Ian McKellen was the first openly gay actor nomated for an Amy Award—and 20 years after his ‘Lord of the Rgs’ nomatn, he remas the last.
Contents:
- OSRS: SAM SMH ISN’T THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO W
- 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 POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHHOW MADONNA TURNED THE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SET INTO A THREE-RG CIRCBY ER CARLSON2023 FALL PREVIEW: 46 FILMS TO WATCH OUT FORBY REBEC FORDON 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 FAIRHOW FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE REALYEXCLIVE NEW DETAILS ABOUT MEGHAN MARKLE’S WEDDG DRSA BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF EVERYTHG HAPPENG AT THIS FALL’S FILM FTIVALS—WHOUT THE STARSA SER SETBACK FOR TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELFMEET KYLE DCHANEL, THE PRETEND PLAYBOY WHO SEEMS TO HAVE FOOLED HALF OF MANHATTANTHE ULTIMATE GUI TO FALL MOVIFROM THE ARCHIVE: A FATHER’S ACUNT OF THE TRIAL OF HIS DGHTER’S KILLEREND-OF-SUMMER SALE! TAKE 25% OFF AT THE VF SHOPKATEY RICH
- WHY ARE THE OSRS SO BAD AT NOMATG GAY ACTORS?IAN MCKELLEN WAS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTOR NOMATED FOR AN AMY AWARD—AND 20 YEARS AFTER HIS LORD OF THE RGS NOMATN, HE REMAS THE LAST.BY DAVID CANFIELDJANUARY 13, 2022FACEBOOKXEMAILSAVE STORYAT THE 2002 OSRS, IAN MCKELLEN WAS THE ONLY ACTOR NOMATED OM LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RG, WHICH HAD 13 TOTAL NOMATNS.BY STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAT THE 74TH AMY AWARDS 2002, IAN MCKELLEN GAVE A VICTORY SPEECH. FACG THE BLACK-TIE DIENCE THE KODAK THEATRE, HE DITED A HISTORY-MAKG TRIUMPH TO THE MANY YOUNG GAY ACTORS, OUT AND NOT, WHO FELT UNWELE THE DTRY.BUT MCKELLEN WASN’T HOLDG AN OSR, OR EVEN STANDG ON THE STAGE. HISTORY HAD NOT BEEN MA—AND HE WAS BEG SARSTIC. NOMATED FOR HIS SUPPORTG TURN THE LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RG, THE ACTOR HAD LOST THAT NIGHT, AND OM HIS SEAT THE ONT ROW WAS READG ALOUD THE FAL WORDS OF THE SPEECH HE’D WRTEN, A MORE EARNT MOOD, FOR HIS GROUNDBREAKG GODS AND MONSTERS NOMATN 1999. “I’LL NEVER FET ,” SAYS THAT MOVIE’S DIRECTOR, BILL CONDON, WHO WAS WH MCKELLEN THAT NIGHT AND WHO KNEW THE WHOLE SPEECH WELL. “IT WAS ABOUT ALL THE WARNGS HE RECEIVED WHEN HE WAS CIDG TO E OUT, ALL THE THGS THAT WOULD HAPPEN.”A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWGODS AND MONSTERS MA MCKELLEN THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTOR TO BE OSR-NOMATED, AND, AFTER THAT 2002 FELLOWSHIP NOMATN, HE REMAS THE LAST. ONLY TWO QUEER-INTIFYG ACTORS HAVE SCE BEEN NOMATED FOR AMY AWARDS—MEGASTARS LADY GAGA AND ANGELA JOLIE, BOTH OF WHOM ARE BISEXUAL. (OTHERS, SUCH AS ELLT PAGE AND QUEEN