Thomas Dekker

LANCE LOUD AND HIS AMERICAN FAMILY ARE RETURNING TO TV

We were big fans of Lance Loud. We knew him as a great character – a musician and eventually a clever entertainment writer on the New York and LA scene. (He loved gossip!) Back in the 70’s Lance and his family appeared in the PBS documentary “An American Family.” (Top photo- Lance is upper left) This was back when reality TV was real, and cameras observed every little detail of the Loud family life in Santa Barbara. Lance pretty much came out on the show and became a celebrity, hanging with the Warhol crowd at Max’s Kansas City. He was self-destructive, but SO much fun. Lance died of AIDS in 2001. Now the story of the Loud’s groundbreaking documentary is being made into an HBO movie called “Cinema Verite.” Diane Lane is portraying Lance’s steadfast mom Pat, and Tim Robbins plays his father. Thomas Dekker, 22, whom you might remember from “Heroes” is playing Lance, and we’re glad we have HBO.