME, I THK THAT WAS EVEN MORE TEMPTG. YOU KNOW, SOMETHG TO DO JT TO GIVE THE DAY SOME SHAPE. SURE. WHAT DID I DO TODAY? WELL, I TORE SOME STUFF DOWN ON THE TER FOR A WHILE, AND THEN I BUILT SOME OTHER STUFF BACK UP. MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— AN EXCLIVE DEEP DIVE INTO PETER JACKSON’S THE BEATL: GET BACK— JOSEPH FIENN ON HIS HANDMAID’S TALE FATE— THE 10 BT MOVI OF 2021 (SO FAR)— JANE LEVY ON THE ZOEY’S EXTRAORDARY PLAYLIST CANCELLATN— IS LU PIXAR’S FIRST GAY MOVIE?— HOW PHYSIL GOT UNR ROSE BYRNE’S SK— WHAT IS BO BURNHAM’S INSI REALLY TRYG TO SAY?— SIMU LIU IS READY TO TAKE ON MARVEL— FROM THE ARCHIVE: JACKIE AND JOAN COLLS, QUEENS OF THE ROAD— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”JOANNA ROBSON

‘WHE LOT’ STAR ON THAT POOP, GAY ROL, AND BEG OUT HOLLYWOOD

Bartlett, whose break Ameri me via a Sex and the Cy episo, playg a handsome gay shoe importer who dazzl Carrie the episo “All That Glters, ” has had other major rol HBO drama Lookg and the most recent screen eratn of Tal of the Cy. ”Armond’s sexualy is not the reason for his ath, so if he is no more, is not a homophobic murr. I hear what you’re sayg about gay characters historilly gettg a raw al, but for me Armond beg gay has nothg to do wh him dyg.

MIKE WHE AND ‘THE WHE LOT’ STARS BREAK DOWN THAT JAW-DROPPG TWIST: I WANT TO ‘MAKE GAY SEX TRANSGRSIVE AGA’

It didn’t feel like was any kid of rogatory diss on queer people or a gay man.

'THE GAYS' OF THE WHE LOT DIDN'T GET ANY EMMY NOMATNS, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE DID

”“I do thk there are still lgerg stigmas, and some ceilgs to break through”In his standout rol—as Armond The Whe Lot, as Dom Lookg, and as Michael Tolliver the most recent screen eratn of Armistead Mp’s Tal of the Cy for Netflix—Bartlett is unique; an out gay actor playg an assortment of varied, eply wrten gay men progrsg through middle age on mastream TV.

WHE LOT STAR THEO JAM EYEG GAY ROLE GEE MICHAEL BPIC

As an actor you want to play a range of rol, and I’ve had the opportuny to play gay and straight rol, but I often get to play gay rol which I absolutely love bee we are a time where we are still tryg to have more reprentatn unr-reprented muni, cludg the queer muny. ”Bartlett don’t know if he was offered the rol on the strength of his prev gay rol—which n be sometim how producers and stg directors n see you.