LATIFAH, ME OUT YEARS AFTER THEIR NOMATNS.) COMPARE THAT TO THE NUMBER OF OUTWARDLY LGBTQ+ CHARACTERS WHO’VE EARNED THEIR PORTRAYERS OSR NOMATNS SCE 2002, WHICH STANDS AT A STAGGERG THREE DOZEN, AT LEAST. THAT’S AN AVERAGE OF NEARLY TWO PER YEAR—AND NONE OF THEM WERE PLAYED BY OPENLY LGBTQ+ ACTORS.THIS DISMAL TRACK RERD “SPEAKS TO HOLLYWOOD’S LONG HISTORY OF TOLERANCE AND BIGOTRY,” SAYS JEREMY BLACKLOW, DIRECTOR OF ENTERTAMENT MEDIA AT GLAAD. “LGBTQ+ ACTORS HAVE LONG FACED BLATANT EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMATN AND HAVE FELT FORCED TO HI THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND/OR GENR INTY IF THEY HOPED TO WORK AT ALL.” THE SUNDAY TIM RECENTLY ASKED POSE STAR BILLY PORTER IF HE EXPECTED HIS SUCCS. “NO, BEE I’M GAY,” PORTER SAID. “I WAS TOLD MY QUEERNS WOULD BE A LIABILY.”FOR ACTORS OF PORTER’S GENERATN, THERE WEREN’T MANY LGBTQ+ ROL TO PLAY MOVI. AS THAT HAS CHANGED, THE NVERSATN HAS EVOLVED TO ONE OF OPPORTUNY AND EQUALY, OFTEN FOCG ON WHETHER STARS WHO DO NOT BELONG TO A MARGALIZED INTY GROUP SHOULD PLAY CHARACTERS WHO DO—STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAYG GAY, OR CIS ACTORS PLAYG TRANS. “THE PERFORMANC THAT QUEER ACTORS LIVER WHEN THEY’RE ALLOWED TO PLAY QUEER CHARACTERS HAVE AN THENTICY THAT IS UNNIABLE,” SAYS ACTOR WILSON CZ, WHO’S ACHIEVED A S-LONG REER AS AN OPENLY GAY ACTOR ON TV SHOWS SUCH AS MY SO-CALLED LIFE AND STAR TREK: DISVERY. “I THK THAT STUDS AND AGENCI AND POWER PLAYERS BELIEVE THAT THE QUEER ROL PLAYED BY CISGENRED, STRAIGHT PEOPLE IS FERTILE GROUND FOR ATTENTN AND AWARDS.”WHEN A QUEER ACTOR PLAYS A QUEER CHARACTER, N BE PERCEIVED AS MORE “THENTIC,” AND THEREFORE LS CHALLENGG. “THE NOTN THAT A QUEER ACTOR IS GIVG A LS MANDG PERFORMANCE BEE HE’S G TO OM A LIVED EXPERIENCE JT DON’T HOLD WATER FOR ME,” CZ NTU. “I’M NOT GIVG MORE CRED TO ANYONE WHEN THEY PLAY THE ROL, WHETHER THEY’RE GAY OR THEY’RE STRAIGHT. I DON’T UNRSTAND WHY ANYBODY ELSE DO. WE’RE ALL ACTORS, WE’RE ALL PLAYG ROL.”INED, BASED ON THE SHEER DISCREPANCY BETWEEN LGBTQ+ ROL NOMATED AND ACTORS NOMATED, THE PROBLEM EXTENDS WELL BEYOND ANY CHARACTER’S INTY. (FOR ONE THG, NSIR HOW RARE REMAS FOR A-LISTERS TO BE OPENLY LGBTQ+.) “ONCE THEY E OUT, LBIAN, GAY, AND BISEXUAL ACTORS HAVE RARELY BEEN NSIRED FOR STRAIGHT LEADG ROL,” BLACKLOW SAYS, “AND THEY HAVEN’T BEEN ST FOR LEADG LBIAN, GAY, OR BISEXUAL ROL EHER.” THE ISSUE OF CISGENR ACTORS PLAYG TRANS HAS BEE MORE CLEAR-CUT, AT LEAST: SAYS BLACKLOW, “TODAY, IF A CISGENR ACTOR IS ST A TRANSGENR ROLE, THE SIGNIFINT OUTCRY OM TRANSGENR PEOPLE AND THEIR ALLI MAK THE PROJECT UNTENABLE.”MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHHOW MADONNA TURNED THE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SET INTO A THREE-RG CIRCBY ER CARLSON2023 FALL PREVIEW: 