The real Frank Tassone, the man portrayed by Hugh Jackman in the new HBO film “Bad Education,” says he thought Jackman did a “good job” portraying him but criticized how the film approached his sexuality and domestic partnership.
“Bad Education” tells the true story of a Long Island superintendent who embezzled $2.2 million of taxpayer money from the school district. The real Tassone, who was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison for larceny but was released on good behavior in 2010, spoke on the Coach Mike Podcast with host Mike Bayer and said that only about “40-50%” of “Bad Education” is accurate.
“He did a very good job portraying me,” Tassone said on the podcast, even thanking Jackman for defending his work as a superintendent during a recent appearance on “Today.” “I think he did a good job playing me, especially at the end when I’m in prison and I walk out and I see what I lost because I did something so terrible. And that really hit home for me.”
Tassone was emotional in the interview and remorseful for his “terrible” actions, and he added that at times the film was hard to watch.
“It was difficult. Very difficult. You know, I recognize that what I did was wrong and I broke the law, but that was 20 years ago and I finally thought, you know, I could go forward,” he said. “And for it to come all back 20 years later brought back feelings that were hurtful and that were warranted in many respects. So, it was a challenging time to watch the movie.”
Some SPOILERS for “Bad Education” follow.
Tassone did however criticize how the movie portrayed his sexuality and certain details of his relationships. In the film, Tassone is revealed as a gay man who has an affair in Las Vegas with a former student, something he keeps a secret from a man whom we discover is his domestic partner of 35 years (now 45 years). While Tassone did buy a home in Las Vegas as part of his affair, the man was never a former student, and Tassone says that his domestic partner Steven was aware that they were in an open relationship.
“I did not keep secrets from Steven,” he said. “What bothered me terribly was it was never a former student.”
The real Tassone is a widower of a marriage to a woman, as the film shows, but Tassone felt the film also implied that his partner Steven was unaware of his former marriage and that his marriage wasn’t strong.
“There was a lot of implication, or at least I felt, that i didn’t have a wonderful marriage or didn’t love her so very much, which I did,” Tassone said. “I almost felt it was disrespectful to her, and I loved her very much.”
Tassone added that he didn’t understand why his sexuality was brought up and called the film’s portrayal of it “somewhat sordid.”
“That upset me as well, because I’m not ashamed of being a gay man, and again, they made it seem somewhat sordid,” Tassone said. “That bothered me and upset me when the detective questioned Steven, and he implied that Steven didn’t even know I was married. That was not the case. And I don’t understand why they had to bring my sexuality into the film.”
Check out the whole podcast here. “Bad Education” is streaming now on HBO.
37 Stars Who Need Only an Oscar to EGOT, From Hugh Jackman to Cynthia Erivo (Photos)
The EGOT -- an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony -- is the greatest honor in entertainment. These stars are (or were) close to achieving it.
Cynthia Nixon (1966 - )
Emmys (2): Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, "Sex and the City" (2004); Guest Actress in a Drama Series, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2008)
Grammy: Spoken Word Album, "An Inconvenient Truth" (2008)
Tonys (2): Actress in a Play, "Rabbit Hole" (2006); Featured Actress in a Play, "Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes" (2017)
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Lin-Manuel Miranda (1980 - )
Emmy: Original Music and Lyrics, "67th Annual Tony Awards" (2014)
Grammys (2): Best Musical Theater Album, "In the Heights" (2008) and "Hamilton" (2017)
Tonys (3): Score, "In the Heights" (2008) and "Hamilton" (2016); Musical, "Hamilton" (2016)
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Hugh Jackman (1968 - )
Emmy: Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, "58th Annual Tony Awards" (2004)
Grammy: Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, "The Greatest Showman" (2018)
Tony: Actor in a Musical, "The Boy From Oz" (2004)
Harry Belafonte (1927 - )
Emmy: Performance in a Variety or Musical Program or Series, "The Revlon Revue" (1960)
Grammys (2): Folk Performance, "Swing Dat Hammer" (1960); Folk Recording, "An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba" (1965)
Tony: Supporting Actor in a Musical, "John Murray Anderson's Almanac" (1954)
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Cynthia Erivo (1987 - )
Daytime Emmy: On-Camera Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Today" (2017)
Grammy: Musical Theater Album, "The Color Purple" (2016)
