Billy Masters 03.05.26

"Ideally, I'd like to date an older elegant man who speaks beautifully and is filthy rich. Then I'd like to date a 40-year-old guy who is passionate about something. I don't care what. Then I'd like to date an 18-year-old who I see twice a week and whose name I don't know."

— Liza Minnelli, as told to Michael Feinstein. Although I suppose it could just as easily be a Feinstein quote.


This is supposed to be the fun, frothy, frilly column that delivers some entertainment news, some industry dish, and a few chuckles. So, I hate to kick things off with bad news. When people talk about the current government infringing on people's rights, none of us is immune. The latest target is transgender people in Kansas. If you live there and have gone through gender reassignment, you likely petitioned to change your birth certificate and driver's license. As of last week, those changes have been invalidated—and future changes to those documents are banned by a recent ruling. I can't say that this is how it begins...but this is how it's happening now.

I am always delighted to spotlight great work of those I love. So let's start with the magnificent Miriam Margolyes, who is in the Oscar-nominated live action short "A Friend of Dorothy". What is extraordinary about Miriam is she always appears completely authentic. There's no "actor-y" nonsense about her. She just "is". As Dorothy who bonds with a teenage boy, one suspects Miriam identifies with her more than some other characters. But that doesn't make it any the less staggering. It should be noted that she's well-partnered with Alistair Nwachukwu as Dorothy's "friend". It's a sweet, touching, lovely film which you can see on BillyMasters.com.

Then there's my Play Mama, Jenifer Lewis. Superlatives are almost superfluous when it comes to describing her. Suffice it to say, she is someone whose talents are boundless and who always delivers. Yes, she's in "GOAT" playing warthog Florence "Flo" Everson, owner of the basketball team (fun fact—she also played Flo in "Cars"). But the big news is that she'll be reprising a memorable role when she joins the cast of the reboot of "A Different World" for Netflix. In the original, she played Hillman College's Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport. In the reboot, Davenport is still at Hillman—but now she's a professor. Stay tuned.

Then there's the divine Charles Busch—who I am certain would not mind being lumped in with Jenifer and Miriam. With his own brand of "je ne sais quoi", he's carved a unique niche for himself in the theatrical annals. One of his biggest successes was when he wrote the hit Broadway play, "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife". In 2019, Charles joined the original cast by taking on the leading lady role (that evening, the original leading lady, Linda Lavin, played the mother). Busch is once again slipping into the pumps of Marjorie Taub. This time, the venue will be Palm Springs' Plaza Theatre as part of their "rePLAY" series. This script-in-hand reading of the play will also feature Chris Carranza, Alix Korey, Lewis J. Stadlen, and the phenomenal Harriet Harris in the role created by Michele Lee. Two nights only—March 13th and 14th. You can grab your tickets at PalmSpringsPlazaTheatre.com.

Speaking of theatre, Megan Thee Stallion is headed to the Great White Way. For her Broadway debut, Meg is joining the cast of "Moulin Rouge! The Musical". Yes, the same "Moulin Rouge" which recently announced it will close this summer (a coincidence, I'm sure). Starting on March 24th, Stallion will take over the role of impresario Harold Zidler—the role currently played by Bob the Drag Queen and previously embodied by Boy George. Reflective of the times we live in, Megan is being touted as "the first female-identifying performer to play the role". She will stay with the show for eight weeks, wrapping up on May 17th.

The fun never stops in our coverage of "Traitors". This anecdote comes from the premiere party, which took place at West Hollywood hotspot The Abbey. Lisa Rinna claims that someone slipped something into her drink. "I had fentanyl in my system. I'm not kidding. I had fentanyl, high levels of amphetamines and other things. But I can't talk a lot about it because we're still dealing with it." During a promotional appearance on "Good Day New York", she went on. "So many people that I know have had this happen at The Abbey. All my daughter's friends. I mean, this is not a first-time thing. This is something that's gone on for years." We're told that fellow "Traitor" Colton Underwood first noticed Rinna was unwell at the party and alerted her team to intervene. A spokesperson for The Abbey says, "We pulled and reviewed all available surveillance footage from the time in question and interviewed staff on duty. We found no evidence of drink tampering or suspicious behavior toward her."

