I Stopped Praying and I Became an Actor (Ep 439 - Ray/Barney Miller)

My guest this week is actor Ray Stewart, who first came to my attention in the role of Darryl Driscoll on the 70s sitcom Barney Miller. Ray played half of a same-sex couple at a time when such characters were vanishingly rare. But you’ve also seen him on everything from The Bob Newhart Show to Benson to Days of Our Lives and more — and that’s not even touching on his career in film and Broadway. Ray’s work has taken him around the world and across countless stages, and at 91 years old he’s still working in the career he loves — and now, using his success to help other artists like him.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute.

First, a couple quick reminders, starting with a heads-up that my new video about Psycho and the creation of Norman Bates just went live — check that out on my YouTube channel. And keep your eyes peeled for my next video, all about the life and loves of 50s heartthrob Tab Hunter. Also, I hope you’ll join me for weekly livestreams over on Twitch every Sunday afternoon at twitch.tv/mattbaume. We just did a watch-along of the anarchically gay Paul Lynde Halloween Special, and we’ll be enjoying even more queer Halloween treats this weekend.

Also if you haven’t yet, take a look at my new book about the history of queer characters on American sitcoms, Hi Honey, I’m Homo! — available now wherever books are sold. Go to gaysitcoms.com for details. You can even get a signed, personalized copy … which would make a great holiday gift.

Big thanks to everyone who makes all my work possible on Patreon — visit patreon.com/mattbaume to support Sewers of Paris and get patron-exclusive benefits.