It's way past time for a gay actor to w an Amy Award!
Contents:
- IS SAM SMH REALLY THE FIRST OPENLY GAY OSR WNER?THE SPECTRE SONGWRER WON FOR ORIGAL SONG.BY JULIE MILLERFEBARY 28, 2016FROM GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWHEN SAM SMH TOOK THE STAGE ON SUNDAY NIGHT TO ACCEPT HIS OSR FOR BT ORIGAL SONG, FOR THE SPECTRE THEME HE -WROTE WH JAM NAPIER, HE RRECTLY PARAPHRASED A STATEMENT IAN MCKELLEN MA ABOUT THE LACK OF OPENLY GAY OSR WNERS. DURG HIS SPEECH, SMH SAID THAT HE HEARD MCKELLEN MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE AMY AWARDS NEVER BEFORE REGNIZG AN OPENLY GAY MAN, NFSG THAT HE WAS NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT THAT WAS TE. EHER WAY, SMH NTUED, “I STAND HERE TONIGHT AS A PROUD GAY MAN AND I HOPE WE N ALL STAND TOGETHER AS EQUALS ONE DAY.”WH SENDS, THE TWTER-SPHERE EPTED, WONRG WHETHER OR NOT AN OPENLY GAY MAN HAD WON THE AWARD. THE ANSWER TO THAT IS Y, AN EXAMPLE BEG DT LANCE BLACK, WHO WON THE 2009 ORIGAL-SCREENPLAY AWARD FOR MILK. BUT SMH ALSO MISHEARD MCKELLEN’S QUOTE.LAST MONTH, THE ACTOR TOLD THE GUARDIAN THAT HE SYMPATHIZED WH BLACK ACTORS BEE, “NO OPENLY GAY MAN HAS EVER WON THE OSR; I WONR IF THAT IS PREJUDICE OR CHANCE.” REFERRG TO THE ACTG TEGORI, MCKELLEN POTED OUT THAT STRAIGHT ACTORS HAVE WON THE AWARD FOR PLAYG GAY—LIKE TOM HANKS, JARED LETO, SEAN PENN, AND PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN. “HOW CLEVER, HOW CLEVER,” MCKELLEN SAID. “WHAT ABOUT GIVG ME ONE FOR PLAYG A STRAIGHT MAN?”MCKELLEN, WHO HAS BEEN NOMATED TWICE—FOR GODS AND MONSTERS AND THE LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RGREVEALED THE SAME TERVIEW THAT HE PLANNED ON ADDRSG THAT FACT IF HE HAD WON.“MY SPEECH HAS BEEN TWO JACKETS. . .‘I’M PROUD TO BE THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO W THE OSR.’ I’VE HAD TO PUT BACK MY POCKET TWICE.”WHILE SMH’S STATEMENT MAY HAVE BEEN SCERE, WAS NOT ENTIRELY TTHFUL. THREE OPENLY-GAY SGER/SONGWRERS WON SMH’S TEGORY CLUDG MELISSA ETHERIDGE, ELTON JOHN, AND STEPHEN SONDHEIM. AS FOR THE ACTG TEGORI, SEVERAL GAY WNERS HAVE WON, BUT BEFORE G OUT CLUDG JOEL GREY AND JODIE FOSTER.OSRS 2016 BT-DRSED CELEBRI1 / 16CHEVRONCHEVRONFROM GETTY IMAG.CATE BLANCHETT ARMANI. SCIENTISTS HAVE PROVEN IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LOOK AT THIS DRS AND NOT GASP AND THEN REMA SPEECHLS FOR AT LEAST 10 SENDS.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYIS THIS THE BEGNG OF THE END OF THE WRERS STRIKE?BY NATALIE JARVEYJULIE MILLER
- 12 OPENLY GAY PEOPLE THAT HAVE WON AN OSR
- OSRS: SAM SMH ISN’T THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO W
- SAM SMH ISN’T THE FIRST OPENLY GAY OSR WNER
