Richard Chamberlain, who shot to fame as ‘Dr Kildare’ and later starred in several US TV hits including ‘The Thorn Birds’ and ‘Shogun’ and currently playing an HIV-positive gay man in the drama ‘Brother & Sisters’ had warned fellow gay actors not to come out unless they want it to harm their careers.
There had been rumours of 76-year-old Chamberlain’s homosexuality for years in Hollywood, but the actor said he chose not to speak out about his sexuality out of fear of losing leading man roles. He came out at the age of 69.
The actor told The Advocate: “There’s still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. It’s regrettable, it’s stupid, it’s heartless, and it’s immoral, but there it is.
“For an actor to be working is a kind of miracle, because most actors aren’t, so it’s just silly for a working actor to say, ‘Oh, I don’t care if anybody knows I’m gay’ — especially if you’re a leading man. Personally, I wouldn’t advise a gay leading man–type actor to come out.”
Asked when an actor could come out, Chamberlain said: “I have no idea. Despite all the wonderful advances that have been made, it’s still dangerous for an actor to talk about that in our extremely misguided culture. Look at what happened in California with Proposition 8. Please, don’t pretend that we’re suddenly all wonderfully, blissfully accepted.”
Gay actor Rupert Everett has hit out against discrimination in Hollywood before. In 2006, he said: “Without doubt gays are discriminated against in show business. The straight one gets to walk down a red carpet with a beautiful girl and everything works out and the gay one has to back-pedal and do independent movies. Yet everything Hugh Grant does, I could be in.”
British star and Stonewall co-founder Ian McKellen also spoke out against discrimination in Hollywood. In 2006, he told an audience at the Berlin Film Festival: “The film industry is very old fashioned in California. It is very, very, very difficult for an American actor who wants a film career to be open about his sexuality. And even more difficult for a woman if she’s lesbian. It’s very distressing to me that that should be the case.”
Last year, ‘The Office’ star Martin Freeman said :”The funny thing about the acting business is that there are more poofs in it than you can have hot dinners thrown at you. But no one is out. It’s not so bad here [the UK], but in Hollywood …Why don’t they just admit it? In this so-called liberal industry, no one has the guts to come out because of the box office, but someone has to be first in the firing line.”
Source: Pink News
While what he's saying is true, I can't help but think it's the coward's way out - if no-one challenges the status quo for fear of ruining their career, nothing will ever change. Also, side-eyeing Martin Freeman... that is not your word, Dentarthurdent. You do not get to use it.
There had been rumours of 76-year-old Chamberlain’s homosexuality for years in Hollywood, but the actor said he chose not to speak out about his sexuality out of fear of losing leading man roles. He came out at the age of 69.
The actor told The Advocate: “There’s still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. It’s regrettable, it’s stupid, it’s heartless, and it’s immoral, but there it is.
“For an actor to be working is a kind of miracle, because most actors aren’t, so it’s just silly for a working actor to say, ‘Oh, I don’t care if anybody knows I’m gay’ — especially if you’re a leading man. Personally, I wouldn’t advise a gay leading man–type actor to come out.”
Asked when an actor could come out, Chamberlain said: “I have no idea. Despite all the wonderful advances that have been made, it’s still dangerous for an actor to talk about that in our extremely misguided culture. Look at what happened in California with Proposition 8. Please, don’t pretend that we’re suddenly all wonderfully, blissfully accepted.”
Gay actor Rupert Everett has hit out against discrimination in Hollywood before. In 2006, he said: “Without doubt gays are discriminated against in show business. The straight one gets to walk down a red carpet with a beautiful girl and everything works out and the gay one has to back-pedal and do independent movies. Yet everything Hugh Grant does, I could be in.”
British star and Stonewall co-founder Ian McKellen also spoke out against discrimination in Hollywood. In 2006, he told an audience at the Berlin Film Festival: “The film industry is very old fashioned in California. It is very, very, very difficult for an American actor who wants a film career to be open about his sexuality. And even more difficult for a woman if she’s lesbian. It’s very distressing to me that that should be the case.”
Last year, ‘The Office’ star Martin Freeman said :”The funny thing about the acting business is that there are more poofs in it than you can have hot dinners thrown at you. But no one is out. It’s not so bad here [the UK], but in Hollywood …Why don’t they just admit it? In this so-called liberal industry, no one has the guts to come out because of the box office, but someone has to be first in the firing line.”
Source: Pink News
While what he's saying is true, I can't help but think it's the coward's way out - if no-one challenges the status quo for fear of ruining their career, nothing will ever change. Also, side-eyeing Martin Freeman... that is not your word, Dentarthurdent. You do not get to use it.
I also wonder if I'll ever live to see the day that there's a major trans performer. And not one who began as a drag star; I mean like if the equivalent of Angelina Jolie came out as trans. I think that's going to take a very, very long time.
Edit: Oh yeah lolwhat Martin Freeman, you did not have to phrase it that way, jfc.
Edited at 2010-12-27 10:09 pm (UTC)
The big problem is that leading man/woman thing. Stars bring their own personas to their characters (see Kate Hepburn), and many straight people (and sometimes gay people too) see gayness as abnormal. It's not a character aspect that they can see as normal and it shades their perception of the actor's performance.
I see some celebs, Like Matt Boner, Zach Quinto, and Anderson Cooper are not closeted (by closted I mean pretending to date women), but they do not discuss their love lives period.
ZQ is a successful character actor, Matt Boner's SO is a big time Hollywood agent and he's about to be launched into a leading man film career, and Cooper has a network talk show.
The one to watch is Boner. He can act, he's beautiful, is known for playing romantic, action-y heterosexual leads. If he becomes a big success in his new sci-fi movie, he'll probably be outed. Then we'll see if beauty and talent will trump anti-gay bigotry. Will people be able to see him as just an actor or as a gay actor? Straight and sexually non-identified actors get to do whatever they want; gay actors get character roles in mainstream films and lead roles in the gay ghetto.
Er, I think you mean Bomer.
Miiiight not be entirely true, if the rumours I heard about him while he was in Cardiff for Sherlock are true. Although I also side-eyed at that word, ngl.
I'm not going rag on someone for trying to protect themselves and refusing to open themselves up to scorn and dehumanization. It's great when certain people of a minority group do it, but I won't judge those that won't.
It is a shame that Martin Freeman had to ruin his very valid point by using a word he has no right to use.
Perhaps all these actors who are almost-out (if the rumours are true) will affect things for the better. Jodie Foster was a beloved actor for years before she came out. It seems like that should work as in real life with people having to reconcile "gay" with the normal person they know.
It can only help to have Anderson Cooper in living rooms all over the country and Matt Bomer on the TV. Then, when the bigots least expect it...
Also, Martin Freeman? You look like a not-cute John Simm and need to be quiet now.
I'm sorry, I lol'd.
That aside, yeah, side-eyeing this. No doubt that it's a legitimate concern, but it really isn't his call to make. I don't support dragging people kicking and screaming from the closet, but I don't think it's right to barricade the door either. People should be encouraged to make the choice that's right for them. If that's staying in the closet, okay, but if it isn't, that's okay too.
And how is Martin Freeman remotely relevant? Because he happened to say something about gay actors? o__e Zip it up, dude.
So I'm going to pump for changing society so that people can come out without facing these repercussions. Sadly that will take a long time yet
And Martin Freeman - that word does not belong in your mouth. Seriously, no
Edited at 2010-12-29 01:38 pm (UTC)