46 FILMS TO WATCH OUT FORBY REBEC FORDCONDON, WHO IS GAY, ADDS THAT—EVEN AN ERA WHERE THERE’S GREAT SCTY ON THENTIC STG—FANCIAL MANDS AND GENERATNAL SETBACKS PLITE THE PROCS. “I’VE BEEN TRYG TO ST A MOVIE WH A MIDDLE-AGED, 50-ISH GAY LEAD…AND YOU WANT TO WORK WH A GAY ACTOR AND SIST ON ,” HE SAYS. “BUT ’S GOT TO BE AN ACTOR WHO N DRAW FANCG. I N LIST THOSE PEOPLE NOW THEIR 20S OR 30S—STARS—BUT THIS WAS THE LAST GENERATN WHERE THEY STAYED MOSTLY THE CLOSET.”IN ONE PART OF HOLLYWOOD, AT LEAST, THAT GENERATNAL CHANGE IS ALREADY HAPPENG ONSCREEN. “BY THE TIME THERE’S AN OUT GAY ACTOR WNG AN OSR, ’LL BE A LTLE B OF A YAWN,” CONDON SAYS. “BEE, TELEVISN, THE L ARE ALREADY BEG BROKEN.”WHEN MICHAELA JAé RODRIGUEZ BEME THE FIRST TRANS LEAD-ACTG EMMY NOMEE LAST YEAR, SHE TOLD ME WAS ONLY THE BEGNG: “I HAVE SO MUCH MORE WORK TO DO. I’M READY TO DO , AND I’M READY TO BE THE EXAMPLE FOR SO MANY OUT THERE.” PORTER, HER POSE STAR, HAD ALREADY MA HISTORY AS THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ+ MAN TO W THE DRAMA-LEAD-ACTOR AWARD 2019, AND BOTH WERE AMONG A SIGNIFINT CROP OF QUEER NOME 2021, CLUDG HACKS STAR CARL CLEMONS-HOPKS. “WHENEVER WE HEAR A ‘FIRST’ OF ANYTHG, ’S E FOR CELEBRATN,” SAYS CLEMONS-HOPKS, THE FIRST OPENLY NONBARY EMMY NOMEE. “BUT ’S ALSO JT A REMR OF HOW FAR WE HAVE TO GO FOR ACTUAL EQUALY.”CZ, WHO WORKED AT GLAAD OM 2012 TO 2014, LLABORATG WH TV WORKS AND MOVIE STUDS ON IMPROVG LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN, FOUND THE TV SI OF THE EQUATN MORE AMENABLE TO PROGRS. “NETWORKS REALIZED QUICKLY THAT THEY WERE LEAVG MONEY ON THE TABLE WHEN THEY DIDN’T CLU LGBTQ+ PEOPLE THEIR STORYTELLG,” HE SAYS, CG THE MERCIAL (AND CLIVE) SMASH OM SHOWNNERS LIKE SHONDA RHIM AND RYAN MURPHY. “I DON’T THK THAT LIGHT BULB EVER TURNED ON FOR STUDS.”TO THE STUDS’ CRED, SOME OF THIS YEAR’S STRONGT OVERALL OSR NTENRS, CLUDG NETFLIX’S THE POWER OF THE DOG AND SONY CLASSICS’ PARALLEL MOTHERS, EXPLORE NUANCED LGBTQ+ THEM. BUT THEY WILL LIKELY STILL YIELD MORE NOMATNS FOR STRAIGHT, CIS ACTORS PLAYG QUEER ROL. A-LISTER KRISTEN STEWART, WHO IS ENGAGED TO A WOMAN, IS A STRONG LEAD-ACTRS NTENR FOR SPENCER. BUT THE STRETCH OF YEARS WHOUT AN LGBTQ+ MALE ACTOR NOMATED SEEMS LIKELY TO NTUE, AND THERE ARE ONCE AGA NO TRANS PERFORMERS THE NVERSATN.DETERMG A PERSON’S INTY IS, OF URSE, TRICKY. GLAAD’S BLACKLOW NOT THAT REMAS ILLEGAL TO ASK ABOUT ONE’S LGBTQ+ INTIFITN AT A JOB TERVIEW OR DN, AND THAT SOME QUEER ACTORS LIKELY “DON’T FEEL READY TO DISCLOSE THEIR GENR INTY OR SEXUAL ORIENTATN THE WORKPLACE.” BUT THE NTUED LACK OF OSR REGNN FOR OPENLY LGBTQ+ ACTORS MONSTRAT THAT HOLLYWOOD HAS FURTHER TO GO THAN SOME WOULD LIKE TO THK. AS CZ ARGU, “THE WAY PEOPLE VIEW THE WORK OF OPENLY QUEER ACTORS OPENLY QUEER ROL NEEDS TO CHANGE.”IN 2016, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE #OSRSSOWHE MOVEMENT HOLLYWOOD, IAN MCKELLEN WRYLY TOLD THE GUARDIAN, “NO OPENLY GAY MAN HAS EVER WON THE OSR; I WONR IF THAT IS PREJUDICE OR CHANCE.” THE MORE THE YEARS ADD UP, AND THE FURTHER WE GET OM HIS HISTORIC SPEECH THAT WASN’T, THE CLEARER THE ANSWER APPEARS.