Dennis Hensley's News

Havin' a Sketchy Time in NYC

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:59:00 +0000

In mid-February, I flew east to New York City to begin a 10 week job as a writer on the Logo comedy series, The Big Gay Sketch Show. It's my first time working in NYC for an extended period of time and I'm totally digging it. I'm loving the folks I'm working with and the works realy fun and challenging.

We have no idea when the show's going to air. It could be in the fall of '09 or sometime in 2010, which makes it a bit tricky to be topical but we're managing. Stay tuned.

Here's a pic of me with some of the other writers. L to R it's me, Craig Chester, Katie Dippold, Alec Holland, head writer Scott King and Billy Eichner.

Live (sort of)...from North Hollywood...it's our new PODCAST!

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:00:00 +0000

Hey Friends! Exciting news. My roommate and best friend, the irrepressible Tony Tripoli, and I have recently start a podcast. It's called "THE COMEDY COUCH with Dennis Hensley and Tony Tripoli." The Comedy Couch is what we nicknamed our living room sofa ages ago because it was so often the site of TV ribbing, particularly during pageants, award shows and "Queer as Folk."

To listen and subscribe to the podcast, go to the iTunes store and search for it. (Hint: it coms up easier if you search for 'Dennis Hensley' or 'Tony Tripoli' than it does if you search for 'Comedy Couch.')

We hope you enjoy our mad ramblings. You can let us know what you think at thecomedycouch@gmail.com

Happy Listening!

As opposed to Easy Listening. Who do we look like, Air Supply?

Giving ENTOURAGE a Gay Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:27:00 +0000

One of the reasons I enjoy the HBO comedy "Entourage" is that many of its locations are places I actually go to here in L.A. Not any of the super fancy ones, mind you. I've never dined on sushi at Koi, for example. but I have been to Jerry's Deli and the Urth Cafe, just like the guys on "Entourage".

This month, in my regular 'Going My Way" column on OutTraveler.com, I imagine where the "Entourage" gang would hang out in LA, if the fearsome foursome were gay. You can read the article here.

A FAB Article on Me

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:58:00 +0000

Last year, avery funny and talented writer Paul Bellini wrote an article about me for Fab, the gay magazine based in Toronto. He managed to capture my current career frustrations without making me sound like I was seconds away from putting my head in the oven. I got to meet Paul last year when I visited Toronto for Halloweek and he was great fun to talk with. He also showed me the spot on this statue where people rub this guy's naked butt for good luck.

You can read his Fab article here.

"MAD" About the Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:59:00 +0000

If you happen to be in Canada and you happen to be a fan of Mad Men, you may want to check out the cover story I wrote on Christina Hendricks for the October issue of the Canadian magazine Fashion. Hendricks plays resident office bombshell on the Emmy-winning drama and she's as smart and sassy in person as she is on the show. Hendricks didn't get an Emmy nod herself this year—none of the show's amazing ladies did, what the f---?—but that's bound to change in the future.

The full article is available only in the print version but some bonus Q & A material is currently up on Fashion's website. Check it out here.

My Xanadu Dream Come True

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:31:00 +0000

I just got the news that Xanadu on Broadway has announced its closing date. Well, it was fun while it lasted. This got me to thinking about my own Xanadu stage dream. In 2006, I was one of a gaggle of dancers who performed "Dancin'" in front of the screen at a screening of Xanadu at the Alex Theater in Glendale. The moment where I struck my ending pose and the crowd went nuts was probably the most purely blissful of these miserable Buch years.

A video of the event is on YouTube and you can check it out here. I'm the guy in the bright purple suit (purchased in Hong Kong during my cruise ship years--could barely fit in it). I also wrote about it at the time in several blogs on OutzoneTV.com.

You can read about Part One here

Part Two is here.

Part Three is here.

A final Xanadu note: I recently got to interview Kira herself Olivia Newton John for Radio with a Twist. I asked her when was the last time she rollerskated and she said she hung up her skates after Xanadu because she broke her tailbone while making the movie. How did I never know that before? I feel like I got a Xana-scoop!

