Showtime TV have just taken over a passion project that out-gay Scottish/American actor Alan Cumming had been developing with director Rosemary Rodriquez (‘The Good Wife’) of a 30 minute dark comedy series based on the story of one of N.Y.’s most flamboyant restaurateurs Florent Morellet.
Morellet opened the restaurant that bore his name in the early 1980’s in the Meatpacking District when it was still a scary neighborhood populated by hookers and hustlers and before it was discovered by both the gay community and N.Y’s fashion and art glitterati. It was THE place to go and be seen and be part of the craziness that Morellet encouraged until he became a victim of the success that he was crucial part of that had turned the Meatpacking District into the most desirable, and over-hyped, area of the city. When his landlord drastically increased the rent, Florent’s doors were finally closed for good after his 23 year reign.
As well as being an outrageous host Florent Morellet was also an ardent gay activist, particularly when it came to AIDS which earned him countless wards and honors, including being the Grand Marshall of NY’s Gay Parade in 2006. He seems like a role that the Cumming, a Tony Winner and an Emmy nominated actor, was born to play.
In 2011 filmmaker David Sigal captured both the heady and the last days of the restaurant in his captivating documentary Florent : Queen of the Meat Market which is now on DVD/VOD on several platforms.