- A GROUNDBREAKG QUEER OSR WNER AND ITS VERY, VERY COMPLITED LEGACYIN 1986 WILLIAM HURT BEME THE FIRST ACTOR TO W AN OSR FOR PLAYG AN OPENLY QUEER CHARACTER. DID HE START ONE OF THE OSRS’ WORST TRENDS? BY KATEY RICHJUNE 8, 2023FROM ISLAND ALIVE PICTUR / EVERETT COLLECTNSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT’S HARD TO TELL IF WILLIAM HURT FELT THE WEIGHT OF HISTORY WHEN HE TOOK THE OSR STAGE. AT THE BEGNG OF A STRG OF HS THAT WOULD MAKE HIM ONE OF THE FIVE STARS OF THE ’80S, HE WON THE BT-ACTOR OSR FOR HIS PERFORMANCE KISS OF THE SPIR WOMAN, AN UNLIKELY DIE H. IT MA HIM THE FIRST ACTOR TO W AN OSR FOR PLAYG AN OPENLY QUEER CHARACTER, TABLISHG A TEMPLATE THAT HAS NOW BEE SOMETHG OF A CLICHé: STRAIGHT ACTOR PLAYS GAY, WS OSR. A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWBUT 1986—THE SAME YEAR THAT RONALD REAGAN DARED TO SAY AIDS FOR THE FIRST TIME—KISS OF THE SPIR WOMAN WAS A UNIQUE PHENOMENON, AND HURT’S PERFORMANCE A E FOR GENUE CELEBRATN. “A [GAY] AND A MIE A JAIL CELL, WHAT A MARKETG NIGHTMARE” IS HOW PRODUCER DAVID WEISMAN FACETLY SCRIBED THE FILM’S PREMISE, ADAPTED OM ARGENTEAN THOR MANUEL PUIG’S NOVEL BY UP-AND-G BRAZILIAN DIRECTOR HéCTOR BABEN. WEISMAN TOLD INDIEWIRE 2010, AHEAD OF THE FILM’S ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATN AT THE CANN FILM FTIVAL, THAT “ WAS A PROJECT SIGNED TO EVERYONE’S REER.” WEISMAN AND BABEN SPENT YEARS GETTG THE FILM OFF THE GROUND, CLUDG A LONG PERD OF VELOPMENT WH ’50S AND ’60S IN BURT LANSTER. EVENTUALLY THEY WENT TO PRODUCTN WH HURT AS MOLA, A GAY MAN IMPRISONED ALONGSI LEFTIST REVOLUTNARY VALENTíN, PLAYED BY RL JULIA. THE FILM IS LARGELY A SERI OF NVERSATNS BETWEEN THE TWO, TERSPERSED WH CLIPS OM A FICTNAL NAZI PROPAGANDA MOVIE, WHICH MOLA RETELLS TO VALENTíN AS A WAY TO PASS THE TIME AND PE SOMEWHERE ELSE. AS JA MASL WROTE HER RAVE REVIEW, “WHAT STARTS OUT AS A MPY, FACET TALOGUE OF HOLLYWOOD TRIVIA BE AN EXTRAORDARILY MOVG FILM ABOUT MANHOOD, HEROISM AND LOVE.”THE DIE FILM WORLD WAS A PERD OF TRANSFORMATN THE MID-1980S, WH THE EXPLODG HOME VIO MARKET SPURRG MAND FOR ALMOST ANYTHG THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. SO UPSTART DISTRIBUTOR ISLAND ALIVE PICKED UP SPIR WOMAN AT CANN, WHERE HURT WON THE BT-ACTOR AWARD, AND RELEASED FOR AN EXCEPTNAL BOX OFFICE N THE SUMMER OF 1985, EVENTUALLY GROSSG $17 LN. (FOR NTEXT, THAT’S HOW MUCH THE WHALE AND THE FABELMANS HAVE MA DOMTILLY, WHOUT ADJTG FOR FLATN.) YEARS BEFORE MIRAMAX WOULD PERMANENTLY OPEN THE DOOR FOR DIE FILMS AT THE OSRS, SPIR WOMAN WAS THE UPSTART THE 1986 RACE, NOMATED FOR BT PICTURE ALONGSI MASSIVE STUD EFFORTS LIKE OUT OF AI AND THE COLOR PURPLE. HURT’S SPEECH, WHICH REX REED SNIPED WAS “MERCIFULLY” SHORTER THAN SOME OF THE MORE LONG-WD TERVIEWS HE’D GIVEN THAT SEASON, BEGAN WH A SIMPLE SENTENCE: “I SHARE THIS WH RL.” JULIA, WHO, LIKE HURT, HAD GOTTEN HIS START NEW YORK THEATER, SHARED A BT-ACTOR AWARD WH HIS STAR OM THE NATNAL BOARD OF REVIEW AND A GOLN GLOBE NOMATN, BUT WAS LEFT OUT AT THE OSRS. BUT HIS PERFORMANCE MAY BE THE BIGGT REVELATN TO A MORN DIENCE. SIMMERG WH RAGE AND TRATN AS VALENTíN WATCH OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS LEFTIST MOVEMENT BROUGHT TO THE PRISON, JULIA REFULLY TRACKS VALENTíN’S GRADUAL SOFTENG, NOT JT WILLG TO PE TO MOLA’S STORYTELLG BUT FD FORT—AND MAYBE A SPARK OF ROMANCE— HIS CELLMATE’S PRENCE. AND FOR MORN VIEWERS BRACG FOR IMPACT WATCHG HURT—WHOSE REPUTATN FOR TENSY AND DAMAGG BEHAVR ONLY GREW MORE PRONOUNCED AFTER THIS—HIS PERFORMANCE MAY BE A SURPRISE AS WELL. MOLA IS A FLAMBOYANT