My Fair City

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:47:00 +0000

From tasty goodness of Chevy's to the throbbing disco beats of Oil Can Harry's, I share all my favorite L.A. places and pastimes in this interview with the website Planet Out. Check it out here. The accompanying photos are by the lovely and talented Gabriel Goldberg.

My short film REUNION hits Cinemax and Outfest

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:29:00 +0000

This summer brings something that's almost as exciting as the return of So You Think You Can Dance; the bow of my first-ever project as director, the short film REUNION.

First, some backstory. In the fall of 2007, I had the pleasure of attending my high school reunion in Arizona. Though I'm sure all my classmates knew that I was gay, I had never taken a boyfriend home before. As I drove to the event with my boyfriend John Michael, I was surprised to discover I had anxiety about what they might think of me and my big gay love…even after all these years.

Those feelings were the inspiration behind my short film, Reunion. It tells the story of a gay TV decorating show personality named Kenny Jarvis who returns to his small Arizona hometown for his 20-year high school reunion, with his boyfriend B.J. in tow, and discovers his former classmates aren't exactly who they appear to be.

I wrote the script for Reunion in January of 2008 and entered it in HBO's Shout Gay and Lesbian Film Contest. In February, I found out I was one of three winners who would be given a budget to make their movie. In March, we cast and shot it. In April, we edited and mixed it. On May 2, it premiered at the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival at a beautiful outdoor screening in a park by the beach. This month, it's screening on HBO's on-line outlet Cinemax-on-Demand through July 17th and will also play at Outfest on July 12 at 1:30 PM along with the other two HBO winners and the feature film The Way I See It. For tickets and info, visit www.outfest.org

Hope you're able to check it out and that you have as much fun watching it as we did making it.

Viva la France a'la Disney

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Sun, 25 May 2008 17:30:00 +0000

This April, thanks to my boyfriend John Michael's exployment at Adventures By Disney, we got to take part in a 'dress rehearsal' for a new AbD tour, Flavors of France. We started in Provence, where we spent several days biking through the countryside, kayaking under the Pont Du Gard, and exploring picturesque hillside towns like Gorde.

Then we went to Paris and took in the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, a water taxi ride down the Seine and various other Parisian pleasures. It was a wonderful trip and our Disney guides, who are actually humans and not cartoon characters like Lilo and Stitch, took care of everything and made our trip run so smoothly.

I wrote about our adventure for Outraveller.com You can read my first blog here, my second blog here, and my third blog here.

I also did three video vlogs about the trip for OutzoneTV.com You can watch the vlogs here.

Something to SHOUT about!

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:23:00 +0000

Super exciting news, folks. This January I entered a script in HBO's Shout GLBT Short Film Contest. The three winners get a little chunk of change from HBO to make their movie. Well, guess what? I was won of the winners!

My film is called "Reunion" and it's about a gay TV design show host who returns to his small Arizona town, boyfriend in tow, to attend his 20-year high school reunion--and then some crazy and surprising stuff goes down. It was loosely inspired by my own reunion which I attended last year with my boyfriend.

We shot the film over two days, March 26th and 27th, at the lovely Casita Del Campo restaurant in Silver Lake and also at the kitchy Pink Motel in Sun Valley. My cast and crew were dynamite and I'm in love with all of them. It was a total blast.

The film will make it's world premier on May 2 at the Miami Film Festival and also play at Outfest in LA and Provincetown. Hopefully, other festivals as well. Unless they totally hate it, HBO will air the film on one of its outlets in June. I'll keep you posted. The whole experience has been one of the most thrilling, creative trips of my life...and it's far from over.

Now back to the editing room!

"Shelter" Swelter

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:15:00 +0000

One of the sweetest, best made gay flicks I've seen is a while is about to hit theaters. It's called "Shelter" and it's a love story set against the backdrop of the SoCal surf scene. I got to profile the filmmakers and stars of the movie for The Advocate. You can check that feature out here.

I also wrote a sidebar story about the gay surf scene--and lack thereof--for Advocate.com Check it out here.

And go check out "Shelter." It's like Frankie and Annette with goody-trails.

