Ming-Na Boldly Goes Where Stargate's Never Gone Before

Chinese-American actress Ming-Na is used to forging new territory. The talented and gorgeous performer has made a career of playing inspirational, strong women while many of her contemporaries glided by on nondescript "girlfriend" roles. Her work has shone a light on the doubly complex experience of being a member of a minority and a woman with her memorable roles in The Joy Luck Club and voicing Disney's only Asian princess, Mulan, the cross-dressing warrior heroine. After her near-decade starring on the successful medical drama ER before its end in 2004, most of us have come to know and love the sincere, vulnerable female characters she's embodied and Ming-Na's signature twinkling laugh.

The gifted actress took on a new challenge when she joined the cast of Syfy's latest original series, Stargate Universe. A self-admitted geek, Ming-Na was excited to explore the sci-fi world and work with a large ensemble cast as a group of civilians and soldiers who've been stranded in space aboard the ancient and mysterious Destiny ship. Aside from playing the challenging part of a strong-minded strategies and human resources expert member of the International Oversight Committee, Ming-Na's character, Camile Wray, is also the first LGBT person in the Stargate franchise's world. It's the first Asian American lesbian character on basic cable and one of the few lesbians currently on American prime-time television.

Planet Out spoke to the beautiful and bubbly Ming-Na about playing a lesbian for the first time, all the exciting high-stakes drama aboard the Destiny, and shooting a love scene with a woman, Reiko Aylesworth, for November 20's Stargate Universe episode, "Life."

PLANET OUT: Thanks so much for speaking to us today. I'm all caught up on my Stargate Universe episodes so I have lots of questions.
MING-NA: Me too! No, I'm just kidding ... [laughs]

Gay TV on a Thursday Night: A Real O.C. Housewife Says Bye

Thursday night television is looking like just a perfunctory pass for us to get to the good stuff on Friday night. We can't wait to see Stargate Universe's episode "Life" Friday night for the first Camile Wray-centric episode! The beautiful Chinese-American actress Ming-Na (as Wray) and sexy Reiko Aylesworth from Lost  play a committed, close lesbian couple in the touching episode. While we're waiting for that ship to come in, why not pass the time with some fan favorites like The Vampire Diaries and the finale of Project Runway's sixth season? Plus a day we never thought would come: Bravo says goodbye to one of the original Real Housewives of Orange County.

At 8 p.m., turn on your TV for some fresh blood on a fresh episode of the sexy series The Vampire Diaries is up on the CW. Hot, immortal vampire brothers Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) run into a fresh threat when competition comes to town.

Mock-'Twilight' Shirtless Vampires on Conan

Who needs New Moon? If tween hotties Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner aren't your cup of tea, Conan O'Brien offers alternative monster hunks: His emo-tastic vamp assistant, Cody Devereaux, returned to The Tonight Show for a very funny segment.

The cute comedic sketch introduced us to two more shirtless monster hunks.

Is it so wrong to admit we love this way more than anything (or anyone) to come from the Twilight phenomenon?

Gay TV on a Wednesday Night: Big Names on 'Modern Family'

We love Wednesdays! The best night of gay TV and LGBT characters by far, Wednesday prime time boasts favorites Glee, Modern Family, and Top Chef: Las Vegas. Show choir, hilarious gay dads, and food porn -- all the elements are awesome. Tonight's draws are especially dishy when a student gets a crush on Glee's Mr. Schuester (who wouldn't?!), the funniest Modern Family around gets TWO huge guest-star grabs (one is thinking man's hunk Edward Norton), and did we mention Candis Cayne is on Nip/Tuck tonight? Check out all the best TV has to offer for your night, then comment about what you're watching.

If you're a fan of table flipping and phrases such as "prostitution-whore," catch the classy Jersey girls from The Real Housewives of New Jersey on NBC's Mercy, tonight at 8. Teresa Giudice and Jacqueline Laurita pop by the show. Giudice tweeted they’d guest-star as characters who "rough up a little whore." Shouldn't be too much of a stretch for the hot-tempered mama.

At 9 the power hour of prime-time gay TV is in full effect. On an all-new Glee on Fox, the kids partner off to perform ballads. Odd star out Rachel (Lea MIchele) is partnered with Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and develops a crush that's cutely embodied in a performance of the Police hit "Don't Stand So Close to Me." While we could do with them spreading the musical numbers around to the supporting players a bit more, Rachel is hilarious at her self-awareness-free, eccentric dramatic heights.

