Don’t miss Mario Cantone’s one-man Broadway hit Laugh Whore, airing on Showtime Saturday, May 28 at 9:00 p.m. EST.
Ah, those troublesome, irascible yet loveable characters who are not AT ALL afraid of expressing their feelings at any given moment. We just love them.
Sex and the City‘s Anthony Marantino is definitely on the list. Played by the delightfully quippy Mario Cantone, the unconventional Anthony is the opposite of his uptight gal pal Charlotte. But it works for them. When she needs any emergency fashion or dating advice, she knows just where to turn. He loves to play devil’s advocate, and encourages Charlotte to get out there and date, including helping her to land the man of her dreams, Harry Goldenblatt (“Ugly sex is so hot!,” Anthony tells her). Charlotte tried to return the favor once and set Anthony up on a date with Stanford, but that didn’t work out so well (read more about Stanford below).
But playing Anthony isn’t the only thing Mario Cantone is great at. The multitalented actor stars in Showtime’s Laugh Whore, his critically acclaimed one-man Broadway show captured on film. It’s two hours of biting commentary on New York cab drivers, the gay subtext in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and growing up in an Italian-American home. He also delivers dead-on impersonations of such music legends as Judy, Liza, Tina, and Cher, and several show-stopping original songs highlight Cantone‘s musical range.
Here are a few other personalities who tickle our fancy:
The Wacky Neighbor
Jack McFarlane (Sean Hayes), Will & Grace
What can one say about Jack that hasn’t already been heralded from the mountaintops? An aspiring (i.e. unemployed, well, most of the time) actor-performer, Jack–who conveniently lives across the hall from Will and Grace–marches to the beat of his own drum. He drives Will crazy with his self-involved pursuits, but Jack’s flair for drama not only helps further his theater career but also helps manage his high-maintenance personality. Sort of.
Signature statement: With two fingers framing his face, he announces, “Just Jack”
The Rebel
Pee Wee Herman (Paul Reubens), Pee Wee’s Big Adventures
The endearingly eccentric Pee Wee Herman, in his gray suit and red bow tie, is a self-proclaimed rebel–with a bike. He does things is own way. But when Pee Wee’s treasured bike is stolen, he is sent on a wild cross-country adventure after a fortune teller tells him his bicycle is in the basement of the Alamo. In the end, he is finally reunited with his beloved bike and all is right in his little world again.
Signature statement: “I know you are, but what am I?”
The Best Friend
Stanford Blatch (Willie Garson), Sex and the City
As one of Carrie’s most loyal friends, Stanford Blatch, her “gal pal” extraordinaire, is always there for her. Whenever she needs some advice or a stand-in for a cancelled date, Stanford is happy to oblige. Of course, Stanford’s luck with men is even worse than Carrie’s, so he’s uniquely qualified to understand her dating dilemmas. For example, a turn on the Internet (under the pseudonym of “Rick9Plus”) wound up with Stanford standing in a bar, clad only in his underwear. Currently, Stanford is involved with Marcus (a man with abs good enough to grate cheese on), so maybe Stanford has finally found his man.
Signature statement: “Oh my god! She’s fashion road kill!”
The Old School
Jack Tripper (John Ritter), Three’s Company
Janet and Chrissy are two girls in desperate need of a roommate who can cook. And when they find one of the guests from a big party they just threw, asleep in their bathroom, they’ve found their third roommate. Jack Tripper is a true original, part confidante to his roommates, part culinary student and part hell-raiser. After agreeing to move in, Jack and the girls then have to convince their landlord Mr. Roper that Jack is gay. Uh-oh! Let the hilarity ensue.
Signature statement: “I swear, it will be completely platonic.”
The Interviewer
Jiminy Glick (Martin Short), Primetime Glick
By the time he was 30, Glick had grown confident enough to move out of his parents’ house and pursue an acting career. But Jiminy was ultimately forced to take a position as personal assistant to the legendary Charles Death Wish Bronson. Then, in 1991, while moonlighting as a bartender’s assistant at Roddy McDowell’s traditional People’s Choice Award after-party, he befriended former Laugh-In producer George Schlatter. As luck would have it, Schlatter was looking for a host for his new syndicated celebrity interview show. Glick got the nod and, after two short years, LalaWood rocketed into the top 100. Now, as the host to his ever-popular show Primetime Glick, Glick interviews the stars in his own unique way, while also coaching his sons’–Morgan, Mason, Matthew and Modine–little league team, rebuilding the engine of one of his classic cars or browsing for antiques. A true classic.
Signature statement: “Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful…” as he hits his guest on the knee with his rolled-up papers.
The Fashion Critic
Carson Kressley, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Carson developed his keen fashion sense on the playground, mixing and matching outfits of all the children in his head and daydreaming of a world where everyone knew it was a cardinal sin to wear white after Labor Day. Now, Carson is an independent stylist who spent many years working with Polo Ralph Lauren in New York City, specializing in the design aspect of the men’s sportswear division. And he sure does love to tell it like it is on his reality show Queer Eye, guiding those poor straight schlubs into having, at least, a proper fashion sense.
Signature statement: “You’re going to be calling me Patty Duke because I’m like the Miracle Worker.”
