Why Are the Osrs So Bad at Nomatg Gay Actors? | Vany Fair

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• 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, 2022FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE 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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHHOLLYWOOD ELE RH TO GET PLASTIC SURGERY BEFORE THE STRIKE ENDSBY MARIE LODICONDON, 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 2023: THE AMY STILL LOV NOMATG STRAIGHT ACTORS FOR GAY ROL
• 6 STRAIGHT ACTORS HAVE WON OSRS FOR PLAYG GAY MEN
• IN REBE OF FLORIDA BILL, OSRS HOSTS ARE FEELG ‘GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY’
• SAM SMH, THE ONLY OPENLY GAY OSR WNER? NOT REALLY
• IAN MCKELLEN MA OSR HISTORY 1999—AND SHAMEFULLY, NO ONE ELSE HAS REPEATED ITA LOOK BACK AT GODS AND MONSTERS, TO THIS DAY, THE ONLY FILM TO EARN AN OSR NOMATN FOR AN OPENLY GAY MALE ACTOR. BY KATEY RICHJUNE 22, 2023© LNS GATE/EVERETT COLLECTN.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIAN MCKELLEN HOLDS TWO SURPRISG AND, QUE HONTLY, SHAMEFUL OSR RERDS. IN 1999, HE BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MALE ACTOR TO EVER BE NOMATED FOR AN OSR, NOMATED AS BT ACTOR FOR HIS CHARISMATIC, HEARTBREAKG TURN THE DIE GODS AND MONSTERS. IN 2002, HE WAS NOMATED AGA FOR THE LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RG, MAKG HIM ALSO THE LAST OPENLY GAY ACTOR TO BE NOMATED. A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWBILL CONDON, WHO IS ALSO GAY, WON THE BT ADAPTED SCREENPLAY OSR FOR GODS AND MONSTERS, A FICTNALIZED TAKE ON THE FAL DAYS OF JAM WHALE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE ORIGAL FRANKENSTE AND A FIXTURE THE GAY SOCIAL CIRCL OF EARLY HOLLYWOOD. BY THE TIME MCKELLEN SIGNED ON TO PLAY WHALE, HE WAS A LEGENDARY SHAKPEAREAN ACTOR AND TONY WNER, HAVG PLAYED ANTON SALIERI THE BROADWAY PREMIERE OF AMA. BUT HE WAS NOT YET THE POP CULTURE IN “SIR IAN,” STILL A FEW YEARS AWAY OM PLAYG MAGO AND THEN GANDALF. BUT FOR A PRODUCTN AS TY AS GODS AND MONSTERS, HIS PARTICIPATN MA ALL THE DIFFERENCE, CONDON SAID AT THE TIME. “HE WAS ENOUGH TO BE A MAG FOR THE OTHER ACTORS,” CONDON TOLD INDIEWIRE. “IF IAN MCKELLEN’S AGREED TO DO , WHO IS SOMEBODY ELSE TO SAY…. AND THERE WAS SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO WORK WH HIM. SO, YEAH, HE WAS THE BIGGT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.”EVENTUALLY, LYNN REDGRAVE, ANOTHER BRISH THEATER LEGEND, WOULD SIGN ON TO PLAY WHALE’S VOTED HOEKEEPER HANNA, WHILE BRENDAN FRASER, PUTTG HIS DOPEY HUNK REPUTATN TOWARD SOMETHG TOTALLY DIFFERENT, WOULD PLAY CLAYTON BOONE, WHALE’S GARNER WHO BE HIS IEND. IT’S A TY FILM THAT PRENTS THE ILLN OF SOMETHG BIGGER, WH LAVISH FLASHBACKS TO WHALE’S TIME ON THE SET OF FRANKENSTE, AND HIS MEMORI OF THE TRENCH OF WORLD WAR I TERSPERSED BETWEEN LONG NVERSATNS