So there still are no openly gay leading men, at least on the Major Motion Picture front. It’s a pity.
According to Matt Damon (in a comment he’s since insisted was taken out of context), this is because the career of Rupert Everett, who came out in 1989 when Matt was 19, did not achieve the stardom Everett apparently assumed he was destined for. Apparently this narrative, promulgated mostly by Everett, made a deep impression on Damon.
Damon’s theory, whether he meant it or not, is another version of the old canard that openly gay men can’t be leading men because straight men recoil at the notion and, for women, it ruins the fantasy. Hahaha
The truth is that a new generation of talented actors are gay and working, even dominating. A few are even on the verge of becoming leading men. We predict 2016 will be a breakthrough year.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Here are a few favorites, by type, because there are so many and it worked out that way:
1. Matt Bomer and Wentworth Miller
Television’s Golden Age grew us two very good looking and talented leading men in roles on HBO, Fox and flyover USA Network. In 2016, look for Wentworth (top) as Captain Cold in Legends of Tomorrow on the CW. Find Bomer (above) in a Magnificent Seven remake on the big screen from Antoine Fuqua then, and starring in Ryan Murphy’s Hotel now.
2. Simon Woods and Luke Evans
This pair of British imports are a gift from the mother country. Woods is best known for roles like Octavian in HBO’s period drama Rome, plus Pride & Prejudice and as the dreamy Dr. Harrison in the BBC’s Cranford. Likewise Welsh and beefcake Evans broke out as Apollo in 2010’s Clash of the Titans and played Bard the Bowman in The Hobbit, Aramis in The Three Musketeers and the villain in F&F6.
3. Ellen Page and Ellen DeGeneres
The two Ellens are kind of bookmark leading ladies. Degeneres came out on top-rated Ellen in 1997, with a cover on Time. Juno’s Page did it at a Human Rights Campaign event last year and it wasn’t much of a story. Look for Ellen in Finding Dory next year, and Ellen playing gay with Julianne Moore in Freeheld, just out, in a theater near you.
4. Jim Parsons and Neil Patrick Harris
This pair of TV dandies are sparkly, broadcast types, which is why they play so well at the Tonys. They’re also some of the highest paid actors and producers in television. They may lack the charisma to become true leading men, but they are two of the most versatile and talented working stars today.
5. Zachary Quinto and Luke Macfarlane
The two actors popped in 2006 with Heroes on NBC and Brothers and Sisters on ABC. Now Quinto owns Spock and plays (also) gay Glenn Greenwald in next year’s Snowden from Oliver Stone. Coming up, Canadian Macfarlane goes PBS for Civil War-era drama Mercy Street and ripped for Killjoys on Syfy.
6. Lily Tomlin and Jodie Foster
We always knew they were, and both got around to being comfortable with sharing their sexual orientation the broader public in the time since Rupert. Foster directs Money Monster with George Clooney and Julia Roberts for 2016, Tomlin will be at the Oscars for stellar indy Grandma.
7. Denis O’Hare and John Benjamin Hickey
You recognize everyman O’Hare (True Blood, all things Ryan Murphy) and Hickey (Flags of Our Fathers, The Good Wife) from those and a million other things. Yep, they’re gay.
8. Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch
Gay Glee club members (among others) Colfer and Lynch share a love of musicals! In high school, Colfer wrote, directed and starred in a Sweeney Todd act called Shirley Todd. Jane is currently on tour with Kate Flannery (Meredith from The Office) in a show called See Jane Sing! In 2016, look for Colfer as Noel Coward in a biopic about the famously gay songwriter and raconteur, and in Ab Fab: The Movie. Look for Lynch in a new Christopher Guest joint called Mascots.
9. George Takei and Richard Chamberlain
Sulu and the Thorn Birds guy got a second act by coming out. Why not?
10. Xavier Dolan and Matthieu Charnel
And last: dessert. French speaking actors Dolan and Charneau are also a director (Dolan) and a model (Charneau). The brainy Quebecois helms his 7th pic It’s Only the End of the World for 2016. Charneau flexes his Gallic muscles on FX’s new Bastard Executioner; they call him Frenchie. For both 26 year-old actors, coming out was never a question.
They never had to. Leading.
Eric Neskakis
openly hollywood stars? did someone forget a word?
watching1
You’re forgetting that Jane Lynch said pretty much the same thing as Everett. She said if young queer actors in Hollywood want careers, they should stay closeted, just a fact. She said it after Glee had become a hit. fwiw
I’ve talked to a few people in PR, and of course they have tunnel vision about this. Getting parts may have changed a little, but getting endorsements hasn’t, even if you’re bi. Most or all of the actors listed here came out after their careers were well established, too. I’m all for everyone coming out, but let’s not put rose-colored glasses on about the situation in Hollywood. It’s still homophobic and misogynist as hell.
