Flashback

Who didn't love Jared Martin, now 70, back in the '70s and '80s? I first fell for him in The Fantastic Journey. Wasn't enough of a fan, though, to watch him regularly on Dallas. Started following him again when he did the War of the Worlds TV series. Yes, the first season was better.

It appears he stopped acting in the '90s. Now he's an artist, principally with photography. Very nice work.

WoW - Wallpaper of the Week

Michael Lewis

Chris Carmack

It's model time again this week. The first is one, the second started out as one.

We start with Israeli-born Michael Lewis, who'll be 23 tomorrow. The man has the most impossible abs. Which he works hard to maintain, as demonstrated here. Plus he's bendy, which just makes him that much more interesting.

As I was doing research on young Michael, I was pleasantly surprised to find out he won the Israeli version of Dancing with the Stars with his wife, who's a professional dancer. Another couple whose kids will have won the genetic lottery. See them in action here, and read about their winning here. Note that the article's translated by Google from Hebrew, so it's a bit choppy reading. And the video is in Hebrew too. But the dancing can be appreciated, even if you don't know what they're saying.

Check out his MySpace and Facebook, as well as his wife's Facebook. And this Yahoo group.

On Wednesday, Chris Carmack turns 30. Whose abs ain't too shabby either. His early work was as an Abercrombie and Fitch model; perhaps the quintessential A&F model. Then he got notice as a regular on The O.C.. You got to see lots more of him, in many ways, in Love Wrecked, which also starred cutie Jonathan Bennett. He's done bit parts on Smallville and Desperate Housewives, as well as straight-to-DVD stuff like The Butterfly Effect 3 and Into the Blue 2.

I don't know if he's a regular practitioner of it, but he did a yoga workout video back in '04. If you like shirtless sweaty Chris in biker shorts, you'll love it. I got the video a while back, and you actually get a good workout with it. Complete bonus; would've been happy with shirtless sweaty Chris.

He has a Twitter account, but doesn't seem to use it much.

See more of Chris at this Yahoo group.

In Memoriam

Robert Urich

Everyone's gaga nowadays for Robert, Taylor and Zac. But back in the day, it was guys like Tom. And Robert Urich, who would've been 55 today. We lost him in April of 2002 to cancer. Not fair, but who says the universe is fair?

His career started in his late '20s, when he starred in the TV version of Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice in 1973. Late, by today's teen standards. But though the series lasted only one season, he was always working after that.

I must've seen him first in '77 on Soap as bisexual tennis instructor Peter Campbell. His character was sleeping with everyone before he got murdered. Kind of like a certain Captain did years later.

Then he did Vega$ from '78 to '81. So, right up to when I left Miami. Dan Tanna, mmm. And I'm surprised. I thought Magnum, P.I. came first. But it started in 1980. So maybe Vega$ inspired Magnum, not vice versa like I thought.

Then he did a classic. The deliberately campy, so-bad-it's-good Ice Pirates in '84. If you haven't seen it, rent it, watch it, be one with the cheesiness. Gawk in amazement that not only Robert was in it, but also John Carradine, Ron Perlman and Anjelica Huston! And how can one gloss over Bruce Vilanch's biggest film role.

Following that, he was in probably my favorite thing he did, Spenser: For Hire from '85 to '88. And some made-for-TV movies afterward. Mom was a fan of the show, too. Not only was Robert great (it was his favorite role as well), but it also co-starred a pre-DS 9 Avery Brooks. In fact, I remember when I first saw him on DS 9, I thought, "That's Hawk!"

There are a couple of nice tribute sites for him. Also check out the site of his wife, Heather Menzies.

Flashback

Bob Paris

Is Bob Paris really 51 today? My, how time flies. I saw him at a speaking engagement at UF in, let's see, the early '90s. Or maybe late '80s. He was still with his first hubbie, Rod Jackson, at the time, which would make it between 1989 and 1995. Anyway, lovely man, in every way. Not full of himself or anything, though if anyone had the right to be, it was him, looking like he did. If only I'd driven him and Rod from the JIA to Gainesville. I was involved at the time with the campus' gay group, who was sponsoring the speech. I probably could have wangled my way to do the driving, but I think I figured I'd behave like a starstruck idiot, so I passed up the opportunity. Oh well, c'est la vie.

He's nowhere near as visible as he used to be, but he seems to be doing OK for himself. Wishing him best birthday wishes, 'cause he deserves only good things.

Btw, am I the only one who thinks he was like a way more muscular version of John Wesley Shipp? Just saying.

