# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Banger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@Banger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banger)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/101 "2003-03-02T04:24:38Z")
I’m surprised no one has posted a Tony Randall joke yet. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/102 "2003-03-04T20:44:59Z")
Thanks **Mjollnir** - that’s exactly what I was going to say when I came back to this thread. Unfortunately I didn’t find any other reference, but that one is good enough for me. Now I’m starting to wonder about homosexual undertones in every DVD I have… _Casablanca_…_The Rope_…_The Manchurian Candidate_…_Psycho_…_The Boys From Brazil_…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/103 "2003-03-05T05:07:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dooku \* > \*\*Thanks **Mjollnir** - that’s exactly what I was going to say when I came back to this thread. Unfortunately I didn’t find any other reference, but that one is good enough for me. > > Now I’m starting to wonder about homosexual undertones in every DVD I have… _Casablanca_…_The Rope_…_The Manchurian Candidate_…_Psycho_…_The Boys From Brazil_…🙂 \*\* * * * Well, **Rope** is one of three films based on the Leopold and Loeb murder case, and Leopold was entranced by Loeb. As far as I know, the actors portraying them in at least the first two films were straight. See also **Compulsion**. About **Swoon** , I’m not sure of the actors’ leanings. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/104 "2003-03-05T05:08:33Z")
**Swoon**. Corrected. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/105 "2003-03-05T06:08:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vivalostwages \* > **------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Well, Rope is one of three films based on the Leopold and Loeb murder case, and Leopold was entranced by Loeb. As far as I know, the actors portraying them in at least the first two films were straight.** John Dall and Fraley Granger from **Rope** – both gay. Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman from **Compulsion** – both straight. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/106 "2003-03-06T06:23:05Z")
News to me on that first one, **Walloon** …I’ll take your word for it. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/107 "2003-03-06T11:12:18Z")
Someone mentioned **Deathtrap** earlier – Michael Caine & Christopher Reeve also starred together in **Noises Off** as straight men. That should help reduce your research time. 🙂 Leonardo de Caprio: gay in **Total Eclipse** (and possibly **This Boy’s Life** , where he portrayed gay poet Tobias Wolff, but the film never addresses his sexuality); straight in **Titanic** , et al. ---
**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:** [March 17, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/108 "2003-03-17T16:10:03Z")
I saw another one over the weekend: Willem Dafoe in **Boondock Saints** ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/109 "2003-03-17T16:57:13Z")
Joe Pesci, Kevin Bacon, and Tommy Lee Jones all play gay characters in **JFK.** All are straight and have played many other straight roles. ---
**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:** [March 17, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063/110 "2003-03-17T19:48:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KGS \* > \*\* > > Leonardo de Caprio: gay in **Total Eclipse** (and possibly **This Boy’s Life** , where he portrayed gay poet Tobias Wolff, but the film never addresses his sexuality); straight in **Titanic** , et al. \*\* Huh? Tobias Wolf isn’t a gay poet? I don’t even think he’s a poet. 😕 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-straight-actor-playing-gay-role/157063.md?page=5)