reviews_and_ramblings | Ben Patrick Johnson & Marcellas Reynolds

Ben Patrick Johnson (born June 30, 1969 in Tucson, Arizona) is an American voice-over actor, author and blogger, Foundation Director, and human rights activist. Marcellas Reynolds, who parlayed appearances on Big Brother into a successful career as an entertainment reporter and fashion stylist, met his on again, off again partner Ben at a charity event for Equality California in 2006. “It was lust at first sight,” Marcellas tells AfterElton.com.“We’re each other’s type. He likes ethnic men, and I like big and gentle.”A mutual friend, Marcellas’ then-roommate and Ben’sex-coworker, arranged a date, and the rest is history.

Johnson appears on CBS (promoting Survivor, CSI: NY, Numbers and other shows), Fox (advertising House M.D., Bones, Family Guy, The Cleveland Show and Raising Hope), the cable channels Nickelodeon, Starz!, NFL Network, Big Ten Network, The 101 Network, N3D and others. His voice has been used to promote movies such as Ice Age, Marmaduke, Gulliver's Travels, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Night at the Museum, Hot Tub Time Machine, The Pianist, Minority Report, Signs, and Apocalypse Now and in commercials for Burger King, Kellogg's and Old Navy. (Picture: Marcellas Reynolds)

In 1998, after a brief stint at E! Entertainment Television, Johnson moved to Extra's rival entertainment magazine Entertainment Tonight, where he was ET's signature voice for the next four seasons.

Johnson's newest novel, "If the Rains Don't Cleanse", was published in August 2009 by Havenhurst Books. It is a historical novel detailing the experiences of Johnson's parents while Christian schoolteacher missionaries in Belgian Congo in the 1950s and addressing themes of Christianity, spirituality and European Colonialism.

Ben Patrick Johnson is an American voice-over actor, author and blogger, Foundation Director, and human rights activist. Marcellas Reynolds, who parlayed appearances on Big Brother into a successful career as an entertainment reporter and fashion stylist, met his partner Ben in 2006. “It was lust at first sight. We’re each other’s type. He likes ethnic men, and I like big and gentle.” A mutual friend, Marcellas’ then-roommate and Ben’sex-coworker, arranged a date, and the rest is history.

Previous novels include In and Out In Hollywood, a roman à clef about a celebrity news show anchor whose fortunes change after he comes out, Third and Heaven, and One Size Fits All, which details the excesses of a young fashion designer dressing three Best Actress nominees for the Oscars.

In 2006, Johnson launched a webcast called Life on the Left Coast. The video blog featured news, celebrity friends and humor segments. Johnson's political commentaries, another staple of the webcast, upset a variety of Christian Right Organizations including The Capital Resource Institute after Johnson condemned the CRI for its position on a bill pending in the California Legislature. CRI issued a statement denouncing Johnson, Equality California, and the webcast. After more than a million views on YouTube, Johnson put the show on hiatus to focus on writing and activism via Facebook and Twitter. Johnson is on the boards of Equality California, a gay rights organization and Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles.

In September 2010, Johnson wrote and produced two political TV spots for Equality California, Whitman Shame and Cooley Shame. The ads, directed at CA Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman and Republican Attorney General candidate Steve Cooley, address the candidates' pledges to defend CA Prop 8 in a potential court challenge. Writing about EQCA and Johnson's ads, gay activist blogger Rex Wockner suggested that this was the first time a major LGBT organization had gone on the political offensive by playing hardball in TV ads about same-sex marriage.

The Ben Patrick Johnson Foundation, launched in 2006, benefits LGBT Issues, Human Rights, Education and Interfaith Dialogue. Shortly after its inception, the BPJ Foundation partnered with the organization Live and Give to fund housing for an elementary school in Thailand's Chiang Mai province. The Foundation also passes funding to Habitat for Humanity, the micro-loan organization Kiva, Gay and Lesbian Elder Housing, and The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for its interfaith initiative, The Institute for Welcoming Resources.

