Actor/Writer/Director/Artist/Student/Oscar Host James Franco will not rest until… well, until never, it seems, but especially not until he’s starred in or directed every movie about every famous gay/somewhat-gay person in the world.
There’s Milk, James Dean, Howl, My Own Private River (the video art installation where he and Gus Van Sant chopped and screwed Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho) and the upcoming Hart Crane death-of-a-gay-poet biopic The Broken Tower. Making the rounds at film festivals, the latter features, at least in the current edit, some prosthetic-penis-inclusive, NC-17-courting gay sex. Then there’s Sal, currently in development, concerning the life and tragic murder of Rebel Without A Cause star Sal Mineo.
In his spare time, Franco just collaborated with cool, object-based art quarterly The Thing, creating a limited number of lipstick-tagged mirrors mourning the loss of young actor Brad Renfro. It’s part pin-up, part weepy fan memento, part celebrity death fetish thingy. Here’s a video of him signing each one:
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Say what you will about the way Franco surfs all the gay waves at Homo Beach, he’s committed to doing exactly as he pleases. And it’s not like there’s a long line of career-hot young actors voluntarily making black-and-white, slow-burn art films about gay poets who commit suicide at a young age. Good on him.
But sometimes the Pineapple Express makes unexpected stops in dark places. Call it the downside to person-of-interest status with gay and gay-leaning media, the unwanted, unsubstantiated sexuality speculation and occasional, whispered scandal. In a new Playboy interview, Franco denounces blogs (not us!) that linked his name to a New York Post blind gossip item about an A-list closeted gay actor rumored to have raped his boyfriend. It’s a nasty bit of business and even the alleged victim of the attack himself denies Franco’s assocation. The actor sets the record straight:
“Then Gawker picked [up the gossip item] and did this ‘Gay Rapist’ story that was so f*cking offensive because I have friends who have been raped. They did a very classy online reader’s poll asking which actor who had a big movie out that summer had beaten up and raped his boyfriend and then paid him off so it wouldn’t go to court… My lawyer called them and said that it was completely untrue and to take it down. They said, ‘Well, we’re just reporting what the New York Post told us. If James wants to make a comment on our blog, we’re happy to report it.’ It was a choice. Either let this thing build and become bigger and bigger, or just let it go and let them be the petty scumbags that they are.”
Can’t the poor man just give simulated oral to prosthetic man parts on camera in peace?
Michael in Toronto
Come out already, sweet baby James…
drums
See, this is actually exactly why I DON’T think he’s a closeted homo. He’s not the type of person who would be closeted if he were gay–he’d do whatever the fuck he wants, just like he does now. Half those movies didn’t/won’t make him any money, he was just interested. I don’t think he cares enough about his celebrity status to hide his sexuality. Plus, making ten thousand gay movies is the worst way to stay inconspicuous, if that was what he wanted.
Jeffree
@drums: +1. A tortured closet case would stay as far away as possible from gay roles. Good actors often pride themselves on playing parts as different from themselves as possible, morphing into different ages, ethnicities, social backgrounds, personalities, even species…
Marcus
@drums:
Then you don’t know James, drums.
@Jeffree:
Closet gay/bi closet cases have done gay roles on Broadway and in Hollywood. What they bank on is that you’ll think they’re straight because what closet case would take a gay role, right?
Jeffree
@Marcus: Examples, please.
drums
@Marcus: No, I’m not going to get into an anonymous internet argument about how we both know James Franco (not on a first-name basis) better than his own mum.
Marcus
James Franco in all the shit he’s done…
Bradley Cooper in Wet Hot American Summer…
Will Smith in Six Degree of Separation….
Tuc Watkins in I Think I Do…
Lee Pace in Soldier’s Girl…
I’m sure there’s more but this is off the top of my head…keep in mind I said gay/bi actors. I don’t know who’s fully gay, but I know they’re not straight.
Jeffree
@Marcus: so you use James Franco’s “shit” (movies??) as an example of proof that James Franco is gay or bi? Not terribly convincing. Pretzel logic.
Then you must also believe that Angelina Jolie is a spy & that Eric McCormack is a gay man.
Um: try again. Your examples are evidence of nothing. You don’t seem to “know” what you think you “know” about people. It’s a phase you’re going thru perhaps?
Denise
@Jeffree:
are you drunk? you asked Marcus examples of gay actors who’ve played gay roles and he gave them to you. the only one who has pretzel logic is you.
what evidence were you expecting, manhunt profiles?