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— CARíONA BALFE’S CELTIC CONQUT, FROM OUTLANR TO BELFAST— WHAT VIVIAN VANCE DIDN’T LOVE ABOUT I LOVE LUCY— INSECURE’S NATASHA ROTHWELL CAN DO IT ALL— INSI THE LOST DGHTER’S HYPNOTIC, SUBVERSIVE CEMATOGRAPHY— HOW THE WHE LOT’S LOATHABLE ENSEMBLE CAME TOGETHER— SIGN UP FOR THE “AWARDS INSIR” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE.DAVID CANFIELD
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 openly gay actress to win an oscar *
Wanda Syk promised – and therefore me, specifilly – a gay Osrs show. And we certaly got a wele gay-as-n-be moment on the Osrs DeBose pped a stunng awards season by wng the bt supportg actrs award for her role as Ana "Wt Si Story" – beg the first openly queer Ao-Lata to w an actg Osr. And for you people Florida, we're gog to have a gay night, " Syk, who is a lbian, said at the top of the Osrs show, directly mockg Florida's legislatn.
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 POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHHOW MADONNA TURNED THE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SET INTO A THREE-RG CIRCBY ER CARLSON2023 FALL PREVIEW: 46 FILMS TO WATCH OUT FORBY REBEC FORDON 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 FAIRHOW FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE REALYEXCLIVE NEW DETAILS ABOUT MEGHAN MARKLE’S WEDDG DRSA BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF EVERYTHG HAPPENG AT THIS FALL’S FILM FTIVALS—WHOUT THE STARSA SER SETBACK FOR TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELFMEET KYLE DCHANEL, THE PRETEND PLAYBOY WHO SEEMS TO HAVE FOOLED HALF OF MANHATTANTHE ULTIMATE GUI TO FALL MOVIFROM THE ARCHIVE: A FATHER’S ACUNT OF THE TRIAL OF HIS DGHTER’S KILLEREND-OF-SUMMER SALE! TAKE 25% OFF AT THE VF SHOPKATEY RICH
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 openly gay actress to win an oscar *
Syk' -hosts Amy Schumer and Rega Hall echoed her, sayg "gay, gay, gay. "While sayg "gay" solidary is certaly wele, wouldn't have been enough to ll this night any kd of gay succs if a queer person didn't w.
But Ian McKellen is still the only out gay male actor ever nomated for an Hudson was nomated for bt actor 1957, but remaed closeted until he died 1985 of AIDS; two-time Osr wner Kev Spacey announced he was livg as a gay man only after he was acced of sexually harassg a teenage boy; and Jodie Foster is still the only bt actrs wner to e out (and years after her w, at that).
