“American Gods” and Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth and designer-turned-director Tom Ford were recognized for contributions to LGTBQ visibility on Sunday at the TrevorLive LA gala, held at the Beverly Hilton.
On the carpet, Chenoweth, who played the goddess Easter on the first season of Starz’s “American Gods,” said she was “devastated” when she found out that showrunners Michael Green and Bryan Fuller were departing ahead of Season 2, which Variety reported on Nov. 29.
“Bryan asked me to come on board,” Chenoweth, who also worked with Fuller on “Pushing Daisies,” said. “The cast, we all talk to each other and they’re getting together tonight, so we’ll see what happens next.”
With Fuller’s departure, her position on the series is now uncertain, Chenoweth revealed. “When Bryan was the showrunner, I was coming back for several episodes, but I don’t know now,” Chenoweth explained. “It depends on who it is and if they think I add value or not.”
Chenoweth was among friends and colleagues, who celebrated her honors from the Trevor Project, an organization entering its 20th year of working to end suicide among LGBTQ youth. The issue has particular resonance for Chenoweth after losing a high school friend who was struggling with his identity.
“When we went to college, I would write him a letter and he would say it was tough times,” she recalled while accepting the Icon Award after an introduction by Kathy Najimy and Carol Burnett. “He was in a fraternity and they were not being so great to him — he was struggling. I was hoping he would find a way, but this was 1998 and we didn’t know about the Trevor Project and we didn’t have it [at the time]. Jeff had to move onto heaven and I think he had to make a decision, so tonight I know he’s looking down on me and saying, ‘thank you.’ That’s why the Trevor Project is so important for kids now.”
During the ceremony, Chenoweth closed her speech with a somber ballad and later performed a duet from “Wicked” with Shoshana Bean.
Ford was introduced by Armie Hammer, who starred in his drama “Nocturnal Animals,” and shared that he was intimated by being honored with the Hero Award. “It sounds so macho,” Ford joked. “I don’t feel particularly heroic, I simply live my life as myself… that’s what all of us have the right to be — to be ourselves. We all know that we’re enduring a political environment that thrives on hate and division, so we must work hard to celebrate and fight for inclusion, understanding and most importantly, love.”
