Will Geer- Grandpa on The Waltons- shocked me, not just the fact he was gay but that he was openly gay. (He was married for a time and had children but he lived a rather openly gay life.)
I’ve never seen video of George Washington Carver but was surprised to learn he was gay, and again fairly openly considering the times in which he lived. He lived with a longtime companion in his home at Tuskegee, and later with a much younger companion when his older love died. The younger companion was Dr. Austin Cooper, Jr., who was probably more of a caregiver than romantic interest (Carver was feeble in his final years) but Cooper was openly gay, and later became a millionaire in chemical products he developed. (Carver was also an extremely talented artist and embroiderer.)
I was shocked that I was shocked to learn that Roscoe Lee Browne was gay. He wasn’t flaming exactly, but I just assumed he was “Shakespearean”- such a gorgeous voice. He toured and worked on stage frequently for many years with the actor Anthony Zerbe, who has been married (to a woman) for 50 years; I’ve wondered if Browne and Zerbe were lovers and the marriage was one of convenience or long ago annulled or whatever.
Cesar Romero was a bit of a shocker also. He never officially came out as he was very devout Catholic and from a time when you just didn’t do that, but he never married or had any women of significance and several people who knew him well attest to it.
A couple of stars I’d like to know the truth about include Cary Grant (it’s so established that he was gay or bi that it’s a surprise when you look at the evidence and it’s not overwhelming to say the least and in fact he seemed to have several affairs with women he tried to keep secret from his wives), Rudolph Valentino (I’ve heard he was gay and that he was impotent and that he was straight- no idea which is true). I doubt the conclusive evidence exists though- I tend to think Grant was either straight or at most bicurious with a preference for women, Valentino I tend to agree with whatever I read last.
“lesbo”? Haven’t heard that one for ages. Damn. Ian may have been mistaken about the date and/or that it was Hoover, but you’re carrying some mighty heavy homophobic bullshit on your shoulders. Who’s got an agenda?
I was surprised when I read this, but on further reflection I think I do remember knowing that she is bi-sexual. She was in a relationship with Mike Figgis for awhile, if I recall.
I guess my answer (that I haven’t seen mentioned yet) would be Wentworth Miller, but I DID first see him on the show “Popular”, so…
Also, according to Mitrokhin’s KGB files, the Soviets tried to smear several anti-communist politicians in the USA with rumors of being gay. The only smear that stuck was Hoover’s crossdressing, but it took decades before it did become popular…and only with the anti-establishment hippies in the late 1960s who hated Hoover anyway.
Up in the air to my knowledge. Though on that show it seemed he was testing the waters (though that could just be me).
“Guys everyone knows are gay but who have never made it official” include Anderson Cooper, Ricky Martin (who has denied it [as Clay Aiken did]), Sean Hayes, Kevin Spacey (who has also denied it) and Richard Simmons.
You’re right about Galecki, I was too hasty. For quite a while, he would be coy when asked that question, but now he’s being a little less dodgy: Time Out Chicago | Chicago Events, Activities & Things To Do
TOC: I read you were out as straight. So you’re not out as anything? Johnny Galecki: No, I happen to love women, so I guess that would make me straight—I don’t know. I don’t mean to be so enigmatic, but I’m trying to keep from offending people.
I’ve both read and watched interviews with Daniel J. Travanti where he’s relatively open about it. He’s never made the big announcement, but he’s not really closeted, either. One interview was a long time ago on TV, near the end of the run of Hill St. Blues, with a clueless interviewer (I’ve long ago forgotten who) who kept asking why he wasn’t attached yet, and DJT, embarrassed, tried explaining how he always knew he was different, and finally the interviewer caught on and changed the subject. The second interview was one I read online and was more recent, from a newspaper when DJT was in that city for a play. I honestly don’t remember where it was located. He was pretty upfront about it. But since I can’t locate them, take it or leave it as you wish.
I forgot about Darlene, I mean Sara Gilbert, being out. That one surprised me, too.
Jodie Foster is in a bit of a nether region- she’s never said “I’m gay” but she has referred to her “beloved Chelsea” and their children, which is a great way of handling it I think considering she’s a very private person.
Has John Mahoney (Frasier’s dad Martin Crane) come out? There was a picture of him and a guy who was fairly obviously his companion on a show that mentioned David Hyde Pierce’s (very low key) gay wedding.
I have several friends who know the actor Glenn Howerton from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and who is NOT gay (I’ve never seen the show so I’ve no idea what his character is like). By all accounts he is a straight drama queen (they’re the worst kind) but one of my favorite stories is of how he didn’t think his publicist was earning her pay because (this was before the success of Sunny/Philadelphia) “I’ve had two series and I’m not married but I don’t even have an ‘Is he Gay?’ thread on imdb!!!”
According to the tabloids a few years ago (for whatever that’s worth), when Travanti was a struggling actor he began living with a significantly older (15-20 years or so) stage director of moderate success. After Hill Street Blues and other vehicles made him rich and famous they continued living together- were together for many years- and Travanti was still devoted to him even though the man was old and in ill health. No idea if it was an open relationship or romantic towards the end, but if true then imo it speaks well of him.
Robert Clary from Hogan’s Heroes- IRL a French Holocaust survivor and a son-in-law of Eddie Cantor, was arrested for soliciting a few years ago in the same men’s room where George Michael was later arrested. (Clary was a widower by the time.) While I’d never given much thought to his love life if I’d had to pick which cast member was gay I’d have gone with Werner “Klink” Klemperer, though he in fact was straight. The “Is he German or gay?” query could almost be a game show. (Trivia: Klemperer’s last wife was the sister of the actress who played Donna on SANFORD & SON.) Crane and Dawsons were of course freaky deaky hetero horndogs.
Louie Anderson is gay. He outed himself when a former lover was blackmailing him. I think I joined everybody in thinking “I really didn’t need to think of him having sex.”
There was a rumor for years that Karl Malden was a frequent user of rent boys. It turned out that it wasn’t true, it was an old man who looked like him. (It’s a long story how I know that and not particularly interesting so I’ll spare you, but I mention it here in case you ever read Malden was gay, which is in a few rumor sites.)
For some reason I always assumed William “Fred Mertz” Frawley was, no idea why. I was surprised when I learned that not only was he straight but he lived with ridiculously young women for much of his life. When he died he was almost 80 and his live-in girlfriend- of several years- was a dancer in her late 20s/early 30s.
I dunno, I sometimes wonder… By asserting/thinking that X is obviously gay because, well, look at how he dresses and acts, are we advancing harmful stereotypes and reinforcing strict gender norms/roles? I mean, I get where the reactions come from, I really do. But I feel vaguely bad/guilty about “passing judgment” on someone’s sexuality for a reason short of him/her actually saying so (especially when it goes against a denial).
I get where you’re coming from too, and perhaps you are correct to some extent. I don’t think we should be assuming anything about the sex lives of Anderson Cooper or Kevin Spacey, for example (although I’m so far removed from that circle that maybe I’m the one being naive).
However, you are right to put the term passing judgment in quotations - I just don’t see it as “passing judgement” because I really don’t see sexual preference as a moral failing or any sort of character flaw. It’s just sex.
Thanks for the link. Not surprisingly, I read the book that seems to be refuted in that link… however, there are pictures in that book of Tolson and Hoover that seems to indicate they were very close.
For some reason I find that extremely amusing. You go girl!