CHARACTER, SPIRED BY THE ’40S SCREEN SIRENS WHOSE PHOTOS ARE PASTED ON HIS WALL, A MAN WHO SOMEHOW HAS A LLECTN OF SILK ROB SI A PRISON. YOU MIGHT FD, AS SOME OF THE HOSTS ON THIS WEEK’S LTLE GOLD MEN DID, THAT HURT ERRS ON THE SI OF UNRPLAYG MOLA. BUT THERE’S A REASON THAT HIS PERFORMANCE SO PTIVATED DIENC AND OSR VOTERS; MOV PAST MOLA’S THEATRILY TO FD A MAN LOOKG FOR LOVE AND PURPOSE, AND RIGHT ON THE BRK OF FDG . IN AN ERA WH SO, SO LTLE QUEER REPRENTATN EVEN DIE FILMS, MOLA RONATED. AS WEISMAN TOLD INDIEWIRE OF HURT’S PERFORMANCE, “IF HE AND THE FILM HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO PULL OFF TO GAY DIENC, THEN WOULD HAVE CERTALY DIED.”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYIS THIS THE BEGNG OF THE END OF THE WRERS STRIKE?BY NATALIE JARVEYON THIS WEEK’S LTLE GOLD MEN PODST, CHRIS MURPHY JOS TO DISCS KISS OF THE SPIR WOMAN, WHICH MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT FILM TO SHOW A GROUP A FIRE ISLAND RENTAL HOE—WHICH IS WHAT CHRIS ACTUALLY DID!—BUT HAS SURPRIS STORE NEARLY 40 YEARS SCE S RELEASE. THE SUPERSIZE EPISO ALSO CLUS A NVERSATN WH CHRIS, RICHARD LAWSON, AND GUTS ESTHER ZUCKERMAN AND JACKSON MCHENRY TAKG A LOOK AT THIS YEAR’S TONY NOMATNS, AND MAKG THEIR PREDICTNS ABOUT WHO WILL PREVAIL AT SUNDAY’S AWARDS. LISTEN TO VANY FAIR’S LTLE GOLD MEN PODST NOW.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)KATEY RICH
- SAM SMH FENDS HIMSELF AFTER ‘FIRST GAY OSR WNER’ MISTAKE
- IS SAM SMH THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO W AN OSR? NOT EXACTLY
- SAM SMH IS NOT ACTUALLY THE FIRST GAY MAN TO W AN OSR
- PNEERG GAY OSR WNER OFFERS SAM SMH A HISTORY LSON (GUT COLUMN)
- SAM SMH, THE ONLY OPENLY GAY OSR WNER? NOT REALLY
- OTHER OPENLY GAY PEOPLE, BIS SAM SMH, WHO HAVE WON AN OSR
- HERE ARE SOME OF THE OUT GAY PEOPLE WHO WON OSRS BEFORE SAM SMH
IS SAM SMH REALLY THE FIRST OPENLY GAY OSR WNER?THE SPECTRE SONGWRER WON FOR ORIGAL SONG.BY JULIE MILLERFEBARY 28, 2016FROM GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWHEN SAM SMH TOOK THE STAGE ON SUNDAY NIGHT TO ACCEPT HIS OSR FOR BT ORIGAL SONG, FOR THE SPECTRE THEME HE -WROTE WH JAM NAPIER, HE RRECTLY PARAPHRASED A STATEMENT IAN MCKELLEN MA ABOUT THE LACK OF OPENLY GAY OSR WNERS. DURG HIS SPEECH, SMH SAID THAT HE HEARD MCKELLEN MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE AMY AWARDS NEVER BEFORE REGNIZG AN OPENLY GAY MAN, NFSG THAT HE WAS NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT THAT WAS TE. EHER WAY, SMH NTUED, “I STAND HERE TONIGHT AS A PROUD GAY MAN AND I HOPE WE N ALL STAND TOGETHER AS EQUALS ONE DAY.”WH SENDS, THE TWTER-SPHERE EPTED, WONRG WHETHER OR NOT AN OPENLY GAY MAN HAD WON THE AWARD. THE ANSWER TO THAT IS Y, AN EXAMPLE BEG DT LANCE BLACK, WHO WON THE 2009 ORIGAL-SCREENPLAY AWARD FOR MILK. BUT SMH ALSO MISHEARD MCKELLEN’S QUOTE.LAST MONTH, THE ACTOR TOLD THE GUARDIAN THAT HE SYMPATHIZED WH BLACK ACTORS BEE, “NO OPENLY GAY MAN HAS EVER WON THE OSR; I WONR IF THAT IS PREJUDICE OR CHANCE.” REFERRG TO THE ACTG TEGORI, MCKELLEN POTED OUT THAT STRAIGHT ACTORS HAVE WON THE AWARD FOR PLAYG GAY—LIKE TOM HANKS, JARED LETO, SEAN PENN, AND PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN. “HOW CLEVER, HOW CLEVER,” MCKELLEN SAID. “WHAT ABOUT GIVG ME ONE FOR PLAYG A STRAIGHT MAN?”MCKELLEN, WHO HAS BEEN NOMATED TWICE—FOR GODS AND MONSTERS AND THE LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RGREVEALED THE SAME TERVIEW THAT HE PLANNED ON ADDRSG THAT FACT IF HE HAD WON.