Wil Smh’s dream was to be a school teacher, but he abandoned that dream bee he believed that he uld never do that as a gay man the 70s. ...
Contents:
- WILL SMH IS GAY? SHOCKG EXPLORG THE TTH BEHD THE RUMORS AND DEBUNKG SPECULATNS
- WILL SMH GAY RUMORS: PHOTOGRAPHED HALF-NAKED IN HOTEL ROOM WH A MAN [PHOTOS]
- WILL SMH’S GAY RELATNSHIP: JAN SMH BREAKS HIS SILENCE
- WILL SMH’S EX WIFE ON RUMORS WILL IS GAY: ‘HE WAS STRAIGHT IN 1992, AND HE’S STRAIGHT IN 2016’
- WILL SMH AND THE HISTORY OF GAY RUMORS: WHY ARE PEOPLE STILL OBSSED?
- WILL SMH PLAYS GAY -- BUT NOT WELL WH {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}MOVIBY NEWNOWNEXT STAFFJANUARY 1, 2007/2:05 PMBY NEWNOWNEXT STAFFJANUARY 1, 2007 / 2:05 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"WILL SMH PLAYS GAY -- BUT NOT WELL WH OTHERS","DATEPUBLISHED":"2007-01-01T19:05:05.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2007-01-01T19:05:05.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"NEWNOWNEXT STAFF","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"MOVI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WILL SMH AND DONALD SUTHERLAND SIX DEGRE OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}YOU MIGHT RELL WILL SMH'S BIG SCREEN BUT 1993'S SIX DEGRE OF SEPARATN. IN HE PLAYS A GAY N ARTIST WHO SUCKERS RICH NEW YORKERS BY PRETENDG TO BE PRIVILEGED, PRIVATE-SCHOOLED, AND SIDNEY POIER'S SON. THE FILM WAS TO HAVE CLUD A GAY LOVE SCENE, BUT AFTER HE LAND THE PART (AND FILMG WAS HALFWAY NCLUD) WILL SMH APPARENTLY BALKED AT ACTUALLY KISSG ANOTHER ACTOR ONSCREEN. THEY HAD TO E MIRRORS AND TRICK MERA ANGL TO MAKE APPEAR AS IF SMH'S CHARACTER LOCKS LIPS WH ANOTHER MAN. RIDICULO, RIGHT? IMAGE IF HEATH LEDGER AND JAKE GYLLENHALL HAD FILMED HALF OF BROKEBACK MOUNTA AND THEN TOLD ANG LEE THEY WEREN'T GOG TO DO THE TENT SCENE?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I REMEMBER TERVIEWS WH WILL SMH EXPLAG HIS BEHAVR. HE SAID HE'D BEEN ADVISED AGAST TARNISHG HIS HETERO IMAGE BY NONE OTHER THAN DENZEL WASHGTON. ARRGH! I PRETTY MUCH WROTE THE TWO OF THEM OFF AT THAT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AROUND THE SAME TIME ANOTHER BLACK ACTOR, WLEY SNIP, WAS ASKED FOR A MENT: WHAT DID HE THK OF WILL SMH'S REFAL AND WOULD HE KISS ANOTHER MAN ONSCREEN. SNIP SAID SOMETHG ALONG THE L OF "IT'S LLED ACTG, STUPID! GET OVER ." (I WISH I ULD PROVI A LK FOR YOU AND THE EXACT EARLY 1990'S QUOTE, BUT I SEARCHED EVERYWHERE AND DON'T SEEM TO BE ONLE.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}JT SHOWS, I SURE N PICK 'EM. WILL SMH MAY JT BE THE BIGGT MALE STAR THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, WHEREAS POOR WLEY SNIP IS STRAIGHT-TO-VIO PURGATORY AND FACG SER PRISON TIME FOR TAX {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AH WELL, FOR THAT ONE ENLIGHTENED MENT ALONE I'LL ALWAYS BE A SNIP FAN-- NO MATTER HOW MANY BAD MOVI HE MAK OR HOW MUCH HE CHEATS THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HEY, ON A SI NOTE, DID YOU KNOW YOU N ACTUALLY TURN SOMEONE FOR TAX EVASN AND BE ELIGIBLE FOR A 15% REWARD? YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE VERY SPECIFIC RMATN -- JT FILG THE FORM ULD TRIGGER AN IRS QUIRY. JT FOR THE HECK OF , I'M TURNG WILL SMH AND DENZEL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ERR, ONLY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