Nick Marriott
Wentworth Miller has foreskin……That’s ALL I need to know!
Glücklich
@Eric Neskakis:
All stars are openly Hollywood. ‘Cept maybe Gene Hackman.
Christopher Hayward
He might be a closet case.
Brian
Sure, there are some successful openly gay-identifying male actors in Hollywood. But they will never become huge heart throbs. I think that’s the point that Matt Damon was trying to make.
To achieve mega-stardom as a heart throb, you have to be thought of as virile and romantic towards women. If there is even the hint that you are attracted to men, it ruins the thought.
Ummmm Yeah
Finally. Some recognition for Luke MacFarlane playing a heterosexual action hero. He’s been completely ignored by the gay blogs up to this point.
lauraspencer
Most of the actors above are TV actors and not film actors.
Other than Jodi Foster, who we all know didn’t come out until recently, none of the names above are huge film stars.
QUEERTY did forget one of the best and most respected film actors who happens to be gay and has had HUGE box office successes with THE DA VINCI CODE, X-MEN films and THE LORD OF THE RINGS franchise…. Ian McKellen. The box office these films made surpass the box office of many of the stars on above list combined. Not to mention Ian’s unbelievable work in APT PUPIL, MR. HOLMES and GODS & MONSTERS. He has been nominated for two Academy Awards.
Ian came out in 1988 at the age of 49. Granted he isn’t young and a heart throb, but he has proven actors can be out and get great work.
BJ McFrisky
#21:
Damon is stupid.
Watch any interview.
He actually squints when trying to answer a question.
Josh447
If Damon is talking leading ladies man ala Rock Hudson, then yes he’s probably correct. Then on the other hand, if Cruise or Pitt came out as bi, it might be considered a positive; though my women friends tell me bi is less acceptable than gay cuz the woman doesn’t know where she stands with her man if he’s also attracted to men.
Rupert Holmes was a sour puss, and probably a poor example.
Luke McFarland was my heart throb for years on B&Ss. Stinging hot man I do say. I think Matt may be being so last century. However, a sit-down to bring up all the talking points could shed more light on his case.
broadshoulder
Matt Damon was the first to damn James Bond when endorsing some Bourne rubbish. He admited he’d only seen one of the Bond films in the early eighties. From then on I haven’t paid any attention to the utterances of Damon..
How does he know? How can he tell? You should keep your mouth shut Damon. The man is a complete tool but it shows you how Rupert Everett can screw up the straight world as well as the gay one?
JessPH
Except for Colfer (and maybe Dolan too), all of these people came out AFTER being famous. Matt Damon and Rupert Everett only related what is factual… In Hollywood, don’t come out until you become a household name.
martinbakman
Some of the crusty old farts that run studios were around back when gay men could be arrested just for being at a party of gay men, such as what happened to Tab Hunter.
Certainly the world for gay actors is rapidly improving but Damon and Everett have seen the world for what it was. Movie execs and casting directors have had a double standard regarding gay actors.
I expect Damon’s comment was more of an indictment of the status quo. I don’t see him as the Rand Paul of LaLa land. In retrospect Damon learned a lesson about choosing words carefully.
Keith Ryli McDonald
I’m coming out guys. I’m openly Hollywood. ð???
Glücklich
@Keith Ryli McDonald:
Congratulations! I have Mid-Wilshire tendencies, myself.
Elyse Mabie
I hate that you are completely taking what he said out of context. He said no actors should talk about their personal lives, not just the gay ones. Stop being the problem with the media.
Art G Ramirez
ElieÅ? Brøwn I’m coming out as “openly Hollywood” ð???ð???ð?¼
Will Glitzern
I’m openly Hollywood Regency
William Noffsinger
“Out of context” is the new “Sorry I was an asshole.”
Jonathan Cortez
Y’all need to leave Matt Damon alone.
BlueDude
@William Noffsinger: Excellent!!!
Deon Letsoalo
Lol! He didn’t. Stop claiming and showing only these already accomplished stars!
Craig Bankert
Matt Damon’s quote was taken out of contest and the media ran with it just like Queerty is doing now. He cleared it up on the Ellen show which you can YouTube and watch for yourself. Next sensationalized news clip?
Ricco Mashatt
No one wants to be a martyr anymore. Actors wants to get paid.
Cam
@Craig Bankert:
Why are you lying? He stated quite clearly the same defense of closet B.S. that Hollywood has been vomiting out for years.
“Oh, well they shouldn’t be out because it’s better when the audience knows nothing about an actor”.
Yeah, says the guy with wedding pictures in PEOPLE Magazine whi does 300 interviews per movie and was best friends with Ben Aflek, who used to date J-Lo.
I guess he forgot to add in the part, that it’s better if the audience knows nothing about you only if you’re LGBT.