BETWEEN WHALE AND BOONE. “IT WAS THAT EARLY MERCHANT IVORY TRICK THAT YOAVE ALL YOUR MONEY FOR ONE OR TWO SCEN,” CONDON EXPLAED, WHILE ADMTG THE TIGHT BUDGET DIDN’T ALWAYS SERVE HIS STAR. “I DO FEEL AS THOUGH IAN SERVED TO ALWAYS HAVE THAT EXTRA TAKE […] BUT OFTEN, WE DIDN’T GET TO DO THAT. THAT WAS VERY TRATG, PAFUL THAT WAY, TO KNOW HE’S EARNED AND SERV THAT AND ACTUALLY HAVE TO SAY WE N’T.”STILL, GODS AND MONSTERS WAS A CRIL H WHEN PREMIERED AT SUNDANCE EARLY 1998 AND, SPE SOME HATN OM WOULD-BE BUYERS—“ALL OF THEM ED THE SAME WORD THAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE A DIFFICULT SALE,” CONDON SAID— WAS PICKED UP BY THE NASCENT LNSGATE, WHICH ALSO RELEASED THE OSR-WNG AFFLICTN THE SAME YEAR. THE 1998 OSR RACE, HOWEVER, REMAS BT REMEMBERED FOR THE CLASH OF THE TANS BETWEEN DREAMWORKS—REPRENTG MEGA-H SAVG PRIVATE RYAN—AND MIRAMAX, WHICH EARNED THEIR REPUTATN FOR STRONG-ARMG OSR TACTICS WH THEIR SUCCSFUL LAST-MUTE PH FOR SHAKPEARE LOVE. MCKELLEN WOUND UP LOSG BT ACTOR TO ANOTHER MIRAMAX RELEASE, LIFE IS BETIFUL, DIRECTED BY AND STARRG THE BARNSTORMG ROBERTO BENIGNI. BUT HE DIDN’T FET WHAT HE WOULD HAVE SAID IF HE’D WON. ON OSR NIGHT 2002, AS CONDON TOLD VANY FAIR’S DAVID CANFIELD LAST YEAR, MCKELLEN BROUGHT HIS WOULD-BE GODS AND MONSTERS VICTORY SPEECH WHICH HE DITED HIS HISTORIC TRIUMPH TO OTHER YOUNG GAY ACTORS WHO MIGHT NOW FEEL MORE WELED BY THE DTRY. DURG A MERCIAL BREAK THE TELEST, MCKELLEN STOOD UP AND READ HIS SPEECH OM THE ONT ROW ANYWAY. “I’LL NEVER FET ,” CONDON, WHO WAS STG RIGHT THERE, REMEMBERS. “IT WAS ABOUT ALL THE WARNGS HE RECEIVED WHEN HE WAS CIDG TO E OUT, ALL THE THGS THAT WOULD HAPPEN.”WOULD HOLLYWOOD HISTORY BE DIFFERENT HAD MCKELLEN BROKEN THAT BOUNDARY THAT NIGHT? PROBABLY NOT, AS WE DISCS ON THIS WEEK’S LTLE GOLD MEN PODST. OSR HISTORY, AFTER ALL, IS LTERED WH HISTORIC VICTORI THAT YIELD NO STCTURAL CHANG THE DTRY. IN 2016, AS #OSRSSOWHE PHED THE AMY TOWARD MEANGFUL CHANGE AT LONG LAST, MCKELLEN WAS STILL REFLECTG ON HIS ODD HISTORY: “NO OPENLY GAY MAN HAS EVER WON THE OSR; I WONR IF THAT IS PREJUDICE OR CHANCE.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALWHY THE GEIA INDICTMENT AGAST TMP AND HIS ALLI IS THE MOST SWEEPG YETIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMER25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSA NEW SLIM AARONS BOOK CAPTUR A LOST WORLDFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONINSI ALL OF US STRANGERS, ANDREW STT AND PL ML’S METAPHYSIL LOVE STORYBY DAVID CANFIELDKATEY 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, 2022FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE 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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHHOLLYWOOD ELE RH TO GET PLASTIC SURGERY BEFORE THE STRIKE ENDSBY MARIE LODICONDON, 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

