# TV & Movie Characters Who HAD to Have Been Gay, but Weren't **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436 "2003-12-17T01:11:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/41 "2003-12-17T15:45:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*Actor Howard McNear, who played Floyd the barber, suffered a stroke during the third season, the effects of which left him with that spacey way of talking. \*\* It’s been years since I’ve seen it, but SCTV did a hilariously over-the-top gay version of Floyd: “Hey, hey Andy. Saw Opie the other day. Oooh. Boy needs a haircut. Oooh, yes.” –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/42 "2003-12-17T16:25:38Z")
**Jack Sparrow** - he’s just too cool. 🙂 > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by capacitor \* > \*\*Xena and Gabrielle were most likely bi. \*\* Never having seen the series, but having picked up a lot in passing from message boards, fan fiction, etc, I thought that was canon 🙂 ---
**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 17, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/43 "2003-12-17T16:44:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Poonther \* > \*\*Velma from Scooby Doo. \*\* What about Fred? Wearing that ascot all the time, plus he never went after Daphne? ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/44 "2003-12-17T16:48:11Z")
Richard, the assistant (and later boyfriend) on _Caroline in the City_. Even after he and Caro hooked up, I thought they were headed for a Coming-Out Very Special Episode. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/45 "2003-12-17T17:05:57Z")
That’s…interesting, considering that Malcolm Gets is slated to star as a gay man in a film called _Adam & Steve_. As an aside, and going with the gay atmosphere, I had reason to float by the _[Cabaret](http://www.cabaret-54.com/image.htm)_ webpage and happened to come across photos of Lea Thompson as Sally Bowles. _pause, to let gasps of surprise and giggles of incongruity pass_ Sally Bowles, ladies and gentlemen. Lea Thompson. Of course, looking over their aggregate cast list for this last run, it looks like they were offering lead roles to anyone famous who happened to be in the audience that night. Molly Ringwald? Joely Fisher? As Sally Bowles?! Not to mention Jon Secada (one-hit wonder Canadian singer guy, remember him?), Jon Stamos and Doogie Howser (!) as the Emcee. Anyway… ---
**Author:** ![lillyflower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@lillyflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lillyflower)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/46 "2003-12-17T17:09:16Z")
This is kinda related, but not in an exact way…the guy from Will and Grace…the gay friend JACk…says he is not gay in real life…NOW…either he is the best actor in the world or the sadest closet case around, what do u think??? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/47 "2003-12-17T17:15:13Z")
Well, Jughead Jones, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/48 "2003-12-17T17:25:28Z")
Actually, **lilyflower** , Shawn Hayes refuses to comment on his sexuality, whether to clarify it to be gay _or_ straight. He’s played other gay roles, as well as straight ones. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/49 "2003-12-17T17:28:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*Well, Jughead Jones, obviously. \*\* Like Jughead and Moose weren’t carrying on a secret affair for years… Midge and Ethel as well. They were all beards for each other, obviously… ---
**Author:** ![Kaspar\_Hauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/50 "2003-12-17T17:49:20Z")
Bobby Hill. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/51 "2003-12-17T18:08:12Z")
“Like Jughead and Moose weren’t carrying on a secret affair for years…” NOT TRUE! We thoroughly analyzed the Riverdale issue waaaaaay back when we debated whether Archie would end up with Betty or Veronica. According to my analysis, Archie married Betty, regreted it 'til the day he died, all the while not knowing that Moose was banging the living daylights out of Betty every afternoon (well, on those afternoons when she wasn’t too plastered to drive to the Riverdale Motel). There’s a link out there somewhere to the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/52 "2003-12-17T18:45:09Z")
Howard Sprague also from The Andy Griffith Show, and I am pretty sure he wasn’t suffering from the effects of a stroke. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/53 "2003-12-17T18:54:42Z")
All three of the Cartwright boys on _Bonanza_, plus Hop Sing. ---
**Author:** ![dav01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@dav01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dav01)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/54 "2003-12-17T19:13:26Z")
**Jo** on _Facts of Life_- please don’t tell me I’m the only one who came to this conclusion… He’s been mentioned already, but not in this role- Tony Randall as **Sydney** in _Love, Sydney_. **Ducky** - I think that was the character’s name- in _Pretty In Pink_. **Leather Tuscadero** in the last couple seasons of _Happy Days_. That didn’t stop me from having a major crush on her though. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/55 "2003-12-17T19:23:14Z")
“…with Gilligan, the Skipper too…” Oh, and Dr Zachary Smith from the 60’s Lost In Space. Way too easy. ---
**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 17, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/56 "2003-12-17T19:30:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jehovah68 \* > \*\*What about Fred? Wearing that ascot all the time, plus he never went after Daphne? \*\* Yeah right. Then how come he always wanted to split up in groups-and Daphne was always with him? Sometimes Velma too. They were having a wild threesome! Um, I thought the point of **Love, Sydney** was that he WAS gay! Mr. Belvadere. Carlton Banks, _Fresh Prince of Bel Air_. C’mon, who do you think you’re fooling? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/57 "2003-12-17T20:30:51Z")
Sydney was written as gay originally, but the network execs nixed it. What, all these Andy Griffith characters and no mention of Barney Fife? Or any of Wally Cox in “Mr. Peepers”? Mr. Bombay from “Bewitched”. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/58 "2003-12-17T20:41:51Z")
That’s **Dr.** Bombay to you, mortal… ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/59 "2003-12-17T21:49:08Z")
What was gay about Barney Fife? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/60 "2003-12-17T22:28:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElvisL1ves \* > \*\*Sydney was written as gay originally, but the network execs nixed it. > \*\* IIRC, they had several references to him being gay in the show, but they were much more subtle than originally intended. I remember seeing an interview with TR saying that the character was gay, they just had to tone things down. A lot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436.md?page=4)