By Romeo San Vicente
Amy Adams is the new Janis Joplin. Yes, really.
Years ago, as the search for an actor to play Janis Joplin heated up, the late Brittany Murphy saw her apparently very impressive audition tape float around Hollywood and the smart money was on her. (People tend to forget that Murphy was a good singer.) Then they talked about Melissa Etheridge. And just recently Pink was on track to step into the role. But now it seems that after years and years of teasing casting announcements, setbacks and development deals crumbling into dust, it looks like a big-screen Joplin has been found in… Amy Adams? Sweet, delicate "Enchanted" princess Amy Adams? That Amy Adams? Yes. Wonder aloud, if you will, but that's why they call it acting. And if she pulls off a role that's as troubled and drugged and bisexual as Adams's normal persona is adorable, light and into guys like "Leap Year"'s Matthew Goode, then you'll know what that earlier Oscar nomination for "Junebug" was about. It's just nice to hear that it's not going to any of the young women from "High School Musical" or "Glee." At least for now.
Mickey Rourke as a gay rugby player?
If you were asked to pick which extremely macho cast member of the upcoming action picture "The Expendables" would lobby to play a gay athlete, which man would you select? If you said Jason Statham then you're wrong – but who can blame you for dreaming, really? – and not thinking about the other idiosyncratic role choices that have characterized the career of Mickey Rourke. The star of "The Wrestler" has set his sights on playing British rugby star Gareth Thomas, the first-ever professional rugby player to come out as gay. Thomas is on board for the actor to play him in a story of his life and Rourke has expressed his desire to get the project moving. One small problem: Thomas is 35 and Rourke is 57. So that could be a plausibility issue. If it all falls through for that reason, then someone might want to give cool up-and-coming character actor Tom Hardy ("Inception," "Bronson") a call.
Katherine Moennig riding with the 'Lincoln Lawyer'
Is Katherine Moennig a lesbian or is she just very happy to play one every chance she gets? It's impossible to know until the "L Word" alum speaks up and says one way or the other, but her recent inclusion in an art show for lesbian photographer Catherine Opie and her participation in the recent hilarious Funny or Die online video about a "real lesbian" chatline (featuring Sandra Bernhard and "Sarah Silverman Program"'s Tig Notaro and a lot of hilarious kvetching) would suggest that she doesn't care if you assume she is. And her fan base of ladies – and some gentlemen – will be happy to know that she's shooting a new film. It's called "The Lincoln Lawyer." No, it's not a Civil War drama. It's about a lawyer who conducts business out of his car and it co-stars Marisa Tomei, Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe and William H. Macy. Moennig's role isn't known at this time: a bailiff? Court reporter? Lindsay Lohan's future cellmate? The possibilities are endless.
Beavis and Butthead: Reunited, and it feels so good
Keep Ernie and Bert. They were always too ambiguous about their affections. If you want a male pair to put on a pedestal, you can never go wrong with MTV's 1990's power-couple Beavis and Butthead. On sabbatical from pop culture for almost a decade after "doing" America in their feature film, the inseparable and idiotic teens are coming back to the small screen for new episodes where they'll sit on a couch and do what they do best: talk about weird music videos and make stupid comments. That the press coverage of this return to business as usual tends to focus on the boys watching Lady Gaga videos, it begs the question of what heterosexual young men care enough. Okay, sure, Romeo is reading between the lines. But not that much. Creator Mike Judge is working hard on the new episodes right now.
