25 Celebrity Coming Out Stories That Shocked The World

"Star Trek" actor Zachary Quinto's coming out as gay via a profile in New York magazine made a lot of noise this weekend.

Even in 2011, with the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" and gay marriage legal in New York, an A-list actor's decision to leave the closet isn't one made hastily or without losing some sleep.

The fear of being shunned by casting directors concerned about a gay actor's ability to convincingly play straight and worries that he or she will end up alienating a major portion of his or her fan base has kept and continues to keep many in Hollywood closeted.

Still, we've come a long way over the past 25 years and as more and more stars make the choice to come out, the LGBT "community" gains new role models, especially important for isolated youth, and greater visibility overall which helps alter, shape, and define the way mainstream society understands and views what it means to be LGBT.

In honor of Quinto's coming out, HuffPost Gay Voices is taking a look at 24 other celebrities who shocked the world by coming out of the closet. Vote on the most shocking and tell us which story surprised you the most in the comments section below.

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Comments

[oxjr]

03:44 AM on 10/31/2011

I am as staight as any other actor in Hollywood

I just spit out my coffee lol.

[x1cness]

06:22 AM on 10/27/2011

It's nice to know that people are able to take time off their lives to make hateful comments about people for obviously no reason. Keep up the good work.

>_>

[Contact1972]

01:25 AM on 10/28/2011

It is YOU that is disgusting. Flagged for pretending to be human.

[Tomm JOnzz]

08:44 PM on 10/26/2011

"...casting directors concerned about a gay actor's ability to convincingly play straight..."

hm, yeah. because where in the world would a gay actor find references or examples of how to pretend to be straight? hm, yeah, gee... i just don't know! #throwsuphands

[Ron in NYC]

03:45 PM on 10/28/2011

It would be funnier, Tomm, if it wasn't such a stupid comment (about casting directors' concerns). All you have to do is check YouTube for gay celebrities in Hollywood to see that gay actors have been playing straight roles convincingly for years; so convincingly, in fact, that most people never knew or don't know they're gay.

[dav0001]

09:42 PM on 10/24/2011

First off, none of them are shocking...most were obvious. The only ones I didn't know about were people I hadn't heard of.

[Ron in NYC]

03:47 PM on 10/28/2011

Not all gay actors in Hollywood are out. If you knew all those who are (or were), you might be more than a little shocked.

[dav0001]

06:05 PM on 10/28/2011

Dude, comparitively very few gay actors are out. I've worked in the business a bit, have friends who are or were in it and have met lots of well known people in it. Heck, back in the 70's I went to one of Rock Hudson's pool parties and there was more then one in the closet actor there. So believe me, I know about closeted actors in this town. It's really a shame.

[dav0001]

06:18 PM on 10/28/2011

I wouldn't be the least bit shocked. Most of my adult life I've either worked in the business, have or had friends in it and have met quite a number of working actors..even slept with some but that's another story. Going way back to the 70's I remember going to one of Rock Hudson's pool parties and he wasn't the only in the closet actor there. It's really a shame.

[FrancisFredrick]

08:00 PM on 10/24/2011

Some, or most of these were kind of obvious

[Zork4]

07:41 PM on 10/24/2011

Is Selleck on the list?

[dav0001]

06:13 PM on 10/28/2011

No, he's not.

[NathDaniel]

12:58 AM on 10/23/2011

Why does the world think that gay people are "in the closet" to begin with? It's not their fault that others just assume that they are heterosexual. I believe this closet exists only in the minds of narrow-minded people. Until straight people start proclaiming their sexuality, gay people shouldn't be assumed as closeted for not proclaiming theirs. THERE IS NO CLOSET.

[Ron in NYC]

03:51 PM on 10/28/2011

Very true, NathDaniel. A lot of gay and lesbian celebrities prefer to keep their personal (sexual) lives private. A lot of people in the business - those who know and or work with them - are aware, but keep it to themselves out of respect. If celebrities want you to know, they'll tell you. Otherwise, it's really nobody else's business.

[Brandi S]

04:57 PM on 10/22/2011

None of these was especially "shocking", and few were even terribly surprising. However, I'd say that the one that most surprised mainstream America was probably Meredith Baxter, whom most know best as one of America's most popular TV moms.

