# Openly gay actors in openly straight roles **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025 "2003-12-19T19:11:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/21 "2003-12-19T22:26:35Z")
**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 :: ---
**Author:** ![threeorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@threeorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threeorange)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/22 "2003-12-19T22:39:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wolf\_meister \* > \*\ ***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… \*\* Conversely, it doesn’t seem to bother too many people that most of the gay characters on TV and film are played by straight people. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/23 "2003-12-19T22:49:20Z")
Geez sorry for the double posting. It took about 15 minutes for each of those to go through and I thought each had failed. (Came back to this topic each time and nothing both times). If nothing else, I learned a LONG time ago, save your posting to Notepad first. (Saved me from retyping a great many things). Again, sorry for the double posting. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/24 "2003-12-19T22:53:50Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Zsofia_ > 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. X-Men 2 made it pretty clear that Magneto and Mystique have some sort of a physical relationship. Although it’s anyone’s guess who she looks like when they’re in the sack together. As for the OP’s other questions: It doesn’t bother me in the least to know a straight character is being played by a gay actor, nor does the reverse. As for wether it’s good for their career or not, depends on the actor, and what sort of roles he’s typecast into. If The Rock were gay, it would be career suicide for him to come out of the closet. If Kelsey Grammer were gay, I doubt anyone would much care. ---
**Author:** ![Priam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/25 "2003-12-19T22:58:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by threeorange \* > \*\*Conversely, it doesn’t seem to bother too many people that most of the gay characters on TV and film are played by straight people. \*\* Durnit! It bothers me and my little fantasies quite a bit, but that has nothing to do with the quality of the acting. As for the thread intent itself, Ian McKellen played straight horndog Minister of War John Profumo in “Scandal” ---
**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:** [December 20, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/26 "2003-12-20T00:12:14Z")
Sir Ian also played Tsar Nicholas II in HBO’s _Rasputin_, and he and Greta Scaasi, (spell?) who played Alexandra, had a few love scenes. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2003, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/27 "2003-12-20T01:29:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duderdude2 \* > \*\*I thought that it wasn’t confirmed if the actor who plays Marty from Fraiser is gay? \*\* I don’t know what you mean by “confirmed” - I’m simply relaying what I’ve been told, and I can’t verify anyything else from work. Reading other posts, I should say that of course it makes no damn difference to me one way or the other whether the actor is gay IRL or not - it’s about as much my business as whether or not the actors like chicken or fish. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/28 "2003-12-20T02:08:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dooku \* > \*\*… it’s about as much my business as whether or not the actors like chicken or fish. \*\* [leslienielsen] Yes, I remember, I had lasagna. [/leslienielsen] ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/29 "2003-12-20T02:22:35Z")
By “confirmed”, I meant “this issue has been questioned in another SDMB thread recently”. Wasn’t it obvious 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/30 "2003-12-20T05:14:33Z")
[Stephen Fry](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000410/) is openly gay and has been in bunches of movie and TV roles. Unfortunately, the only two of these I can remember clearly are his roles as the HIV-positive gay character in _Peter’s Friends_ and Oscar Wilde in _Wilde_, so, uh, maybe not much help there. ---
**Author:** ![Dizzy\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dizzy\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dizzy_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/31 "2003-12-20T06:07:09Z")
How about Nathan Lane fooling around with all those little old ladies in “The Producers”? ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/32 "2003-12-20T06:17:35Z")
Tony-winning actress **Cherry Jones** has been out for many years and continues to get prime heterosexual roles on Broadway. (She was nominated for two other Tonys.) One of her most recent roles was in the lead opposite Gabriel Byrn in \*A Moon For the Misbegotten.\*\*. I can think of only one role in which she played a lesbian and that was opposite Brooke Shields in a television film. Some of her other film roles have not been specific about the character’s preferences. She could convincingly play the role of the Fourth of July if she set her mind to it. Wonderful actress. ---
**Author:** ![Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raymond_luxury_yacht/32/4099_2.png) [@Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raymond_Luxury_Yacht)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/33 "2003-12-20T06:29:09Z")
What about [this actor](http://www.dazereader.com/tomcruisegayrumors.htm)? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/34 "2003-12-20T08:43:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sampiro \* > **[Dan Butler](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0124873/) has continued to play straight horndog Bulldog on Frasier.** He was the first that came to mind. Followed by Rock Hudson…though he doesn’t really count for this discussion as he wasn’t out during the bulk of his carreer. Speaking of people named Rock…as Miller mentioned The Rock, I’ll chime in to agree that he’d have to be willing to toss his carreer off a tower to come out, were he gay. But…there’s a certain irony to it, as he’s most famous as a pro wrestler and pro wrestling is one of the most blatantly homo-erotic spectacle I’ve ever seen. As to whether a gay actor playing a straight character (or vice-versa, for that matter) - eh, if I even know the actor’s sexuality, I rarely register it when I’m watching them in character. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/35 "2003-12-20T13:40:16Z")
I have to mention Robert Reed (Mike Brady) in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/36 "2003-12-20T14:06:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wolf\_meister \* > **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.** When was the last time you checked? And how what sources? ---
**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:** [December 20, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/37 "2003-12-20T17:49:47Z")
Oooh! Dick Sargeant-the second Darrin on _Bewitched_. (Although I personally prefer Dick York). If The Rock WERE gay though, I can’t imagine anyone giving him too much grief. I mean, who would be stupid enough to try and gay bash THE ROCK, for crying out loud! You’d be in for some serous hurt. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/38 "2003-12-20T19:21:09Z")
While not openly “out” virtually everyone (except a few bored housewives somewhere, I suppose) knew that Rock Hudson was gay. Still his primary job in movies was as a romantic lead to such leading ladies as Doris Day, Paula Prentis and Jennifer Jones. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/39 "2003-12-20T22:15:37Z")
This is a great thread - I’m generally completely clueless about which actors are gay. I had absolutely no idea about any of those actors on Frasier, and for reasons I can’t be bothered to analyse, that makes me like the show even more. I can add, however, that the actress who played Nell in Ally McBeal is openly gay. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025/40 "2003-12-20T22:31:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sampiro \* > \*\*[Nigel Hawthorne](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001329/) was openly gay when he played King George III (the married father of 15 children) in **Madness of King George**. \*\* He also played Sir Humphrey Appleby in _Yes, Minister_ and _Yes, Prime Minister_, although I’m not sure I’d call that character a “straight man”\*. [sub]\*I mean “straight man” in a comedic sense.[/sub] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/openly-gay-actors-in-openly-straight-roles/220025.md?page=3)