Y&R: Clementine Ford (Mackenzie) comes out

[y&r_fan]

http://www.accesshollywood.com/cybill-shep...t_video_1083410

She looks better with the longer hair too.

[Amity]

I love how she's just so comfortable with it and doesn't feel the need to explain WHY she is right with a woman and not a man (that question was stupid as hell).

[JackPeyton]

I really do like her.

that video is also very telling about whats coming up on Y&R...

[dm.]

What a sweet lady

Looks like she'll have longer hair soon at Y&R too... it looks great on her.

[JackPeyton]

i was just watching her story arc on The L Word.

I honestly forgot that she oil wrestled with Courtney from GH! lol.

[Ann_SS]

Good for Clementine. Life is too short. I hated the LWord. Bad acting and crappy stories all the way around. I kept watching in hopes that it would improve, it never did. but it was a groundbreaking series.

I hope that she ends up being a decent Mac because with all this good publicity no way is Y&R firing her.

[rangethatrover]

I like her alot. Hate the hair, but I think she is going to be very popular.

[Cat]

Out of all the actresses that played Mac, CF comes across as the most natural and engaging. I cannot wait for more of that to translate onto the screen.

And kudos to her for coming out in a business where, for the most part, many actors are told to keep quiet about their sexuality. Sure, over the past couple of years, that has been slowly changing but there still is a ways to go.

However, the cynical bitch in me has to wonder why Ford is coming out. Why now? When she just landed a new role on Y&R?

It could be coincidence. CF decided to silence some of the questions and whispers once and for all. However, in Soapland, she is certainly unique. Because you know and I know that there are actors in Daytime -- on her own show -- who have not come out. Not officially. They probably do not see the need to do that because their life is their own business. So why is Ford doing it? Unless it was sanctioned by the Y&R brass for reasons of their own. Maybe to promote an upcoming SL?

[brimike]

MUCH better with long hair.

Sara Bibel wrote up a FANTASTIC blog about Clementine. Really great:

http://www.fancast.com/blogs/deep-soap/dee...s-and-arrivals/

[EricMontreal22]

Is this the first time a major contract role on an American daytime soap has been played by an out actor or actress? (not an actor who came out after their soap work and not a character role that was recurring)

[EricMontreal22]

And Bibel's blog answered my question I agree with her however:

" Nor has anyone questioned whether a lesbian will be a viable heterosexual romantic lead. Well done, daytime fans."

I suspect for conservative soap execs it still may be more of an issue with a gay male actor being hired to play a romantic lead they want what they consider their core fanbase (women who want romance) to be attracted to

[brimike]

Bierdz came out after he left Y&R, right? And I believe Rambo didn't talk about it until Pinter took over as Grant on Another World.

I mean - other than the ones that are just "known" and there was no official coming out, yeah. This is the first time an actor/actress has stated it for the record while they were on the show, I think.

[JackPeyton]

I agree.

I dont think its so much her coming out as it was questions, accusations, and opinions. that Diva magazine that misquoted her and pieced together partys of diff things she said to twist it all around. Then that botched TVGuide article where they brought it up and she tried to clear it all up that amde it worse. I was happy she did an interview with the advocate and when they asked she was like yeah, i am.

It pretty much all stems from The L Word, because you know anyone who plays gay MUST be gay. ... ok, granted with Clem and a few others it is true, but still. thats where it all came from. And i think she got a lot of backlash from that tvguide article in re to the diva article. Her mother seems like a no bullshit kind of women and maybe Clem just decided to clear the air and whatnot. But if you look at her answers, they are not detailed. She isnt like screaming it from the rooftops. So that tells me she isnt doing it for the attention or anything. Perhaps she doesnt want to be outed by Perez like he likes to do for some unknown reason.. or even SoapNet at this point lol, and no most soap actors are gay and not out (and not really in the closet either) but they also dont have a famous mother.

that said, i dont think it was publicity for an upcoming storyline with Mac in terms of her sexuality (or anything else to be honest) because it would hugely typecast her if she was Lesbian/Bi in real life and played on one the L Word and plays one on Y&R. But then again their are certain gay actors who only play gay roles. so ya never know.

[Cat]

I don't know... but I don't really recall another. Thom Bierdz played Philip on Y&R, but I think he came out after he left the show.

It certainly doesn't interfere with chemistry with the opposite sex or being a "viable" romantic lead anything like that. There were rumors that Terry Lester was gay -- the man was a walking sex bomb with any woman he was paired with on Y&R. Similarly, there is an actress who has had similar rumors her way, and who has marked chemistry with almost every male with whom she is paired.

CF and Billy Miller click. And with their current SL on Y&R, that is all that matters.

[Cat]

Thanks for clearing that up. I felt unsure about raising the issue but I always get cynical where Hollywood is concerned and wonder if there is a PR/spin aspect attached to certain press releases.

I haven't read The Advocate article but I'll take your word on how it was stated. CF strikes me as very natural and direct without making a song-and-dance about coming out.

I still wonder about soaps, though. Daytime isn't as subtle as Primetime or cable and they do often typecast actors. Like Ryan Carnes, who turned down a return to GH as Lucas, maybe because he didn't necessarily want to be typecast as "the gay character" after his turn on Desperate Housewives.