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Arts and Culture

Chamberlain: Gay Leading Men Still Trapped in the Closet

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Posted on Dec 27, 2010
Illustration by Jennifer Grey

The path out of the proverbial closet is still riddled with potential career pitfalls for gay actors, according to veteran screen star Richard Chamberlain, who himself came out in 2003 but, as he tells The Advocate, wouldn’t recommend that closeted actors angling for leading roles follow his example.  —KA

The Advocate via The Huffington Post:

You were a wildly successful closeted actor during a period of time when coming out was unheard of, but the climate of acceptance has significantly changed in recent years. How do you feel about gay actors who still remain closeted as we near 2011?
It’s complicated. There’s still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. It’s regrettable, it’s stupid, it’s heartless, and it’s immoral, but there it is. For an actor to be working is a kind of miracle, because most actors aren’t, so it’s just silly for a working actor to say, “Oh, I don’t care if anybody knows I’m gay” — especially if you’re a leading man. Personally, I wouldn’t advise a gay leading man–type actor to come out.

When can a leading man come out — when he’s 69 and promoting a memoir?
I have no idea. Despite all the wonderful advances that have been made, it’s still dangerous for an actor to talk about that in our extremely misguided culture. Look at what happened in California with Proposition 8. Please, don’t pretend that we’re suddenly all wonderfully, blissfully accepted.

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By Inherit The Wind, December 30, 2010 at 8:58 pm Link to this comment

Not mentioned in this article is Chamberlain’s awesome 1979 performance as Pilot John Blackthorn, aka, Anjin-san in “Shogun”. It was fairly well-known at that time that Mr. Chamberlain was Gay, although it would be 24 years before he “officially” came out.  I certainly was aware of it. But it didn’t affect in any way my appreciation of him and the mini-series.

Why should it? He’s an actor, performing a role. Straight actors play Gay men and Lesbian women, and Gay and Lesbian actors play Straights.  So WHAT????

Javier Bardem and Anthony Hopkins play bat-shit psychopathic killers. 

Should they not play those roles because they aren’t killers? 

Isn’t the question inanely stupid?

Of course it is!  Actors play roles.  That’s what they do.

When are FINALLY going to get down to “Content of their character” and stop this bullcrap?

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RenZo's avatar

By RenZo, December 28, 2010 at 12:12 am Link to this comment

I was in love with Dr Kildare way way way back when I was in grade school. He might be the reason I went to medical school after all, and became gay (ha ha ha ha, right like it’s all his fault).

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