Jeffree
@Denise: Does your computer lack the ability to type a capital letter? Marcus was referring to closeted gay/bi actors.
When you have valid evidence that those
people are bi or gay, please provide it. What you read in the gossip rags and fangurl sites doesn’t count.
No, I am not drunk.
Yet.
Denise
@Jeffree:
i hate caps. i type so much faster this way.
you didn’t ask him to provide, “evidence.” you asked to provide ‘examples’ of closet/not out to the public actors who have played gay roles and like i fucking told you, he did that. you want evidence, get up off your ass, get your own evidence and prove him wrong. i guarantee you won’t be able to. you don’t actually think bradley, tuc, will, james or lee are straight do you? you need evidence for that? open your eyes. it’s so obvious that james, lee, and tuc that they’re hiding in plain sight. i’ve seen tuc at pride numerous times…and i saw james there, too. leering at dudes with that shit eating grin on his face.
PJ
@Marcus: Will Smith is not gay or bi. He is, very much, straight.
Philip Seymour Hoffmann is straight and has played a gay man twice.
Hugh Jackman played a gay man on Broadway.
Sean Hayes is gay and is famous for playing gay characters, although he has also played straight characters. His most famous gay character? Jack from “Will and Grace.” However, he was closeted when the show was being run.
Jim Parsons plays the (theoretically) straight character Sheldon Cooper on “The Big Bang Theory.”
Neil Patrick Harris plays a womanizing rogue, Barney Stinton, on “How I Met Your Mother.”
A actor’s sexuality cannot and should not be assumed by the roles that they play. There is still homo-bias in Hollywood and many actors are still afraid for their careers. This is a justifiable reason for them to remain closeted. Rupert Everett still blames his coming out for being fed only gay roles. Ellen De Generis has not played a heterosexual character since she came out.
The only assumptions that we should make is the assumption that an actor will come out when they feel that the time is right for them, just like “normal” people.
James De Franco has not come out as gay and has stated, in fact, that he is straight. There is no evidence to suggest otherwise.
TheRealMannequinAdam
@Denise: “you want evidence, get up off your ass, get your own evidence and prove him wrong.”
Full Stop. An absence of evidence for one thing does not prove that the other thing in question is true or valid. Jeffree doesn’t have to “prove” anything, since the burden of proof would be on Marcus in claiming these people are gay or bi. Your response is illogical and Jeffree is technically correct. Presumptions about people do not make them facts, no matter how believable (to you) they may be.
Denise
@TheRealMannequinAdam:
if he wants the evidence, he can go find it. period. the burden is on him. he’s wants to know.
@PJ:
will smith is straight?? wow, where have i been? and i see no evidence to suggest franco is straight, either. you don’t have to come out for people to know youre gay.
Marcus
Wow! Maybe I should just step back slowly and walk out, but I’ll say this and move on @Jeffree: What evidence do you want me to provide? I work in the entertainment industry and this is what I know. My friends, colleagues and I interact, socialize, date and work with them and their colleagues and friends, so I don’t know what kind of evidence to provide you with. You may not want to believe that, but that’s OK.
BTW, these actors know the public is kind of aware and they see the hypocrisy of the media on the one hand saying they don’t believe in “outing” or just the squeamishness they have with dealing with Hollywood’s gay folks and other hand hinting, blind itemizing and sometime flat out saying their gay. There are many reasons why actors in Hollywood come out or don’t. It’s a very complicated subject and a ridiculous one to boot. What I can tell you is that many want to and will do so.
I know what I know and you know what apparently what you may not in regards to this.
@Denise: Yes, you’re right. I wasn’t asked to provide evidence, just examples. @Denise: Denise, be honest…who hasn’t seen Tuc and boyfriend at Pride? He isn’t discreet as are many actors in this town and not a big enough name to put into the papers.
Jeffree
@Marcus: Yes, you’ve no doubt heard things that I haven’t. Point taken.
So, something you heard convinced you that James Franco is gay. So,we’re supposed to believe that he’s lying when he says he isn’t? So we’re supposed to think that he’s in the closet?
How about some logic thrown in there with your gossip: Why would he stay in the closey even though he has nothing to lose if he is gay and if he comes out.
Nicholas
I don’t think he’s gay. Not personally gay.
