'The Normal Heart' Director Ryan Murphy Recalls Coming Of Age During The HIV/AIDS Crisis

The Personal Reason Ryan Murphy Was Drawn To 'The Normal Heart'

"Glee" and "American Horror Story" director Ryan Murphy spoke at length about his much-anticipated adaptation of "The Normal Heart," which is set to air on HBO later this month, in an appearance on HuffPost Live this week.

The openly gay Murphy described his personal journey with the project, which is based on Larry Kramer's seminal 1985 play about the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York City.

"I grew up thinking if I was intimate, I would die," Murphy recalled.

Murphy and his husband, David Miller, are the proud fathers of Logan Phineas Miller Murphy, who will turn 2 years old in December. Both of those factors, he said, were part of his decision to tackle the project.

"I don't think that I would have the rights that I have today without Larry Kramer and the men and women who fought that fight because it really was a civil rights fight," he said. "Larry Kramer was very ahead of his time ... The issues that Larry wrote about...are even now more modern and topical."

Joining Murphy during the HuffPost Live were many members of the all-star "Normal Heart" cast. Among them was Taylor Kitsch, who congratulated Michael Sam for becoming the first openly gay man to be drafted by the NFL over the weekend.

"When I saw the draft...I mean, it's awesome," Kitsch said of Sam's on-camera kiss with his boyfriend, Vito Cammisano. "Let's keep moving forward."

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