Gavin Munn (Jonathan on Raising Dion and Abraham on The Righteous Gemstones) is lucky to have two supportive parents, willing to drive him as far as Atlanta, six hours away, for auditions and scenes.
Bentley was born in August 2012, in Maple Ridge, a suburb of Vancouver. According to his mom, “He wasn’t your typical boy that wanted to play soccer or sports,” but he was interested in movies and the theater, and started asking about how kids got on tv. His parents had no experience in performing arts, and had no idea. Kudos for not trying to push him into sports, Mom and Dad. My parents never let up. "You're a boy! Boys like sports! Try out for football!"
They did some research, enrolled Bentley in the LeClerc School of Acting, and found him an agent, and he started auditioning at age six. Soon he was appearing in commercials, and got the starring role in the student film Small Boy (2020): "After getting left out during a hide and seek game, a small boy realizes what he wants is different than what he was seeking from others." So, different from the others? Gotcha.
That fall he won two Joey Awards (for Canadian youth): best actor in a commercial and best actor in a student film.
Funny, I feel like crying at this negation of the gay experience.
Left: KJ Apa, formerly Archie.
Bentley played Dagwood, one of the twin children of Betty's older sister Polly and Cheryl's brother Jason (Trevor Stines, left), in Seasons 5 and 6 (2021-22). Who names their kid Dagwood? He gets the worst of both families: the Blossom curse that kills all firstborn children (he manages to live), and the darkness that plagues the Cooper family, which turns him into a bully. According to Bentley's Mom, this was a lot of fun for the "gentle child" who sometimes got bullied himself. Gay kids are often bullied, Mom.
More after the break
1. "Punching or licking. Your choice."
Am I licking, or are you?
“Hey, cool off," he called down. "Give your tongues a rest. Is that all you ever do?”
“The security station was letting everybody through, if they said they were coming for the party. What party?"
“Kelvin and Keefe's Game Night," Jesse said, omitting the "queer."
But Vance caught on anyhow. "Good thing I dropped by. Is this one of them decadent parties with little holes in the wall, so you can stick your dick through and anybody who wants can suck it? And guys hanging in leather stirrups, so anybody who wants can screw them?”
“It’s just board games,” Stacy said.
"But the party you're planning sounds fun, too," Pontius added. "Can Stace and I get an invitation?"
Vance grinned. "Well, if it’s
perfectly innocent, you won’t mind if I come along.”
“It’s for queer youth and their allies under age 25," Jesse said. "Now, you’re obviously queer, but you haven't been 25 since...The Battle of Fort Sumter?”
“I am not a homophobe, young lady, or fella, or whatever you think you are. I just want to see the kinds of games homo...um, queer youth play. Or should I call the police and tell them about the underaged homosexual sodomy going on in Kelvin's little den of iniquity?"
Jesse sighed. He was probably bluffing, but... "Ok, Vance, you talked me into it. We'll go over and check it out. Boys, you go on ahead. We'll be there in a bit."
There were only two ways to get into the party: they had to either turn 21 again, or bring food. Jesse dragged Vance to the kitchen, and they loaded up the two trays of lemon bars that Amber was planning to bring to the Marital Problem Group tomorrow -- he would drop by the all-night bakery and replace them later.
They had to park on the lawn at Kelvin's house. There were about a dozen cars parked outside, plus two church vans. Assuming that they carpooled, Jesse estimated that there were about fifty teenagers and young adults at the party. Hopefully none of them were kissing!
Kelvin's boyfriend Keefe answered the door with his fists raised. "Pontius and Stacy told us you would be trying to get in. But we don't allow homophobes."
"Down, boy!" Vance said with a laugh. "I promise to be on my best behavior."
"We're just dropping off some snacks for the group. Two dozen lemon bars -- Amber and our housekeeper Tanya made them."
Keefe looked suspicious, but he dropped his fists. "Well, I do love a good lemon bar. Come on in."
"Hey, Buddy," Vance said, "Isn't that your son Geraldine? The one who wants to be a preacher?"
It was definitely Gideon and his friend Clay, the Classics major -- really, who majored in Latin? -- sitting with their backs to them, playing a "How well do you know your partner" game with two girls, one with pink hair.
"They must be here as allies. See, they're with their girlfriends." Why hadn't Gideon mentioned having a girlfriend?
More after the break. Caution: Explicit