Marcus
Look, I can’t be sitting here answering questions all day, @Jeffree: However, I thought I made myself clear in my previous post: it’s a very complicated issue, Jeffree. Especially amongst actors in Hollywood. He wouldn’t lose his fans, sure, that’s a given, but agents, publicists, studio heads, they have this idea that the public won’t except or tolerate. Those people were the same people who said Neil wouldn’t have a career when he came out because the public would turn on him. They said the same thing about and to Ricky Martin for years. And he believed it. He STILL sells out his concerts and he still sells records.
Denise tried to explain that to you a few posts up–these actors/musicians/etc. hide in plain sight. I knew about Meredith Baxter, Neil Patrick, Clay Aiken before they came out…it was very clear they were gay. Why? Because they lived very open gay lives. They dated and socialized in the gay scene. Hang out with James Franco for a week or two and all will become clear. A few other people on Towelroad said essentially the same thing and that’s not a gossip site.
Every actor has lied about being gay, doesn’t matter how transparent it is that they probably are. Queen Latifah has been doing this for years, to the snickers of the press and her most devout fans. Ricky Martin did it as well.
I would take a leap and say most actors don’t have much to lose in the eyes of the public, but this town can and has turned on gay actors, even closeted ones, whether the public knew or even cared they were gay. That’s why the lie…
Jeffree
@Marcus: Don’t fret: those were rhetorical questions, I should have been clearer on that. You’d already made your “point.”
McGullen
@Marcus: That reminds me of how the blue power ranger in the original series was treated on set. I guess it’s nerdy to know that, but whatever. He talked about that in the news earlier this year. He was harassed for being gay even though he was an actor in such a big show.
Andy
So are there any straight actors in Hollywood?
Interesting
@Jeffree: Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss. Jack on Will and grace. The list goes on.
Interesting
@drums: When it comes to being gay, you must be kidding right? I mean- how many guys are out to their friends before their family on just this blog alone?
Interesting
@Marcus: You are forgetting people who were “straight” but came out later.
Interesting
@Marcus: I see you mentioned the guys who come out later. Overall, to anyone who knows anything about the industry, you are spot on.
TomMc
@Marcus: Thanks.
steve
Hey Marcus
Hopefully you haven’t given up on this thread but just wondering, what’s the goss on Elijah Wood? He’s too short for me but i still think he’s gorgeous.
Also is Bradley Cooper a top or bottom? I’m teasing… but i would love to know
bored
Why do we care? Let the work speak for itself. Why do gay men get these masturbatory fixations on these actors being gay? It’s only ever the “cute” ones too. No one’s going around wondering if Philip Seymour Hoffman is gay. It’s this transparent formula that is risible: I think he’s cute + I’m gay = I wish he were gay X I secretly know he is to the tenth power.
Joey
There’s a lot of wishful thinking out there, of course. But this is not that.
Interesting
@bored: The bigger question is if you don’t care why are you here?
Interesting
@Joey: Another strange comment. there are many good looking actors who no one thinks is gay or even “not straight.” If this were just wishful thinking that drove curiosity like this, wouldn’t you expect to see it regardless of who it is?
David Ehrenstein
Marcus, James doesn’t wnat to fuck you. LIVE WITH IT!!!
Interesting
@David Ehrenstein: I can see why you have been banned on several sites.
Open Your Eyes!
Why are so many gay people prentending like James isn’t gay? It’s like some of you are trying to keep his “secret” safe. It’s ridiculous for you to play along with this stupid charade.
steve
Marcus and Open your eyes
Please tell us about guys like Hugh Jackman?? Anyone know?
Also those rumors about Patrick Demsey swinging both ways.. goodness i’m getting worked up haha
a
@steve:
Don’t know about Patrick Demsey, but Hugh is NOT straight, even though he is trying more and more desperately to make people think he is straight. It is rather pathetic, because who cares. He made it sound like being considered gay is something to be ashamed of. I am very disappointed at Hugh.
Lulu
Clearly, the “issue” for Franco, here, was not speculation about whether he would be having sex with a boyfriend; rather, that someone implied he would be RAPING and physically abusing, said boyfriend. The point, being, that he obviously couldn’t care less if people think and or know he’s gay, but takes serious issue with someone (irresponsibly) perpetuating the rumor that he’s a rapist. Makes sense to me…
Maya
@Marcus: Will Smith isn’t gay. Just thought I’d throw it out there.