One of the best things about the series was the character Mickey, who came out of the closet last night, a big deal for him, but not worth noticing to anyone else. Here's an interview with Robert Michael Morris, the 65-year-old teacher and theater actor — and former monk — who played Mickey so brilliantly. An excerpt:
Mickey fixes Valerie's hair a lot, and it never really looks any different.
That's a wig she wears. I was told, "Whenever you're not doing anything, touch her hair."
Is Mickey maybe a tiny bit of a sycophant?
He's not a sycophant at all. I think Mickey completely adores her. He wants her to always look her best. If he was a sycophant, and it was only what she could do for him, he wouldn't protect her as much. Mickey and Val share that history that she can rely on.
Why was Mickey so sensitive about people knowing he was gay?
I don't think he's sensitive about being gay. It's just that he's never been open about it. He thinks of himself as just being him. He doesn't think of himself as being almost a stereotype. People always want to say to me, "Are you gay?" My standard answer is, "If I was playing a serial killer, would you ask me if I was a serial killer?" De Niro played Al Capone. Did people think he was a gangster? I let them think what they want to think, because it's nobody's business. Look what happened with "Will & Grace." Eric McCormack and Sean Hayes spend half their time saying, "No, we're not gay."
Oh, yes, isn't it gauche the way those actors who play gay characters go on talk shows and the instant they sit down find ways to make references to their wives?
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4 comments:
I hope The Comeback gets picked up for a second season like, erm, The Comeback. I think your vomit-themed blogging day presaged the ending! Which reminds me of my other favorite show on TV right now, Starved. Do you watch that? It's on F/X. Not sure what night.
As for Mickey, he kind of bothered me. I find it hard to believe there are closeted hair and make-up types in Hollywood in this day and age, even for a man of Mickey's generation. It just seemed strained to me. That said, Morris did a great job w/ the role and Mickey and Valerie make a perfect match.
I liked how uncomfortable Valerie seemed by Mickey's proclamations... "Okay, that's done." But he definitely wasn't closeted, just uncomfortable with the world knowing his business.
My favorite element of this show was the subtle Jane-Valerie relationship, particularly last week when Valerie's field hockey story made Jane tear up.
Also, it's well-known that Sean Hayes from Will & Grace is gay, but he has so far refused to say so on the record. It's understandable to want to maintain one's privacy, but does he honestly think he would be hurt by such information being known? Has he been auditioning for a lot of macho romantic leads lately?
On the show, Mickey said he was using Valerie's premier party as a coming out party for himself, so it's reasonable to say he was closeted beforehand.
Of course, there are different ways of being closeted and different ways to talk about it.
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