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 McKellen wasn’t holdg an Osr, or even standg on the stage.

”Gods and Monsters ma McKellen the first openly gay actor to be Osr-nomated, and, after that 2002 Fellowship nomatn, he remas the last.

OSRS 2023: THE AMY STILL LOV NOMATG STRAIGHT ACTORS FOR GAY ROL

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’m not givg more cred to anyone when they play the rol, whether they’re gay or they’re straight.

6 STRAIGHT ACTORS HAVE WON OSRS FOR PLAYG GAY MEN

) “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. ”Condon, 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. ”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.

IN REBE OF FLORIDA BILL, OSRS HOSTS ARE FEELG ‘GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY, GAY’

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. "I stand here as a proud, gay man and I hope one day we n all stand as equals, " Smh said their speech.

SAM SMH, THE ONLY OPENLY GAY OSR WNER? NOT REALLY

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. The openly gay filmmaker won another Amy Award 2003 for bt origal screenplay for his film "Talk to Her. 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.

There’s a certa kd of film the Amy lov – forbidn love between cis, gay men up time and time aga, but more diverse offergs are still largely shut out. Several years after his send big w, he told a French journalist that he had had “homosexual experienc”. He eventually me out as gay after actor Anthony Rapp and a number of other men acced him of sexual asslt.