“MY SPEECH HAS BEEN TWO JACKETS. . .‘I’M PROUD TO BE THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO W THE OSR.’ I’VE HAD TO PUT BACK MY POCKET TWICE.”WHILE SMH’S STATEMENT MAY HAVE BEEN SCERE, WAS NOT ENTIRELY TTHFUL. THREE OPENLY-GAY SGER/SONGWRERS WON SMH’S TEGORY CLUDG MELISSA ETHERIDGE, ELTON JOHN, AND STEPHEN SONDHEIM. AS FOR THE ACTG TEGORI, SEVERAL GAY WNERS HAVE WON, BUT BEFORE G OUT CLUDG JOEL GREY AND JODIE FOSTER.OSRS 2016 BT-DRSED CELEBRI1 / 16CHEVRONCHEVRONFROM GETTY IMAG.CATE BLANCHETT ARMANI. SCIENTISTS HAVE PROVEN IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LOOK AT THIS DRS AND NOT GASP AND THEN REMA SPEECHLS FOR AT LEAST 10 SENDS.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYIS THIS THE BEGNG OF THE END OF THE WRERS STRIKE?BY NATALIE JARVEYJULIE MILLER
The film's historic w at the 89th annual Amy Awards giv hope to the black and gay muni. * first gay to win an oscar *
Smh, who intifi as gay and non-bary, wrote a song lled "Wrg's on the Wall" for the 2015 Jam Bond movie, "Spectre, " wh fellow songwrer Jimmy Nap. While acceptg the Amy Award, Smh wrongly said they were the first gay person to w an Osr, which was met wh backlash on social media. Ball, an openly gay man, wrote "Amerin Bety, " which follows a suburban father who be terted his dghter's bt iend.
Black wrote the 2008 movie "Milk, " which starred Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, a lol polician San Francis who fought for gay rights before beg assassated. "To all the gay and lbian kids out there tonight who have been told they are ls than by their church or by ernment or by their fai, you are betiful, wonrful creatur, " he add.
In 1985, Epste won the Amy Award for directg "The Tim of Harvey Milk, " a documentary that follows the gay polician's life before his assassatn. Sign up to BFI Flare emailsGet the latt #BFIFlare news and ticket release the most egreg example of a gay movie beg snubbed, the crass race-relatns drama Crash beat Brokeback Mounta to the bt picture award 2006, spe the romantic wtern beg heavily favoured by crics and other awards ceremoni. The queer polics of the films aren’t great – the gay clients of Joe, a sex worker played by Jon Voight, are an unappealg para of gawky closet s.
12 OPENLY GAY PEOPLE THAT HAVE WON AN OSR
Sam Smh has ed ntroversy durg his Osrs victory speech by claimg he was the first openly gay man to get a nod. * first gay to win an oscar *
The first actor to receive an Osr nomatn for playg a gay role was Judh Anrson as the sister hoekeeper Mrs Danvers Aled Hchck’s Rebec. In an era where homosexual characters were treated as monsters or victims, the Osrs mtee followed su, nomatg the subtly queer performanc by Clifton Webb Lra (1944) and Sal Meo Rebel whout a Cse (1955).
