Hi Honey, I'm Homo! by Matt Baume

Author:Matt Baume
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781637743027
Publisher: BenBella Books
Published: 2023-02-24T00:00:00+00:00

With the core cast now in place, rehearsals began immediately with Bea Arthur as acerbic Dorothy; Estelle Getty as her wisecracking mother, Sophia; Betty White as oblivious Rose; Rue McClanahan as sex-driven Blanche; and Charles Levin as Coco.

Wait . . . who’s Coco?

He’s the girls’ gay houseboy, of course. Susan Harris often included gay characters on her shows, and Coco was sort of a continuation of Jodie from Soap. Levin had played a gay sex worker on Hill Street Blues, and the plan was for his character to serve as the show’s younger voice. In the pilot, he’s present in the kitchen for Dorothy to complain to when no one else is around; he offers a quippy remark now and then; and there’s a hint at some friction with Sophia.

But as Jeffrey Jones,* another actor considered for the part, observed at his audition, the character seemed unnecessary. As they rehearsed the pilot, it became clear that Jones was right. There just wasn’t room for a fifth housemate. Harris made the tough call to mostly cut Coco from the series so they could focus on the dynamic between the women—but it wouldn’t be the last time gay characters would visit the house.

*

The Golden Girls debuted on September 14, 1985, with a straightforward introductory story. Blanche, who owns the house, has been seeing a gentleman for a while; when he asks her to marry him, the girls (and Coco) support her, but privately they worry about what that means for their living arrangements:

ROSE: What if she marries him? What will happen to us? This house is hers.

DOROTHY: Well, then we’ll move.

ROSE: We can’t afford to buy a house. What do we have for collateral? A gay cook?

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.