You've Got To Be 'Super' To Play Billy Bean
What a small world. I bumped into my old Miami friend Billy Bean, yesterday, at The Abbey in West Hollywood. He was in town, with his charming partner Efrain Veiga, to shoot a segment of the Oxygen Network's new TV show "I've Got A Secret."
As you'll recall, Billy played major league baseball from 1987 through 1995 - first for the LA Dodgers and then for the San Diego Padres. After years of living in the closet, he came out publicly in 1999.
His story was front- page news in the New York Times, and on a nationally televised story with Diane Sawyer. As a matter of fact, his best selling biography "Going The Other Way" is currently being made into a film! And guess who I hear is being consider to play Billy in the film....sexy, Tom Welling, who plays Clark Kent on TV's "Smallville!"
Hey...if American audiences can deal with Heath and Jake playing gay cowboys I'm sure they'll get be just fine with a superstud like Welling playing a gay baseball player. Just the thought of him walking around, with a towel wrapped around his waist, checking out the other buff ball players in the locker room is enough to get me to run down to my local cineplex and wait on line to buy a ticket! And I don't wait on line for anything.
posted by Mr. Nightlife @ 2:50 PM | Permalink
14 Comments:
I can not see the sexy Tom Welling playing this part in a movie. I love Tom Welling but would not support that kind of role for the handsome, very good looking male that he is.
My sides hurt from laughing at the prior comment.
Sexy, handsome, very good looking male. Yes, he is all that. So...how does that make him wrong for this role? This does not compute. Seriously, logic is your friend. Tom Welling is an "actor." He should embrace any worthwhile role that is offered to him and be thankful for it.
Anyway, in response to this post itself, I'd also be standing in line to see that movie!
Sure, no doubt you must be gay to want a movie like that. I will not waste my money or time to see this movie and hope he will choose wisely. I would love to see more of Tom Welling in right movies.
I would love even more if he had some acting talent; something that the sexy and handsome Tom Welling lacks.
And if you don't want to see him in this kind of role, your choice, but to hold that against an actor is borderline idiotic.
I do not wish to see Tom welling in a gay movie. I don't have any thing against gay movies, but I didn't care to watch the gay cowboy movie & I PRAY this rumor is untrue. IF it is I will not be watching. TOM is the Hottest Actor & I do not want to imagine him gay.
It would ruin it for me.
Part of Tom Welling's appeal is the fact that he is not all Hollywood. His marriage committment and family values I have read about make him all the more appealing as a Lady's man. To do a movie like this could be career suicide for a man that plays an legendary icon. I can watch the men in Brokeback Mountain in other roles..However, sadly, but true I can no longer see either of them as sexy romantic leads with a woman again. It doesn't work for me. If Tom does this role and has physical contact with a man similar to brokeback mtn. I, personally, will not find him as enticing as I do now. As far as his acting. Tom Welling has progressed over the years and has become extradonaire. I just pray this is not so because of selfish reasons...He'd ruin my viewing pleasure of him as Heath Ledger did.I know it is acting but to think of a man as sexy is a mind set and once these actors cross a certain line in my viewing pleasure...I can not grasp seeing them as sexy men to me as a woman.
The same thing happened to me with other actors...I just saw them kissing other men and I know longer wanted to view them as a romantic lead with the females after. A woman playing a lesbian does not effect me the same as I do not associate her with sex appeal. That is just an honest opinion that I have questioned more then one female friend about. The same response...NO..if Tom does this, he will ruin me wanting to see him in other things and movies.
I can not believe that people are willing to admit on a public forum how daft their belief system is.
Don't know who Billy is, have no interest in Baseball but all the luck in the world to you. Hope you get your story told on screen (If you haven't already had a Biography/Autobiography written then even better).
It also NEVER ceases to amaze me the amount of people whom don't accept that an actor ACTS. I did not in any way believe that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had chemistry in Mr and Mrs Smith so just goes to show that what people do in their private lives is vastly different to their private.
As to Tom Welling as with many other young actors he needs portray as many varied characters in order to keep his job as possible to stop being typecast, to maintain personal interest, and to maintain exposure. Good luck to him too.