OSRS: SAM SMH ISN’T THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO W
The bt origal song wner ced an article om Ian McKellen which the actor claimed, "No openly gay man has ever won the Osr," but there are several gay wners non-actg tegori. * first gay to win an oscar *
Ian McKellen Gods and Monsters (1998)In the last uple of s has bee a b of a cliché for actors to be reward wh a nomatn for playg gay characters, alongsi anyone playg someone wh a disabily and anyone whose name is Meryl Streep.
Ian McKellen, still the only gay man to be nomated for playg a gay man, was nomated for his marvello portrayal of director Jam Whale Gods and Monsters (1998), while Jaye Davidson, who played the queer character of Dil The Cryg Game (1992), was nomated the bt supportg actor tegory. Jared Leto Dallas Buyers Club (2013)While straight actors playg gay characters shouldn’t be of much nsequence, the ty number of gay performers is still disfortg a world where actors are reluctant to e out for fear of g their reers. When Sam Smh took the stage on Sunday night to accept his Osr for bt origal song, for the Spectre theme he -wrote wh Jam Napier, he rrectly paraphrased a statement Ian McKellen ma about the lack of openly gay Osr wners.
Durg his speech, Smh said that he heard McKellen make a statement about the Amy Awards never before regnizg an openly gay man, nfsg that he was not sure whether or not that was te. Eher way, Smh ntued, “I stand here tonight as a proud gay man and I hope we n all stand together as equals one day.
SAM SMH ISN’T THE FIRST OPENLY GAY OSR WNER
Sam Smh recieved backlash after suggtg he was the first openly gay man to recieve an Osr after wng bt al song for “Wrg’s on the Wall.” * first gay to win an oscar *
But Smh also misheard McKellen’s month, the actor told The Guardian that he sympathized wh black actors bee, “No openly gay man has ever won the Osr; I wonr if that is prejudice or chance. ” Referrg to the actg tegori, McKellen poted out that straight actors have won the award for playg gay—like Tom Hanks, Jared Leto, Sean Penn, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Three openly-gay sger/songwrers won Smh’s tegory cludg Melissa Etheridge, Elton John, and Stephen Sondheim. As for the actg tegori, several gay wners have won, but before g out cludg Joel Grey and Jodie 2016 Bt-Drsed CelebriFrom Getty Blanchett Armani.
A GROUNDBREAKG QUEER OSR WNER AND ITS VERY, VERY COMPLITED LEGACYIN 1986 WILLIAM HURT BEME THE FIRST ACTOR TO W AN OSR FOR PLAYG AN OPENLY QUEER CHARACTER. DID HE START ONE OF THE OSRS’ WORST TRENDS? BY KATEY RICHJUNE 8, 2023FROM ISLAND ALIVE PICTUR / EVERETT COLLECTNSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT’S HARD TO TELL IF WILLIAM HURT FELT THE WEIGHT OF HISTORY WHEN HE TOOK THE OSR STAGE. AT THE BEGNG OF A STRG OF HS THAT WOULD MAKE HIM ONE OF THE FIVE STARS OF THE ’80S, HE WON THE BT-ACTOR OSR FOR HIS PERFORMANCE KISS OF THE SPIR WOMAN, AN UNLIKELY DIE H. IT MA HIM THE FIRST ACTOR TO W AN OSR FOR PLAYG AN OPENLY QUEER CHARACTER, TABLISHG A TEMPLATE THAT HAS NOW BEE SOMETHG OF A CLICHé: STRAIGHT ACTOR PLAYS GAY, WS OSR. A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWBUT 1986—THE SAME YEAR THAT RONALD REAGAN DARED TO SAY AIDS FOR THE FIRST TIME—KISS OF THE SPIR WOMAN WAS A UNIQUE PHENOMENON, AND HURT’S PERFORMANCE A E FOR GENUE CELEBRATN. “A [GAY] AND A MIE A JAIL CELL, WHAT A MARKETG NIGHTMARE” IS HOW PRODUCER DAVID WEISMAN FACETLY SCRIBED THE FILM’S PREMISE, ADAPTED OM ARGENTEAN THOR MANUEL PUIG’S NOVEL BY UP-AND-G BRAZILIAN DIRECTOR HéCTOR