WHY ARE THE OSRS SO BAD AT NOMATG GAY ACTORS?IAN MCKELLEN WAS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTOR NOMATED FOR AN AMY AWARD—AND 20 YEARS AFTER HIS LORD OF THE RGS NOMATN, HE REMAS THE LAST.BY DAVID CANFIELDJANUARY 13, 2022FACEBOOKXEMAILSAVE STORYAT THE 2002 OSRS, IAN MCKELLEN WAS THE ONLY ACTOR NOMATED OM LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RG, WHICH HAD 13 TOTAL NOMATNS.BY STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAT THE 74TH AMY AWARDS 2002, IAN MCKELLEN GAVE A VICTORY SPEECH. FACG THE BLACK-TIE DIENCE THE KODAK THEATRE, HE DITED A HISTORY-MAKG TRIUMPH TO THE MANY YOUNG GAY ACTORS, OUT AND NOT, WHO FELT UNWELE THE DTRY.BUT MCKELLEN WASN’T HOLDG AN OSR, OR EVEN STANDG ON THE STAGE. HISTORY HAD NOT BEEN MA—AND HE WAS BEG SARSTIC. NOMATED FOR HIS SUPPORTG TURN THE LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RG, THE ACTOR HAD LOST THAT NIGHT, AND OM HIS SEAT THE ONT ROW WAS READG ALOUD THE FAL WORDS OF THE SPEECH HE’D WRTEN, A MORE EARNT MOOD, FOR HIS GROUNDBREAKG GODS AND MONSTERS NOMATN 1999. “I’LL NEVER FET ,” SAYS THAT MOVIE’S DIRECTOR, BILL CONDON, WHO WAS WH MCKELLEN THAT NIGHT AND WHO KNEW THE WHOLE SPEECH WELL. “IT WAS ABOUT ALL THE WARNGS HE RECEIVED WHEN HE WAS CIDG TO E OUT, ALL THE THGS THAT WOULD HAPPEN.”A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWGODS AND MONSTERS MA MCKELLEN THE FIRST OPENLY GAY ACTOR TO BE OSR-NOMATED, AND, AFTER THAT 2002 FELLOWSHIP NOMATN, HE REMAS THE LAST. ONLY TWO QUEER-INTIFYG ACTORS HAVE SCE BEEN NOMATED FOR AMY AWARDS—MEGASTARS LADY GAGA AND ANGELA JOLIE, BOTH OF WHOM ARE BISEXUAL. (OTHERS, SUCH AS ELLT PAGE AND QUEEN LATIFAH, ME OUT YEARS AFTER THEIR NOMATNS.) COMPARE THAT TO THE NUMBER OF OUTWARDLY LGBTQ+ CHARACTERS WHO’VE EARNED THEIR PORTRAYERS OSR NOMATNS SCE 2002, WHICH STANDS AT A STAGGERG THREE DOZEN, AT LEAST. THAT’S AN AVERAGE OF NEARLY TWO PER YEAR—AND NONE OF THEM WERE PLAYED BY OPENLY LGBTQ+ ACTORS.THIS DISMAL TRACK RERD “SPEAKS TO HOLLYWOOD’S LONG HISTORY OF TOLERANCE AND BIGOTRY,” SAYS JEREMY BLACKLOW, DIRECTOR OF ENTERTAMENT MEDIA AT GLAAD. “LGBTQ+ ACTORS HAVE LONG FACED BLATANT EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMATN AND HAVE FELT FORCED TO HI THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN AND/OR GENR INTY IF THEY HOPED TO WORK AT ALL.” THE SUNDAY TIM RECENTLY ASKED POSE STAR BILLY PORTER IF HE EXPECTED HIS SUCCS. “NO, BEE I’M GAY,” PORTER SAID. “I WAS TOLD MY QUEERNS WOULD BE A LIABILY.”FOR ACTORS OF PORTER’S GENERATN, THERE WEREN’T MANY LGBTQ+ ROL TO PLAY MOVI. AS THAT HAS CHANGED, THE NVERSATN HAS EVOLVED TO ONE OF OPPORTUNY AND EQUALY, OFTEN FOCG ON WHETHER STARS WHO DO