WHE LOT STAR JAKE LACY WAS “THRILLED” TO PLAY A TOTAL ASSHOLETV’S MOST STABLE BOYIEND DIGS TO HIS REPUGNANT NEW HBO CHARACTER, HIS ROLE BEG THE RIRDOS, AND ALMOST BEG ST PROMISG YOUNG WOMAN.BY JOANNA ROBSONJULY 12, 2021FACEBOOKXEMAILSAVE STORYPHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN JAYSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHERE’S A FAIAR FACE MIKE WHE’S BUZZY NEW HBO DRAMEDY THE WHE LOT THAT MAY LULL DIENC TO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURY. IT’S JAKE LACY, WHO’S GOT A LONG HISTORY OF PLAYG THE SWEET, STABLE LOVE TERT OPPOSE PLITED, MSY FEMALE PROTAGONISTS THE OFFICE, OBV CHILD, GIRLS, HIGH FILY, AND MORE. HE’S SO FAMO FOR PLAYG NICE GUYS THAT VULTURE MA A LIST ABOUT . BUT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE WHE LOT, ’S APPARENT THAT THIS LACY CHARACTER IS DIFFERENT. HE’S WEARG BRIGHT PK AT BRO SHORTS, BUT NOT HIS TRAMARK LACY GR. AS IF THAT WEREN’T ENOUGH OF A RED FLAG, HIS BSQUE, UNSG LIVERY OF AN EARLY LE—“NO OFFENSE? LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE”—SHOULD LET YOU KNOW THAT WHE’S SHOW WILL MAKE YOU RETHK YOUR FAVORE ONSCREEN GOOD GUY. IN WHE LOT, LACY IS PLAYG SHANE PATTON, ONE OF SEVERAL WELL-HEELED VATNERS AT THE TULAR, EXCLIVE RORT HAWAII. SHANE IS ON HIS HONEYMOON WH HIS LOVELY BRI RACHEL (ALEXANDRA DADDAR)—BUT LIKE MOST OF THE PRIVILEGED GUTS AT THIS LUXUR HOTEL, SHANE IS EXTREMELY UNHAPPY WH HIS LOT LIFE. HIS BIG PROBLEM? THE HOTEL HAS BOOKED HIM TO A SLIGHTLY LS PALATIAL SUE THAN THE ONE HIS MOTHER PROMISED HIM. SHANE HAS SEVERAL OBNOX ANGL, ALL OF WHICH LACY ATTACKS WH GTO. THE ACTOR SPOKE WH VANY FAIR ABOUT UPENDG THE NICE GUY TROPE, WHAT WAS LIKE TO FILM WHE LOT DURG THE PANMIC, AND ABOUT AARON SORK’S UPG FILM BEG THE RIRDOS, STARRG NILE KIDMAN AND JAVIER BARM AS LUCILLE BALL AND DI ARNAZ. VANY FAIR: WHEN HIGH FILY WAS RELEASED, YOU DISCSED YOUR HISTORY OF PLAYG NICE GUY BOYIENDS AND SAID YOU WERE HOPG TO PLAY CHARACTERS WHO WERE A LTLE MORE TERTG—LS LIKE “JT WALLPAPER,” I THK IS HOW YOU PUT . JAKE LACY: AS I HEAR THAT BACK I’M LIKE, “DON’T SAY THAT STUFF, JAKE. DON’T SAY ‘JT WALLPAPER’ TO PEOPLE. COME ON, MAN.”WELL, I THK HIGH FILY DID FULFILL THAT PROMPT. BUT WHE LOT IS OBVLY SOMETHG VERY DIFFERENT. HOW TENTNAL WAS THAT CHOICE FOR YOU? WERE YOU LOOKG TO BLOW UP YOUR NICE GUY PERSONA?  I WAS THRILLED THAT WAS DIFFERENT, BUT WAS NOT AS SPECIFIC AS “I WILL NO LONGER DO STABLE BOYIEND ROL.” MY HISTORY DOG SUPPORTIVE, STABLE GUYS LENDS SELF TO SHANE WHE LOT, BEE HE THKS HE IS THAT GUY. HE THKS HE’S THIS TCH. YOU HAVE THAT PERSON ALSO BEHAVG AS A PETULANT CHILD. I LIKE THAT DICHOTOMY MORE THAN JT A PERSON WHO LOOKS LIKE A VILLA, BEG A VILLA. THAT HAS S PLACE. IT’S ALSO FUN TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT SEEMS AFFABLE TO BE A LTLE GROSS. YOU JT WANNA BE LIKE, BUDDY, LET GO WH THE ROOM. YOU HAVE EVERYTHG ELSE. DID YOU HAPPEN TO SEE PROMISG YOUNG WOMAN? IT’S A PARA OF STABLE, NICE GUY BOYIEND ACTORS. I WAS LIKE, WHERE’S JAKE LACY? HONTLY, WAS A SCHLG THG. I WAS SHOOTG HIGH FILY AT THE TIME. I REALLY WANTED TO BE A PART OF . I DID SEE , AND LOVED WHAT THEY DID. BUT, Y—NICE GUY GO BAD, E