Welcome to FUSE03!

In FUSE03 Ooohhh... It’s the secret life of gay Hollywood. Read all about fabulous Vanity Fair. We chat to lesbian chef Michelle Darlington. Behind the Lens with Annie Leibovitz. Plus Tori Mac, Super DJ! That new gay play Hard On, Hot shots and more in FUSE Magazine Issue 03.

Editors Rant.

A great lady named Maura Fay once said to me, “It’s all smoke and mirrors, Alex”. She was of course talking about the entertainment industry. And she should know. She discovered many actors who became household names in Australia and internationally, including the remarkable Heath Ledger, and did the casting for everything from Prisoner to Star Wars.

Originally I thought Maura was talking about the trickery of film making, but now I realise that she was also talking about the lives of celebrities as well. Appearances are the very foundation of being a big Hollywood star. Not only do stars have to be talented, glamorous, glitzy and hot, but sadly they also have to be straight. The film industry has demanded that gay actors
stay in the closet — we are often seen as less marketable and therefore bad for business.

Over the past few years there does seem to be some cracks in Hollywood’s “glass closet” with stars such as Ellen DeGeneres and T R Knight (Grey’s Anatomy) openly out, and shows like The L Word and Queer As Folk proving popular and bankable. Insiders say being gay or lesbian is no longer a career breaker for celebrities but still Hollywood’s closet remains tightly closed.

I’ve often wondered what it must be like to be famous — bloody hard I suspect, constantly having to live up to the public’s perception of you. One slip and you’re on the cover of Woman’s Day with some scathing headline. But still “fame” is something that a lot of us want. It’s why reality TV and websites like YouTube are so incredibly popular — where your five minutes of fame are now ten.

This month we go behind the scenes and delve into the secret gay life of Hollywood and its extremely large closet. During the 1920s gay characters were abundant in movies — but as the popularity of films grew, religious and morals groups warned Hollywood to “clean up” it’s act. This eventually led to the first cinematic classifications guidelines and the censorship of gays on the big screen and in the public eye. We look at how this affected many gay and lesbian actors; their personal lives and careers on the silver screen.

We also look at fame and glamour through the lenses of some of the most celebrated photographers to hold a camera for Vanity Fair. Talents like the famous lesbian photographer Annie Leibovitz, responsible for such images as Queen Elizabeth II, Angelina Jolie and the pregnant Demi Moore; and Mary Ellen Mark who has photographed the likes of Liza Minnelli, Ellen DeGeneres and Matt Dillon.

Nelida Contreas talks to Michelle Darlington — who has recently been thrust into the spotlight on the small screen as a Masterchef contestant — about her passion for food and to find out if stardom has changed her life.  Our regulars include handy hints on how to look like a Hollywood superstar; juicy celebrity gossip and news; music and film reviews; financial advice from Lily Allen songs and so much more.

Enjoy FUSE03. Alexander Thatcher