The truth about Geffen.

David Geffen may hate his new biography, but its author, Tom King, reminds us there's more to the mogul than his dark side

Gay entertainment mogul David Geffen may have near-supernatural powers, but they apparently don't include the ability to block publication of The Operator.' David Geffen Builds, Buys, and Sells the New Hollywood (Random House, $29.95)--the most anticipated Hollywood biography in recent memory.

Written by 36-year-old Tom King, an openly gay entertainment columnist for The Wall Street Journal, the book delves deep into Geffen's extraordinary life, revealing the kind of behind-the-scenes information that sends Hollywood into fits of joy. The Operator goes so deep, in fact, that the operator himself withdrew his cooperation 15 months into King's reporting. Before publication Geffen reportedly called the top executives of both Random House and its parent company, Bertelsmann, to complain of the book's inaccuracies. The publishers stuck to their grins.

It took King--who says he believes Geffen is the only living person in show business worthy of a full-scale biography--three years to complete The Operator, an exhaustively reported book based on nearly 300 interviews (including eight with Geffen) and filled with sex, drugs, rock and roll, betrayals, achievements, and astonishing displays of power. King portrays Geffen not only as a man who stops at nothing to get what he wants but also as a brilliant man with an unfettered and admirable sense of compassion.

The Advocate: I have never been screamed at by David Geffen, and I'm guessing the same goes for most Advocate readers. Can you tell us what it's like?

King: It usually left me a little startled, but I very quickly came to think that David had, in fact, given me a gift. Now I had firsthand experience in what it was like to deal with this guy. I had interviewed all these people, and everyone had a story about being screamed at by David Geffen. Even [with] people who called themselves his closest friends, the time would come in our interview when they would say, "I think I should tell you about the two years when David and I didn't speak."

You are an openly gay writer. What role, if any, do you think that played in the reporting or writing of The Operator?

I do believe that my being gay may have had something to do with his deciding to cooperate with the book at first. My being gay might have made him think that I would render a more empathetic portrayal of him than a straight writer would.

Much has been made about Geffen's longtime struggle to come to terms with his sexuality. This may be asking you to be an armchair psychologist, but what significance do you think that had on the person he is today?

If we're looking at what has shaped David Geffen, I don't think his struggle [to accept his homosexuality] has had a major role. But I do believe we are the product of our upbringing, and I would suggest it was David Geffen's extraordinary family situation that played a bigger role than even his sexuality in shaping this remarkable personality, which has tremendous brilliance but also this towering rage.

His mother was domineering and well-intentioned, but she assaulted people with her opinions on everything. She was incapable of seeing life through any eyes other than her own. I think that must have played a huge role in helping shape David Geffen's personality. But, to his credit, throughout his life he was continuously trying to better himself. He would try to make amends, but he always seemed to be able to find new enemies.

Even with all those enemies and his notorious temper, Geffen rarely fails anyone when it comes to monetary donations to AIDS charities. How important was his public coming-out, and do we sometimes forget that Geffen also has a caring, compassionate side?

The APLA ceremony was an extraordinary night. In 1992 Geffen publicly came out in his acceptance speech as an honoree at AIDS Project Los Angeles's "Commitment to Life" ceremony.] The thing is, David didn't think it was a big deal. But it absolutely was. True, a lot of people knew he was gay years before that. But because it was a public figure [coming out], it made all the difference in the world.

And, yes, what we should never forget about David is that he is a man with an extraordinary capability for compassion. As gay people the world over know, this is a man who has been tremendously generous, especially in opening up his checkbook. Not only did David break records time and again that he himself had set for donations, but he also gave untold amounts of money anonymously, especially when the AIDS crisis was in the precocktail years. I don't think David ever turned away anyone who asked him for money.

I'm guessing that Geffen wouldn't send you money, even if you asked very nicely. Are you fearful that Geffen could--or would--hurt your career?

No, I would say the opposite is true. Now my phone calls get returned quicker than ever.

Denizet-Lewis also writes for Spin and the San Francisco Chronicle.