ON! I READ AN TERVIEW WH EMERALD FENNELL WHERE SHE SAID SHE WANTED TO ST THE FAIAR FAC, PARTICULARLY OM TV. AUDIENC ARE A LTLE MORE VULNERABLE TO THOSE PEOPLE BEG GROSS BEE YOU’VE VED TO YOUR HOME. TO THEN HAVE THAT FACE BE THE SG FACE OF SEXUAL ASSLT IS REALLY UNNERVG. WERE THEY LOOKG AT YOU FOR THE ROLE THAT BO BURNHAM PLAYED OR A DIFFERENT ONE?NO, NO. A DIFFERENT ONE. SHANE WHE LOT IS A SIAR BA AND SWCH. WE GET BAD VIB OFF HIM IMMEDIATELY, BUT BEE OF YOUR BACKGROUND AND BEE THERE ARE THE MOMENTS WHERE HE THKS HE’S JT GOG TO PROVI FOR HER, I KEPT ROOTG FOR HIM TO FIGURE OUT. HE’S NOT PARTICULARLY PALATABLE AND ISN’T PARTICULARLY GENERO, BUT HE’S NOT A LIAR AND HE’S NOT GASLIGHTG ANYONE—WHICH MAK EVEN MORE PLITED FOR ME TO UNRSTAND HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND THEIR PLACE THE WORLD. I SEE HOW THEY GOT THERE, BUT DON’T MEAN I LIKE WHAT IS. SHANE’S RELATNSHIP TO , HE WANTS TO HAVE SEX WH HIS WIFE. THERE IS NO PROBLEM WH THAT. BUT IF THAT’S ALL THERE IS AND ’S EXCLIVELY FOR YOU AND NOT THE OTHER PERSON, THEN STARTS TO BE A PROBLEM. MOST POPULARADAM SANDLER FDS LOW-KEY TRIUMPH YOU ARE SO NOT INVED TO MY BAT MZVAHBY SAVANNAH WALSHAND JT LIKE THAT: MICHAEL PATRICK KG KNOWS WHEN THE AUDIENCE TURNED ON CHE DIAZBY CHRIS MURPHYNETFLIX’S MURDGH MURRS IS OFFICIALLY RETURNG FOR SEASON 2: EXCLIVEBY SAVANNAH WALSHI WAS READG AN OLD TERVIEW MIKE WHE GAVE ABOUT WHY HE WAS SO FASCATED WH REALY TELEVISN. HE SAID SOMETHG ABOUT HOW THE JUICIT VERSN OF THE GENRE, THERE’S JT A TREMENDO LACK OF SELF-AWARENS. WATCHG WHE LOT, SO MANY OF THE CHARACTERS ARE FECTED WH THAT LACK OF SELF-AWARENS. THE BT OF WHE LOT IS WHEN PEOPLE ARE GOG ABOUT THEIR LIV, AND THEY DON’T KNOW THEY’RE BEG AWFUL. I WISH I HAD BEEN MORE KEYED- ON THAT. AS A VIEWER, WHAT I LIKE VOYRISM IS A PERSON WHO HAS NO CLUE HOW TERRIBLE THEY ARE. WHETHER ’S A MOVIE OR ON THE STREET. IF YOU WERE THE LOBBY OF A HOTEL AND OVERHEARD YOUR CHARACTER, SHANE, YOU MIGHT GET THIS ELECTRIC CHARGE THKG AT LEAST YOU’RE NOT AS BAD AS HE IS. YOU N FEEL SO MORALLY SUPERR, RIGHT? IT GIV YOU THE MORAL HIGH GROUND, BUT I HOPE THE HIGH GROUND DON’T LAST. I HOPE THAT PEOPLE ARE WATCHG AND THK, “OH MAN, I’M A PART OF THAT.” SO WHAT WAS THE PROCS, SHOOTG THIS HAWAII THE MIDDLE OF COVID? THEY HAD MA ARRANGEMENTS WH THE STATE THAT WE WERE QUARANTED FOR A CERTA AMOUNT OF TIME, AND THEN WH A NUMBER OF TTS WOULD BE ALLOWED OUT OF OUR ROOMS. BUT WE WEREN’T EVER ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE HOTEL GROUNDS. FOR THE FIRST HALF, WE WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE AT THE HOTEL. THERE WERE NO GUTS, AND THERE WAS A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF STAFF. SO THE NCERN OF GETTG COVID WAS PRETTY LOW; WE WERE ALL JT THERE WH ONE ANOTHER. FRED [HECHGER] AND STEVE [ZAHN] AND I WOULD HAVE DNER TOGETHER EVERY NIGHT. SO THEN YOU GO TO WORK ON AARON SORK’S NEW FILM, BEG THE RIRDOS. YOUR CHARACTER AND HIS PARTNERS CREATED AND WROTE ALL OF I LOVE LUCY. I FEEL LIKE HISTORY HAS ERASED THEM OM THE EQUATN.  