Hollywood 'resists gay US actors'

BBC ^

[Lunatic Fringe]

Sir Ian McKellen has said openly gay US actors are prevented from having successful Hollywood careers.

"It is very, very, very difficult for an American actor who wants a film career to be open about his sexuality," the gay British actor said.

"And even more difficult for a woman if she's lesbian. It's very distressing to me that that should be the case."

The Lord of the Rings star added: "The film industry is very old fashioned in California."

He was speaking at the Berlin Film Festival, where he received a lifetime achievement award.

[jonascord]

That's what sells Segal films alright. The "everyman" downhome next-door type who can kill with a #2 ticonderoga, recast a 5"-.50 Cal bursting charge into a satchel charge in 5 minutes flat, and still have time to romance a playboy Bunnie.

Why, just last week, when I was slaughtering 10,000 screaming and clumsy mooslims, each armed with a 50 kiloton device, and whipping up an exceptionally fluffy quiche, I told her, "By Gar we should ask the Academy why Stevie, (I call him Stevie,) hasn't even been nominated..."

[SQUID]

What a load a crap. Wow. Is there a way we can give California away for land elswere?

[Red Badger]

Wasn't Richard III gay or was that another Roman numeral?.........

[Richard Kimball]

I haven't heard of some of the people you list. Takei, O'Donnell, Lang, and Degeneres made their names before coming out of the closet, and coming out of the closet damaged or ended their careers (Takei's was over, anyway). Degeneres does a talk show that probably gets ratings similar to a Bowflex infomercial.

Hollywood has no problem shoving homosexual actors at the public. The problem is that the public, for the most part, doesn't want to see them, and their offerings tank. McKellen is an excellent actor, but most of his characters are asexual. Xmen2 was the first movie I saw of his that had a significant homosexual undertheme. He would have been a better Dumbledore than the current actor. That still doesn't mean I care what he thinks about politics. I still find the concept of Magneto or Gandalf smoking one to be pretty disgusting.

[trebb]

Sir McKellen is right!! It is difficult for gay actors to succeed in Hollywood...

But, in the words of Curly Howard, "If at first you don't succeed, suck until you do suck seed."

[DTogo]

Magneto meets Dragneto?

[Red Badger]

Jim Nabors, Errol Flynn, Liberace.........

[durasell]

Shakespeare's Richard III wasn't gay. The film version that was recently made was really cool, but you have to like Shakespeare with updated set design.

[Moose4]

I don't care if David Hyde Pierce is gay. Now if Eddie the terrier turns out to be gay, I'll be crushed.

}:-)4

[RexBeach]

Sir Ian is crackers. A big bunch of Hollywood plays for the other team.

[Rummyfan]

Well, except for Ellen Degeneres, KD Lang, Portia de Rossi

Portia de Rossi is gay?

[One Proud Son]

You forgot Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall

[Rummyfan]

And Jodie Foster!

[tuffydoodle]

Yes.

[sneakers]

I admired Ian McKellen's acting in Lord of the Rings but, knowing he way gay, I always wondered what he was thinking when he looked at Aragorn, Frodo, Pippin......hmmmmmmmm

[GAB-1955]

"What planet is this guy from? Has he ever actually been to Hollywood??"

Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

[dfwgator]

George Takei came out literally weeks ago. For exactly the reasons suggested above

"Oh my!"

[oyez]

Why didn't they cast two gay actors for Brokeback Mtn?

Simple, Then if they hired gay actors, they wouldn't be acting.

[Rummyfan]

Not The Bulldog!