Out In Hollywood: Starring Roles Still Rare

New York Times:

Hollywood, with its depictions of cowboy lovers and lesbian neighbors, has done much to make gay men and women part of mainstream American life.

At the same time, gay actors like Neil Patrick Harris and T. R. Knight play heterosexual characters on TV and in film, while couples -- Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi -- are covered by celebrity magazines as if they were any old romance.

"We've gone from the revolution to the evolution," said Howard Bragman, a longtime Hollywood publicist who is gay and has advised actors like Amanda Bearse, of "Married ... With Children" and Dick Sargent of "Bewitched" on how to handle their coming out.

Yet for most gay actors, Hollywood is not a warm and fuzzy episode of "Will & Grace." Today, it is certainly more acceptable to be openly gay. But these actors must still answer wrenching questions: Just how candid do you want to be? Would you be happy appearing only in comedies, or being pigeonholed as a character actor? And what does the line "You're just not right for the role" really mean?

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[BlackJAC]

11:24 AM on 09/29/2008

It's been my observation that when somebody goes out of their way to emphasize whatever subgroup they happen to be a part of, whether it be ethnic, political, regional, religious, gender, sexual preference, military service, dietary, or whatever else is out there (and we all belong to one that's been maligned at some point in history), said person really doesn't have anything else to make them stand out. It keeps us from thinking of them as people and cause us to tread around them like they're a minefield fused to motion, thermal, and audio sensors. Consider any performer who falls into any of the aforementioned subgroups and is really good at their job--are you really paying attention to that aspect of their biography while they're working?

[Eric8869]

08:57 PM on 09/29/2008

Yes better they go back in the closet and hide it right? give me abreak

[BlackJAC]

10:34 AM on 09/30/2008

The arthouse movie theater I worked at in college once showed the film STONEWALL, a fictionalization of the real start of the gay rights movement. There was a sequence in it that's stuck with me forever: a group of self-described "vanilla" gay guys wanted to demonstrate their plight to a journalist by getting thrown out of a bar for being gay due to some demented blue law that forbade serving gays in a bar. What followed was a hilarious three-minute montage of the gay guys getting served no matter what, with some Robert Pastore-looking guy even saying to them "How do I know you're really gay? How do *you* know I'm not?" at one point. In order to get the desired result and avoid alcohol poisoning, they go to the speakeasy they normally hang out in where they're much more sensitive to such issues and get the requisite rejection from the very masculine and deep-voiced black man tending bar while dressed like Marilyn Monroe. They went looking for bigotry and instead found tolerance.

How people treat you is often reciprocal to how you treat them: act like a king and be treated like a king, act like a jerk and be treated like a jerk...and you're doing the latter.

[AnotherTry]

11:02 AM on 09/29/2008

Democrats lose because they are not stronger on this issue.

They let the right own it.

If you are going to be painted as a liberal gay-loving commie, what is the harm in supporting gay marriage? The republicans already think you do whether you say it or not. Maybe saying it for once might get me to vote for you.

As of now, Cynthia McKinney has my vote, not Obama.

[BlackJAC]

11:34 AM on 09/29/2008

Go read THE 48 LAWS OF POWER and say that again.

[Eric8869]

08:58 PM on 09/29/2008

Go read QUEER IN AMERICA

[RJII]

07:11 PM on 09/28/2008

anyone not white bread has it bad in hollywood. I have to monitor what my mixed niece watches on TV to avoid filling her head with all the subtle but very damaging images of blacks.

[observer007]

02:32 PM on 09/28/2008

People need to begin watching more stuff like "Torchwood", the sci-fi action series from England in which the main character is openly gay, on screen and in life, and his love for people is one of the main plot contrasts with other stories of the same type. Silly story, but tremendous acting. It's one thing to hate the bad guy because he wants to take over the world, and another because he's a jilted lover who just can't get over it. Being straight but unbiased myself, I am happy to see gay men and women playing to their talent rather than just their sexual orientation. We should remember that we are talking about ACTING, where it is part of the job to be who you are not. I think the dissonance that occurs (in the viewer's mind when they see an openly gay actor in a love scene with a straight one, or straight actors in a gay relationship etc.) is temporary and cultural, much like the dissonance that was felt when hollywood began to explore sexual and interracial relationships, and is fading away, just like those have.

[Eric8869]

08:12 PM on 09/28/2008

Torchwood Rocks! There is no way they would have made that TV series in the U.S.

[BlackJAC]

10:25 AM on 09/29/2008

Agreed on the subject of acting, for Clint Eastwood is a borderline pacifist despite all those violent movies he's made, Harrison Ford doesn't live up to any of the masculinity standards he sets in his movies, and Neil Patrick Harris deserves an Emmy for portraying a raving womanizer onscreen while being a monogamous gay man offscreen.

