Amazon Video’s AFTER FOREVER, the gay-themed series created by actor/producer/writer Kevin Spirtas and his creative partner, Michael Slade, has received a whopping eight 2019 Daytime Emmy Award nominations.
AFTER FOREVER is the story of Brian, played by Kevin Spirtas (Days of Our Lives) and Jason, played by Mitchell Anderson (Doogie Howser, Party of 5), a “50-ish” New York City gay couple, who have it all – until they don’t.
The 8-episode first season follows them and their friends through a journey of love, loss and moving on.
The series also features Tony Award winner Cady Huffman (Will Rogers Follies, The Producers), Tony Award nominee Anita Gillette (Chapter Two), and tons of TV & Broadway veterans like Jamison Stern, Jim Newman, Colleen Zenk and Michael Urie (Ugly Betty).
Speaking to The Advocate last year, Slade shared that the depiction of 35+ year-old gay men in series television has been missing in his estimation.
“We as gay men, after we’re no longer 35, we tend to disappear from popular culture until we’re Christopher Plummer — asexual down the hall with a cat,” Slade told The Advocate.
And co-creator Spirtas underscored the universality of the series’ love story.
“I think you can look at this story about love between two people and realize it’s two people anywhere,” said Spirtas. “It’s two men, it’s two women, it’s a male and a female, it’s older, it’s younger, it’s same age.”
You can watch the trailer for Season One here:
The digital series’ 2019 Daytime Emmy nominations include:
• Nomination for Outstanding Digital Drama Series
• Nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Digital Drama Series: Michael Slade and Kevin Spirtas
• Two nominations for Outstanding Actor in a Digital Drama Series: Kevin Spirtas, Mitchell Anderson
• Two nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Digital Drama Series: Erin Cherry, Cady Huffman
• Nomination for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Digital Drama Series: Anita Gillette
• Nomination for Outstanding Director of a Digital Drama Series: Jennifer Pepperman
AFTER FOREVER was also honored with a writing nomination for Michael Slade & Kevin Spirtas last month at the 2019 Writers Guild Awards in the Original Short Form New Media category.
You can watch the first episode of the series here for free.
In related news, out daytime drama actor Greg Rikaart picked up a 2019 Best Supporting Actor nomination as well for his work as “Leo Stark” on Days of Our Lives.
Already a Daytime Emmy Award winner for his longtime role as “Kevin Fisher” on The Young and the Restless, should the 42-year-old actor win, he would become the first to win Best Supporting Actor for a gay role, and the first openly gay actor to win for a gay role in any category.
The 46th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be held May 5 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