Tony: Actress in a Musical, "The Color Purple" (2016)
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Bette Midler (1945 - )
Emmys (3): Special - Comedy, Variety or Music, "Bette Midler Ol' Red Hair Is Back" (1978); Performance in a Variety or Music Program, "Bette Midler: Diva Las Vegas" (1997) and "The Tonight Show" (1992)
Grammy (3): Best New Artist (1973); Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, "The Rose" (1980); Record of the Year, "Wind Beneath My Wings" (1989)
Tony: Actress in a Musical, "Hello, Dolly!" (2017)
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Audra McDonald (1970 - )
Emmy: Special Class Program, "Live From Lincoln Center" (2015)
Grammys (2): Classical Album and Opera Recording, "Weill: Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny" (2008)
Tonys (6): Featured Actress in a Musical, "Carousel" (1994); Featured Actress in a Play, "Master Class" (1996); Featured Actress in a Musical, "Ragtime" (1998); Featured Actress in a Play, "A Raisin in the Sun" (2004); Actress in a Musical, "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" (2012); Actress in a Play, "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill" (2014)
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Cyndi Lauper (1953 - )
Emmy: Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, "Mad About You" (2005)
Grammys (2): Best New Artist (1984); Musical Theater Album, "Kinky Boots" (2013)
Tony: Score, "Kinky Boots" (2013)
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Marc Shaiman (1959 - )
Emmy: Writing in a Variety or Music Program, "The 64th Annual Academy Awards" (1992)
Grammy: Musical Show Album, "Hairspray" (2002)
Tony: Score, "Hairspray" (2003)
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Lily Tomlin (1939 - )
Emmys (6): Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special, "Lily" (1974) and The Lily Tomlin Special (1976) and "The Paul Simon Special" (1978); Variety, Music or Comedy Program, "Lily" (1974) and "Lily: Sold Out" (1981); Voiceover Performance, "An Apology to Elephants" (2013)
Grammy: Comedy Recording, "This Is a Recording" (1971)
Tony: Actress in a Play, "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" (1986)
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Billy Porter (1969 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, "Pose" (2019)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Kinky Boots" (2013)
Tony: Lead Actor in a Musical, "Kinky Boots" (2013)
Dick Van Dyke (1925 -)
Emmys (4): Actor in a Comedy Series, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1964, 1965 and 1966); Comedy-Variety or Music Series, "Van Dyke and Company" (1977)
Grammy: Recording for Children, "Mary Poppins" (1964)
Tony: Featured Actor in a Musical, "Bye, Bye Birdie" (1961)
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James Earl Jones (1931 - )
Emmys (2): Actor in a Drama Series, "Gabriel's Fire" (1991); Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special, "Heat Wave" (1991)
Grammy: Spoken Word Recording, "Great American Documents" (1976)
Tonys (2): Actor in a Play, "The Great White Hope" (1969) and "Fences" (1987)
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David Yazbek (1961 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, "Late Night With David Letterman" (1984)
Grammy: Musical Theater Album, "The Band's Visit" (2018)
Tony: Original Musical Score, "The Band's Visit (2018)
Grammy: Musical Theater Album, "The Book of Mormon" (2011)
Tony (2): Score and Book, "The Book of Mormon" (2011)
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Ben Platt (1993 - )
Daytime Emmy (1): Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Dear Evan Hansen" on "Today" (2018)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2018)
Tony: Best Actor in a Musical, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2017)
Rachel Bay Jones (1969 - )
Daytime Emmy (1): Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Dear Evan Hansen" on "Today" (2018)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2018)
Tony: Best Featured Actress in a Musical, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2017)
André De Shields (1946 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, "Ain't Misbehavin'" (1982)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Hadestown" (2020)
Tony: Best Featured Actor in a Musical, "Hadestown" (2019)
Quincy Jones (1933 - )
Emmy: Music Composition for a Series Original Dramatic Score, "Roots" (1977)
Grammy:27 wins, including Record of the Year, "Beat It" (1983) and "We Are the World" (1985); Album of the Year, "Back on the Block" (1990)
Tony: Musical Revival (producing), "The Color Purple" (2016)
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Katrina Lenk
Emmy: Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Today" (2019)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "The Band's Visit" (2019)
Tony: Best Actress in a Musical, "The Band's Visit" (2018)