Check out his official site, for more about Mister Paris.

WoW - Wallpaper of the Week

Aaron Renfree

Jake Gyllenhaal

This week's birthday boys will both be celebrating on Sunday. First is Aaron Renfree, who'll be 23. I'd never heard of him before, and I don't remember how I stumbled over him. Having said that, glad I did, 'cause boy sure is pretty. He was a member of S Club 8, of all things. He's gone on to do dancing as well as modelling, with folks like Adam Bouska. He's on MySpace and Twitter.

Then we have the most unlikely superstar, Jake Gyllenhaal, who'll hit the big three-o. And whose last name I thought was Gyllenhall. Probably not the only one. He's quirky looking, not classic movie star handsome. He almost looks like he has bugeyes. Yet he's appealing and almost cuddly. At least he used to be in his indie days when he started. Even when he did Brokeback Mountain, which really got him noticed. Haven't seen it, btw. Yep, bad on me.

Then he got all muscled action hero-ey for Prince of Persia. I mean, I like a guy who's in shape, but I think he went overboard on this one. Heck, even he thinks so. Hopefully he'll get back to being more lean, which is a better look for him. Find out more about him on Facebook and Twitter. See more of him at these two Yahoo groups.

GAY ROLES (Gyllenhaal): Brokeback Mountain

Flashback

John Davidson is 69 today. He's now a silver fox, as you can see above. He was blandly handsome back in the day. He did acting and singing, and still does theater, but most would know him from all the game shows he hosted, like Hollywood Squares.

WoW - Wallpaper of the Week

Jesse Metcalfe

Sebastian Spence

Two birthdays this Thursday. Both guys are chest-nificent.

First is Jesse Metcalfe, who'll be 32. He's alright, I guess, if you like the wax-eyebrowed hunky pretty boys. I don't know, he's a bit too... plastic looking for my taste. So I won't fight too hard if anyone else wants him.

He started out on the campy (even as soap operas go) Passions. Which was the home of one of my favorites, btw. He was on a few eps of Smallville as a hunter of "meteor freaks". Then he became everyone's favorite gardener on Desperate Housewives. He seems to be getting a bit rough around the edges of late, which actually makes him look less artificial. And he's still getting work, so he's hardly a has-been, as some have said.

He doesn't seem to have an official site, but he's on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Though he doesn't update his Twitter much. See more of him here and here and here.


Then there's soon to be 41-year-old Sebastian Spence. Loved him since I first saw him in First Wave back in '98. The man can wear a white t-shirt like few others. I used to say his chest entered the room before the rest of him. It's not like he's a huge bodybuilder or anything, he's just... woof! And his face. He's got a squinty-eyed look that tones down his perfect bone structure, keeping him from being impossibly handsome to being just-right handsome. He's done various genre work since, popping up a bunch on Sci-Fi Channel. His official site is here, and his Facebook account here. He's got no MySpace or Twitter that I can find.

GAY ROLES (Spence): Donald Strachey series

DDoM - DeCoteau Dude of the Month

Jason-Shane Scott

Here's a long term veteran of Dave's movies, all the way back to '98, Jason-Shane Scott. Which coincided with his run on One Life to Live, from '98 to '07. Dave must really like him, 'cause Jason's been in the following films (more than any other actor I can find):

     Shrieker (1998)
     Curse of the Puppet Master (1998)
     Wolves of Wall Street (2002)
     Stem Cell (2009)
     The Pit and the Pendulum (2009)
     Nightfall (2009)

I don't think he's had any gay roles, but he has appeared in very gay movies like Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss and Latter Days. Between that and working so often with openly gay DeCoteau, you just gotta love this guy. And the way he looks? Not a down side. He's only 34, by the way. I think he's only gonna get yummier as the years progress.

May have to drag myself out to the cinema to see his next project, Kerosene Cowboys, as it looks to be a hot guy and testosterone overload stew of a movie.

WoW - Wallpaper of the Week

Ryan Kwanten

Ryan Kwanten (whose 34th birthday was yesterday), where have you been all my life? In Australia, originally, where he appeared for several years on the long running soap Home and Away. Then he came to America, where he was on that short-lived hotbed of hotness, Summerland. Then he hit it big with True Blood. Which involves much nudity on his part, but not of his part, if you know what I mean. The more I see of Ryan, the more I like.

He has an official site, Facebook and Twitter. This nice Yahoo group too. No MySpace, though.

GAY/BI ROLES: Fit to Be Tied (play)