On the ABC edy's 40th anniversary, Michael Montlack reflects on how he learned to be gay om a straight actor playg a straight character pretendg to be gay.
Contents:
THREE'S COMPANY MA ME THE GAY MAN I AM TODAY
* why did jack tripper pretend to be gay *
Luckily, there's hardly the void of gay role mols many of experienced g up the 1970s and '80s. Who would show me the gay way? But that imagery led to an even more alien notn: Were those the only kd of gay people the world?
Jack Tripper appeared on the screen 1977 (the 40th anniversary of the first episo is this March): boyishly handsome, adorably clumsy and generally ordary most ways, except one -- he was pretendg to be gay orr to live wh two female roommat. This was certaly "a step that was new" but not pletely unfaiar to a boy pretendg to be straight orr to live peacefully an unwelg (and John Rter, who played him, for that matter) wasn't queer, but the fact that he had the dacy to even label himself gay was astoundg.
) that we did fact exist and uld even fd zy hom for ourselv: sunny beach muni wh fun sisterly iends and zany, if often backward, landlords who might actually prefer a gay tenant over a straight one. MICHAEL MONTLACK is the edor of My Diva: 65 Gay Men on the Women Who Inspire Them (Universy of Wisns Prs). John buted on TV as a mp revolutnary 1970 on "Dan Augt, " which starred Norman Fell, who later starred him on the popular TV seri, "Three's Company" Rter played the role of a chef, Jack Tripper, who pretend to be gay so that he n share an apartment wh two betiful 70's popular TV edy seri, is foced on three roommat — Ja Wood, played by Joyce DeWt, Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers), and Jack Tripper (John) Rter and Suzanne Somers sightg at CBS TV Cy Tapg - January 20, 1978 at CBS TV Cy Los Angel, California | Photo: Getty ImagAll three lived together platonilly, pretendg that Jack is gay to avoid the anger of their landlords, the Ropers (Norman Fell and Audra Ldley) show is a batn of slapstick humor, and sexual nfn as an overheard nversatn or somethg viewed as entirely Rter and Amy Yasbeck at the premiere of " Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" on Nov.