Out and about in Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD — If there's a "gay mafia" in Hollywood, it's not necessarily working all that well. At least not for the five show-biz wannabes profiled in the documentary "Gay Hollywood," which premieres tonight at 8 on AMC.

Not that the five guys are complete failures, but they're all struggling. And they certainly aren't getting a lot of help from the established, successful, openly gay writers, producers and executives in town.

"I think it is fair to say that Hollywood is and has been one of the gayest towns on the planet," said executive producer Randy Barbato, whose documentary spends time "following five guys who are really smart and talented on their way" as a "vehicle for us to kind of probe some provocative notions about being gay in Hollywood. More so than being the token gay contestant on 'Survivor.'"

The guys range from totally "straight-acting" to a drag queen (Micah McCain). There's an actor (Robert Laughlin), a writer (Benjamin Morgan) and two writer/directors (Lance Black and Allan Brocka). They didn't know each other before filming began, but they bond as a support group of sorts.

Yes, they're gay. Yes, some of their discussions may shock some viewers.

But the documentary is not so much about being gay as it is trying to make it in Hollywood — a tough task regardless of your sexual orientation. It's discouraging. Even humiliating.

Laughlin is essentially sponging off his parents. Brocka reluctantly writes and directs a risque movie to make ends meet. McCain works his stand-up act in a strip mall.

What could be worse than Morgan listening to the executive producer of the dreadfully written abomination of a sitcom "Good Morning, Miami" telling you that your writing isn't good enough?

Yet they express determination to keep trying.

"For me, what's so interesting about this film is that Hollywood is sort of the last great dream," Laughlin said. "You don't have to go to med school, law school, anything like that. You can just come to Hollywood with no skills whatsoever and try to make it. It's true!"

As for that "gay mafia" that onetime Hollywood superagent and studio executive Michael Ovitz once insisted had done him in, the guys aren't buying it.

"I think there's a big misconception that there's this cabal of powerful gay men who are meeting behind closed doors to make these Machiavellian-like decisions …. I don't think it's anything so organized as that," Laughlin said.

"Unfortunately, none of us is in it if it exists …. If it existed, I would have found it by now," McCain said.

"QUEER EYE" ON NBC: With the success of the makeover show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" on NBC-owned cable channel Bravo and in a half-hour cutdown that aired on NBC itself a couple of weeks ago, the Peacock has scheduled a full-hour rerun of the show for Thursday at 9 p.m. (Ch. 5). The Fab Five will also appear on "The Tonight Show" (10:35 p.m., Ch. 5) both Friday and Saturday to makeover host Jay Leno.

And, by the way, Bravo is experiencing its best ratings ever since "Eye" and the gay-dating show "Boy Meets Boy" premiered last month.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com