February 18

Vintage tan lines: Tuck Powell
1960s beefcake model, a Marine tragically killed in Vietnam a few days after his 19th birthday.
5'5" tall, 130 pounds.

 

Rowers: Athletic pursuits

Boots & Leather: Part II (for blog reader James)

Our celebrity guest: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Fireside literature (for extra credit):

Quotable:
"Alcoholics" is such a demeaning term; 
I much prefer "drinking enthusiasts."



Actor Russell Tovey       

33-year-old British stage, film and television star Russell Tovey (b. 1981), currently playing Kevin Matheson on HBO’s gay series, Looking, is an out gay man playing the role of an out gay man. Heretofore, he was best known for playing a string of straight characters. Tovey does not have a stereotypical appearance, and the role in this series fits him well, because Looking excels in making the lives of gay men in San Francisco appear “normal” – no rainbow flags, no pride marches, no drag queens (at least so far). Looking is now airing its second season.

During his adolescent years, Russell’s homosexuality caused problems within his family. When he came out to his parents at age 18, he and his father subsequently had a falling out, with his dad suggesting that, had he known earlier, he would have asked Tovey to take hormones or undergo some other medical treatment to "fix the problem". Russell says his parents were deeply concerned about the possibility he might contract HIV, which may have contributed to the falling out. However, the birth of Tovey's nephew in 2004 helped them mend their relationship. In an interview with The Scotsman, Tovey said, "The only thing I can give to young gay people is that when I was growing up there were no role models who were blokey*, that were men. Everybody was flamboyant and camp, and I remember going, 'That's not me, so even though I think I am gay, I don't think I fit into this world.'"

*a regular guy, having a masculine demeanor (British slang)

Highlights of Tovey’s acting career include the role of Rudge in gay playwright/director Alan Bennett’s History Boys in both the original London stage production and subsequent tours of New York, Sydney, Wellington and Hong Kong. When a film version was made in 2006, he reprised his role of Rudge. The film version (a must-see) was your blogger’s introduction to Mr. Tovey, whose ears project so far that they are certifyably “cute.”

Few know that Tovey is also an author, playwright and screenwriter. Russell, who has been with his current boyfriend since 2009, carefully guards details of his private life, except that he waxes rhapsodic about his French bulldog.