Openly gay actors in openly straight roles

Cafe Society
1

I’m having a discussion with a friend about how damaging it is or isn’t to an actor’s career when s/he comes out (or is outed) as gay. Who are some openly (i.e. not just speculation) gay actors who’ve played straight roles (roles such as Gandalf, who was essentially asexual, don’t count)?

Nigel Hawthorne was openly gay when he played King George III (the married father of 15 children) in Madness of King George .

Rupert Everett (using the broadest definition of acting) has played straight roles including Valmont in the most recent update of Liasons Dangereuses

Dan Butler has continued to play straight horndog Bulldog on Frasier.

Christopher Sieber is openly gay now, but I’m not sure if he came out before or after playing the Olsen twins straight single dad in “Two of a Kind”.

I’ve read conflicting reports as to whether Neil Patrick Harris and Tom Hulce are openly gay, but would be interested to know as both have played straight roles. (Hulce is not only listed on several lists of “out” actors but has been very active in gay themed theater projects, yet his bio says he married in 1996 and has a daughter; while marriage doesn’t discount that he may be gay, it’s definitely an odd move for a gay man.)

Can you think of any others? Also, in your opinion does it damage an actor’s credibility when you know that he’s gay in real life and he’s playing a character in a straight romance/marriage? Do you think that it’s for the best careerwise for a successful actor to stay in the closet?

2

William Haines was openly gay, and he starred in more than 50 movies.

3

Ian McKellen has played many roles that are not necessarily overtly sexual but assumed to be straight - in addition to Gandalf and Magneto, who never really go “Look at the fine ass on that elf princess”, he’s played a lot of married Shakespeare characters and I’m sure he’s played somebody more openly straight in a long and distinguished acting career.

I honestly didn’t know he was gay until I saw him at the Oscars, and then I found out how active he was in gay rights and how everybody else in the entire world thought I was a moron for not knowing that. :slight_smile:

4

Speaking of Frasier, both John Mahoney (Marty) and David Hyde Pierce (Niles) are gay IRL.

5

That’s why they call it “acting”.

6

Amanda Bearse, of course, playing the aggressively man-hungry Marcy Rhoades D’Arcy. Although to be fair she did play her own gay identical cousin on ‘Lez Be Friends’ in MWC’s last season. It always was a very gay-friendly show, even before she came out to the general public in '93.

7

I’m not sure how long Lily Tomlin has been out, but I’m positive it was before she took the role of Murphy’s multi-married with children boss on Murphy Brown. Out Shakespearean actor Derek Jacoby played Claudius in Branagh’s HAMLET, while openly gay Stephen Fry played the married-with-children lead character in WILDE… oh wait, scratch that last one.

8

I can’t find any evidence documenting the homosexuality of John Mahoney.

He played a gay man in Broken Hearts Club, are we sure we’re not just leaping to conclusions?

9

I did not know that Dan Butler was gay. So I searched for confirmation, and found it. I also found out he’s the voice of the teacher, Mr. Simmons, on Hey! Arnold.

10

Fiver, he isn’t very open about it, so cites are difficult to come by. I have a gay friend that said that he and his partner attended an event in SF together.

I can’t search for this from work, but IIRC you should be able to find out on http://groups.google.com/groups?group=alt.tv.frasier.

11

I’ve even heard Vin Diesel was gay or bisexual at least. Sorry no links.

12

Rupert definitely played a very straight rogue in “An Ideal Husband.”

13

Were Cary Grant and Randolph Scott really lovers?

14

Following Dooku’s suggestion we this discussion

[quote]
In article <34F32848.F9FAC94@mail.house.gov> Joe Novotny <Joe.Novotny@mail.house.gov> writes:

>Can anyone confirm that actor John Mahoney (who plays Frasier’s father)
>is gay? I heard this from a friend but wasn’t sure.
Consider it confirmed.
–Lee[/qutoe]Not really authorative, but interesting.

15

How about Richard Chamberlain in Shogun and The Thorn Birds?

16

…Or in most other roles Richard Chamberlain has played. (Straight) heartthrobs were the bread and butter of his career.

How recently did he formally out himself, though? I’m pretty sure he wasn’t out when he was in Shogun.

17

Unless someone comes up with the photos, we’ll never know.

(And if they do come up with the photos, I wanna see 'em!)

18

I thought that it wasn’t confirmed if the actor who plays Marty from Fraiser is gay?

19

sampiro part of your OP was:
does it damage an actor’s credibility when you know that he’s gay in real life and he’s playing a character in a straight romance/marriage? I don’t think it makes any differenece. However…

Remember the brouhaha when Anne Heche made Six Days Seven Nights (1998)? The plot involved she and Harrison Ford crashlanding on an island and ending up as lovers. At the time, Ms Heche claimed to be gay (but now is married with 1 child). Still, everyone said how cinematically unbelievable that would be since she is (was) a lesbian.

That is ridiculous. Last time I checked, Harrison Ford does not have a doctorate in archaeology, has never flown spacecraft to help defend the rebels against the Empire, has never been President of the United States, etc. OR to take another stab at my favorite target:

JOHN WAYNE never served one day in the military, yet made countless films in which he portrayed the archetypal American war hero in all branches of the military. Not much of a “flap” over that.
:: stepping off the soapbox ::

20

What about Chad Allen? Does he count