BABEN. WEISMAN TOLD INDIEWIRE 2010, AHEAD OF THE FILM’S ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATN AT THE CANN FILM FTIVAL, THAT “ WAS A PROJECT SIGNED TO EVERYONE’S REER.” WEISMAN AND BABEN SPENT YEARS GETTG THE FILM OFF THE GROUND, CLUDG A LONG PERD OF VELOPMENT WH ’50S AND ’60S IN BURT LANSTER. EVENTUALLY THEY WENT TO PRODUCTN WH HURT AS MOLA, A GAY MAN IMPRISONED ALONGSI LEFTIST REVOLUTNARY VALENTíN, PLAYED BY RL JULIA. THE FILM IS LARGELY A SERI OF NVERSATNS BETWEEN THE TWO, TERSPERSED WH CLIPS OM A FICTNAL NAZI PROPAGANDA MOVIE, WHICH MOLA RETELLS TO VALENTíN AS A WAY TO PASS THE TIME AND PE SOMEWHERE ELSE. AS JA MASL WROTE HER RAVE REVIEW, “WHAT STARTS OUT AS A MPY, FACET TALOGUE OF HOLLYWOOD TRIVIA BE AN EXTRAORDARILY MOVG FILM ABOUT MANHOOD, HEROISM AND LOVE.”THE DIE FILM WORLD WAS A PERD OF TRANSFORMATN THE MID-1980S, WH THE EXPLODG HOME VIO MARKET SPURRG MAND FOR ALMOST ANYTHG THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. SO UPSTART DISTRIBUTOR ISLAND ALIVE PICKED UP SPIR WOMAN AT CANN, WHERE HURT WON THE BT-ACTOR AWARD, AND RELEASED FOR AN EXCEPTNAL BOX OFFICE N THE SUMMER OF 1985, EVENTUALLY GROSSG $17 LN. (FOR NTEXT, THAT’S HOW MUCH THE WHALE AND THE FABELMANS HAVE MA DOMTILLY, WHOUT ADJTG FOR FLATN.) YEARS BEFORE MIRAMAX WOULD PERMANENTLY OPEN THE DOOR FOR DIE FILMS AT THE OSRS, SPIR WOMAN WAS THE UPSTART THE 1986 RACE, NOMATED FOR BT PICTURE ALONGSI MASSIVE STUD EFFORTS LIKE OUT OF AI AND THE COLOR PURPLE. HURT’S SPEECH, WHICH REX REED SNIPED WAS “MERCIFULLY” SHORTER THAN SOME OF THE MORE LONG-WD TERVIEWS HE’D GIVEN THAT SEASON, BEGAN WH A SIMPLE SENTENCE: “I SHARE THIS WH RL.” JULIA, WHO, LIKE HURT, HAD GOTTEN HIS START NEW YORK THEATER, SHARED A BT-ACTOR AWARD WH HIS STAR OM THE NATNAL BOARD OF REVIEW AND A GOLN GLOBE NOMATN, BUT WAS LEFT OUT AT THE OSRS. BUT HIS PERFORMANCE MAY BE THE BIGGT REVELATN TO A MORN DIENCE. SIMMERG WH RAGE AND TRATN AS VALENTíN WATCH OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS LEFTIST MOVEMENT BROUGHT TO THE PRISON, JULIA REFULLY TRACKS VALENTíN’S GRADUAL SOFTENG, NOT JT WILLG TO PE TO MOLA’S STORYTELLG BUT FD FORT—AND MAYBE A SPARK OF ROMANCE— HIS CELLMATE’S PRENCE. AND FOR MORN VIEWERS BRACG FOR IMPACT WATCHG HURT—WHOSE REPUTATN FOR TENSY AND DAMAGG BEHAVR ONLY GREW MORE PRONOUNCED AFTER THIS—HIS PERFORMANCE MAY BE A SURPRISE AS WELL. MOLA IS A FLAMBOYANT CHARACTER, SPIRED BY THE ’40S SCREEN SIRENS WHOSE PHOTOS ARE PASTED ON HIS WALL, A MAN WHO SOMEHOW HAS A LLECTN OF SILK ROB SI A PRISON. YOU MIGHT FD, AS SOME OF THE HOSTS ON THIS WEEK’S LTLE GOLD MEN DID, THAT HURT ERRS ON THE SI OF UNRPLAYG MOLA. BUT THERE’S A REASON THAT HIS PERFORMANCE SO PTIVATED DIENC AND OSR VOTERS; MOV PAST MOLA’S THEATRILY TO FD A MAN LOOKG FOR LOVE AND PURPOSE, AND RIGHT ON THE BRK OF FDG . IN AN ERA WH SO, SO LTLE QUEER REPRENTATN EVEN DIE FILMS, MOLA RONATED. AS WEISMAN TOLD INDIEWIRE OF HURT’S PERFORMANCE, “IF HE AND THE FILM HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO PULL OFF TO GAY DIENC, THEN WOULD HAVE CERTALY DIED.”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYIS THIS THE BEGNG OF THE END OF THE WRERS STRIKE?BY NATALIE JARVEYON THIS WEEK’S LTLE GOLD MEN PODST, CHRIS MURPHY JOS TO DISCS KISS OF THE SPIR WOMAN, WHICH MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT FILM TO SHOW A GROUP A FIRE ISLAND RENTAL HOE—WHICH IS WHAT CHRIS ACTUALLY DID!—BUT HAS SURPRIS STORE NEARLY 40 YEARS SCE S RELEASE. THE SUPERSIZE EPISO ALSO CLUS A NVERSATN WH CHRIS, RICHARD LAWSON, AND GUTS ESTHER ZUCKERMAN AND JACKSON MCHENRY TAKG A LOOK AT THIS YEAR’S TONY NOMATNS, AND MAKG THEIR PREDICTNS ABOUT WHO WILL PREVAIL AT SUNDAY’S AWARDS. LISTEN TO VANY FAIR’S LTLE GOLD MEN PODST NOW.