[DominickJ]

09:34 PM on 10/30/2011

Not to mention she was married. Her Married name was Merdith Baxter Birney (sp)

[Justin Werner]

11:13 AM on 10/22/2011

Shocked? Hardly. Someone coming out is no longer shocking... unless you're some completely regressive homophobe. The only surprising thing is when people are surprised. Most folks, especially the younger ones, are aware that there are LGBT people in their lives at one remove or other. They may or may not like it, but that's a whole other issue.

[MaybeMilo]

06:00 AM on 10/22/2011

Enough w/ the hyperbole: I'm not sure any of these really "shocked the world."

[YankeeJet24]

08:44 PM on 10/21/2011

Honestly 80% of these were NOT shockers and the other 20% were has-beens and never-wases.

[DenverGayman]

02:16 PM on 10/20/2011

After reading some recent posts, I find that I must say something again. Being gay is not a choice. But, wanting your private life kept private is. Who are we to tell anyone, gay, straight, lesbian, bi, trangsgender or others, that they have to stand up in a crowd and proclaim who or what they are. Like most of you have said, it is nobody elses business. I did not choose to come out at the age of 17, I was outed. And, like most people back then, my fundlementalist parents sent me to several Psychiatrists to have me "cured". Well I wasn't sick then, nor am I sick now. My point is, I didn't have a choice, but if I had been given a choice, I would have stayed in the closet. I am not sure for how long, at least it would have been MY CHOICE! So, to those standing on a soapbox and chant "come out, come out, where ever you are", just keep this in mind. Most of the young gays that have commited suicide, recently, were outed, just like I was back in high school. I am just glad that my suicide attempts were just that, attempts. Also, that I found a wonderful group of mentors to help me transition into the gay world. And, let me tell you this. If you thing there is a seperation between the straight and gay world now, you should have seen it back in the early 80's.

[Justin Werner]

11:14 AM on 10/22/2011

Remaining private about your orientation is *completely* at your discretion.... with one notable exception. I have -no- problem with someone being outed if they are engaging in action against LGBT people. The gloves come off in that case.

[DenverGayman]

06:27 PM on 10/23/2011

Justin, I totally agree with you on that point!

[Zork4]

07:18 PM on 10/24/2011

Yup!

[Ron in NYC]

03:59 PM on 10/28/2011

Funny, there is a really thin line between "straight" and "gay" - especially after about six beers. As one character in the now-outdated "Boys In the Band" says, (paraphrasing here), soft lights, some nice music and a little wine, ain't nobody just a little bit curious." The best, of course, is when they pretend to be asleep.

[Todd Savvas]

10:54 AM on 10/20/2011

This is fantastic, well done to him for stepping forward - not for others, but for himself. The relief of not having to hide something constantly will save him a lot of stress and anxiety.

It is a common theme you will see occur more readily now, all lies will start to shatter around the world now. This means all people still hiding who they are (not just sexually) will all be brought into the light, freedom time!

An amazing time to live!

[Ron in NYC]

04:02 PM on 10/28/2011

Well, a lot of them will still stay hermetically sealed in their closets - the ones that have married and have children and continue to live a lie or in serious denial.

[lilghost 01]

04:58 AM on 10/20/2011

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess most of them don't need your 10 dollars at the movie theater.

[Andy Shick]

11:18 PM on 10/20/2011

Even seen any of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy or the original X-Men trilogy?

[tblnc5646]

06:36 PM on 10/19/2011

We all sin! What a great world it would be if we could accept everyone as they are as long as they were law abiding and good to others. Look at the good that someone may have to offer and wonder how much that person may have to offer the world.

[waltxiansheng]

01:00 AM on 10/20/2011

Being a member of the LGBT community is not 'sinning'. It's preordained, it's natural, it's involuntary, it is. To sin is to consciously decide to commit an act of wrongdoing (religion put aside).

That's all.

[ponderingmuch]

07:10 PM on 10/21/2011

I think some of these people think that maybe sexual orientation is someonething one is born with, but you are supposed to choose never to act on it...to be celibate your whole life.

I think it is a better idea for all the people who think that way to be celibate forever. No breeding.

[oxjr]

03:47 AM on 10/31/2011

I think what the poster meant was that gay sex or straight sex is sin, no difference.

[dav0001]

09:53 PM on 10/24/2011

You know, I'm really getting kind of sick of the christian line of bull that they've adopted. The..love the sinner but not the sin..line is complete garbage. Being gay is a part of who a person if so if you're going to love the person..aka the sinner..you're loving the parts of him, which includes their being gay. What you people are talking about is conditional love and in most cases I can do without that entirely. Thanks but no thanks.