# Examples of straight actor playing gay role? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 24, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063 "2003-02-24T02:08:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/41 "2003-02-24T18:43:54Z")
Joshua Jackson played a gay character in _Cruel Intentions_ and a straight one on _Dawson’s Creek_. I’m not sure you can call what they do on _Dawson’s Creek_ acting though. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/42 "2003-02-24T19:01:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The\_Raven \* > \*\*Billy Crystal played a gay character in _Soap_… > > -Rav \*\* Except the majority of Jody’s love interests were women, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/43 "2003-02-24T19:32:55Z")
Also in Victoria/Victoria, we had Alex Karras playing a gay man, as opposed to playing Mondo in Blazing Saddles. Richard Dreyfuss played a straight actor playing a gay character in The Goodbye Girl. Sharon Stone played… something… in Basic Instinct. Michael Jeter played a pretty darn gay guy in The Fisher King. He also played a straight guy in all sorts of things. I have no idea whether he’s gay or not, but he’s played both sides of the street… ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/44 "2003-02-24T19:36:41Z")
Derek Jacobi and Michael Jeter are both publicly Out (and in Jeter’s case, HIV +). ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/45 "2003-02-24T19:38:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Athena \* > \*\*Actually, all three of the main characters in that movie - Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving, and Terence Stamp - are straight. > \*\* You mean the _actors_ are straight, right? ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/46 "2003-02-24T19:49:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arden Ranger \* > \*\*IIRC, Michael Caine and Christopher Reeves played lovers, a bisexual and a homosexual respectively, Death Trap. \*\* Dagnabbit! That’s the one I was going to mention! For the OP’s purpose, this might be a good movie to examine. Since the characters’ true sexuality is only revealed toward the end of the movie, you could examine the way they played their roles when they were “straight” vs. when they were “gay.” Essentially, in a portion of the movie, they were straight men playing gay men playing straight men. Similarly with Robin Williams in “The Birdcage.” Oh, the possibilities … ---
**Author:** ![vertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3ec8ea/32.png) [@vertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertigo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/47 "2003-02-24T20:28:34Z")
**William H. Macy** played gay in “Happy Texas” and straight in “Pleasantville”. **Hank Azaria** flames away in “The Birdcage”. Also **George Hamilton** in “Zorro, The Gay Blade”. ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/48 "2003-02-24T20:39:39Z")
Actually, George Hamilton plays a straight character and a gay character in Zorro, the Gay Blade. Get your comparisons in one movie! ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/49 "2003-02-24T20:51:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SC\_Wolf \* > \*\*Cute story about the filming of To Wong Foo: > > First day of filming, the guys all put on their wardrobe in their respective trailers, and John and Wesley come wobbling out, as it was their first time ever wearing heels. They hear Patrick come out of his trailer, and he confidently strides in the direction of the set. They both give him this strange look and he has to explain to them that back when he taught dance, he had to learn how to walk in heels, so he could teach how to dance in heels. \*\* I have a hard time believing this story as Leguizamo had performed in drag with heel in his one man shows which I had seen years before To Wong Foo. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/50 "2003-02-24T21:01:34Z")
What about Forrest Whitaker in “The Crying Game”? Also, I don’t know what you’d call Stephen Rea in that movie, but in real life he’s married with children. ---
**Author:** ![airdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@airdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/airdisc)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/51 "2003-02-24T21:06:48Z")
Putter Smith as Mr. Kidd and Bruce Glover as Mr. Wint in **Diamonds are Forever**. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/52 "2003-02-24T21:10:24Z")
Check out the movie [In and Out](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0119360). Kevin Kline plays a gay, small-town schoolteacher who is trying to stay in the closet. Tom Selleck plays an openly gay reporter. I’m sure you can find plenty of movies where these guys played straight characters. In [Bedrooms and Hallways](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0126810), Hugo Weaving (“Elrond” in the LOTR series) plays a sex-obsessed gay real estate agent. As the movie is all about gay life in London, i’m sure you’ll find plenty of other straight actors playing gay roles in it. ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/53 "2003-02-24T21:19:05Z")
Several members of the cast of [Jeffrey](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0113464) are straight. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/54 "2003-02-24T21:25:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lisa-go-Blind \* > \*\* > Christopher Guest played gay in “Waiting for Guffman” but is married to Jamie Lee Curtis in real life. \*\* WHAT? Corky is gay in **Waiting for Guffman**? I don’t believe it. Matthew Broderick in **Torch Song Trilogy**. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/55 "2003-02-24T21:33:51Z")
Hugh Grant in **Maurice** , of which I’ve seen only a small portion. He has a relationship with James Wilby, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/56 "2003-02-24T21:38:04Z")
Jason Alexander played a gay character in Long Time Companion, IIRC. He played a straight one in Shallow Hal. Don’t know offhand if he is gay or straight IRL. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/57 "2003-02-24T21:38:38Z")
Peter Lorre as **Joel Cairo**. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/58 "2003-02-24T21:44:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by widdershins \* > \*\*Laurence Olivier played gay in _Spartacus_ and straight in _The Entertainer_ \*\* Actually I think Marcus Licinius Crassus, the character Olivier played in Spartacus, was supposed to be _bisexual_. As a cite I offer the bathing scene in which he tells Antoninus his slave(played by Tony Curtis) “my tastes include both snails _and_ oysters.” Curtis’s character ran away because he figured the master was going to put the moves on him. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/59 "2003-02-24T21:57:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ol’Gaffer \* > \*\*WHAT? Corky is gay in **Waiting for Guffman**? I don’t believe it. \*\* Oh…right…yeah, he’s married, isn’t he? Funny, she’s never around…😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/60 "2003-02-24T22:08:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mockingbird \* > \*\*I have a hard time believing this story as Leguizamo had performed in drag with heel in his one man shows which I had seen years before To Wong Foo. \*\* Wesley Snipes had also done drag before. He played Sister Boom-Boom in the original stage production of _Execution of Justice_. Dunno if he wore heels for that, but I’d suspect so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063.md?page=4)