Ari'el Stachel (1991 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Today" (2019)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "The Band's Visit" (2019)
Tony: Best Featured Actor in a Musical, "The Band's Visit" (2018)
Fred Ebb (1928-2004) and John Kander (1927 - )
Emmy: Original Music and Lyrics, "Liza With a Z" (1973) and "Liza Minnelli Live from Radio City Music Hall" (1993); Ebb also won for "Gypsy in My Soul" (1976) and producing "Liza With a Z"
Grammy: Best Score From an Original Cast Show Album, "Cabaret" (1967)
Tonys (4): Musical and Composer/Lyricist, "Cabaret" (1967); Score, "Woman of the Year" (1981); Score, "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (1993)
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Tom Kitt (1974 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, "The 67th Annual Tony Awards" (2014)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Jagged Little Pill" (2021)
Tonys (2): Best Original Score and Orchestrations, "Next to Normal" (2009)
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Bill Sherman (1981 - )
Daytime Emmys (2): Original Song - Children's and Animation, "Sesame Street" (2011); Original Song, "Sesame Street" (2015)
Grammys (2): Best Musical Theater Album, "In the Heights" (2008) and "Hamilton" (2017)
Tonys (2): Orchestrations, "In the Heights" (2008); Musical (producing), "Kinky Boots" (2013)
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Anne Garefino (1959 - )
Emmys (5): Animated Program (producing), "South Park" (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2013)
Grammy: Musical Theater Album, "The Book of Mormon" (2011)
Tony: Musical (producing), "The Book of Mormon" (2011)
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Martin Charnin (1934 - )
Emmys (3): Variety or Musical Program, "Annie, the Women in the Life of a Man" (1970); Variety or Musical Program and Directorial Achievement in Comedy or Variety, "'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gershwin" (1972)
Grammy: Cast Show Album, "Annie" (1977)
Tony: Score, "Annie" (1977)
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Stan Lathan (1945 - )
Emmys (3): Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded), "Dave Chappelle: Equanimity" (2018), "Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones" (2020); Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special, "Sticks & Stones" (2020)
Grammys (3): Best Comedy Album, Dave Chappelle's "The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas" (2017); "Equanimity & The Bird Revelation" (2018); "Sticks & Stones" (2019)
Tony: Best Special Theatrical Event, "Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam" (2003)
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Alex Lacamoire (1975 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Music Direction, "Fosse/Verdon" (2019)
Grammy (3): Best Musical Theater Album, "In the Heights" (2009), "Hamilton" (2016), "Dear Evan Hansen" (2018); Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, "The Greatest Showman" (2019)
Tony (3): Best Orchestrations, "In the Heights" (2008); "Hamilton" (2016); "Dear Evan Hansen" (2017)
Jerry Bock (1928–2010)
Daytime Emmy: Original Song - Children's and Animation, "Wonder Pets!" (2010)
Grammy: Score From an Original Cast Show Album, "She Loves Me" (1963)
Tonys (4): Musical, "Fiorello!" (1960), "Hello, Dolly!" (1964) and "Fiddler on the Roof" (1965); plus Score, "Fiddler on the Roof" (1965)
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Julie Harris (1925–2013)
Emmys (3): Single Performance by an Actress, "Little Moon of Alban" (1959); Single Performance by an Actress, "Victoria Regina" (1962); Voiceover Performance, "Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony" (2000)
Grammy: Spoken Word Recording, "The Belle Of Amherst" (1977)
Tonys (5): Actress in a Play, "I Am a Camera" (1952), "The Lark" (1956), "Forty Carats" (1969), "The Last of Mrs. Lincoln" (1973) and "The Belle of Amherst" (1977)
Courtesy: Bill Doll and Company
Cy Coleman (1929-2004)
Emmys (2): Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special, "Shirley MacLaine: If They Could See Me Now" (1975); Comedy-Variety or Music Special, "Gypsy in My Soul" (1976)
Grammy: Musical Show Album, "The Will Rogers Follies" (1991)
Tonys (3): Score, "On the Twentieth Century" (1978), "City of Angels" (1990) and "The Will Rogers Follies" (1991)
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James Whitmore (1921–2009)
Emmy: Guest Actor in a Drama Series, "The Practice" (2000)
Grammy: Spoken Word Recording, "Give 'Em Hell Harry" (1975)
Tony: Performance by Newcomers, "For Love or Money" (1948)
Emmy: 7 individual wins, including for "Omnibus" (1957 and 1958); "Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic" (1961); "New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts" (1965); "Beethoven's Birthday" (1972); and "Carnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening" (1987)
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