Veteran actor and artist Keith McDermott, known for roles in Without a Trace and in various stage productions, has spilled gossip on two gay icons, Tab Hunter and Anthony Perkins.
In an interview with Michael Musto, McDermott recounts his early days as a struggling actor in New York theater and a number of the strong personalities that touched him along the way. That includes Hunter, whom McDemott dated for a time.
“I met Tab through Larry Kert [of West Side Story],” McDermott explains. “Then, when I was in Equus, Tab called me out of the blue and said he was coming to New York, and somehow he ended up staying at my house. Thinking back, he obviously had some professional thing to do in New York and was thinking of it as an economic way to stay there. He was nice. He was sexy. He was 50; I was 24.”
Related: Tab Hunter pens moving essay about his secret relationship with Anthony Perkins
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McDermott goes on to say that he always had a soft spot for “daddy” types and that he and Hunter remained friends ever after. The same wasn’t true for McDermott and Anthony Perkins, whom the actor describes as “a game player” and self-loathing. McDermott says, “He’d say things to me like, ‘Have you noticed, watching my performance, what I’m doing differently?’ I’d watch over a period of time, then say, ‘I can’t see anything.’ Unlike [Richard] Burton, Tony did the same thing every night. He said, ‘I’m no longer raising my eyebrows anywhere in the play.’ I’d say, ‘Amazing.’ He once said, ‘I’ll get a word for you that can be critical, good or bad, about your performance, and you do the same for me.’ His word for me was poise. He wanted me to do a word for him, and I said unbelievable.
McDermott also describes Perkins as frequently checking out men in the audience, and claims he married a woman so he could have a more “settled” life. In the same interview, he also dishes on actors like Larry Kert, Maureen Stapleton and Richard Burton, as well as details the reasons for his retirement from acting.
SteveM
In Tab Hunter’s book, I read about his relationship with Anthony Perkins, who also happened to have died of HIV-related causes. Anyway, Hunter said he was not at all bitter that Perkins chose to marry a woman. He said that Perkins got the life he wanted, so there was nothing more to add. Looking back as he did, I think that Hunter handled it the right way.
dean089
He handled it in a healthy way. No matter what the ‘other’ is, at some point you have to decide if you’re going to live half a life or let that person go.
dean089
Did Anthony Perkins ever actually admit to being homosexual, bisexual, whatever? I don’t recall that he did, which makes me wonder how he gets to be a “gay icon.” We seem to throw that ‘icon’ word around too much.
jrex100
To paraphrase Andy Warhol, “In the future, everyone will be a gay icon for 15 minutes.”
Dimples girl
Tab Hunter was comfortable being Tab Hunter. Tony Perkins was always uptight as a human being. Maybe his father actor Osgood Perkins played a part in that. Uncomfortable persona Tony had. If was straight he still would have been messed up.
Minerva Pomerantz
Makes you wonder what is time-locked away in the Roddy McDowall archives.
The real Bruce
Well you know Minerva, there are the wonderful home movies taken at Roddy’s beach house in Malibu. Amazing to see all the famous people that he had worked with or were just good friends. Check them out on Utube. There’s also the cute photo of Tab and Roddy in the kitchen at the beach house. You’ll see Mr. Perkins in some of them too. Tab and Roddy seemed to very comfortable in their own skin and enjoyed their private lives. Anthony Perkins seemed an enigma sometimes. Oh well.
Invader7
Who the Phuck is this hanger on ? He’s shilling his memoir…..Which I won’t read .. Recycled drivel..
Cam
Another account that always defends bigots, is now attacking something that says “Guess, what, these people back then were LGBTQ also!”
Oh, and “Drivel”? Really? After typing that did you hop on your horse and buggy to go to the General store?
barryaksarben
stfu troll
michael_totzke
What a horrible little person you must be. Ew.
corgimel
Oh you poor thing……
mailliw110
So why are you here?
GayEGO
Tony Perkins was too busy at the Bates Motel! :>)
ricdardc1
…. ” I’m 59, so I came from a certain era, but kind’a in After Them Then & in Between Now. So I get all (Gitty) Listening to some ” OLD TIME DISH ” seems like times may change but Girl The ” T” train keeps rolling on. I Love Being GAY
pscheck2
I think that Tab Hunter was a class act! I’ve read nothing bad about him, He was the epitome of masculine beauty that few stars have equaled! They had a picture of him just before he died, that showed he didn’t loose his classic looks!
trsxyz
Agreed… I read Tab’s bio & saw the movie. Seemed like an awesome guy.
russellhm
McDermott mentions Larry Kert of “West Side Story,” but Kert pulled off a much bigger coup. When Sondheim’s huge hit, “Company,” opened Dean Jones played leading role of Bobby, the single chap. And he was also on the original soundtrack which like many soundtracks of musicals was recorded before the show opened. But he was suffering from depression–marital issues, et al–and withdrew from the show, putting his understudy, Larry Kert in the leading role of a sensational tribute to Sondheim and relationships. Kert became the first understudy to be nominated for a Tony that season. Alas, he did not win. The award went to Hal Linden for his role in “The Rothschilds.” Remember him as Barney Miller? But “Company” won for Best Musical and Sondheim also won for best songs and lyrics. As Tony in “West Side Story” he became known and admired.
james7
Did you know that Tony Perkins fathered two sons with his wife and that she was one fo the passengers killed when the second plane slammed into the World Trade Center on 9/11. One of their sons is singer/songwriter Elvis Perkins.
The real Bruce
Well, as I said to dear Minerva Pomerantz(don’t you just love that name?), both Roddy and Tab seemed to be well adjusted in being “themselves”. Tony Perkins was, well, a fine actor but a strange man. The fact that Mr. McDermott feels the need, now that they’re both gone, to dish about them makes me feel that he has an attention deficiency that needs nursing. Quick!! And for Minerva, I think I might adopt an unreal identity for myself. How about Ophelia Pettybone, Minerva? Ya like??