NOT BELONG TO A MARGALIZED INTY GROUP SHOULD PLAY CHARACTERS WHO DO—STRAIGHT ACTORS PLAYG GAY, OR CIS ACTORS PLAYG TRANS. “THE PERFORMANC THAT QUEER ACTORS LIVER WHEN THEY’RE ALLOWED TO PLAY QUEER CHARACTERS HAVE AN THENTICY THAT IS UNNIABLE,” SAYS ACTOR WILSON CZ, WHO’S ACHIEVED A S-LONG REER AS AN OPENLY GAY ACTOR ON TV SHOWS SUCH AS MY SO-CALLED LIFE AND STAR TREK: DISVERY. “I THK THAT STUDS AND AGENCI AND POWER PLAYERS BELIEVE THAT THE QUEER ROL PLAYED BY CISGENRED, STRAIGHT PEOPLE IS FERTILE GROUND FOR ATTENTN AND AWARDS.”WHEN A QUEER ACTOR PLAYS A QUEER CHARACTER, N BE PERCEIVED AS MORE “THENTIC,” AND THEREFORE LS CHALLENGG. “THE NOTN THAT A QUEER ACTOR IS GIVG A LS MANDG PERFORMANCE BEE HE’S G TO OM A LIVED EXPERIENCE JT DON’T HOLD WATER FOR ME,” CZ NTU. “I’M NOT GIVG MORE CRED TO ANYONE WHEN THEY PLAY THE ROL, WHETHER THEY’RE GAY OR THEY’RE STRAIGHT. I DON’T UNRSTAND WHY ANYBODY ELSE DO. WE’RE ALL ACTORS, WE’RE ALL PLAYG ROL.”INED, BASED ON THE SHEER DISCREPANCY BETWEEN LGBTQ+ ROL NOMATED AND ACTORS NOMATED, THE PROBLEM EXTENDS WELL BEYOND ANY CHARACTER’S INTY. (FOR ONE THG, NSIR HOW RARE REMAS FOR A-LISTERS TO BE OPENLY LGBTQ+.) “ONCE THEY E OUT, LBIAN, GAY, AND BISEXUAL ACTORS HAVE RARELY BEEN NSIRED FOR STRAIGHT LEADG ROL,” BLACKLOW SAYS, “AND THEY HAVEN’T BEEN ST FOR LEADG LBIAN, GAY, OR BISEXUAL ROL EHER.” THE ISSUE OF CISGENR ACTORS PLAYG TRANS HAS BEE MORE CLEAR-CUT, AT LEAST: SAYS BLACKLOW, “TODAY, IF A CISGENR ACTOR IS ST A TRANSGENR ROLE, THE SIGNIFINT OUTCRY OM TRANSGENR PEOPLE AND THEIR ALLI MAK THE PROJECT UNTENABLE.”MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHHOW MADONNA TURNED THE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SET INTO A THREE-RG CIRCBY ER CARLSON2023 FALL PREVIEW: 46 FILMS TO WATCH OUT FORBY REBEC FORDCONDON, WHO IS GAY, ADDS THAT—EVEN AN ERA WHERE THERE’S GREAT SCTY ON THENTIC STG—FANCIAL MANDS AND GENERATNAL SETBACKS PLITE THE PROCS. “I’VE BEEN TRYG TO ST A MOVIE WH A MIDDLE-AGED, 50-ISH GAY LEAD…AND YOU WANT TO WORK WH A GAY ACTOR AND SIST ON ,” HE SAYS. “BUT ’S GOT TO BE AN ACTOR WHO N DRAW FANCG. I N LIST THOSE PEOPLE NOW THEIR 20S OR 30S—STARS—BUT THIS WAS THE LAST GENERATN WHERE THEY STAYED MOSTLY THE CLOSET.”IN ONE PART OF HOLLYWOOD, AT LEAST, THAT GENERATNAL CHANGE IS ALREADY HAPPENG ONSCREEN. “BY THE TIME THERE’S AN OUT GAY ACTOR WNG AN OSR, ’LL BE A LTLE B OF A YAWN,” CONDON SAYS. “BEE, TELEVISN, THE L ARE ALREADY BEG BROKEN.”WHEN MICHAELA JAé RODRIGUEZ BEME THE FIRST TRANS LEAD-ACTG EMMY NOMEE LAST YEAR, SHE TOLD ME WAS ONLY THE BEGNG: “I HAVE SO MUCH MORE WORK TO DO. I’M READY TO DO , AND I’M READY TO BE THE EXAMPLE FOR SO MANY OUT THERE.” PORTER, HER POSE STAR, HAD