Carrie Underwood's Big Ol' Xmas Special

Get ready to gush! America's cutest country star and one of the most successful American Idol winners, Carrie Underwood, has a Christmas special all set for Fox this holiday season.

The variety show, called Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special, will combine singing, dancing, skits, and showcases. Performing alongside Underwood will be fellow Idol alum David Cook, country superstar Brad Paisley, Kristin Chenoweth, Christina Applegate, and the biggest draw of all: icon Dolly Parton.

Neil Patrick Harris @ActuallyNPH on Twitter

The cute comic actor Neil Patrick Harris has a diverse fan base; from gay guys to Middle America, everyone has a soft spot for the former Doogie Howser, MD, who playfully pokes fun at his TV past and proudly shows off his partner, David Burtka, on his arm at every A-list red carpet event.

During a whirlwind year that included hosting the TV Land Awards, Tonys, Emmys, and Golden Globes, Harris was all over the media. It was only a matter of time before the coolest magic-practicing celebrity brought his charm to the 140-character-limited land of Twitter.

The social networking site, which allows fans to (somewhat) directly interact with a bevy of celebs, welcomed How I Met Your Mother star NPH to its ranks with a brand-new, Verified handle, @ActuallyNPH.

Gay TV on a Tuesday Night: Heather Locklear is Back

Memorable as Monday night TV may have been, Tuesday has a TV moment that many have been holding their breath for: the return of Heather Locklear to Melrose Place. Will bringing "the bitch back" make or break the fledgling nighttime soap remake? Time will tell. But it will certainly be worth watching for a shot of Amanda Woodward adrenaline. Coupled with the exciting conclusion of the miniseries event The Prisoner and a Gleeful gay guest in late night, and you've got a perfect night of TV set for Tuesday.

Starting at 8 p.m., watch the thrilling final chapters of the six-part, star-studded AMC event The Prisoner. While devoted fans of the ‘60s cult film doubted the revamp could rival the original, we've been engrossed by the enigmatic and always flawless performance from Sir Ian McKellen as Two. Tonight's climax sees a death sentence passed down to Six (Jim Caviezel) and possibly secrets of the Village revealed.

At 8:30 on NBC, Project Runway mentor and pretty much our favorite thing to come from reality TV ever, Tim Gunn, makes an appearance on The Biggest Loser. Gunn's on hand to gussy up the remaining competitors, who are due for a big makeover now that they've shed so much weight.

The Kevin Smith Collection on Blu-ray

If you were an alternative young person in the ‘90s, chances are you may have identified yourself as a Kevin Smith fan at one time or another. Neither time nor Jersey Girl has tarnished the shine on his first feature feat, Clerks, which long ago cemented its place in indie film history and the hearts of anyone who ever worked mind-numbing retail.

More polarizing was his third film, Chasing Amy, which marked a return to small budgets and largely yet-unknown actors after the theatrical flop of Mallrats.

The story of an insecure man-boy falling for a vastly more experienced lesbian and the growing pains it causes with his best male friend broke new ground. It spoke explicitly and hilariously about sex (gay and straight), presented morally modern characters and romance, and didn't ignore the homoerotic subtext of true bromance -- nor exploit it as recent films have. The characters in Chasing Amy loved and lost and made mistakes -- it was a true "touchy-feely" film, as Smith admits he probably always wanted to make. The significance of the film is explored in several special features on the newly released Blu-ray Kevin Smith Collection boxed set.

Standout Sidekick: Porsche on 'The Wanda Sykes Show'

Wanda Sykes is making late night television history. The first out lesbian to host a major U.S. network late-night show is promoting more than one incarnation of LGBT representation on her program. Adding to the visibility, relevance, and progressive point of view of the chat show’s panel is the stunner Porsche, a drag queen of Fire Island performance fame.

Porsche spoke to Advocate.com about making his mark on the funny, groundbreaking talk show and plans to boldly bring a real slice of drag queen Americana to middle-American television audiences.

Sting Hates Simon Cowell Shows

What's the male equivalent of a catfight? Dog brawl?

Whatever it is, two big-time music men have entered into one, trading barbs in the British press. Legendary rock star and tantric sex proponent Sting weighed in on the U.K. reality series/recording-star-generating superhit helmed by Simon Cowell, The X Factor.

Sting told the London Evening Standard he found the U.K.'s American Idol counterpart "appalling. ... It's a preposterous show, and you have judges who have no recognizable talent apart from self-promotion."