Sorry typo in the above comment please read 'what people do in their PUBLIC lives is vastly different to their PRIVATE'.
PUBLIC lives are vastly different then their PRIVATE...I agree. However, some roles can ruin a career and that is a fact. Some would prefer not to see Tom Welling in this type of role. Some have no problem with it or would prefer it. Everyone is allowed an opinion. Right or Wrong. The fact that some feel that if they view Tom Welling in a role as a homosexual will cause him to be less pleasing as THEIR personal sex symbol..is THEIR business and if they find it Pleasing the same can be said. I personally don't want to see Tom Welling play a role like this as I wouldn't want to view this movie or any other movie of this nature. That is my opinion and to call someone's comment laughable is a problem of others not mine. People have their opinions and if a preference not to view Tom in this type of role is theirs ...so be it. Their opinion as well as mine and others is allowed..Opinion being the main word here.
Well, after reading these post on this blog. I hope this rumor is true. And I hope Tom Welling does decide to do this role. I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinions. But just by reading the comments on this blog it shows how a movie of this nature NEEDS to be made for this society and in this day in age. Because God knows this is an intolerant society. I can't think of a better looking man than Mr. Welling himself to do that. If he does do it I will gladly support him. I am a fan of the actor Tom Welling. I could care less what he does in his personal life. But I would prefer him to take on more chanllenging and interesting roles as such as this one. It would help him not to continuely be typecasted. I also don't think Tom would have a problem doing a role like this. He can do anything he sets his heart on. I think it would expand his acting ability to do a role like this. As an actor I would imaigine you would want to take on those roles that chanllenges you and helps expand your craft. He isn't the best actor, but a role like this would definitely chanllenge his acting abilities. So Tom if your reading this I say do it. I will support you either way baby. Good Luck!
No use beating a dead horse... There are two types of people in life; one who has the courage and good sense to think outside the box. The other whose myopia leads them to a limited and shallow life riddled with judgment and bitterness. I thank the Lord every day that I attended college in a city environment. Otherwise, my narrow, small minded mentality would be fully intact today.
I hope that ole Tommy boy accepts this role based upon the quality of the script and the dimension of the character. This is what a good actor does. He could stand to use a little dimension--gay or straight.
I'll leave you with this:
Will Smith:
Six Degrees of Separation (gay role leads to super celebrity)
Keanu Reeves:
My own private Idaho (gay role leads to super celebrity)
Matt Damon: Talented Mr. Ripley (gay role supports super celebrity)
Phillip Seymour Hoffman: Take your pick...
This list goes on and on... IT HAS NEVER limited an actor’s career to play a gay role and as you'll see with Jake and Heath, the sky is now the limit.
So bitch and whine all you want. Your opinion really means nothing.
Thank you everyone for the good laugh. So you can't envision Heath Ledger or Jake Gyllenhall as romantic leads after playing gay? So if both actors played brutal rapists, who mutilate and torture women, you would still be able to see them as romantic leading men? That you can separate - the violence towards women rather than the loving intimacy of two men in love?
I hope this movie does get made with Tom Welling in it. He shouldn't be afraid of being typecast as gay, he should worry about being stuck with the image of Superman for the rest of his life. If he wants to show the world that he has more skill and talent and guts, then he should whole heartedly embrace this role. I own Billy Bean's book, and I think it will make a great film. Get over yourselves all you fearful and close-minded dorks.
Ok. I think that this movie should be made, as any story of a gay man toughing it out in a very non-gay profession should be told. But I hesitate to say that I'm happy about Tom playing Mr. Bean. He is not a good actor. One could argue that it is lack of good material, but I don't think it is. He's just not good. But it is stupid to typecast a person based on one role, gay or straight. Oh, and if the thought of a boy making out with another sickens you, I bet you won't be able to find yourself one, cause most boys mess around...
I'm personally not crazy about the gay life style. But to totally drop being a fan of a certain actor because they "play" gay in a movie is just silly. I wouldn't run to the theater to see Tom Welling kiss a man, but I would respect him for being an actor who wants the chance to play any character drivin parts, ether gay or straight. I think Tom is a good actor and getting better and I'm happy to know in real life that a man that beautiful is attracted to women.Brunettes to be exact! ;)
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