Victor Webster :: Melrose Place’s new gay hottie
In the original Melrose Place, fans of the gay character Matt (played by Doug Savant) were often short-changed by kisses that were edited out and storylines that didn’t really flesh out the life of a gay man living in Los Angeles.
Now that the CW network was brought Melrose Place back to life, they have also brought a new gay character into the mix. Openly gay publicist Caleb, played by hottie Victor Webster couldn’t be more different than Matt in that he is in a position of power at the publicity firm where Ella (Katie Cassidy) works and he also happens to be a cigar-smoking, Lakers-loving guy’s guy.
But will we see a realistic portrayal of a gay man living in 2009? Edge’s Jim Halterman talked to Webster about playing gay and how he feels about filming bedroom scenes with another man as well as how his nearly nude work in Sex and the City still gets him recognized today.
Non-stereotypical gay character
EDGE: How did the role of Caleb come about?
Victor Webster: It was the audition process, actually. I got a call to go in for Melrose Place, which I thought was interesting. I loved the fact that they were doing it again because I was a fan of the original. I went in for the audition and I got a call awhile later that I had the part.
EDGE: Did you know the breakdown of the character? That he was a gay character?
VW: Yeah, I did and I thought their take on the character was very interesting. He’s a very masculine, non-stereotypical gay character, which was intriguing to me because it’s nice that there’s that type of character portrayed on television. Not the very typical type of gay character that you see in media now, which is very effeminate or very overtly gay. It’s nice when they mix it up and show the true spectrum of what’s going on out there.
EDGE: You first appeared in last week’s episode and it was almost an afterthought that Caleb just happened to be gay. He definitely doesn’t seem defined by his sexuality.
VW: That’s what I really like about it. I’m friends with so many types of people and I have a lot of gay friends who are very masculine and play sports so I know people who are just like this, so it’s nice to get that perspective.
Watch a clip of Victor Webster on Melrose Place.
