Show Notes
What happens when one of the funniest and most outspoken stars from Sex and the City sits down with one of television’s original openly gay entertainment journalists?
In this deeply funny, brutally honest, and surprisingly emotional episode of STILL HERE HOLLYWOOD, Mario Cantone opens up to Steve Kmetko about fame, fear, gay representation in Hollywood, censorship, aging, Broadway, comedy, family, and the legacy of Anthony Marentino from Sex and the City and And Just Like That....
Mario reveals:
Why Johnny Carson canceled his appearance The truth about working with the cast of Sex and the City What really happened after Willie Garson passed away His thoughts on Kim Cattrall not returning Why he believes AIDS set gay progress back decades The line from Sex and the City he still gets recognized for His emotional meeting with Carol Burnett Why he thinks comedians can’t say what they want anymore
The conversation also dives into growing up gay in the 70s, Broadway, Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand, surviving Hollywood, and the cultural impact of Sex and the City.
Funny, raw, emotional, and wildly entertaining, this is Mario Cantone like you’ve never seen him before.
00:00 Intro 00:47 Mario Cantone joins the show 01:44 Johnny Carson canceled Mario over “gay material” 04:52 Becoming Anthony on Sex and the City 06:45 Why And Just Like That ending hurt 07:01 Mario reads every comment online 08:46 The explosion of Sex and the City fame 10:07 Michael Patrick King directing Mario 11:24 Willie Garson’s death changed everything 12:35 Was Mario typecast? 14:49 Fear of being openly gay in comedy clubs 17:47 Anthony & Stanford’s relationship 19:48 Will & Grace vs Sex and the City representation 21:20 Lines Mario couldn’t believe he got to say 24:14 Most iconic Anthony scenes 25:38 Steve Kmetko opens up about coming out 28:52 Being bullied as a kid 30:08 How AIDS changed gay progress 32:06 Steve reveals his father married him to a woman 34:02 Mario says he never hid who he was 35:32 George Clooney reaction to People magazine article 36:40 Straight actors playing gay characters 39:40 Chris Noth controversy 40:38 Kim Cattrall not returning 41:50 Getting in shape for nude scenes 42:35 Willie Garson storyline discussion 45:12 Mario loves cooking and baking bread 47:29 Celebrity Autobiography on Broadway 49:20 Discovering Judy Garland at age 2 50:45 Steve’s Barbra Streisand story 52:54 Mario cries meeting Carol Burnett 54:11 Mario reflects on his cultural impact 55:27 Will Sex and the City ever return?
More from Still Here Hollywood
Before millions of Americans knew Denise Nicholas as Liz McIntyre on the groundbreaking television series Room 222, she was living through history.
Anson Williams became a television icon as Potsie Weber on Happy Days, but his Hollywood story goes far beyond Arnold’s Drive-In.
Linda Purl has spent more than five decades building an extraordinary career across television, film, Broadway and music. In this episode of Still Here Hollywood, Linda joins Steve Kmetko for a funny, candid and surprisingly personal conversation about Happy Days, Matlock, The Office, Andy Griffith, Garry Marshall, aging in Hollywood and the unexpected love story that brought her and Dallas star Patrick Duffy together. Linda reveals what The Office was really like behind the scenes, why Happy Days had only one bathroom for the cast and crew, and the remarkable story Andy Griffith told her about fighting for his role in A Face in the Crowd. She also opens up about reconnecting with Patrick Duffy during COVID, their nightly Zoom conversations and the moment he finally drove from Oregon to Colorado to see if their friendship could become something more. Plus, Linda talks about returning to the stage, her lifelong love of music, handling criticism, getting older without “giving up,” and how she and Patrick turned a 70-year-old family sourdough starter into Duffy's Dough and a mission to help fight food insecurity. It's Linda Purl, still working, still laughing, still singing and very much Still Here.
Elisa Donovan became forever recognizable as Amber, Cher Horowitz's fabulously overdressed rival in the 1995 classic Clueless. But behind one of the most memorable characters of the '90s is an actress, writer and mother whose life took turns she never could have imagined. Elisa joins Steve Kmetko for a candid conversation about landing Clueless, creating Amber from the mean girls she knew growing up, working with Alicia Silverstone, and the Clueless joke she didn't even understand when she delivered it. She also opens up about Brittany Murphy, sharing a hilarious memory from the Clueless set and revealing the troubling signs she says she witnessed the last time she saw Brittany before her death. Elisa talks about nearly landing the lead in Showgirls, climbing into bed with Jason Priestley on her first day of Beverly Hills, 90210, her frustration during Sabrina the Teenage Witch, losing her father to cancer, and the extraordinary dreams that changed the way she thinks about grief and death. Plus, Elisa explains why she believes Hollywood is losing the kinds of movies that once gave actors and storytellers room to take chances. This is Still Here Hollywood. I'm Steve Kmetko. Join us with today's guest, from Clueless, actor Elisa Donovan.
Emmy and Golden Globe winner Michael Chiklis joins Steve Kmetko for a remarkably candid conversation about The Shield, Fantastic Four, The Commish, Hollywood, artificial intelligence, reinvention, family, failure, and the future of the entertainment business.