# Actors that were never on your radar screen as a gay/lesbian, but now they are. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 14, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616 "2010-11-14T02:36:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/21 "2010-11-16T04:54:50Z")
> [@lisacurl](#): > > Hell, Kevin Bacon in \*Footloose \*was macho for the 80s. We’re talking about a decade where girls had crushes on Boy George. Yep! You know that commercial with the two totally geeky 80s kids having a magical first kiss with some glam rock blaring in the background, the girl with geeky glasses and the guy a total dork, then she lets her hair down and she’s cute and he does the same thing…can’t find it, don’t know what it’s for but… Embarassingly accurate. 😛 And I’d STILL do him 😉 Well, my high-school self would. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/22 "2010-11-16T05:13:54Z")
Not sure where Joan Chen (the Last Emperor, Twin Peaks, etc) falls? She made Wild Side with Anne Heche that has some pretty smoking lesbian scenes… According to wiki: Chen married her second husband, cardiologist Peter Hui, on January 18, 1992. She was formerly married to actor Jimmy Lau from 1985 to 1990. Joan and her current husband have 2 daughters and live in San Francisco, but spend part of every year in Shanghai, China with Joan’s family, so their daughters can be familiar with Chinese culture. I worked with Joan on Taipan (well, that’s a stretch as I was an extra for a few days and she was cloistered away except for her scenes). I also saw her at a pool with her daughters in Shanghai 2 summers ago, but was too busy with my 3 girls to go chat her up. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/23 "2010-11-17T22:33:56Z")
If an actor is onscreen playing a dancer, the way he moves, gestures, and walks would be markedly different from the way a plain old he-man fat load, plodding to the local titty bar, would move, gesture, or walk. 😃 And if I could order me a man-ho robot out of a catalog, I would pick the young Kevin Bacon from ‘Tremors’ for my daytime companion, thank you, (I thought he was cute as a button and is aging well). ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/24 "2010-11-18T07:12:24Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > “Human pipe cleaner”? > > ETA: Does it mean “skinny”? If so, I don’t see it – she’s just normal Hollywood-thin, not anorexic, supermodel-thin. Or am I totally off base? Yes, it means skinny. I think she is very skinny, but I’ve not seen a recent picture of her in a bathing suit, so I don’t know for sure. On The Closer, it looks like they fit her in baggy clothing to hide her frame. Plus, it looks to me like her teeth are very dingy, which makes me think of someone hurling after every meal. Kevin is as thin as a rail, so thin is in at the Bacon household. I like thin women just fine, but when they start looking bulimic to me, I draw the line. Back to the actors that didn’t ping my gadar, Rock Hudson certainly fit that bill. I read somewhere after his death that he went to a town in the Rocky Mountains at the beginning of his career to break his vocal chords. Supposedly, by screaming at the top of his lungs, the vocal chords snapped, leaving him with no voice. When they healed, his voice was lower. I can only speculate as to the validity of this story. I don’t even know if what I described is possible? Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/25 "2010-11-18T08:52:42Z")
The season finale of _Weeds_ this week reminds me: [Guillermo Diaz](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_D%C3%ADaz_%28actor%29), a Cuban American actor whose character is a badass hetero horndog who had sex with (main character) Nancy several times. I had no idea he was gay. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/26 "2010-11-18T13:41:10Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Back to the actors that didn’t ping my gadar, Rock Hudson certainly fit that bill. I read somewhere after his death that he went to a town in the Rocky Mountains at the beginning of his career to break his vocal chords. Supposedly, by screaming at the top of his lungs, the vocal chords snapped, leaving him with no voice. When they healed, his voice was lower. I can only speculate as to the validity of this story. I don’t even know if what I described is possible? Anyone know? I have no way of knowing if it is true or not, but this story reeks of urban legend to me. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/27 "2010-11-18T13:50:27Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > I have no way of knowing if it is true or not, but this story reeks of urban legend to me. I agree. This seems as likely as Rock Hudson bungee jumping off the Golden Gate bridge with the bungee attached to his penis to lengthen it. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/28 "2010-11-18T15:21:34Z")
