"I'd rather be too tight than too loose."—Tom Daley tells the guy putting a harness on him for bungee jumping. When you think about it, that's really good advice for a myriad of reasons—especially for a lad in his early 20s. Once you get a bit older, your options dwindle significantly.
Sometimes this column writes itself. I'm just a vessel. So we begin with Matt Damon, who is welcomed to fill my vessel any time. He found himself in a heap of trouble with headlines that screamed: "Matt Damon Warns Gay Actors to Stay in the Closet." But anyone who read the interview realized that's not what he said ... well, not exactly. Matt's point ( and he does have one ) could be summed up in a better quote: "You're a better actor the less people know about you." Can anyone argue with that? Does anyone not go into a Tom Cruise movie with more baggage than we're allowed to take on a plane? What about John Travolta? Yeah, he's a blank slate! Or Kevin Spacey. Even when he's playing a role, I know in the back of my mind that he brought his mother to the Oscars and made Jonathan Silverman very uncomfortable when they were neighbors. ( Maybe I'm the only one thinking that since it's something Jon told me in confidence—oops. )
When asked by the UK Guardian if it's harder for actors to be openly gay in Hollywood, Damon said: "I'm sure. When Ben and I first came on the scene there were rumors that we were gay because it was two guys who wrote a script together. It's just like any piece of gossip ... and it put us in a weird position of having to answer, you know what I mean? Which was then really deeply offensive. I don't want to, like [imply] it's some sort of disease—then it's like I'm throwing my friends under the bus.
"But at the time, I remember thinking and saying, Rupert Everett was openly gay and this guy—more handsome than anybody, a classically trained actor—it's tough to make the argument that he didn't take a hit for being out. I think you're a better actor the less people know about you period. And sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether you're straight or gay, people shouldn't know anything about your sexuality because that's one of the mysteries that you should be able to play."
All I got out of that is Matt's got a little man-crush on Rupert Everett! When he first came out, Rupert was cocky, arrogant, abrasive and often smelled. "Difficult to work with" doesn't even scratch the surface. He certainly wasn't the model of professionalism, so I suspect being gay was the least of his offenses—although I'm sure it didn't help. Back to Matt. He clarified his point on Ellen: "I was just trying to say actors are more effective when they're a mystery. And somebody picked it up and said I said gay actors should get back in the closet. Which is like, I mean, it's stupid, but it is painful when things get said that you don't believe." I hope we've cleared that up.
With all the brouhaha about the pope's brief meeting with Kim Davis, another story kinda got lost in the shuffle. The only person who had a private audience with Pope Francis was a gay man—who brought his partner. Yayo Grassi, an openly gay Argentine, is a former student of the pontiff. Back in 1964, Francis taught literature and psychology at a high school in Santa Fe, Argentina. Grassi was one of his students. According to Grassi, "Three weeks before the trip, he called me on the phone and said he would love to give me a hug."
Not only did he hug Grassi, but a photo shows the Pope hugging Grassi's partner of 19 years, Iwan Bagus. Grassi shared another anecdote. In 2010, he read that the then-Cardinal Bergoglio had publicly condemned legalization of same-sex marriage. Yayo wrote a long letter to the cardinal expressing disappointment. He got an email back, apologizing for the tone of the comments published ( which he said were taken out of context ), and adding, "I want you to know that in my work there is absolutely no place for homophobia." See? Not everything is black and white.
Another story making the rounds this week is the aftermath of Danny Pintauro's revelation that he is HIV-positive. While he apparently told co-stars Judith Light and Tony Danza eons ago, Alyssa Milano was left out of the loop. During an appearance on The Talk, Milano said that she hasn't been in touch with Pintauro for years: "When the show ended, it was a different time—we didn't have cell phones or Facebook or anything, so I would have been calling his parents being like, 'Hi, can I talk to Danny?' We didn't have texting or anything." Milano did get teary when she proclaimed, "He is a beacon of light, and he will be. I'm proud." As it turns out, this is a phrase Pintauro has embraced. He told the women of The View that he has quit his lucrative job as a manager at PF Chang's in Las Vegas to take a year off and do a "Beacon of Light" tour. He'd like to appear at fundraisers and gay-pride events nationwide. And you know what that means: Once again, I'm out of a job!
Our "Ask Billy" question comes from Ignacio in San Diego: "Who is that hot piece of papi ass on Dancing With The Stars? I know he's married, but he's muy caliente .... you must have something on him."
One of the most interesting things about Carlos Pena Jr. is that once he married Alexa Vega, they fused their last names and became PenaVega. The 26-year-old entertainer is 5'6", and one of those hot little guys that you can just carry around in your front ( or back ) pocket. He was in the band Big Time Rush and certainly has great energy in addition to a hot, tight body you know can rock you all night long. FYI, he'll be playing Kenickie in FOX's Grease: Live. In addition to some racy pics, we actually have come across a video of him in the nude! We presume it was his wife who filmed him sitting on the toilet singing "I Want It That Way" and accompanying himself on the ukulele. It is really hot, so check it out at BillyMasters.com .
When the pope is calling former students and Milano can't call Pintauro, it's time to end yet another column. As I'm dashing to Florida for the MiFo LGBT Film Festival on Oct. 9-18 ( MiFo stands for Miami/Fort Lauderdale ), and for Pride Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 10-11. To keep track of my comings and goings, go to www.BillyMasters.com, the site that never sleeps. If you've got a question, send it along to Billy@BillyMasters.com, and I promise to get back to you before we get another nude toilet video with a ukulele! So, until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.
