Billy Masters 10.02.25
"Somebody once told me, 'What you don't understand about royal families is that they think that if they do it with a footman, it doesn't count.'"
- British journalist A. N. Wilson discussing the alleged bisexuality of Edward VIII, otherwise known as Mr. Wallis Simpson. Wallis, of course, is the subject of a just-wrapped biopic starring Dame Joan Collins.
I don't know if any of you have heard of the NBC Comedy Vault. If you open your digital cable and go past all the music, Latin and sports channels, you will find this network that shows "classic NBC comedies" somewhere in the one thousands. I'm expecting "Seinfeld", "Friends", "Mad About You". The only show they have is "Will & Grace"—and it's on 24/7! This includes the original series AND reboot. Do you know how long it takes to get through all those episodes? 4.65 days. Since I only saw the reboot episodes once, they were new to me. And what I discovered was that many of them were really funny. And some of them are unwatchable. Towards the end, I watched an endless string of "very special episodes". Why can't we just have a fun sitcom without a message from dead Rosario, Grace being fingered by her father's former partner, or the revelation of Will's coming-out letter? Fear not—the NBC Comedy Vault is adding some other "classic" shows. In coming months, we can enjoy the likes of "Coach", "Major Dad", and "Charles in Charge"! No chance of a message in any of those.
By the by, didya know that John Barrowman was almost cast as Will Truman? When he was brought to the network, the brass had one note—nobody would believe this guy was gay. P.S. He is gay!
There was no such trepidation when it came to Sean Hayes being cast as Jack. The past few months, he's been knocking 'em dead in London's Barbican Theatre as Oscar Levant in his hit play, "Goodnight, Oscar". Since the show closed last week, he's sharing photos of famous folk visiting him backstage. People like David Letterman, Eddie Redmayne, Antonio Banderas, Victor Garber, and even Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench—forever quashing rumors that they are the same person. But, wait, there was one photo that made me take pause. So familiar, and yet I couldn't place it. Then it hit me—it was Elliot Page. I looked at the caption and realized how wrong I was. It was Ellen DeGeneres, with a dark pixie 'do.
Meanwhile in Milan, Elliot Page made some news when he showed up on the red carpet at Milan Fashion Week with actress Julia Shiplett. Reportedly, this is the first public "partner" for Page since his 2021 divorce from choreographer Emma Portner. Both Elliot and Julia were wearing Gucci for the event.
On Broadway, another classic series attempted a reunion. The cast of "Dawson's Creek" was set to come together on the stage of the Richard Rodgers Theatre for a reading of the pilot. This was slated to be a benefit for F Cancer, James Van Der Beek's pet charity since his colorectal cancer diagnosis. Then he made this announcement: "This is the evening I'd been looking forward to MOST since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together way back in January. So you can imagine how gutted I was when two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment. Despite every effort...I won't get to be there. I won't get to stand on that stage and thank every soul in the theater for showing up for me, and against cancer, when I needed it most." It wasn't all bad news—Lin-Manuel Miranda filled in. "But I DO have an understudy. A ridiculously overqualified replacement who would have been #1 on my wishlist (had I ever dreamed he'd be available). Someone my kids would definitely consider an upgrade over me." The Beek did show up via a pre-recorded video. You can see that video, along with some clips from the event, on BillyMasters.com.
This seems to be one of those columns knee-deep in nostalgia. It was just announced that a reboot of "Baywatch" was greenlit by FOX for next season. Some details still need to be worked out—including where the show will be situated. While the original SoCal locale is the frontrunner, Australia is offering lots of perks. Stay tuned.
In 1996, "Baywatch" breakout star Pamela Anderson made a splash in the film "Barb Wire". This is a favorite of mine, but somehow Pam missed it. Earlier this year, her sons with Tommy Lee, Brandon and Dylan, asked her to watch it with them. "So I did and I was like, 'Oh my God.' It was stuck in French with English subtitles. I said, 'That's a good way to watch it.' I could see it, but I couldn't really hear me." It must have made an impact on her sons because they've launched a production company and are developing a series based on "Barb Wire". And, you know, if you can get grandmama to make a cameo and flash the puppies, all the better!
Last week was a big one for "Charmed" star, Alyssa Milano—she had her implants removed. She made the announcement online, ending with, "Today, I'm my authentic self. Today, I'm free." Next thing you know, she'll be running around without makeup and doing "The Second to Last Showgirl"!
Fun fact—I met Matt Dallas (star of "Kyle XY") at Kathy Griffin's house where he was working as a cater waiter (link on BillyMasters.com). It's been a long time since that holiday party in 2006, and Matt is feeling a bit less XY and more XL. On July 19th, he hired Dermot Duffy, a very hot personal trainer, "not so much just to lose the extra weight, but to feel strong, clear headed, ok and maybe a little sexy." Two months later, he showed off the fruits of his labor...if not the loom. Dermot said, "Now only 8 weeks in, Matt's in unreal shape. Stronger. Leaner. More consistent than he's been in years." You check out the results on our website.
David Geffen is antsy to be a single man again, and he's willing to pay his husband, former "model" David Armstrong (aka Donovan Michaels) up to $50,000 a month in spousal support. But he wants support to only last for 12 months, AND should be retroactive to their breakup, which was back in February. Note we're talking about David Geffen, who is worth $9.1 BILLION! Not that I think the spouse is entitled to even a fraction of that amount. But $50K is pocket change to Geffen. The billionaire claims that his estranged hubby is living rent-free in a $15K a month apartment, and is in possession of over $5 million in art and jewelry he received as gifts. So?
Another hot man is the subject of our "Ask Billy" question this week. Brad in Dallas writes, "What do you know about Carl Cashman? He's a City Councilor in Liverpool and is beyond hot—kinda like Aaron Schock."
Well, talk about a name from the past—what ever happened to Mr. Schock? I guess we'll tackle that in a future column. As to Mr. Cashman, I must confess I never heard of him. But, I'm always happy to look into a hot man. And, yes, the comparison to Schock is apt. Cashman got into politics at 24 and is now 33 years old and the leader of the Liberal Democrats for the Liverpool City Council. Some scurrilous rag referred to him as "Britain's sexiest politician". He possesses quite an enviable physique, and has not an inch of shyness in showing most of it off. He's also one of those people who enjoys working out shirtless at public beaches—something I enjoy...as a spectator. Regarding his sexual preferences, he's decidedly heterosexual—although I'm not sure who decides such things. He's also a strong LGBT+ ally and supports all sorts of gay Pride and trans advocacy events. He's outspoken and seems to have straddled the line of being a serious politician and being cheeky, as the Brits would say. Should you wish to check out some of his cheekiness, check out BillyMasters.com.
When we're featuring a hot Brit straddling anything, we've definitely come to the end of yet another column. At least I have someone to check out when I'm next in London. Until then, you can keep up with the hottest content from around the world on www.BillyMasters.com—the site that ain't stuck in a vault! If you have a question for me, send it along to me at [email protected] and I promise to get back to you before I watch a very special episode of "Charles in Charge" where Scott Baio fingers Willie Ames—talk about your Must See TV! Until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.