Johnson's first national exposure came in 1994 when he was chosen as co-host for Extra, an entertainment magazine show. Extra demoted Johnson to Senior Correspondent shortly after he came out as gay in the LGBT press and on KABC Talkradio, where he had been Director of Production prior to Extra. Warner Bros. Television, the producers of Extra, declined to comment on the demotion.

Marcellas Reynolds is an American actor, fashion stylist, entertainment reporter and TV host. His television appearances include World Report (CNN), The Tyra Banks Show, Style Network's How Do I look, E! News, Fox News' Geraldo at Large and Big Brother.

Marcellas Reynolds was born in Chicago, Illinois where he grew up in Chicago's South Shore. He graduated from Kenwood Academy and briefly attended the University of Illinois-Circle. In 1995 while working as a waiter he was discovered by Marie Anderson and Mary Boncher, owners of Aria Model and Talent. During his model career he was represented by Ford Models, Beatrice (Milan) and Goodfellas (London), relocating him to the top fashion capitals of the world and worked for designers Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Nautica. He has been shot by photographers Norman Jean Roy and Bruce Weber.

In 2000, while modeling in New York, Marcellas Reynolds began working as a fashion stylist. His list of advertising clientele includes Anhueser-Busch, Burger King and Gingiss Formalwear. His editorial work has appeared in numerous publications including InStyle, British Vogue and British GQ. His list of clientele includes Jayma Mays, Colin Egglesfield, Justin Timberlake, Rebecca Hall, Sharon Stone, David Schwimmer, Eddie Cibrian, Jennifer Finnigan and Emily Rose.

Moving into print journalism and TV entertainment reporting Marcellas Reynolds has worked for networks Style, E! and CBS. His celebrity interviews include Debra Messing, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Alicia Silverstone, Brad Garrett, Aisha Tyler, George Takei, The Pussycat Dolls and Tyrese Gibson. His work as a writer has appeared in InStyle, Elle, Us Weekly, Life & Style and Star magazine. He is also a frequent contributor to Style Network's mystyle.com and writes a monthly column for California based magazine Rage Monthly titled Image Lab.

His television appearances include CNN World Report, E! Network's Perfect Catch, Style Network's Style Star, E! Network's Countdown to the Red Carpet: The 2011 Oscars, The Tyra Banks Show, Style Network's How Do I Look, E! News, MTV's From G's To Gents, Fox News' Geraldo: At Large, CBS This Morning, Style Network's Shop Like A Star and Fashion Rocks: Iconic Style. He also had a role in the 2009 movie Eating Out 3: All You Can Eat as an audience member.

In 2012, he was a guest judge on an episode of the webshow, Beauty Vlogger Boot Camp, hosted by Elle and Blair Fowler. He appeared as a fashion stylist and helped analyze the contestants' thrift store outfits.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Patrick_Johnson

Further Readings:

If the Rains Don't Cleanse by Ben Patrick Johnson
Hardcover: 362 pages
Publisher: Havenhurst Books; First edition (June 10, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982285302
ISBN-13: 978-0982285305
Amazon: If the Rains Don't Cleanse

In IF THE RAINS DON'T CLEANSE, Ben Patrick Johnson takes the reader on a cross-continental adventure with well intentioned but sheltered Eva Dunagan, an American Christian missionary bound for 1950s Belgian Congo. Inspired by his mother's experiences, Eva's story will resonate with anyone who has ever found themselves beyond the comforts of their own domain or dogma. In Eva, Johnson has created a multi-dimensional heroine who self-identifies as a woman to be reckoned with, all the while walking into a world entirely unlike her own or one she could imagine. But through her missteps and brutal discoveries, Eva remains steadfast in her resolve to stay the course and spread a faith that even she begins to question more every day. Based on extensive family interviews, news accounts, and letters, IF THE RAINS DON'T CLEANSE was meticulously researched over a 14-year span. What results is a powerful and rich narrative that is at once heart-wrenching and triumphant. The novel climaxes as Eva and her family find themselves caught in the crossfire of a violent revolution torn between the people they have grown to love and a bloody uprising that threatens their very lives.

More LGBT Couples at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Real Life Romance

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