> [@corkboard](#): > > I have no way of knowing if it is true or not, but this story reeks of urban legend to me. I agree. I had some time today and found [this website](http://racingmeridian.com/) that had this posted on it. I believe it was a quote from a book the guy who wrote this post had recently read. (I didn’t look at the website at all) > [@](#): > > I’ve always appreciated Palahniuk’s aversion to hypocrisy. That’s always struck me as his raison d’être, not his purported nihilism. The book is meticulously researched and takes delight in documenting the actions mainstream stars took to brandish as much sexuality as possible. Marilyn Monroe always wore heels of different height in order to ensure her booty really “rolled” when she walked. Rock Hudson induced strep throat, and then shredded his vocal chords, in order to obtain the deep gravelly voice mandatory for a Hollywood star. It’s these details that delight Palahniuk (he’d doubtless be fascinated by the persistent reports that Angelina Jolie uses methamphetamines to control her weight). I also found [this](http://www.sternfannetwork.com/forum/showthread.php?p=20039084), a posting on another website from an anonymous person that is in a similar vein. > [@](#): > > Rock Hudson, God rest his soul, had a high voice when he was starting out in films. He sounded as queer as he really was. His vocal coach advised him to catch a cold, which would irritate his throat, then scream as loud as he could until his vocal chords would tear. When they healed, his voice was lower. I am not making this up. I have no idea if they all stem from the same urban legend. I’ll see if I can find where I read this. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/29 "2010-11-18T17:29:12Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > This seems as likely as Rock Hudson bungee jumping off the Golden Gate bridge with the bungee attached to his penis to lengthen it. So you’re saying that never happened??? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/30 "2010-11-18T17:34:12Z")
I think it’s interesting the writer above praises “Palahniuk’s aversion to hypocrisy”. The guy led on rumors that he had a wife or was in a relationship with a woman and then went apeshit crazy attacking an interviewer on his website and in a video and outing himself because he thought she was planning to out him (which she wasn’t- the interview had already gone to print and never once mentioned him being gay). Then he spreads rumors about a closeted gay actor. > [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > So you’re saying that never happened??? It did, but it was his husband, Jim Nabors. Those present said “Best wedding dance EVER”, though the highlight was his singing the Marine song (“From the halls of Montezuma…”) with a bucket over his head while he did it. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/31 "2010-11-18T18:21:20Z")
First I shold say that I have no gaydar to speak of, and never followed him closely, but when a SDMB poster said it was pretty well known that Matthew Broderick was gay/bi, the next couple of times I saw him on a talk show or interview (Conan, Letterman, etc.) he did indeed have some mannerisims that seem common in gay men… (that said, I of course have no idea what Matthew Broderick’s personal life really consists of, and I suppose it’s none of my concern anyway) ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/32 "2010-11-18T18:30:18Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > So you’re saying that never happened??? Of course it never happened. It was the Brooklyn Bridge. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/33 "2010-11-18T18:44:02Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > (that said, I of course have no idea what Matthew Broderick’s personal life really consists of, and I suppose it’s none of my concern anyway) Married to Sarah Jessica Parker and has 3 children with her (and a surrogate for the twins). ---
**Author:** ![Freud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/779978/32.png) [@Freud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freud)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/34 "2010-11-18T19:22:44Z")
> [@lisacurl](#): > > We’re talking about a decade where girls had crushes on Boy George. My mom _loved_ Boy George and I suffered the consequences of her admiration. I looked like Boy birthed me himself and my classmates were not pleased. I would be lying if I said I hated the look… About Kevin Bacon - In Flatliners he could have easily been Julia Roberts’ gay-gal-pal and at times it seemed he was clearly crushing on Sutherland (or could be my wishful thinking). His dancing in Footloose was fantastic but, while he’s pretty and all, I don’t think he’s gay. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/35 "2010-11-19T03:42:26Z")
> [@Tanbarkie](#): > > Or deciding that Neil Patrick Harris is straight based on his portrayal of Barney Stinson. Amen. On that show, he’s soooo good at playing straight. But watch him on Leno or something? Gaydar beep beep! ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/36 "2010-11-19T04:13:15Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Married to Sarah Jessica Parker and has 3 children with her (and a surrogate for the twins). I knew he was married to SJP (didn’t know that they had kids) but at least one Doper here has said that they have met Matthew Broderick and his boyfriend/male companion during the time that he and SJParker were married. Again, I have no gaydar to speak of, but after I read that, the next couple of times that I saw Broderick on TV, I could kind of see how he had some mannerisms that I associate with some gay men. It certainly could be the power of suggestion, as I am highly suggestable. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616/37 "2010-11-19T04:38:59Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I never thought of Kevin Spacey as seeming gay, at all - until I was told by a former New York scenester that he was regularly seen with men in public and that it was common knowledge there that he lived a gay lifestyle. I think I heard it here on the Dope some years ago that he is always hitting on guys (I think, but I don’t accurately recall, that a Doper said that he hit on HIM). It was pretty definitive, at any rate. I think my biggest WHAAAA?!? in this category is Kelly McGillis. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-that-were-never-on-your-radar-screen-as-a-gay-lesbian-but-now-they-are/560616.md?page=1)