[Puller58]

07:11 AM on 09/28/2008

Non-issue. Activists seem Hell-bent on keeping up the debate, but all that does is bring the Fundies out to vote down anything even remotely connected to gay issues. Try living life without showboating.

[Eric8869]

08:12 PM on 09/28/2008

You mean try living life in the closet. You try it.

[zenlikejen]

12:27 AM on 09/29/2008

I'd like a definition of "showboating".....

To clarify, the 'fundies" are the ones with their greesy noses pressed against my windows *insisting* that my desire to marry my partner somehow negatively effects their lives - while NEVER actually giving evidence as to what the effect would/could be.

[BlackJAC]

10:19 AM on 09/29/2008

Tom Cruise's antics regarding Scientology would be a good example of "showboating." It's when you cross the line from pride into fanatical obnoxiousness.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

09:20 PM on 09/27/2008

It's slow going because TV is like Spec ial Education for the masses. Just think of the entire population of the US taking the "little s hort yellow bus" to class every night.

You spoon feed them a bit of sanity and tole rance each night hoping for a positive reaction so you can up the ante and let the characters evolve and grow until.....gasp.....they approach reality.

[robotfog]

09:08 PM on 09/27/2008

nevermind gay actors plating straight. I'd like to see a movie where the leading man/hero is manly, but prefers men over women. I can't stand watching all these movies where gay characters are just jokes or else stereotyped into being cardboard figures.

It just occurred to me that there are some straight actors not afraid to play gay, but if their character has to show some real [homo]sensuality, I bet that would change. I'm not judging. Just thinking.

[Eric8869]

05:55 PM on 09/27/2008

This issue won't be resolved until the studio heads get some balls and just cast people based on talent. I heard Peter Gruber say he just wouldn't risk putting an openly gay man in a romantic leading role and risk the financial risk. Give me a break in 2008 on that.

The fact is - if a movie looks good people go to see it. Period.

They should have put Rupert Everett in several romantic comedies after his hit in My Best Friend's wedding. Instead he was the villain in films. (a hollywood archetype is the gay villain)

Have some balls hollywood. Worry about putting out better product.

[robotfog]

08:59 PM on 09/27/2008

hollywood is afraid to have balls because it might attract gay men's attention.

(this is a joke)

[hypnotoad72]

05:32 PM on 09/27/2008

Well, this is an election year. And the last couple of election periods when this issue was trotted out, the Dems lost.

Can't they go away? 5% vs 95% of the population; it's silly how they have THAT much power; to disproportionally influence peoples' votes. Usually against them.

Of course, the media is drowning in gay-this and lesbian-that so maybe people will become apathetic and get back to more substantial issues that affect everyone.

And I am an ex-gay, so I've "been there" and all that. Or, rather, tried... and was no different in mindset on this issue as I was back then; don't bring up certain issues in an election year. I do feel sorry for those who genuinely do love each other, rather than the norm of lusting each other, but of the 5% that is GLBT, that number within is about... 5%.

[Eric8869]

05:51 PM on 09/27/2008

Some Democrats in their grief and disgust over losing the election in 2004 blamed the "Gay marriage" wedge issue for the loss. This just isn't accurate.

First of all you had a candidate (Mr. Kerry) who didn't want to go for the jugular against George W Bush and the Rove machine. He let TEN DAYS pass before he even responded to the Swift Boat allegations - TEN DAYS.

Did you see how Kerry went after McCain at the Democratic convention this time? Where WAS that Kerry? Nowhere to be found. Hope Obama isn't too gentlemanly for his own good.

Also George W Bush was the one trying to put homophobia into the constitution - he was bringing up the issue not the dems.

Gay marriage is an important issue so gay people will not GO AWAY - when you are dying alone b because your parter won't be let into the hospital room it is a big issue. When your partner dies in the line fo duty as cop or firefighter and you lose your home because you have no access to their pension it is a big deal Attention straight people - it isn't about the ceremony or the church - its about the benefits. and you don't get them with civil unions.

There are no such things as Ex-Gays - only self hating homosexuals who try to live a "straight life". I hope someday you come to peace with yourself. Don't last out at other gay people because

[Eric8869]

07:41 PM on 09/27/2008

My last sentence should read - "Don't lash out at gay people because you hate who you are"

Also note that I don't know where this self hating gay is getting his demographic percentages. Gay people are more than 5% of the population .

It's hard to really count gay people since society makes so many stay in the closet. Lots of gay people live in self hate like the poster above - they would never admit to being gay if it was asked in a poll or questionnaire.

[robotfog]

09:02 PM on 09/27/2008

yeah, and T's aren't going away either.

