Gays Have to Play It Straight in Hollywood

Posted on Feb 13, 2006

Illustration by Jennifer Grey

BBC: 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. | story

Truthdig says: This is exactly what Truthdig’s Larry Gross was getting at in “Year of the Queer: Hollywood and Homosexuality.”

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