Dern said she shrugged off their concerns, believing them to be “ridiculous” at the time. In the landmark “The Puppy Episode,” which aired April 30, 1997, Dern guest-starred as Susan, a lesbian who helps Ellen realize she is also gay. The episode, which was estimated to have been watched by 42 million people and which won a Peabody and an Emmy, marked the first time a gay character was featured as a lead on television.
Despite its ratings success and cultural impact, however, the episode was not well-received by everyone at the time and resulted in backlash and death threats. Dern told New York magazine that the first time she became aware that her life could be in danger and that progress had not evolved at as fast a pace as she had anticipated was when she was on the “Ellen” set with Oprah, who played Ellen’s therapist in the episode. Dern recalled that a group of cops swarmed the set and instructed them that they needed to leave the stage because there had been a bomb threat.
“We only did it for what, 10 days?” Dern said. “We all spent the next couple of years really struggling in work and safety. It was radical to experience that. It was the only time I ever experienced having to have full security detail.” Months before appearing in “The Puppy Episode,” Dern had achieved international recognition with her role as Dr. Ellie Sattler in the adventure film “Jurassic Park.” Despite her breakthrough success, however, Dern said she weathered a period following the “Ellen” episode where she was no longer regularly offered roles.
Cool that Ellen herself would go on to befriend a President who stoked those fires of homophobia for his own political gain.
Can't imagine why....
PR is a full time venture.
CIVIL WAR IN FRANCE!!!! -
Dubious. Let’s see the receipts.
Whoa!
Geez...
cough cough BS cough cough. Somebody was needing some attention.
Gimme a break
Give me a break....
Rrrriiiight.
Entertainment Entertainment Latest News, Entertainment Entertainment Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: Newsweek - 🏆 468. / 52 Read more »