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Singer, Bryan (b. 1965)

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Starring Hugh Laurie as the misanthropic Gregory House, House M.D. challenges many of the usual conventions of medical dramas. Singer personally directed two episodes--the crucial pilot (originally aired November 16, 2004) and Occam's Razor (third episode of season one, originally aired November 30, 2004). In Occam's Razor, Singer dealt with provocative themes that also appear in his movies, including the potential dangers of sexuality and the severe harm that can be done by acts inspired by love.

Singer is also Executive Producer of Dirty, Sexy Money (premiered on September 26, 2007 on ABC), a quirky and deliberately provocative soap opera about the enormously wealthy, dysfunctional Darling family. The cast includes such major film stars as Donald Sutherland, Jill Clayburgh, and Peter Krause. The stunning actress Candis Cayne plays Carmelita, the alluring transsexual mistress of Patrick Darling (William Baldwin), New York State Attorney General.

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Current and Forthcoming Films

Scheduled for release in the summer of 2008, Valkyrie reconstructs the attempt by a group of high-ranking Nazi officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. Singer has indicated that in his development of the narrative, he will emphasize the circumstance that none of the participants could really be sure of the loyalties or the intentions of their colleagues.

To endow the movie with a sense of historical authenticity, Singer has filmed virtually all of Valkyrie on location in Berlin. The casting of Tom Cruise in the leading role of the national hero, Colonel Claus von Staffenberg, has sparked public protests in Germany because of Cruise's adherence to Scientology, popularly regarded in Germany as a totalitarian cult. Nevertheless, the German Federal Film Fund has supported Singer's project with generous grants.

Singer already has accomplished extensive planning for The Mayor of Castro Street, based on Randy Shilts' biography of the same name. Scheduled for a 2009 release, The Mayor of Castro Street effectively will be competing with Gus Van Sant's Milk, currently in pre-production. However, Singer's film may well have the advantage--not only because of its foundation in Shilts' authoritative and comprehensive biography, but also because of Singer's longstanding and deeply felt commitment to the exploration of identity issues.

Singer is unusual for his openness about his homosexuality in an industry that is sometimes very nervous about sexuality. He has been openly gay since his years at USC. He has sometimes paid a price for his honesty, as in the false charges and smear campaign he faced during the filming of Apt Pupil. However, his homosexuality is a crucial aspect of his art, particularly his awareness of the complexity and ambiguity of identity.

Richard G. Mann

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		Bibliography
		Alberge, Dalya. "Focus on a Bright Future." The Times (London) (August 24, 1995): 1. Ascher-Walsh, Rebecca. "A Clothes Call: Was an Indecent Proposal Made on the Apt Pupil Set?" Entertainment Weekly 377 (May 2, 1997): 21-22. Boucher, Geoff. "Will an Old Fashioned Superman fly?" Los Angeles Times (January 16, 2006): E6. Brodie, John. "What Becomes a Sundance Film?" Variety (December 5, 1994): 13. Chang, Justin. "Helmers Pour on the Milk." Variety (April 16, 2007): 4. Cheevers, Jack, and Mark Ebner. "Naked Showdown." New Times (Los Angeles) (July 9, 1998): http://www.donmurphy.net/naked.html. Cieply, Michael, and Mark Lander. "Plot Thickens in Tom Cruise Film, Long Before the Cameras Roll." New York Times (June 30, 2007): B-2. Cockrell, Eddie. "Apt Pupil: One Good Hard Step Beyond Innocence." Nitrate Online.com (October 30, 1998): http://www.nitrateonline.com/faptpupil.html. Cover, Rob. "The Naked Subject: Nudity, Context, and Sexualization in Contemporary Culture." 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		Citation Information

		Author:	Mann, Richard G.
		Entry Title:	Singer, Bryan
		General Editor:	Claude J. Summers
		Publication Name:	glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture
		Publication Date:	2008
		Date Last Updated	January 13, 2008
		Web Address	www.glbtq.com/arts/singer_b.html
		Publisher	glbtq, Inc. 1130 West Adams Chicago, IL 60607
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		Encyclopedia Copyright:	© 2002-2006, glbtq, Inc.
		Entry Copyright	© 2008 glbtq, Inc.

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