The brewing debate: Should gay actors come out?

Some recent comments made by two high-profile directors – both openly gay -during LA’s Outfest Film Festival have led to some interesting debate over whether or not gay actors should come out.

TV director Todd Holland said during a panel that he thinks some actors should stay in the closet in order to advance professionally. He recently elaborated on it in a column for The Wrap and makes it quite clear that he is for living out and proud but for a very, very small percentage of potential Tom Cruise/Brad Pitt/Will Smith type stars, there is a price to pay. Here’s an excerpt:

As far as actors go, if you’re a character actor or a woman, no one cares. If you’re a guy, no one cares … unless you’re in that fractional .002 percent of the young male actor population, and you really have the goods to become a true leading man. Then there may be obstacles to both living authentically and achieving that Holy Grail of dreams: real, tent-pole-sized Hollywood Stardom.

Gatekeepers abound at every level. Studios are like feisty Chihuahuas — they are inherently fearful, and if their bottom lines are at risk, they’ll bite. Agents and managers do not push rocks up hill — they’ll push level (but prefer downhill).  And their bottom lines are also at risk. Casting directors (sometimes gay ones especially) are often very reluctant to promote openly gay actors fearing, I imagine, some “what the f— are you thinking?” response from straight employers.

My damning words were: “If you are that .002 percent … I can’t tell you to come out.” I never said stay in the closet. And that matters. My meaning in “I can’t tell you to come out” is inherently parental.

Translation: “If you take the path of coming out, you will be living authentically — and that is a great achievement in anyone’s life. But I can’t promise you’re going to skirt the gatekeepers or scale the hurdles the system has in place.”

I think we are quite clear now.

This whole thing gave me an opportunity to compile a list of actors who, thankfully, are making a go of it as an openly gay actor. Some were outed, some waited until they got older to come out while others were out all along.  Neil Patrick Harris, John Barrowman, T.R. Knight, Chad Allen, Robert Gant, Peter Paige, Wilson Cruz, Thom Bierdz, Jason Stuart, Luke Macfarlane (pictured, left), David Hyde Pierce, Richard Chamberlain, Darryl Stephens, Rex Lee, Doug Spearman, Adamo Ruggiero, Cheyenne Jackson, Leslie Jordan, Alec Mapa, Sam Harris, Rupert Everett, Gavin Creel, Nick Adams, B.D. Wong, Randy Harrison, Matthew Montgomery, Nathan Lane, Charlie David,  Alan Cumming, George Takei, Sir Ian McKellen, Anthony Rapp and several others. And those are just the guys!

Have they lost certain roles because of their sexuality? Most certainly. But living their truth has made so many of these guys happier and more productive people – and very resourceful about their careers. I wish them all continued success.