IAN MCKELLEN MA OSR HISTORY 1999—AND SHAMEFULLY, NO ONE ELSE HAS REPEATED ITA LOOK BACK AT GODS AND MONSTERS, TO THIS DAY, THE ONLY FILM TO EARN AN OSR NOMATN FOR AN OPENLY GAY MALE ACTOR. BY KATEY RICHJUNE 22, 2023© LNS GATE/EVERETT COLLECTN.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIAN MCKELLEN HOLDS TWO SURPRISG AND, QUE HONTLY, SHAMEFUL OSR RERDS. IN 1999, HE BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MALE ACTOR TO EVER BE NOMATED FOR AN OSR, NOMATED AS BT ACTOR FOR HIS CHARISMATIC, HEARTBREAKG TURN THE DIE GODS AND MONSTERS. IN 2002, HE WAS NOMATED AGA FOR THE LORD OF THE RGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RG, MAKG HIM ALSO THE LAST OPENLY GAY ACTOR TO BE NOMATED. A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWBILL CONDON, WHO IS ALSO GAY, WON THE BT ADAPTED SCREENPLAY OSR FOR GODS AND MONSTERS, A FICTNALIZED TAKE ON THE FAL DAYS OF JAM WHALE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE ORIGAL FRANKENSTE AND A FIXTURE THE GAY SOCIAL CIRCL OF EARLY HOLLYWOOD. BY THE TIME MCKELLEN SIGNED ON TO PLAY WHALE, HE WAS A LEGENDARY SHAKPEAREAN ACTOR AND TONY WNER, HAVG PLAYED ANTON SALIERI THE BROADWAY PREMIERE OF AMA. BUT HE WAS NOT YET THE POP CULTURE IN “SIR IAN,” STILL A FEW YEARS AWAY OM PLAYG MAGO AND THEN GANDALF. BUT FOR A PRODUCTN AS TY AS GODS AND MONSTERS, HIS PARTICIPATN MA ALL THE DIFFERENCE, CONDON SAID AT THE TIME. “HE WAS ENOUGH TO BE A MAG FOR THE OTHER ACTORS,” CONDON TOLD INDIEWIRE. “IF IAN MCKELLEN’S AGREED TO DO , WHO IS SOMEBODY ELSE TO SAY…. AND THERE WAS SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO WORK WH HIM. SO, YEAH, HE WAS THE BIGGT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.”EVENTUALLY, LYNN REDGRAVE, ANOTHER BRISH THEATER LEGEND, WOULD SIGN ON TO PLAY WHALE’S VOTED HOEKEEPER HANNA, WHILE BRENDAN FRASER, PUTTG HIS DOPEY HUNK REPUTATN TOWARD SOMETHG TOTALLY DIFFERENT, WOULD PLAY CLAYTON BOONE, WHALE’S GARNER WHO BE HIS IEND. IT’S A TY FILM THAT PRENTS THE ILLN OF SOMETHG BIGGER, WH LAVISH FLASHBACKS TO WHALE’S TIME ON THE SET OF FRANKENSTE, AND HIS MEMORI OF THE TRENCH OF WORLD WAR I TERSPERSED BETWEEN LONG NVERSATNS BETWEEN WHALE AND BOONE. “IT WAS THAT EARLY MERCHANT IVORY TRICK THAT YOAVE ALL YOUR MONEY FOR ONE OR TWO SCEN,” CONDON EXPLAED, WHILE ADMTG THE TIGHT BUDGET DIDN’T ALWAYS SERVE HIS STAR. “I DO FEEL AS THOUGH IAN SERVED TO ALWAYS HAVE THAT EXTRA TAKE […] BUT OFTEN, WE DIDN’T GET TO DO THAT. THAT WAS VERY TRATG, PAFUL THAT WAY, TO KNOW HE’S EARNED AND SERV THAT AND ACTUALLY HAVE TO SAY WE N’T.”STILL, GODS AND MONSTERS WAS A CRIL H WHEN PREMIERED AT SUNDANCE EARLY 1998 AND, SPE SOME HATN OM WOULD-BE BUYERS—“ALL OF THEM ED THE SAME WORD THAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE A DIFFICULT SALE,” CONDON SAID— WAS PICKED UP BY THE NASCENT LNSGATE, WHICH ALSO RELEASED THE OSR-WNG AFFLICTN THE SAME YEAR. THE 1998 OSR RACE, HOWEVER, REMAS BT REMEMBERED FOR THE CLASH OF THE TANS BETWEEN DREAMWORKS—REPRENTG MEGA-H SAVG PRIVATE RYAN—AND MIRAMAX, WHICH EARNED THEIR REPUTATN FOR STRONG-ARMG OSR TACTICS WH THEIR SUCCSFUL LAST-MUTE PH FOR SHAKPEARE LOVE. MCKELLEN WOUND UP LOSG BT ACTOR TO ANOTHER MIRAMAX RELEASE, LIFE IS BETIFUL, DIRECTED BY AND STARRG THE BARNSTORMG ROBERTO BENIGNI. BUT HE DIDN’T FET WHAT HE WOULD HAVE SAID IF HE’D WON. ON OSR NIGHT 2002, AS CONDON TOLD VANY FAIR’S DAVID CANFIELD LAST YEAR, MCKELLEN BROUGHT HIS WOULD-BE GODS AND MONSTERS VICTORY SPEECH WHICH HE DITED HIS HISTORIC TRIUMPH TO OTHER YOUNG GAY ACTORS WHO MIGHT NOW FEEL MORE WELED BY THE DTRY. DURG A MERCIAL BREAK THE TELEST, MCKELLEN STOOD UP AND READ HIS SPEECH OM THE ONT ROW ANYWAY. “I’LL NEVER FET ,” CONDON, WHO WAS STG RIGHT THERE, REMEMBERS. “IT WAS ABOUT ALL THE WARNGS HE RECEIVED WHEN HE WAS CIDG TO E OUT, ALL THE THGS THAT WOULD HAPPEN.”WOULD HOLLYWOOD HISTORY BE DIFFERENT HAD MCKELLEN BROKEN THAT BOUNDARY THAT NIGHT? PROBABLY NOT, AS WE DISCS ON THIS WEEK’S LTLE GOLD MEN PODST. OSR HISTORY, AFTER ALL, IS LTERED WH HISTORIC VICTORI THAT YIELD NO STCTURAL CHANG THE DTRY. IN 2016, AS #OSRSSOWHE PHED THE AMY TOWARD MEANGFUL CHANGE AT LONG LAST, MCKELLEN WAS STILL REFLECTG ON HIS ODD HISTORY: “NO OPENLY GAY MAN HAS EVER WON THE OSR; I WONR IF THAT IS PREJUDICE OR CHANCE.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALWHY THE GEIA INDICTMENT AGAST TMP AND HIS ALLI IS THE MOST SWEEPG YETIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMER25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSA NEW SLIM AARONS BOOK CAPTUR A LOST WORLDFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONINSI ALL OF US STRANGERS, ANDREW STT AND PL ML’S METAPHYSIL LOVE STORYBY DAVID CANFIELDKATEY RICH

Notably, Ian McKellen is the only gay actor to be nomated for an actg Osr after he had e out.

Speakg 2016, he wonred whether the lack of openly gay men gettg Osr nomatns the actg tegori was down to “prejudice or chance”.