Ryan Phillippe played the first gay teenager on television in his first acting role on the soap opera One Life To Live in 1992. He talked to Ellen Degeneres today and told her in an interview that he got discovered as a teen in a barber shop by a casting agent who asked him if he wanted to get into modeling. He did some modeling work and commercials before landing his role on the show.

Ellen asked Ryan if his people advised him against taking the controversial role and he said "you know, I had no people... no one stopped me."

Ellen said that was a good thing because he probably made a difference in a lot of people's lives.

On gay teens telling him he saved them from suicide

Ryan said "I wasn't really aware at the time, I was 17 years old myself, but I remember getting fan mail and since it was my first big job - that's exciting, getting fan mail... Some of them were pretty moving. There was one or two who said 'you know, I was contemplating suicide and I saw a representation of who I was on television for the first time... and it made me feel good about myself...' those things were pretty moving."

User(s) Comments:

No Post yet!