# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/61 "2003-02-25T02:48:26Z")
Point taken, **Baker**. _Marathon Man_ director John Schleinger has said in an interview in The Advocate that Roy Scheider’s and William Devane’s characters in the film were definitely lovers. Schieder said in a Playboy interview that his character was “fouled up sexually and felt guilty about it.” ---
**Author:** ![fizzestothetop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e79b87/32.png) [@fizzestothetop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizzestothetop)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/62 "2003-02-25T03:11:22Z")
James Gandalfini (sp?) played a gay kidnapper/bad guy in The Mexican and probably best known for his work as straight bad guy Tony Soprano in The Sopranos. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/63 "2003-02-25T03:33:55Z")
Knowing, and caring, nothing about the private sex life of any actor, I was amused to find this quote by Sir John Gielgud. “I’m an actor, of _course_ I can play a heterosexual.” ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/64 "2003-02-25T03:37:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Protesilaus \* > \*\*Greg Kinnear played an openly gay character in _As Good As It Gets_. I haven’t seen most of [what he’s been in](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Kinnear,+Greg), but his characters in _Dear God_ and _You’ve Got Mail_ are straight. \*\* He played the William Holden part in the remake of _Sabrina_. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/65 "2003-02-25T03:43:38Z")
Also, Cher played a lesbian in _Silkwood_ and a straight wome in _Mermaids_ and _Moonstruck_. Christian Bale and Ewan McGregor played gay/bi men in _Velvet Goldmine_. Both are straight in real life, and McGregor played straight in too many movies to mention, as did Bale. ---
**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 25, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/66 "2003-02-25T04:05:11Z")
Following **Guin** ’s suggestions, perhaps the most interesting, certainly the most unusual portrayal of a straight guy by Christian Bale would have to in _American Psycho_. ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_the\_Dane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5a626/32.png) [@Eddie\_the\_Dane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_the_Dane)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/67 "2003-02-25T05:20:54Z")
Steve Buscemi (Mink), John Turturro (Bernie Bernbaum), and J.E. Freeman (Eddie the Dane) played a gay triangle in “Miller’s Crossing”. AFAIK none of these gentlemen are gay. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/68 "2003-02-25T07:06:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > **Peter O’Toole played gay in Laurence of Arabia and straight in Creator.** Minor nitpick. T.E. Lawrence wasn’t gay, and it’s entirely possible that the only sexual experience he had in his life was when he was raped by a Turkish official of some sort during his service in Arabia. This was alluded to in the movie version of his life, and that’s probably what got you confused. See [this site](http://www.lawrenceofarabia.info/life/faq.htm#D) and scroll down the page for a discussion of whether or not he was gay. ---
**Author:** ![herwono](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9f8e36/32.png) [@herwono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herwono)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/69 "2003-02-25T11:44:40Z")
Andrew Keegan, John Mahoney, Dean Cain, and Zack Braff all play gay characters in [The Broken Hearts Club](http://www.thebrokenheartsclub.com/) ---
**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 25, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/70 "2003-02-25T16:30:32Z")
According to director John Schlesinger, both Roy Scheider’s and William Devane’s characters in **Marathon Man** were gay. However, I remember reading Goldmans novelization of the screenplay, and I don’t recall anything that led me to believe that. Maybe I need to go back over it. BTW, in a recent re-issue of the novel, Goldman said in the intro that he was inspired to make the bad guy a dentist based on his experiences with his own childhood dentist. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/71 "2003-02-25T18:20:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jack Batty \* > \*\*Eric McCormack, every week on _[Will and Grace](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0157246)_. \*\* _cough_ yeah right. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/72 "2003-02-26T02:44:23Z")
“yeah right” as in no he doesn’t, or “yeah right” as in yes he does he just doesn’t do it well? I made no critique, only that he plays a gay character … or are we figuring out that the character isn’t gay (I haven’t seen the show in a while)? ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/73 "2003-02-26T03:09:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scablet \* > **Al Pacino as gay bank robber Sonny in _Dog Day Afternoon_,** But if he was really gay, then why was he robbing the bank to pay for his boyfriend’s _sex change operation_? ---
**Author:** ![scablet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@scablet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scablet)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/74 "2003-02-26T03:23:06Z")
To make Leon happy. However, IIRC, neither of them were aware that Leon was transgendered before they got married. He married boy bits, and as far as he knew they were staying boy bits. Actually, I suppose Sonny _wasn’t_ gay after all - he was closer to bisexual, non? At least, that’s what I got out of it. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/75 "2003-02-27T00:44:43Z")
Laurence Luckinbill, the husband of Lucie Arnaz, played gay in “The Boys in the Band”. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/76 "2003-02-27T01:15:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mjollnir \* > \*\*According to director John Schlesinger, both Roy Scheider’s and William Devane’s characters in Marathon Man were gay. > > However, I remember reading Goldmans novelization of the screenplay, and I don’t recall anything that led me to believe that. Maybe I need to go back over it.\*\* WHAAA----??? I owned the VHS, own the DVD, I’ve only seen it about 50 times, and I never noticed this. Don’t I feel like the stupid clueless hetero. Can someone familiar with the movie give me an example of a scene or two from the movie in which this is established? ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/77 "2003-02-27T06:00:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by herwono \* > \*\*Andrew Keegan, John Mahoney, Dean Cain, and Zack Braff all play gay characters in [The Broken Hearts Club](http://www.thebrokenheartsclub.com/) \*\* I may be wrong here, but I think John Mahoney actually is gay. He’s the dad on Frasier, right? No, I have no cite, since I can’t remember where or why I heard this. I do remember being surprised, and then noting the source as fairly reliable, whatever it was. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/78 "2003-02-28T00:12:54Z")
**Dooku** , in The Advocate interview that I found online, Schlesinger says that the inference is in the dialogue William Goldman wrote for the film if you listen closely. It’s been too long since I’ve watched the film closely to remember examples (need to watch that great film again anyway). Peter Finch played gay characters in _Sunday, Bloody Sunday_ and _The Trials Of Oscar Wilde_. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/79 "2003-02-28T01:18:29Z")
OK, thanks **widdershins** - I’ll watch the DVD at some point soon and resurrect this thread with any dialogue that I find that leans in that direction. (I’m not very hopeful, however, since I’ve seen it dozens of times and never noticed…) ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/80 "2003-02-28T01:37:15Z")
Stephen Fry as Oscar Wilde and in Peter’s friends. of course, he’s not straight, but it might be a help. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063.md?page=5)