# I didn't know THEY were gay... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2000, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850 "2000-11-19T15:49:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [November 23, 2000, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/41 "2000-11-23T02:43:50Z")
Well…the man COULD tap dance… I wonder if Olivier was with Kaye during his marriage to poor Vivian Leigh… ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/42 "2000-11-23T05:54:37Z")
Got a friend who lives by John Mahoney and she says… Nah, that’s just gossip. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/43 "2000-11-23T06:23:27Z")
Maybe the confusion arises because Mahoney is British, but pretends to be a Seattlite. jb ---
**Author:** ![beakerxf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc79bd/32.png) [@beakerxf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beakerxf)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/44 "2000-11-23T16:27:55Z")
A lot of the ones that surprised me have been mentioned (Hulce, Judas Priest singer, etc.) I recently learned that Michael Jeter from Evening Shade was gay, and that surprised me. Of course, now that I think back on it, I have no idea how I missed it. I have heard that Lily Tomlin is a quietly acknowledged lesbian, but never officially came out. That also surprised me. Though, it’s possible that all I’m hearing is erroneous speculation. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/45 "2000-11-24T02:42:43Z")
A coworker and I were discussing old TV shows made into movies and got around to _Wild Wild West_. He casually mentioned that Ross Martin, who played Artemus Gordon, was gay. This was the first time I heard that. Has anyone else heard this or was my colleague yanking my chain? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/46 "2000-11-24T05:18:28Z")
Ross Martin was married to a woman, for what it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/47 "2000-11-24T05:37:57Z")
Ross Martin was married twice, the first time for 23 years and the second time for 14 years. Between those marriages he dated a third woman. (See the IMDb for further information.) If he was gay, he sure went above and beyond the call of duty to pretend that he was straight. ---
**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:** [November 25, 2000, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/48 "2000-11-25T00:03:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > Well…the man COULD tap dance… > > I wonder if Olivier was with Kaye during his marriage to poor Vivian Leigh…\*\* Yes, and according to the book I mentioned above, he did not deny it or hide it from her. The relationship with Kaye lasted for most of the 1950s. There is no doubt that this relationship existed because a letter from Olivier to Leigh about it (written after it was over) has survived. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/49 "2000-11-25T17:38:34Z")
Okay, so my colleague has a dry sense of humor. Thanks for clearing this up. ---
**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:** [November 25, 2000, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/50 "2000-11-25T18:29:47Z")
Oh. I just think that some of the ways he treated Leigh were horrible-like dumping her ON HER BIRTHDAY. OUCH! ---
**Author:** ![Kriss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kriss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kriss)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/51 "2000-11-25T18:48:51Z")
Whats wrong with being gay? ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/52 "2000-11-27T16:35:43Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by **Jack Batty** _ > > On a related note - this comes from the IDMB re: Sean Hayes who plays Jack on **Will and Grace** and also had a good turn in **Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss** > > “Playing gay on the show has left a lot of questions about his own sexuality, which he chooses to leave ambiguous. He says he plays a role that is believable and he wants his next role to be equally believable.” IMDB is behind the times, I’m afraid (that’s the problem with user-input sites) - Sean Hayes came out during W&G’s first season. (And oh, the look of _shock_ on people’s faces… :rolleyes: ) Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Uniball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Uniball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniball)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2000, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/53 "2000-11-27T23:02:19Z")
Is Richard Simmons gay? He looks so macho! ---
**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:** [November 27, 2000, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850/54 "2000-11-27T23:47:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Esprix \* > \*\* > IMDB is behind the times, I’m afraid (that’s the problem with user-input sites) - Sean Hayes came out during W&G’s first season. (And oh, the look of _shock_ on people’s faces… :rolleyes: ) > > Esprix \*\* Well, that is shocking, much in the same way I was shocked to find out that smoking really was bad for me, but I thought it was interesting blurb. Serves me right for trusting IMDB. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-didnt-know-they-were-gay/41850.md?page=2)