Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Blast From The Past: Paul Provenza in Conversion Therapy


'Gay journalist, Frank Johnston sets out to write an expose on Dr. Apsey, a therapist who claims to convert gays to straight.'


Earlier this year, I did a piece spotlighting the 'male stripper' episode of the 80's sit-com The Facts of Life. (HERE:)  The show was airing on one of my retro-channels, and I watched more than a few episodes over the course of the year.  Although it's run is now over, replaced by repeats of Cheers, I did catch a few episodes from the final season and a certain actor grabbed my attention.


I wasn't really familiar with Paul Provenza as an actor.  I sort of remember seeing him, or at least hearing his name, as a comedian on talk shows when I was a kid.  He's actually had quite a slew of roles on television including turns on Northern Exposure, Pursuit of Happiness, The West Wing and Empty Nest

The Facts of Life

I didn't remember however, that he played Blair's social worker boyfriend on and off in the last two season of The Facts of Life.  I immediately recognized his face, but couldn't quite place him until heading to IMDB.  There was something about him however, and his character on the show, that I found incredibly hot.


I went on the hunt to see if there were any shirtless shots and was surprised to find Provenza had a nude scene in the 2002 Drama Conversion Therapy, aka Fixing Frank.  It's one of those rare rear frontals, where you can sort of see everything, for a split second, as Provenza's character gets into a bathtub.  

If you watch the clip, you'll also notice actor Andrew Elvis Miller also has a full frontal at the beginning of the clip. Adapted by a stage play by Ken Hanes, Fixing Frank tackles the subject of 'conversion' with Jonathan, (Provenza) encouraging his friend Frank, (Miller) to investigate a therapist, (Dan Butler) claiming to convert gay men straight. 


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