It's funny how someone, in this case, an actor, can be in your realm of consciousness, yet, not really be noticed until the time is right. I knew who Gil Bellows was, but until recently, if anyone asked me about him, all that I would have known, was that he was in
Ally McBeal.
Ally McBeal wasn't a show I watched, I think I remember seeing an episode or two, a Christmas episode stands out, but I was never really drawn to it.
Until seeing Bellows as Tommy in
The Shawshank Redemption, I really had no idea what a successful career Bellows also had on screen. When Tommy arrives at Shawshank, he's noticed by all, prisoners and audience members a like. Bellow's energy is different from his co-stars, and for his brief time on film, he and and sideburns make their mark.
I never realized how hot Bellows was until Shawshank, it must be in part, those sideburns. He mostly wore suits on
Ally McBeal, and although he remained clothed in Shawshank, his sex appeal was far more intense than I remember feeling before.
I was surprised to see the extent of Bellow's film work, and the major stars he worked with. I was also pleasantly surprised to find 4 nude scenes on his resume. Two were but quick butt flashes, but the other two gave us a more lengthy linger at Bellow's buttocks. Check out the 4 scenes in the SKIN part of Actors & Skin below.
Ally McBeal (1997)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Silver Strand (1995)