Posted on 02/13/2006 9:40:35 AM PST by 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.
. . .and of course. . .
Tom Cruise. . .
Hey Tom, come out of the closet!!!
They may be thinking of Monty Clift, who was gay.
Excellent movie, if you have an interest in Whale.
Does that make Takei a man who is someone to. . .
. . .whom MANY men, have gone before. . . .
(diving for cover)
Flynn and his buddies would send a driver or two to Hollywood High as it let out to corral the young ladies encouraged by their "stage door" mommies. Legend reports.
Brendan Fraser. A much under appreciated actor. He'll take one in the nads for a laugh and can really act. He was excellent in The Quiet American.
>>>Degeneres does a talk show that probably gets ratings similar to a Bowflex infomercial. >>>
Are you kidding? Her show is really good and quite successful.
I really like it. I don't care she's gay, she's funny as heck!
Michelle Williams is Ledger's fiance. They had a kid a few months ago.
BTW: As far as I can recall, David Hyde-Pierce doesn't talk about his sex life. So, while he's rumored to be gay, it's still not confirmed.
LOL! A pointless Steven Seagal movie --- now that's a concept too terrifying to imagine!
I have to say, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory was one of the most meaningful cinematic works I have ever seen. I laughed, I cried, the pathos was overwhelming. When Seagal turns to the camera and says, "You think this is being shot? This ain't being shot," it was quite possibly the greatest movie moment since Citizen Kaine.
Gay?......I don't know..........I wasn't born yet.......
No there were rumors of it but no ever proved it and no one ever dared to say while he was living. It's only after the old time actors, like Randolph Scott, John Wayne and Cary Grant die and can't speak for themselves that people start these rumors.
I'm not really gay, I just play one in the movies.
With her 'wedding' Ellen, yeah, I think that classifies her. *hide* I can't even tell anymore. It must just not matter... but to be a really good actor, no one can tell. Just ask Tom.
Sounds like a corollary to the famed "Chewbaca" defense.
Actually, neither Heath nor Jake are gay. Period. Or, maybe like in Britain, they went to all-boy schools and just weren't particular. Um, but no, neither are gay. Jake just broke up with Kirsten Dunst after several years, and I believe Heath married sometime last year. Again, if they were British, they would just be 'growing up'. Bisexuality is practically bred into them over there.
However, my friend told me the real reason Sir Ian left was that the head of the theate (I think it was Trevor Nunn) had decide not to offer a contract to a young male actor that Sir Ian had his eye on, so in a huff, Sir Ian decided to leave the Nat'l Theatre after that season.
That being said, Sir Ian is correct about gay actors not coming out in Hollywood. However, that is because of differences in what makes a star in Hollywood as opposed to Great Britain. In GB, actors like Sir Ian, Derek Jacobi, etc are well-know theatrical stars who do lots of classics and are considered consummate actors. People go to see them do Shakespeare, and do not think of them as "matinee idols". A big stage star over there can have the theatrical world at his feet, and receive a knighthood, but not be near the star a Tom Cruise is (had McKellan not landed Magneto and Gandalf, he'd still be largely unknown on these shores).
In Hollywood, they are not actor so much as stars. They play types rather than complex characters, and their public identifies so much with them that the line blurs between actor and role. Women loved Richard Chamberlain in his romantic roles, but I doubt he would have made such an impact had he come out at the height of his fame. It's easy for Sir Ian to throw a hissy over this, but if more actors came out, they'd have the same sort of careers that many great, though unknown English actors have.
>>>And Jodie Foster!
iS Jodie Foster gay?
I know she was VERY tomboyish as an adolescent. I remember watching her as a kid (5-10) when she was about 12 or so and back in that day, a boy's hair was long and swept to the side. For the longest time I didn't know she wasn't a boy, especially with that voice.
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