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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 19, 2003)
18.2QÛ3* Despite their different paths and opposite coasts, the overarching them e of all three con versations is that to he successful in entertain ment (and in life) you need to he comfortable with yourself and your sexuality. For this new crop of show-biz hopefuls, being closeted is not an option. They are out and proud. In fact, Laughlin and Millegan feel that being out has actually helped their careers, and Kith aspire to be role models for other stage-struck gay youth. (Performing was a pas sion from an early age for all three.) A nother constant in our conversations is perseverance and how to weather the time before you reach your ambitions. Laughlin probably puts it best when he says, “It takes 10 years to be an overnight success.” m m ; Com. boy: Robm t Lauqltiin, ■ he front dtxir opens to reveal a man so strikingly beautiful it literally takes my breath away. His name is Robert Laugh- lin. He is 32, 5 feet 11 inches tall, with dreamy green eyes, a beguiling smile and skin so smooth I wanted to lick him. O h, yes. He is also an actor in Los Angeles and one of five men who were featured in In addition to print and commercial A M C ’s recent documentary Gay Hollywtxxi. work since childhood, Yamhill native Laughlin was Him Robert DeCrevel. O r Robert Laughlin hopes to star in a Robbie DeCrevel, as he was known in Yamhill, sitcom while developing other the small, rural town southwest of Portland television projects where he grew up. ("Its still exactly the way it was when 1 lived th ere.. .just one blinking light," he says.) Laughlin was his m others maid Laughlin says that being out in Hollywood en name. He says he dropped DeCrevel because actually helps him. "There’s something it “didn’t sound like a star name to me." ak m t...b ein g completely who I am [that] peo Laughlin started performing in grade schtxil ple are attracted to. People like m e...so for me and modeling locally, appear it’s a gixxl thing." ing at a young age in print ads H e’s also proud of being for Fred Meyer. He left openly gay and hopes he Yamhill to attend Cornish can he an inspiration to Gillege of the Arts on Capitol young queers in rural areas. Hill in Seattle. There, after “If you can help one kid suppressing his sexuality as a who’s struggling with who teen-ager, he had his first gay they are...and they see you experience with a classmate. and think it’s OK, you can (“As stxin as I found out [he be gay and do what you liked me|, a light went on and want and have dreams, then there was no turning back.") th a t’s great." He moved to Hollywtxxi But, like many overnight in 1993 and, like many young sensations, Laughlin has actors, tcxik a variety of jobs to been working hard at his support himself while waiting craft for years. As you would for his big break. In August he expect of a stunning beauty, finally received national he had no trouble securing attention as one of the Gay —Robert Laughlin print and commercial work Hollywood hopefuls who were after arriving in Hollywtxxi. followed for seven months its they tried to launch U ntil Gay Hollywood, however, he had only a or further their entertainment careers. few guest roles on sitcoms, such as Family Mat r “If you can help one kid who’s struggling with who they are...and they see you and think it’s OK, you can be gay and do what you want and have dreams, then that’s great.” _____________ I ------------------- D ignified P f . t S ervices a •• • ters, Cybill and Caroline in the City, and he always seemed to be the ninner-up for larger roles. (He was a finalist for the part of Jack in Will & Grace but missed the final callback because he was stuck for six hours in a massive traffic jam.) He hopes that with national expo sure (he has been featured on the cover of Out magazine in a wet T-shirt, been profiled by Instmct magazine, been mentioned in TV Guide and appeared on Access Hollywtxxi), all that will change. Laughlin’s dream is to star in a TV sitcom, and he is lobbying for the lead in / Love Lucas, an updated all-male version of / Love Lucy. He hopes to emulate his favorite comedian, Carol Burnett, and put his substantial physical come dy skills to use. “She’s so over the top,” he says. “I love her broad comedy.” A t the same time, he is also pursuing other avenues in Hollywtxid. I'Hiring the filming of Gay Hollyuxxxl, he and two friends were devel oping a talk show called The Wizards of Aahs, which he describes as “sort of a gay version of The View." 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