Hal Sparks Then and Now!

  Wow – talk about a change!

Yes, that is “Queer as Folk” cutie Hal Sparks sporting a longer, rock and roll do.  And yes – even though his new ‘do makes him bare more than just a slight resemblance to Gene Simmons, there’s no mistaking the sparkle in the eyes of the adorable Mr. Sparks…

After staring at this new photo in disbelief for a good five minutes, it got me wondering what Hal’s been up to these days.  After reveling in shock of both his new look and the realization that it’s been – yikes – three years since “Queer as Folk” went off the air, I decided to call his publicist and get a quick update on Hal.

Turns out, Hal hasn’t just been sitting doing nothing – in fact, he’s busier now than he was when he was filming “QAF.” Here’s a rundown:

• Later this month, Hal will be a contestant on VH1’s “Celebracadabra.”  The show is sort of like “Dancing with the Stars” but with magic – celebs pair-up with professional magicians and all teams compete against each other to become the “Best Celebrity Magician”.   The show premieres April 20th.
• If you found his pop culture observations at all funny on all of those “I Love the ‘80’s” shows on VH1 (sorry, but I did!), you can catch him doing that again this spring when VH1 premieres “I Love the Millennium.” 
• Remember – Hal was a comedian before he was an actor, and he hasn’t given it up.  In fact, he’s constantly touring with his stand-up comedy act – check his Web site for tour dates.
• Last but not least (and probably the reason for the new hair) Hal now plays guitar in a rock band called “Zero 1.”  They have an album out and they tour all the time. It’s not that surprising – remember his stint on “Celebrity Duets?”

When do we get the "Queer as Folk" reunion movie??

(Getty Images)