Machu Picchu Man

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:01:00 +0000

In February, I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to Peru with a group of people from IGLTA (International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association). I flew into Lima, then onto Cusco. From there, we traveled in to the Sacred Valley and up to the ancient Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. It was one of the most awe-inspiring places I've ever been. If you ever have the chance to go, go!

I wrote about the trip for Outtraveler.com and you can read my updates here. The link goes to the first dated posting and you can click through the others from there. There are a few other posts in the middle there that aren't from my trip but just keep clicking through.

I also made a video vlog during my trip for OutzoneTV.com You can watch that here.

A million thanks to the amazing folks at Lima Tours, LAN Airlines and IGLTA for making it happen for me.

I ate guinea pig, I touched llama and I saw one of the new wonders of the world. Thrilling!

Nuts for Brazil!

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:05:00 +0000

Early in February I got to take a trip to Sao Paulo and Florianopolis, Brazil for Outraveler.com I had an amazing time. This picture was the view from my hotel in Florianopolis. I looks like a jigsaw puzzle from the 60's. You can check out my blogposts here.

See Dennis in "Slideshow" - January 11th

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 19:46:00 +0000

I'm going to be performing in "Slideshow" again on January 11th. This is going to be a particularly interesting night because each performer is creating a slideshow based on a box of slides chosen randomly. Paul, the proprietor of the Fake Gallery, was given a ton of discarded slides, like boxes and boxes of them, and we all grabbed one and now we have to turn them into comedy gold. I suppose I should open my box at some point and see what I have to work with. Maybe I'll go do that now.

Anyway, it promises to be a fun night...and there's free hooch and Diet Coke! Hope to see you there!

Hollywood Life 4-Pack

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:19:00 +0000

Hey Friends. Pick up the new issue of Hollywood Life magazine with Halle Berry on the cover. I have four profiles inside: "Californication" and "X-Files" star David Duchovny, "Atonement" star James McAvoy, music producer J,R. Rotem (he'se the guy who was rumored to ahve impregnated Britney Spears) and from "Ugly Betty", the hilarious Michael Urie.

I didn't have to nerve to ask Duchovny about all the free-balling sweatpants stories I've been hearing about him for years but I did talk to Rotem about Ms. Spears. They were romantically linked for a while after Britney split from K-Fed. He worked on seven tracks with Britney for her latest CD "Blackout", but when I talked to him three weeks before the CD dropped, he didn't know which if any of his cuts would make the CD. I think it's because none of them did. He was real fun to talk to, though.

A Tale of Two Game Shows

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 05:26:00 +0000

Anyone who knows me knows that I've always been obsessed with game shows. As a kid, I used to buy all the home game versions of TV shows and make my friends play them.

So it was a dream come true to be a contestant on the new game show "That's the Question" on the Game Show Network. It almost made up for the time back in 2003 that my dreams of being on Pyramid were dashed--after umpteen auditions and a full day of waiting in the studio to tape--because it turned out that I had gone out on a couple of go-nowhere dates with the executive producer back in the 90's. For legal reasons, I was out and I couldn't play the Pyramid. And I rock at Pyramid. Talk about a heartbreaker.

So I was thrilled to get on "That's the Question." The show is hosted by Bob Goen and it combines elements of Wheel of Fortune, Jumble and Millionaire to make a game that's fun, fast-paced and challenging.

My episode airs on the Game Show Network on Friday, November 30 (9 PM EST / 8 CST). Check your local listings for the exact time because every market is different. I can't tell you if I win or not, but I can tell you that I'm wearing a green shirt from Banana Republic and that I had a lot of fun.

Speaking of game shows, The MisMatch Game returns to the LAGLC on Friday, November 30, December 1 and Sunday, December 2. Learn all about it HERE.

Jordin Sparks My Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 21:32:00 +0000

A note to Idol fans:

I just interviewed Idol winner Jordin Sparks for MSNBC about her new CD, which I really dig. Check it out HERE.

Hey Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Dennis Hensley) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 02:42:00 +0000

This is the blog where I'll be posting updates about stuff I've got going on.