Isaiah Washington, the talented actor whose career was derailed for a bit after an “f-word” scandal on the set of Grey’s Anatomy, has just completed work on Blackbird, the new film from Noah’s Arc creator and openly gay director Patrik-Ian Polk. The film, which doesn’t yet have a release date, is centered around a gay teen singer who struggles with his sexuality in a small town. Washington plays his sympathetic father.
For those unfamiliar with the Grey’s Anatomy incident, Washington was the source of a lot of bad press after word got out that he’d used the “f-word” to describe then-closeted costar T.R. Knight in a heated altercation with co-star Patrick Dempsey over his alleged perpetual tardiness. Washington sealed his fate by uttering the slur again after making the ill-fated decision to answer a question from a reporter concerning the incident after the 2007 Golden Globe Awards. He was subsequently written out of the show.
Though branded a raging homophobe after Operation: Knightshade, gay characters and themes are nothing new to Washington. Way back in 1996, he played gay in Spike Lee’s Get On The Bus, a film about a disparate group of black men en route to the Million Man March in Washington, DC. Critics lauded his performance, which was one of the first representations of an African-American gay male seen onscreen, and the film itself was even nominated for a GLAAD Media Award the next year.
Whether Washington can redeem himself with the help of one of the most popular gay writer-directors around is yet to be seen, but we’ll definitely be on the lookout for Blackbird to take flight in the coming year.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Photo: ABC/TV Guide
twoguysbrooklyn
This guy is a dbag, bigot, has-been.
Cam
Well the narrative became all about him calling the gay actor a F****T, but lets not forget he also physically assaulted the start of the show during the altercation. I’m guessing that had SOME repercussions also.
JAW
what ever happened to T R Knight?
e seems to have faded into history
Polaro
He just isn’t interesting enough to warrant a second chance. Yawn. Sadly, that is also T R Knight’s problem.
Polyboy
Brett Rattner was given a fricken award.
Washington has apologized, not repeated, and if Patrik Ian Polk is willing to give him a chance, maybe he should have that chance.
dvlaries
I’m with polyboy, about finding some cautious mercy. According to IMDB, Washington is 50 this year, and who knows what gay people and their stories, and what trusted intimates of Washington have taught him since the Grey’s incident.
*
My mother taught me a fondness for the saying life is a classroom till the day we die. I’m 59 now, and I know I’d be appalled and humbled confronting my 30 year old self and some of the fixed opinions I had then. No matter how enlightened any of us fancy ourselves over Washington, we are all evolving every day. And some people are always going to do it slower than you and me.
deacon
I would say you need to get over it but being that the truth of what really happened never got reported on by the general media and the fact he is black I’m not surprised by the comment made about Mr. Washington, it’s not like TR Knight set the acting world on fire with his mediocre talent, what’s funny is no other actor on the show spoke up about what happened not even lame ass one note Patrick Dempsy…..Good for you Isaiah keep your hustle going!!!!
Will L
I don’t necessarily forgive and forget that easily. Mr. Washington is not that good that I ever want to see him perform and he will always wear that albatross as far as I am concerned. Whether T R Knight was an awesome performer or not is immaterial. Everyone should be treated with *due* respect. Portraying a gay person in character has absolutely nothing to do with how you treat a gay person in real life. He done f*cked up for good as far as I’m concerned.
Brandon2014
@Deacon
Katherine Heigl did speak out about Isiah, and even said she really wishes he would just stop talking. Isiah was apparently very difficult to work with on other sets besides Grey’s Anatomy. Saying what he said was unprofessional, and hopefully he learned from it. But at the time he did deserve to get fired.