# 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:** 5
**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, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/81 "2003-02-28T01:38:57Z")
or simon callow in four weddings versus simon callow in most other things. ---
**Author:** ![montag01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@montag01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/montag01)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/82 "2003-02-28T03:07:28Z")
Maurice has been mentioned regarding Hugh Grant, but I don’t believe either James Wilby or the actor playing Scudder is gay. Daniel Day Lewis plays the gay Johnny in My Beautiful Laundrette. I don’t believe he’s gay in reality. Dermot Mulroney plays a gay kid in Longtime Companion. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/83 "2003-02-28T07:23:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tapioca Dextrin \* > \*\*And Tony Curtis in _Spartacus_ \*\* Nope. When Laurence Olivier tries to seduce in the bath, Curtis is out of there. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/84 "2003-02-28T07:24:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by irishgirl \* > \*\*or simon callow in four weddings versus simon callow in most other things. \*\* Sorry, the actor Simon Callow is openly gay. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/85 "2003-02-28T07:26:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LifeOnWry \* > \*\*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. \*\* No, not John Mahoney. You’re thinking of openly gay actor Dan Butler, who played the straight sportscaster Bulldog on **Frasier**. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/86 "2003-02-28T16:55:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GloriaMundi \* > \*\*I’m wondering - how can you compare differences in vocabulary, pronounciation, etc. if the actor is playing a role? You’d be comparing how the actor chooses to portray a role/character, wouldn’t you? How can you compare two different roles 😕 \*\* Since the original poster hasn’t answered your question, I’ll venture to say that’s exactly the point: comparing how the actor chooses to portray two different roles. The real problem is limiting yourself to straight actors. Most of the responses seem to assume that any actor not known to be homosexual or bisexual is exclusively heterosexual, but that’s not necessarily the case. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/87 "2003-02-28T17:08:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GloriaMundi \* > \*\*I’m wondering - how can you compare differences in vocabulary, pronounciation, etc. if the actor is playing a role? You’d be comparing how the actor chooses to portray a role/character, wouldn’t you? How can you compare two different roles 😕 \*\* Since the original poster hasn’t answered your question, I’ll venture to say that’s exactly the point: comparing how the actor chooses to portray two different roles. The real problem is limiting yourself to straight actors. Most of the responses seem to assume that any actor not known to be homosexual or bisexual is exclusively heterosexual, but that’s not necessarily the case. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/88 "2003-02-28T17:16:55Z")
Actually, as the discussion about _The Marathon_ man indicates, it’s not even safe to assume a _character_ is straight just because there’s no direct reference to homosexuality. Not only do you have the writer’s intent to consider, but actors frequently invent detailed back stories for their roles to give them greater dimension. That’s assuming that by “straight” you mean exclusively heterosexual. If not, you may want to limit yourself to actors and characters that fall within a defined segment on a scale of sexual preferences and/or behavior, although this will be difficult without knowing an awful lot about the persons/personae in question. ---
**Author:** ![GloriaMundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ee59a6/32.png) [@GloriaMundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloriaMundi)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/89 "2003-02-28T17:33:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TWDuke \* > \*\*Since the original poster hasn’t answered your question, I’ll venture to say that’s exactly the point: comparing how the actor chooses to portray two different roles. \*\* I think that was my point also. The roles may be homo- and hetero, but the portrayed roles are so much more than the sexuality, and to me it would be like comparing apples to oranges. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/90 "2003-02-28T17:43:29Z")
Good point. I was confused about the nature of your confusion. ---
**Author:** ![okielady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/fbc32d/32.png) [@okielady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/okielady)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/91 "2003-02-28T18:38:32Z")
Martin Donovan (II), Ivan Sergei, and Johnny Galecki all played gay (or bi) men in The Opposite of Sex. Not sure about the sexual orientation of any of them IRL, or of any other work from the first two, but Galecki is best known as David, Darlene’s husband on Roseanne. Josh Charles was gay in Threesome, straight in Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead. Again, not sure of sexual orientation IRL. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/92 "2003-02-28T20:53:14Z")
Josh Charles used to be engaged to Jennifer Connelly, but they broke up. I don’t know if that means he’s straight or not, but I just thought I’d put it out there. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/93 "2003-02-28T21:05:24Z")
Kevin Spacey - Jim Williams, Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil. Michael McKean - also played a gay man in The Tracy Ullman Show on HBO. ---
**Author:** ![GloriaMundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ee59a6/32.png) [@GloriaMundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloriaMundi)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/94 "2003-02-28T23:25:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TWDuke \* > \*\*Good point. I was confused about the nature of your confusion. \*\* Great! 🙂 Whaddaya think then?? ---
**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:** [March 1, 2003, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/95 "2003-03-01T02:19:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > John Hurt played gay in Partners. He appeared in 1984. He also portrayed the gay man Quentin Crisp in “The Naked Civil Servant”. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/96 "2003-03-01T05:18:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Intaglio \* > **Kevin Spacey - Jim Williams, Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil.** So, you’re saying this is an example of a _straight_ actor playing a gay role? ---
**Author:** ![plastic\_conspiracy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@plastic\_conspiracy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plastic_conspiracy)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/97 "2003-03-01T05:51:08Z")
Philip Seymour Hofman: gay in _Flawless_ and _Boogie Nights_; straight in _25th Hour_ and _State And Main_. Matt Damon: gay in _The Talented Mr. Ripley_; straight in everything else (I think). Brian Cox: gay in _L.I.E._; straight in _The Ring_. I’m not sure about Hannibal Lektor’s sexuality, so I can’t say what he was in _Manhunter_. Gina Gershon: gay in _Bound_; straight in _Palmetto_. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/98 "2003-03-01T14:06:44Z")
I don’t know if Kevin Spacey is straight, I just know that Jim Williams was gay. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/99 "2003-03-01T14:59:31Z")
yeah, i know Simon Callow is gay, i meant to add it to the stephen fry as a foot note, and forgot. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/100 "2003-03-02T03:12:25Z")
I saw it tonight. Watch for the scene where a concerned William Devane is stroking Roy Scheider’s bandages. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063.md?page=6)