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| Woody Harrelson |
Woody slated to play gay “‘Walker’
Before “Deuce Bigalow,” movie audiences were introduced to the world of heterosexual male prostitution by director Paul Schrader’s stylish ’80s classic “American Gigolo.” Now Schrader has a more refined version up his sleeve with “The Walker.”
A “walker,” in the language of high society, is a man, usually gay, who escorts “women of a certain age” to charity and cultural events.
Schrader’s dark vision of this world was once set to star Kevin Kline, but now will feature Woody Harrelson as a middle-aged gay man whose platonic lady friends will include Kristin Scott Thomas, Lauren Bacall, and Lily Tomlin.
Ned Beatty, Willem Dafoe and German heartthrob Moritz Bleibtreu (“Run Lola Run”) will co-star. No word yet on which of these men will play Harrelson’s boyfriend.
Schrader wrote the script, and shooting has just begun in the U.K.
“‘Legally Blonde’ director bets on “’21
Can gay Australian director Robert Luketic (“Legally Blonde,” “Monster-in-Law”), work in Dallas and Las Vegas at the same time?
That’s the question facing the got-his-plate-full filmmaker, who’s attached to direct the big-screen adaptation of the ’80s TV soap “Dallas,” and is now also in talks to handle a Las Vegas-set feature titled “21.”
The latter concerns a group of young men who learned to win big in Sin City by card-counting. Based on Ben Mezrich’s best-selling nonfiction account, “Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions,” the film was optioned by Kevin Spacey, who’s on board as producer.
There’s no word on which film will shoot first or on how Luketic will manage to stay involved with both. We’re not placing bets on the answer.
Gill moves to”‘Dante’s Cove’
Canadian actor and honorary lesbian Thea Gill doesn’t seem to care much about being typecast.
If the “Queer as Folk” alum were the kind to worry about such things, she might not have recently said yes to “Dante’s Cove,” the queer-themed supernatural soap that’s been described as a “mixture of “‘Melrose Place’ and “‘Dark Shadows.'”
Due to enter its second season on the Here cable network, the series’ new story line will feature Gill as a mysterious newcomer to the Cove. She’ll find an adversary in Grace (played by “Babylon 5” co-star Tracy Scoggins), and the pair’s secret past will come to light.
And given the ongoing fascination with former “Folk” stars, “Dante’s Cove” has only visibility to gain with Gill’s arrival.
Naomi dishes up drama
Models do so eat! And Naomi Campbell is just the gal to prove it.
She’s joined the future kitchen crew of NBC’s upcoming reality series “Celebrity Cooking Showdown,” a competition to see which famous person can do more than make reservations or put Atkins frozen dinners in the microwave.
Joining temperamental runway diva Campbell (who was featured in “Unzipped,” the documentary about queer fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi) near the stove’s open flame will be brave souls Alison Sweeney (“Days of Our Lives”) and country music star Big Kenny.
Other stars are still being wrangled, as are celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck, Cat Cora (“Iron Chef America”) and Govind Armstrong, owner of Los Angeles eatery Table 8.
Former “Growing Pains” dad Alan Thicke and cooking-show host Sandra Lee will act as judges. Who will Naomi throw a frying pan at first?
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, March 31, 2006.