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR“IT’S RAG TEENS” AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?THE BT TV SHOWS OF 2023, SO FARSEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM, AND THE ORIG OF BARBIETHAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS DONALD TMP SCREAMG, CRYG, AND THROWG UP A MAR-A-LAGO BATHROOMIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI THE ACTORS STRIKE PRS APOLYPSE: “THE CELEBRY FACTORY HAS SHUT DOWN”IS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)KATEY RICH
Peter Fch was the first to be regnized by the Amy for his role as a gay doctor the 1971 film Sunday Bloody Sunday and the groundbreakg nomatn paved the way for dozens of straight thpians to receive nods for takg on gay, lbian and transgenr rol. Before the 94th annual Amy Awards take place on Sunday March 27, here’s a look back at 10 standout performanc of LGBTQ+ characters that won Osr gold. * first gay to win an oscar *
Hollywood has been slow to embrace the stori of gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenr people, but over the years a number of LGBT-themed films have neverthels won the dtry’s hight honor: Osr. William Hurt beme the first actor to w an Osr for playg a gay role, wng for playg an imprisoned wdow drser 1985’s “Kiss of the Spir Woman.
Barry Jenks’s hntg film about a young boy stgglg to accept his sexualy sred a stunng upset for Bt Picture, beg the first wner this tegory to have a gay character as s protagonist.
Benedict Cumberbatch stars this historil drama as Alan Turg, the Brish cryptanalyst who was nvicted of cency bee of his homosexualy. Mike Mills’s semi-tobgraphil film stars Ewan McGregor as a man whose elrly father (Christopher Plummer) out as gay his 70s.
SAM SMH FENDS HIMSELF AFTER ‘FIRST GAY OSR WNER’ MISTAKE
Sam Smh remarked that he might be the first openly gay man to ever w an Osr while acceptg the award for Bt Origal Song * first gay to win an oscar *
Sean Penn plays the tle role G Van Sant’s bgraphil film about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office California. Philip Seymour Hoffman domated the awards season 2005 for his role as openly gay, larger-than-life wrer Tman Capote as he stggl to wre his masterpiece, “In Cold Blood. Although this Osr-wng drama do not centrally foc on LGBT issu, do take a close look at the effects of homophobia.
Chris Cooper plays a former Mare lonel whose rampant homophobia is actually a mask for his own reprsed sir, which leads him to a tragic teractn wh the film’s protagonist (played by Kev Spacey).
IS SAM SMH THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO W AN OSR? NOT EXACTLY
Elton John and Melissa Etheridge are among the openly gay stars who nabbed Osrs" emprop="scriptn * first gay to win an oscar *
Bill Condon’s drama follows the last days of director Jam Whale (Ian McKellan), the openly gay director of the classic horror films “Frankenste” and “Bri of Frankenste. Tom Hanks stars as Andrew Beckett, a gay lawyer livg wh AIDS who su his former lawfirm after he is fired. In this prison drama, a gay wdow drser (William Hurt) shar a Brazilian prison cell wh a revolutnary (Rl Julia), and the two beg a awkward iendship that velops to a sexual relatnship.
This documentary tails the life of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office California, who was later murred along wh San Francis mayor Gee Mosne.