You wanna talk about outta sight casting? "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" is going further than Gene Roddenberry ever imagined—we're getting our first gay Klingon! Since the show started, people have speculated that the character of Jay-Den Kraag could have a secret. And he sure does. In the most recent episode, he had more than a little sexual tension with a fellow academy cadet. Actor Karim Diane portrays Jay-Den and he wrote this on social media: "Not gonna pretend like I wasn't afraid to take on this role. Part of me still kinda is. I knew that I was gonna, you know, receive a lot of negative comments that were rooted in homophobia and racism and bigotry. But what y'all have to understand, I have received 10 times more messages from LGBTQ+ people around the world telling me how much the character Jay-Den means to them. And that is all that matters to me, truly."

Tom Daley had a close encounter with the Muppets on "Sesame Street". His first scene was with Bert and Elmo. "We're fans of your athleticism, but also of your knitting," said Bert, forever putting to rest those pesky rumors about his relationship with Ernie (he admitted that he's knitting his "roommate" a scarf). But things really got cooking when Tom shared the screen with Cookie Monster. Daley gifted him with a kind of "cookie cozy"—with predictable results. You can check it out on our website.


I don't think the boys from "Heated Rivalry" are into knitting—but perhaps that could be a twist for season two, which they won't even begin filming until this summer (episodes will air spring of 2027). Since the fans aren't content waiting for the second season, they're making their own episodes. TikTok creator Carter Tyra came up with her own continuation. "They're settling into their new home with their new baby, Edward Jacob, or EJ for short. Shane found out he was pregnant again on Valentine's Day." Well, who didn't see that coming?

I'm sure you all watched Connor Storrie host "Saturday Night Live". I thought he did a commendable job. He's kinda goofy and game for anything (which is how I like my men). He even showed off his body as a stripper who had been in a car accident, a character he developed during clown classes at the Elysian Theater in LA—and we've got the original stripper photos to prove it. Of course, Hudson Williams showed his support. But one of the best skits didn't make it past dress rehearsal. In it, Connor played Armie Hammer, who admits to having Tourette's Syndrome. "Not many people know this, but one of the most common side effects of Tourette's is cannibalism. You could be casually DMing with a girl when suddenly the Tourette's takes over and you're typing stuff like, 'I'm literally going to eat you.' And she's like 'LOL what?' And you're like, 'I'm not LOLing, or ROFLing. I'm gonna drink your blood and gnaw the meat off your ribs like I'm at an Applebee's." Check out the skit on BillyMasters.com.

We have time for a brief "Ask Billy" question which will warm the cockles of your cockles. Jared in Miami said, "I just saw a clip of 'Young Hercules' on YouTube. Is that a young Ryan Gosling?"

That is indeed. I had forgotten about this short-lived series, which came from the makers of "Beastmaster" and "Xena". Ryan sports that floppy blond 'do that I continue to be so partial to. The show came to the former "Mouseketeer" in an odd way. Ian Bohenplayed the role in the pilot movie and four episodes of "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys". When the series changed from a one-hour adventure show to a half-hour children's show, Bohen passed. He also didn't want to relocate to New Zealand, where it would be filmed. Enter the lovely Gosling, who gave off a more youthful exuberance. And he wasn't alone—many of the scenes were stolen by his onscreen cohort, Dean O'Gorman, who was not only hot but funny! Check out some of their footage on BillyMasters.com.

When I'm using the Wayback Machine to answer a question, it's definitely time to end yet another column. And I didn't even need the assistance of Mr. Peabody (or his boy Sherman, which sounds awfully Epstein-esque). I am back in the States, but who knows for how long. For now, I'm just focusing on bringing you the latest gossip on www.BillyMasters.com—the site that always delivers. Send your questions to [email protected] and I promise to get back to you before I go to an Applebee's! Until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.