YEAH! SO I PLAY BOB CARROLL JR., WHO ALONG WH MALYN PUGH [PLAYED BY ALIA SHAWKAT] AND JS OPPENHEIMER [PLAYED BY TONY HALE] WROTE EVERY EPISO OF I LOVE LUCY. WHICH IS NUTS, WHEN YOU THK OF HOW MANY EPISOS THEY WERE DOG PER SEASON. AARON SORK, WHO WROTE AND DIRECTED , WAS VERY KEEN TO SAY THIS IS A PATG, NOT A PHOTOGRAPH. THIS IS NOT A KEN BURNS DOCUMENTARY. MOST IMPORTANTLY, ’S A GUY WHO IS NEVER SEEN OR HEARD, AND HAS HIS ENTIRE LIFE TETHERED TO THE TWO PEOPLE. IF THEY GO DOWN, HE GO DOWN. HOW DO YOU MEAN? THE STORY IS THAT—AND ’S TE— A SGLE WEEK OF I LOVE LUCY, [BALL] WAS ACCED OF BEG A MUNIST, AT THE PEAK OF MCCARTHYISM, AND DI WAS ACCED OF SLEEPG WH LL GIRLS. ALSO, SHE WAS PREGNANT WH HER SEND CHILD AND HAD TO GO TO CBS AND SAY, “YOU’RE GOG TO DO SOMETHG YOU’VE NEVER DONE AND PUT A PREGNANT WOMAN ON TELEVISN.” AND THIS ALL HAPPENED 48 HOURS. NO ONE ASSOCIATED WH THE SHOW KNEW WHETHER THEY WOULD EVEN SHOOT ON FRIDAY, OR WHETHER THE TWO WOULD EVER WORK AGA. SO THAT’S THE HUMAN STORY BEYOND THE IN OF LUCILLE BALL. MOST POPULARADAM SANDLER FDS LOW-KEY TRIUMPH YOU ARE SO NOT INVED TO MY BAT MZVAHBY SAVANNAH WALSHAND JT LIKE THAT: MICHAEL PATRICK KG KNOWS WHEN THE AUDIENCE TURNED ON CHE DIAZBY CHRIS MURPHYNETFLIX’S MURDGH MURRS IS OFFICIALLY RETURNG FOR SEASON 2: EXCLIVEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHAT PATG-VERS-PHOTOGRAPH APPROACH, DO TAKE THE PRSURE OFF OF TRYG TO BRG INS LIKE LUCY AND DI TO LIFE? I HOPE DO. I ALSO THK THAT THERE’S NO POT TELLG THAT STORY IF YOUR PURPOSE IS TO DO AN EXACT REPLI. THAT’S JT SPLAY. IT’S TOUGH, BEE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF PERSONAL NNECTNS TO ANYTHG SURROUNDG THEIR LEGACY AND THEY’RE GOG TO HAVE TO GET OVER . IF YOU THK YOU’RE GOG TO NEVER WORK AGA AND AT THE SAME TIME MAYBE YOUR MARRIAGE MIGHT END THE NEXT 72 ARE THE THGS THAT THE STORY IS ALG WH MORE THAN “DID WE GET THE HAIR RIGHT.” THE WAY THE TER WORKS IS TO BE LIKE, “LET’S FD A THG TO SCRATCH AND THEN PICK UNTIL ’S A PROBLEM.” SOMETIM I AGREE, AND SOMETIM I DON’T. AND THIS LAST YEAR, WHEN WE WERE ALL STUCK AT HOME, I THK THAT WAS EVEN MORE TEMPTG. YOU KNOW, SOMETHG TO DO JT TO GIVE THE DAY SOME SHAPE. SURE. WHAT DID I DO TODAY? WELL, I TORE SOME STUFF DOWN ON THE TER FOR A WHILE, AND THEN I BUILT SOME OTHER STUFF BACK UP. MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— AN EXCLIVE DEEP DIVE INTO PETER JACKSON’S THE BEATL: GET BACK— JOSEPH FIENN ON HIS HANDMAID’S TALE FATE— THE 10 BT MOVI OF 2021 (SO FAR)— JANE LEVY ON THE ZOEY’S EXTRAORDARY PLAYLIST CANCELLATN— IS LU PIXAR’S FIRST GAY MOVIE?— HOW PHYSIL GOT UNR ROSE BYRNE’S SK— WHAT IS BO BURNHAM’S INSI REALLY TRYG TO SAY?— SIMU LIU IS READY TO TAKE ON MARVEL— FROM THE ARCHIVE: JACKIE AND JOAN COLLS, QUEENS OF THE ROAD— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”JOANNA ROBSON

“I don’t know if people thk, ‘He n only play gay rol, ’ or is that the only way they have seen me and so thk, ‘He’s right for this’?

“I was super-fortunate as a young person who had an credible mother who loved me no matter what, and didn’t have any issue wh me beg gay. Fortunately, that worked out really well for me bee the opportuni I got have been wonrful, but may have guid my trajectory that I have played more gay rol than I would have if I hadn’t been open.