SAM SMH IS NOT ACTUALLY THE FIRST GAY MAN TO W AN OSR
After rrectly statg that he was the first openly gay man to ever w an Osr, the "wrg's on the wall" for social media backlash agast Sam Smh * first gay to win an oscar *
Crilly-acclaimed movi like "Milk, " "Brokeback Mounta, " "Boys Don't Cry, " and "Philalphia" all told stori of LGBTQ characters — some real, some fictnal — who fought agast or suffered om of the LGBTQ nome ever snagged the Bt Picture award, though three of the four mentned above rulted actg awards for straight actors who took on gay or transgenr rol. Olson said she was "sadned" to see Cate Blanchett lose the Bt Actrs award, notg that was rare to see a leadg Hollywood actrs portray a lbian character who don't die at the end of the only do "Moonlight" end on an upliftg note, the film breaks barriers by prentg the largely tobgraphil story of a livg, black, gay man told his own words. Tarell Alv McCraney, whose script "In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue" was the basis for the film, also took an Amy Award for Bt Adapted Screenplay on Alv McCraney (right) livers a speech on stage next to Barry Jenks after they won the Bt Adapted Screenplay Osr for "Moonlight" at the 89th annual Amy Awards on Febary 26, 2017Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty ImagIn October, McCraney told NBC Out "Moonlight" isn't jt a "gay film" or a "black film, " that would be "disgenuo" to lim the story to jt one tegory.
"For so long people thought bee the story is black or gay then that means 's not mastream, " Onuorah said.
Sunday night's diverse crop of wners — along wh the Amy's recent vatn to hundreds of women and people of lor to jo s homogeno ranks last year — uld potentially help overe that reputatn. Mahershala Ali livers a speech on stage after wng the Osr bt supportg actor "Moonlight" at the 89th Adamy Awards on Febary 26, 2017 Los Ralston / AFP/Getty ImagFor Bahamian-born filmmaker Sekiya Dorsett, 's important to intify "Moonlight" as the barrier-burstg black, gay film that is, bee that means the stori of queer people of lor have a reach like never before.
PNEERG GAY OSR WNER OFFERS SAM SMH A HISTORY LSON (GUT COLUMN)
Sam Smh has ed ntroversy durg his Osrs victory speech by claimg he was the first openly gay man to get a nod. The movie told the story of Harvey Milk, a gay in who served openly polics and was eventually assassated. Durg his acceptance speech for the bt origal song Osr, Sam Smh suggted that he might be the first openly gay man to w an Amy Award.
“I read an article a few months ago by Sir Ian McKellen and he said that no openly gay man had ever won an Osr, and if this is the se, even if isn’t the se, I want to dite this to the LGBT muny all around the world, ” Smh said.
SAM SMH, THE ONLY OPENLY GAY OSR WNER? NOT REALLY
Elton John, Dt Lance Black, Howard Ashman and Stt Rud were all openly gay when they accepted their Osrs.
John and Ashman both won bt origal song Osrs, as have fellow openly gay artists Melissa Etheridge ( 2007 for “I Need To Wake Up” om An Innvenient Tth) and Stephen Sondheim. McKellen, an openly gay actor himself, was answerg a qutn about diversy at the Osrs light of the fact that zero nonwhe actors were nomated for actg awards for the send year a row.
OTHER OPENLY GAY PEOPLE, BIS SAM SMH, WHO HAVE WON AN OSR
Speakg to The Guardian, wh the publitn ditg he was referrg to actors, McKellen add: “No openly gay man has ever won the Osr.
McKellen, who’s received two Osr nomatns, said he had speech prepared which he said, “I’m proud to be the first openly gay man to w the Osr.
“I read an article a few months ago by Ian McKellen, and he said that no openly gay man had ever won an Osr, ” Smh said. It isn’t the se, a fact quickly poted out by openly gay screenwrer Dt Lance Black, who won bt origal screenplay 2009 for the movie “Milk. Other openly gay Amy Award wners clu Elton John for bt origal song om “The Ln Kg, ” Stephen Sondheim for bt origal song om “Dick Tracy, ” Alan Ball for bt origal screenplay for “Amerin Bety” and Bill Condon for bt adapted screenplay for “Gods and Monsters.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE OUT GAY PEOPLE WHO WON OSRS BEFORE SAM SMH
Peter Fch was the first to be nomated by the Amy for his role as a gay doctor the 1971 film Sunday Bloody Sunday and the groundbreakg nomatn paved the way for dozens of straight thpians to receive nods for takg on gay, lbian and transgenr rol. William Hurt for Kiss of the Spir Woman(Released: 1985)William Hurt was the first actor to w an Osr for playg a gay character on the big screen.
The historilly sketchy film ncentrated on the gay thor as he was rearchg his te-crime masterpiece, In Cold Blood. Sean Penn for Milk(Released: 2008) Sean Penn took home the Osr for bt actor 2009 for his portrayal of sla San Francis gay rights activist Harvey Milk the movie Milk and ed his w to ll for equal rights for the LGBTQ+ muny sayg, “We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone. ” He also ed his speech to ment on gay marriage sayg, “I thk is a good time for those who voted for the ban agast gay marriage to s and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame their grandchildren’s ey if they ntue that way.