ALREADY MA HISTORY AS THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ+ MAN TO W THE DRAMA-LEAD-ACTOR AWARD 2019, AND BOTH WERE AMONG A SIGNIFINT CROP OF QUEER NOME 2021, CLUDG HACKS STAR CARL CLEMONS-HOPKS. “WHENEVER WE HEAR A ‘FIRST’ OF ANYTHG, ’S E FOR CELEBRATN,” SAYS CLEMONS-HOPKS, THE FIRST OPENLY NONBARY EMMY NOMEE. “BUT ’S ALSO JT A REMR OF HOW FAR WE HAVE TO GO FOR ACTUAL EQUALY.”CZ, WHO WORKED AT GLAAD OM 2012 TO 2014, LLABORATG WH TV WORKS AND MOVIE STUDS ON IMPROVG LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN, FOUND THE TV SI OF THE EQUATN MORE AMENABLE TO PROGRS. “NETWORKS REALIZED QUICKLY THAT THEY WERE LEAVG MONEY ON THE TABLE WHEN THEY DIDN’T CLU LGBTQ+ PEOPLE THEIR STORYTELLG,” HE SAYS, CG THE MERCIAL (AND CLIVE) SMASH OM SHOWNNERS LIKE SHONDA RHIM AND RYAN MURPHY. “I DON’T THK THAT LIGHT BULB EVER TURNED ON FOR STUDS.”TO THE STUDS’ CRED, SOME OF THIS YEAR’S STRONGT OVERALL OSR NTENRS, CLUDG NETFLIX’S THE POWER OF THE DOG AND SONY CLASSICS’ PARALLEL MOTHERS, EXPLORE NUANCED LGBTQ+ THEM. BUT THEY WILL LIKELY STILL YIELD MORE NOMATNS FOR STRAIGHT, CIS ACTORS PLAYG QUEER ROL. A-LISTER KRISTEN STEWART, WHO IS ENGAGED TO A WOMAN, IS A STRONG LEAD-ACTRS NTENR FOR SPENCER. BUT THE STRETCH OF YEARS WHOUT AN LGBTQ+ MALE ACTOR NOMATED SEEMS LIKELY TO NTUE, AND THERE ARE ONCE AGA NO TRANS PERFORMERS THE NVERSATN.DETERMG A PERSON’S INTY IS, OF URSE, TRICKY. GLAAD’S BLACKLOW NOT THAT REMAS ILLEGAL TO ASK ABOUT ONE’S LGBTQ+ INTIFITN AT A JOB TERVIEW OR DN, AND THAT SOME QUEER ACTORS LIKELY “DON’T FEEL READY TO DISCLOSE THEIR GENR INTY OR SEXUAL ORIENTATN THE WORKPLACE.” BUT THE NTUED LACK OF OSR REGNN FOR OPENLY LGBTQ+ ACTORS MONSTRAT THAT HOLLYWOOD HAS FURTHER TO GO THAN SOME WOULD LIKE TO THK. AS CZ ARGU, “THE WAY PEOPLE VIEW THE WORK OF OPENLY QUEER ACTORS OPENLY QUEER ROL NEEDS TO CHANGE.”IN 2016, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE #OSRSSOWHE MOVEMENT HOLLYWOOD, IAN MCKELLEN WRYLY TOLD THE GUARDIAN, “NO OPENLY GAY MAN HAS EVER WON THE OSR; I WONR IF THAT IS PREJUDICE OR CHANCE.” THE MORE THE YEARS ADD UP, AND THE FURTHER WE GET OM HIS HISTORIC SPEECH THAT WASN’T, THE CLEARER THE ANSWER APPEARS.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— CARíONA BALFE’S CELTIC CONQUT, FROM OUTLANR TO BELFAST— WHAT VIVIAN VANCE DIDN’T LOVE ABOUT I LOVE LUCY— INSECURE’S NATASHA ROTHWELL CAN DO IT ALL— INSI THE LOST DGHTER’S HYPNOTIC, SUBVERSIVE CEMATOGRAPHY— HOW THE WHE LOT’S LOATHABLE ENSEMBLE CAME TOGETHER— SIGN UP FOR THE “AWARDS INSIR” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE.DAVID CANFIELD
I uldn't help but feel the grand, gay gravy of the moment. Gay person to gay person.