Robert Benevis is famo as the gay partner of late actor Raymond Burr. Actor turned producer by profsn, Robert dated Burr om 1960 until ath parted them 1993.
Contents:
- ‘PERRY MASON’ STAR RAYMOND BURR BLAZED TRAILS FOR GAY ACTORS—EVEN IF HE HID BEHD A STRAIGHT TRAGEDY
- HOW ‘PERRY MASON’ TACKLED QUEERNS WH A CONTEMPORARY LENS: “YOU’VE BEEN GAY, BUT YOU’VE NEVER BEEN GAY THE 1930S”
‘PERRY MASON’ STAR RAYMOND BURR BLAZED TRAILS FOR GAY ACTORS—EVEN IF HE HID BEHD A STRAIGHT TRAGEDY
Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Red, Whe and Royal Blue’ on Amazon Prime Vio, a Charmgly Star-Crossed Gay Rom-Com. Perry isn’t a queer in like RuPl or Ellen or Elton—but the kids gettg to HBO’s Perry Mason should know their history and know the character’s place wh the gay non. Perry Mason serv a ltle regnn durg Pri bee of the actor most associated wh the role: Raymond Burr, one of the first—if not the first—gay actors to ever star the lead role of a succsful TV seri.
Blanche Deverex’s gay brother) played him a short-lived ’70s TV revival, and Matthew Rhys is the current Mason. Burr was also gay, and he achieved a level of notoriety on televisn that was unrivaled by every other gay TV actor of the era(s)—and like all of his gay peers, Burr was also eply closeted.
To put Burr’s imposg stature ntext, of urse there were closeted gay actors workg on televisn when Burr land the lead role of Mason 1957. It’s speculated that Burr or his people paid money to tone down the story om “Raymond Burr hooks up wh gay male bartenr” to “Raymond Burr unknowgly kiss a drag queen. In Burr’s se, his tth was gayer and greater than his fictn.
HOW ‘PERRY MASON’ TACKLED QUEERNS WH A CONTEMPORARY LENS: “YOU’VE BEEN GAY, BUT YOU’VE NEVER BEEN GAY THE 1930S”
Portra of Actor Raymond Burr, cir 1950 | Photo: Getty ImagHowever, the inic actor had to say those li bee of the fear that he would lose his role as Perry Mason and his whole reer if people found out he was gay and had a male lover. Dpe the risk he faced if the tails of his private life ever beme known, Burr lived unr the radar as a closeted gay man. Beg a gay uple isn’t accepted by many societi 2020, now jt thgs how thgs were the 1960s.
Robert Benevis‘ gay partner Raymond Burr might no longer be together wh as he died on September 12, 1993, but the streets won’t fet his works on televisn. The gay uple first met on the sets of Perry Mason 1960 on the set of ‘Perry Mason.