Paul Lynde Feature Film in Development w/ Billy Eichner - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 07-22-2020, 02:00 AM

Billy Eichner to Play Trailblazing TV Celeb Paul Lynde in Movie being Developed
by James Hibberd
July 21, 2020

Billy Eichner is looking to portray trailblazing TV celebrity Paul Lynde in a feature film. Eichner is developing Man in the Box, a movie about the former "Hollywood Squares" star, who rose to fame in the 1960s and '70s while having to conceal his sexuality.

The news was first reported by Deadline, and comes on the heels of EW's viral story, "The Mad, Sad, Totally Fab Life of Paul Lynde," which examined Lynde's life and career for our May LGBTQ issue.

In that story, we spoke to Eichner about his feelings about the complicated Lynde, whose undeniable talent and comic timing were offset by self-destructive and abusive behavior, as well as conflicted attitudes about being a gay man in Hollywood.

"He was way ahead of his time in terms of his willingness to be as overtly gay as one could be in that era on television," Eichner said. "Which is not to say he was out — because he wasn't — but I don't think that would have been a real possibility at that point. Considering that it's still challenging for actors and comedians even 40 years later, and he was on television all the time and he was beloved, he probably was the first gay person — whether he was using that word or not — to show up regularly in a lot of people's homes across America."

Despite considerable television fame on "Hollywood Squares", guest appearances on other shows (Bewitched), and occasional movie roles (Bye Bye Birdie), Lynde never did reach the level of dramatic success he strove for, and he died in 1982 at age 55.

"He didn't ever pretend to be straight," Eichner noted. "He wouldn't let publicists and studio execs set him up in some fake relationship with a woman that the tabloids get photos of so that America would be more comfortable with him. So even though he didn't come out and say, 'I'm gay,' he really wasn't faking it either — which is what the majority of gay actors at that time felt that they had to do."

https://ew.com/movies/billy-eichner-paul-lynde-film/

07-22-2020, 02:00 AM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,320	Paul Lynde Feature Film in Development w/ Billy Eichner Billy Eichner to Play Trailblazing TV Celeb Paul Lynde in Movie being Developed by James Hibberd July 21, 2020 Billy Eichner is looking to portray trailblazing TV celebrity Paul Lynde in a feature film. Eichner is developing Man in the Box, a movie about the former "Hollywood Squares" star, who rose to fame in the 1960s and '70s while having to conceal his sexuality. The news was first reported by Deadline, and comes on the heels of EW's viral story, "The Mad, Sad, Totally Fab Life of Paul Lynde," which examined Lynde's life and career for our May LGBTQ issue. In that story, we spoke to Eichner about his feelings about the complicated Lynde, whose undeniable talent and comic timing were offset by self-destructive and abusive behavior, as well as conflicted attitudes about being a gay man in Hollywood. "He was way ahead of his time in terms of his willingness to be as overtly gay as one could be in that era on television," Eichner said. "Which is not to say he was out — because he wasn't — but I don't think that would have been a real possibility at that point. Considering that it's still challenging for actors and comedians even 40 years later, and he was on television all the time and he was beloved, he probably was the first gay person — whether he was using that word or not — to show up regularly in a lot of people's homes across America." Despite considerable television fame on "Hollywood Squares", guest appearances on other shows (Bewitched), and occasional movie roles (Bye Bye Birdie), Lynde never did reach the level of dramatic success he strove for, and he died in 1982 at age 55. "He didn't ever pretend to be straight," Eichner noted. "He wouldn't let publicists and studio execs set him up in some fake relationship with a woman that the tabloids get photos of so that America would be more comfortable with him. So even though he didn't come out and say, 'I'm gay,' he really wasn't faking it either — which is what the majority of gay actors at that time felt that they had to do." https://ew.com/movies/billy-eichner-paul-lynde-film/ Attached Images