Christian Campbell
Talks about The Book of Daniel
January 8, 2006
New York City – Christian Campbell, who will be thirty-three in May, is back as a cute, gay boy, this time the twenty-two year old son of Aidan Quinn, a priest of questionable character, in the NBC midseason replacement, “The Book of Daniel.”
“The Book of Daniel,” is causing quite a stir with the religious right. But, then again, is there any one show on prime time television today that they would they endorse?
“A lot of Americans do not like to be told what to watch or NOT to watch,” Campbell says, regarding the calls for boycotting the show.
“NBC initially said no to ‘The Book of Daniel,'” reveals Campbell, whom you may know best from the 1999 popular gay film, “Trick,” and the stage and movie version of “Reefer Madness.” (In fact, Campbell is up for a Satellite Award, against the likes of Kenneth Branagh and Rupert Everett for his role in Showtime movie version of “Reefer Madness,” which, incidentally, was just released on DVD.)
“The first thirteen episodes of ‘The Book of Daniel,’ were shot almost a year ago, as the show was a candidate for debuting last fall in the new fall lineup. NBC realized that the show would have gotten lost if it had debuted with the throngs of other new shows. It would have been disastrous. Having it come on [television], now, mid-season, is going to give it a much bigger chance of succeeding, because there is nothing that the studio can replace us with. We are replacing other shows that have been canceled or that have gone on hiatus.”
Somewhere in between “Desperate Housewives” and “Weeds,” “The Book of Daniel” is about a dysfunctional religious family.
“The Book of Daniel” stars Emmy nominee Aidan Quinn (“An Early Frost,”) as the Rev. Daniel Webster, an unconventional Episcopalian priest, who loves popping Vicodin and who not only believes in Jesus – he actually sees him and discusses life with him.
Webster is challenged on many levels as he struggles to be a good husband, father and minister, while navigating an often rocky relationship with the church hierarchy, led by Bishop Beatrice Congreve (Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn, “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “Requiem of a Dream”) and Roger Paxton, a senior warden of the parish and stalwart churchgoer (Dylan Baker, “Kinsey,” “Happiness”).
Webster also has loving, but challenging relationships with his three children: Peter (Christian Campbell), his 23-year-old gay Republican son, struggling with the loss of his twin brother; his 16-year-old daughter Grace (Alison Pill, “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen”), a talented Manga artist dealing with typical teenage angst; and Adam (Ivan Shaw, “All My Children”), his 16-year-old adopted Chinese son, a handsome and cocky high school jock with a wicked sense of humor, who thinks only with his dick.
Keeping Webster grounded is his strong, loving wife Judith (Susanna Thompson, “Once and Again”) – who just happens to be fond of Martinis – all day long.
“This is the thinking man’s family show,” says Campbell. “It’s for people who know how to think for themselves and don’t need to be told how to believe one particular thing or another.
“I think ‘The Book of Daniel’ will create discussion, at the very least, which is always a great thing. Not everyone has to agree with what is going on on the show but if the show creates and opens up a dialogue, that would be great.”
Campbell, who lives in NYC, but who is a citizen of Canada, (he and his siblings, including his sister Neve, were born in Toronto), has a theory as to what is going on in America today.
“A lot of people, who are undoubtedly ‘religious,’ feel disenfranchised, hijacked by the religious right. The religious right is always screaming from the top of their lungs that everything is either black or white. But there are a lot of religious people, even those who identify as conservative Christians, who have gay children, siblings or a parent. While they may preach that certain things are wrong from the pulpit, they know, down deep, that they are wrong. They are two faced. They take a stand in public about certain issues they are taught to believe are wrong in the Biblical sense, but in the confines of their own home and with their families they embrace their gay children or the daughter who had an abortion.
“The Book of Daniel” premiered January 6th and tied for #2 in its time slot, giving the show a shot at continued success. “The Book of Daniel” airs Fridays at 10pm on NBC.