[SparXaFire]

11:28 PM on 09/27/2008

Truly, HypnoToad, that "ex-gay" kind of talk is just the kind of thing that keeps people wallowing in ignorance. You know damn good and well there is no choice involved... At what moment does one choose to be heterosexual? As if you are an "ex gay" who chose to return to the bosom of heterosexuality. As if, I say!

Tell the truth for cryin' out loud and stop smearing the Intergoogles with lies and repressive prevarications. Wouldja pleeeeease???

[racetoinfinity]

03:54 PM on 09/27/2008

boycottrightwingthings wrote:
"People also want to believe that you are available to star in their fantasies, and that kind of gets ruined if you are the gay hunk playing a ladies man, or a beautiful woman who happens to be gay trying to play the femme fatale to men's fantasies."

People who are still relating to fiction, be it novels or fictional films as fantasy/surrogate for their real lives (and not just identification as human beings) are still in adolescent arrested deveolpment. Not healthy. That is to say, if the gay actor is playing the hetero role BELIEVABLY, but the viewer can't relate simply because he/she knows the actor to be gay in real life, that viewer is still blurring the line between fiction and reality - it's their problem, not the actor's.

[hypnotoad72]

05:59 PM on 09/27/2008

Which defeats the purpose of "coming out with the megaphone". Or at least adds more credibility to "Why do people need to know, is it their business?"

People do relate to fiction; if they see themselves as the leading man... with Hollywood now being open (albeit for celebs rather than proper actors), it gets harder to separate the person from their job. Bit of a shame, but it is a gray-area of a field.

And if the actor went out of his/her way to say "I am gay!!", especially if only months ago they were saying "Does it matter? Whose business is it?", then it does become the actor's problem again.

A tangent; it's illegal to ask for one's age on an employment form. So if you put in "Yo, I'm 47" be prepared to not get very far. Age discrimination is still a despicable problem too; pity nobody wants to discuss that. It's one of the few talents everybody shares, and really one that needs proper addressing...

[Eric8869]

02:41 AM on 09/28/2008

You really have no clue what you're talking about on this issue. Read the book QUEER IN AMERICA and then discuss it more intelligently.

[sisterdebmac]

04:03 PM on 09/28/2008

I relate to fiction and I have no problem fantasizing about CHARACTERS, even if they're played by gay actors. I don't fantasize about real people, because, eeewwww, icky. It's like people who write fan fiction about real people. WTF? That's just creepy. But fanfic based on characters... bring it on! The pornier the better. :-)

[boycottrightwingthings]

01:51 PM on 09/27/2008

I think that some more effeminate men, and some more masculine women are just not beliveable as being married or in love with the opposite sex, so of course you get pigeonholed into playing charachters that are gay in those cases, and you are just not appealing to the general public because of that. It is not neccessarily discrimination, it is about believability. People also want to believe that you are available to star in their fantasies, and that kind of gets ruined if you are the gay hunk playing a ladies man, or a beautiful woman who happens to be gay trying to play the femme fatale to men's fantasies. i don't think that one can overcome that, it is just how things are.

[Eric8869]

05:52 PM on 09/27/2008

Effeminite men and masculine women played married couples for years in Hollywood. Learn your history.

[sisterdebmac]

04:04 PM on 09/28/2008

Seriously. Tony Randall, anybody?

[Quaoar]

06:43 PM on 09/27/2008

Effeminate men and masculine women are often heterosexually oriented, even though you not find it "believable". And many gays and lesbians don't fit the Hollywood stereotypes.

[lioness39]

12:44 PM on 09/27/2008

From my own observation, declared gay actors and actresses just don't seem real in a lead romantic role with the opposite sex. There is the perception that they are play acting. It's not a politically correct attitude but one that may prevail in other minds while watching, for instance, Anne Heche get cozy with Harrison Ford. Just saying.

[UncleJimbo]

04:56 PM on 09/27/2008

So when a straight married actor and actress have a hot steamy affair in a film,they are not "play acting"? Or do you want them to be committing adultry for you?

[sisterdebmac]

04:11 PM on 09/28/2008

Well said, UncleJimbo. Also, I think the problem with buying Anne Heche in that movie was not that we knew she had been in a relationship with Ellen, it was that she was running around acting like a whackjob and making headlines for it. At least that's what turned my friends and I off to her at the time.

But let's look at Grey's Anatomy. Dorky little George O'Malley, played by TR Knight, has slept with just about every hot woman on the show. And none of us seem to have any problem believing that.

[helen]

05:30 PM on 09/27/2008

The problem with said issue is not the declaration, but your perceptions which do NOT allow you to enjoy a film if you know someone is not straight. Very sad.

Unfortunately, Hollywood agrees with you, hence the dearth of roles for actors who don't represent straightness...

Straight, sexist views are still the way Hollywood works, no matter that the creative end of it is truly as different and diverse as there are people.