SeeingAll
Queerty could only be this dishonest (re. Matt Damon, and painting him as a homophobic villain)) and still get traffic because so many of its readers are bored during the day.
ParisHiltonsBadEye
@Keith Ryli McDonald: I’m bi-coastal curious. I like New York and Los Angeles.
Cam
@SeeingAll:
Fine, so defend his comment. Oh wait, you see the closet as a good thing, no wonder you’re supporting him.
SeeingAll
@Cam: Like you wouldn’t drop to your knees for that gentile hunk in a split second.
Cam
@SeeingAll:
And again, you are defending the closet, and desperately doing whatever you can to change the topic.
Since you obviously see the disingenuous nature of the opinions you are posting here (Why else do you try to change the topic so much) why do you still bother? What agenda do you have to back up opinions even you seem to want to avoid talking about?
drivendervish
Matt Damon is the wrong guy to ask about being gay in Hollywood because he’s straight. Yes, openly gay actors aren’t having much trouble getting decent roles on TV and movies but when it comes to a male superheros or the lead role in a major action-adventure franchise like James Bond, Bourne, Transporter, etc. It will still be quite a while before a gay actor gets these roles. It won’t happen until people stop wondering about who other people sleep with.
SeeingAll
@Cam: Okay….uh…you…ahem caught me…I’m exposed…..I’m defending and promoting the idea of staying in the closet. I admit it. That’s why I tried to change the subject. And my parents hate me.
SeeingAll
@Ricco Mashatt: A lot of people in the fashion industry too. That’s why the Jew from the Bronx changed his name to WASPy Ralph Lauren.
Steven Burr
i’m gay and i support matt; he was miss quoted
Cam
@SeeingAll:
And again, anything to avoid the topic.
Matt Damon advocated for people to stay in the closet hypocritically. He said that it was because actors must keep their private lives a secret so the audience could believe them in their rolls. Spoken by the man whose wedding and entire life is in US Weekly.
SeeingAll
@Cam: Yeah, but…….the Great Wall of China can supposedly be seen from the moon.
alterego1980
I always liked Matt Damon. Not only is he sexy imho, but he is clearly not homophobic. He evidenced this several times including his and Ben’s selection of their first Greenlight project which just happened to be a big gay coming out story.
That said, while my initial impulse was to defend his intentions, part of his comments have sunk in and aren’t really forgivable. One could say that maybe he was just talking about the Hollywood movie machine and how it hasn’t really progressed and that’s why if a gay guy wanted to be in a leading action/love role, he would need to stay closeted to do it. That’s probably very true right now. But that’s not really what he said.
Damon instead said that all actors should hide their sexual identities which is a terrible thing. No one wants to be so mysterious as to shut don an entire side of themselves. Not only does he not follow this advice, but to give it as a straight man to the gays seams disingenuous. When an actor makes movies, they are working, same when they have to promote that movie and answer Q’s from the press. No one should have to suppress who they are at work. That’s what we fight for, to all be who we are, not all have to hide who we are.
Maybe it was just a stupid poorly conceived comment by an otherwise intelligent person, or maybe something more. But the fact that he doubled down on the mystery thing in the Ellen interview didn’t help his case.
Wilberforce
It’s not a difficult thing to understand. Leading men are straight simply because that’s what half the ticket buyers want to see. They’re also tall and handsome and have beeeyoootiful proportions. But don’t get me started.
Cam
@SeeingAll:
And again, anything you can do to try to defend the closet. Change the topic, distract, whatever.
The Log Cabin meetings must be so sad. The National meeting, in a Holiday Inn off the freeway, all 3 of you around a table sorting out your multiple screenames, trying to figure out ways to defend the most ant-gay candidates.
I hope the waitress at least gave you free coffee refills.
SeeingAll
@Cam: No, it’s a hot waiter.
Cam
@SeeingAll:
And again, anything to direct conversation away from the fact that you defend the closet.
SeeingAll
@Cam: Well…how does correcting you on the sex of the server negate the idea that I was at that meeting at the Holiday Inn ???
rikard
again with this stupidity? the contextual part you have missed again is the way you stress the ABSOLUTE quality of the statement Damon made. it’s cheap and WRONG. the next stupid quality to this list is that the big stars on it had major success before a public outing. Ellen Degenerous had the kind of backlash that would kill a lesser person. If anything she is a cautionary tale to support Damon. it is true that we are making progress. I have seen Bohmer and Quinto fucking women on screen. It is also true that when an actor comes out the next several projects they get are sexless or homosexual. quit hanging the premise of your list on an ally like Damon. the way he and Afleck handled the rumors of their relationship when they broke out was seismic in the effect men in hollywood handled the press when accused of something many see negatively. they were nonchalant about defending their sexuality at a time in their careers when it would have been easy to panic and say the wrong thing.