Back in the Action: Danny Pintauro Returns to Acting with Lifetime Holiday Movie

Danny Pintauro began his acting career at the tender age of two as an actor in commercials. At three, he made his legit acting debut on the daytime drama "As The World Turns." Audiences likely remember Pintauro from his film debut playing Tad in Stephen King's legendary "Cujo," but he is best known for his eight-year run as the precocious and spunky Jonathan Bower on the popular ABC sitcom "Who's The Boss?," starring Judith Light, Tony Danza, and Alyssa Milano. 



Pintauro studied acting at Stanford University, where he received his degree in drama. On stage he has appeared in Paula Vogel's "Hot n' Throbbing," in "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde," as Puck in Hangar Theater's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and in "A Queer Carol" at The Duplex in Manhattan.

He played gay icon Allen Ginsburg in the acclaimed drama "beat" at New York International Fringe Festival, as well as the lead role of Tony Whitcomb in the longest running play in U.S. history, "Shear Madness." He made his professional New York debut at The Duplex in the one man show "The Velocity Of Gary (Not His Real Name)."

He was also ahead of the curve in going public about his sexuality. In 1997, Pintauro became one of the first celebrities to publicly identify as gay. And in 2015, in an exclusive sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey, Pintauro revealed his HIV-positive status with the public.

This past year he returned to acting with a role in Lifetime's holiday film "A Country Christmas Harmony," in which he plays the assistant to country music star Chrissy Kessler (Brooke Elliott), who finds his holiday plans with his husband disrupted when stuck in a storm with his boss. Complicating matters is that they are stranded with Chrissy's ex-singing partner, Luke Covington (Brandon Quinn). The film is airing on Lifetime.

EDGE spoke to Pintauro about his return to film acting, his role in "A Country Christmas Harmony," and his role as an HIV advocate.

EDGE: This is your first major role in 30 years. What make you want to step into the spotlight again?

Danny Pintauro: For many years, I was very confident that my life as a veterinary technician was going to last. I am happily married and living in Austin. So, acting was just not a part of any scenarios that I saw playing out. Last year, I was watching "Star Trek: Discovery," and I saw Wilson Cruz and Anthony Rapp, who play a married couple on the show, share a lovely kiss. I don't know what happened, but something clicked in me, and I suddenly felt really jealous of them being able to do that on television. I just thought, "Wow, television has really come a long way, and I want to be a part of it again." I quit my job in Austin so I could focus on auditions. On my very first audition after 10 years of not auditioning and 30 years of not being on camera, I got the job!

EDGE: After such a long period of not being part of the acting process, including auditioning, how has it been going?

Danny Pintauro: I would've been more nervous if I were in the room with the casting director. There's something really nice about being at home and self-taping. My husband's a terrific reader, so he's always doing the other parts with me. So, auditioning has been easy. I will say a week before we started filming "A Country Christmas Harmony," I was absolutely petrified. All of my demons were just running rampant through my brain, saying, "Can you still do it? Are you too gay? Is anyone even going to like you?" The first day I stepped on set, of course, they start filming my biggest scene in the movie. Filming has changed a lot since I was last on set, but once I walked on set and saw the cameras, I knew I could do it.

EDGE: Tell me about the movie "A Country Christmas Harmony."

Danny Pintauro: Estranged country music duo and former sweethearts, Chrissy and Luke, run into each other years later and are forced to shelter together during a storm, but soon realize they can only survive the holidays with each other's help.

EDGE: Tell us about your role as Eugene?

Danny Pintauro: I play her assistant of 10 years and have to go with her to Cedar Pines. My storyline is with my husband and I, and how we were supposed to spend Christmas together for the first time in five years. Some really nice things happen at the end, so I won't give the whole thing away. I do love that our characters are not a cliche and are portrayed like any couple in real life.

EDGE: What is it like to be re-creating Christmas at a time of year when it's not Christmas?

Danny Pintauro: We started filming in February in Idyllwild, California, which is about an hour and a half outside of Palm Springs. It's located on top of a mountain, so it was freezing cold and there was still a little snow on the ground. The town was asked to leave up their holiday decorations. So, we weren't actually that far off from the Christmas feeling.

EDGE: Since revealing your HIV status, you have this new platform as an HIV-positive advocate. What message do you have for others struggling with either their status or coming out?

Danny Pintauro: I think one of the lovely things about the time period we're living in is that having HIV is not a death sentence. I don't think telling people about your status is anywhere near as scary as it used to be. Now we also know about U=U. For years, so many of us have lived in this terrible fear that someone was going to find out or we were going to give it to someone even though there was medication. I would say don't live in fear anymore, and only tell those you feel loved and supported by, and always in your own time. If you don't have support, then find a community that is going to give it to you.

I also believe that crystal meth is a much bigger problem than any of us realize. As a community, we've gotten no further in the battle with meth. Besides being a HIV advocate, the next step for me is figuring out how to make it a safer and more approachable conversation for those who are stuck in the meth cycle. We need to come out and talk to people about it. There are lots of resources out there for anyone who decides to stop using. The problem is that meth is so easy to get and a drug that you can live your life to the fullest, and nobody will know you are on it. With all that said, we really need to talk more about meth and how it is ruining lives.

EDGE: I think a lot of gay boys probably had their sexual awakening watching Tony Danza on TV. When did you realize that you were gay?

Danny Pintauro: You wouldn't believe the number of guys that I've had tell me that he was their sexual awakening on "Who's the Boss?" I didn't figure out that I was gay until I was in college, but pretty much everyone else knew that I was gay when I was six years old. I was bullied in high school because students thought I was gay. I had girlfriends all through high school and was even engaged to be married. The nineties in Hollywood were not a time to come out as gay.

EDGE: Will you be reprising your role as Jonathan on the "Who's the Boss?" reboot?

Danny Pintauro: I don't know yet. We had a few talks about it when it first happened. Mostly, it was them calling to tell me that they had this unique idea that didn't really include Jonathan and Angela. The reboot was going to be focused solely on Tony and Samantha. There have been some more conversations that Jonathan will make an appearance at some point, but he will not be a series regular or a part of the show from the beginning, and I am OK with that.

EDGE: What was it like having Judith Light as your TV mom?

Danny Pintauro: She's the best! She works so hard, and she's so diligent. She has this amazing emotional connection to everyone. It's not just when she's filming, it is all the time. When you meet her, it just feels like she's giving you all of herself even just for the few minutes that you are with her. The management team she had when we were on "Who's the Boss" was a gay couple, so I had always had Judith, Herb, and Jonathan as a reference for the gay community. I believe this is why she is such a gay icon, because she had them as in her life. It was great to have her in my corner when I was outed. She is just the most amazing person I know.

EDGE: What's next for you?

Danny Pintauro: I hope a lot, but nothing at the moment. I've been auditioning like a madman for all kinds of things. We were waiting for the movie to come out to hopefully push me back into the spotlight. I got some great publicity, and my People Magazine piece was really great. I need to show Hollywood who I am, what I look like, and how I'm acting. I'm hoping for some really terrific stuff.

"A Country Christmas Harmony" is now airing on Lifetime and on the Lifetime app. You can also rent it on Amazon Prime Video.