- 23 CELEBS WHO WEREN'T AAID TO PLAY LGBT {MARG:12PX TO 0;}@MEDIA (M-WIDTH:980PX){{MAX-WIDTH:50%;}}{FONT:NORMAL 400 1.4REM/1.5 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;MARG:12PX TO 0;}@MEDIA (M-WIDTH:980PX){{MAX-WIDTH:50%;}}A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BT QUEER CHARACTERS ON FILM AND {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;OVERFLOW-X:HIDN;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;-WEBK-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;-MS-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;BOX-SHADOW:0 4PX 8PX 0 RGBA(0,0,0,0.08);MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}{WIDTH:1600PX;HEIGHT:800PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:18PX 24PX;DISPLAY:GRID;GRID-GAP:18PX;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{LOR:#0A0A0A;}{FONT:NORMAL 700 2.0REM/1.25 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#0A0A0A;}1 / {LOR:#0A0A0A;} A{FONT:HER;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} STRONG, B{FONT-WEIGHT:BOLR;}{FONT:NORMAL 400 1.4REM/1.5 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#0A0A0A;} A{FONT:HER;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} STRONG, B{FONT-WEIGHT:BOLR;}AND SCENE - ONCE UPON A TIME, PLAYG AN LGBT CHARACTER ON SCREEN WAS REER SUICI. TODAY, PORTRAYG AN LGBT CHARACTER N LEAD TO AN OSR W. FEATURG A-LISTERS LIKE QUEEN LATIFAH, WILL SMH AND TAYE DIGGS, HERE IS A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE MOST FAMO LGBT ROL ON THE BIG AND SMALL SCREEN.(PHOTOS OM LEFT: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAG, PL ARCHULETA/FILMMAGIC, TONY BARSON/FILMMAGIC) {LOR:#818181;FONT-WEIGHT:400;}{FONT:NORMAL 600 1.4REM/1.2 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#818181;FONT-WEIGHT:400;}PHOTO BY {LOR:HER;FONT:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;}{LOR:HER;FONT:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;}PHOTO BY FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY {WIDTH:4216PX;HEIGHT:2873PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}2 / 24WILL SMH - IN 1993, WILL SMH PLAYED THE ROLE OF PL SIX DEGRE OF SEPARATN, BASED ON THE TE-LIFE STORY OF DAVID HAMPTON, AN OPENLY GAY N MAN WHO MANAGED TO NVCE MANY PEOPLE HE WAS THE SON OF SIDNEY POIER.(PHOTO: JASON MERRT/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:2581PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}3 / 24FORT WHAKER - AMY AWARD-WNER FORT WHAKER, ALWAYS A WILLG PARTICIPANT TO PH THE ENVELOPE, PLAYED A FLAMBOYANT GAY FASHN SIGNER ROBERT ALTMAN'S PRêT-à-PORTER (1994). HE ALSO PLAYED A GAY CHARACTER THE CRYG GAME (1993).(PHOTO: JEFEY UFBERG/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:2134PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}4 / 24WLEY SNIP - WLEY SNIP LAMPOONED HIS MACHO IMAGE TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHG! JULIE NEWMAR (1995), WHICH HE, ALONG WH PATRICK SWAYZE AND JOHN LEGUIZAMO, PLAYED A DRAG QUEEN. SNIP'S NOXEEMA JACKSON PLETE WH A BLOND WIG AND RED HIGH-HEELED SHO. NOXEEMA IS THE -WNER OF A DRAG QUEEN BETY PAGEANT AND IS NOT AAID OF WIGGLG HER HIPS.(PHOTO: JIM SPELLMAN/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:2149PX;HEIGHT:3235PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}5 / 24QUEEN LATIFAH - QUEEN LATIFAH WAS UNFETTABLE HER ROLE AS CLEO SIMS, A TOUGH, LBIAN BANK ROBBER THE 1996 BOX-OFFICE H SET IT OFF. THE CHARACTER EARNED HER AN NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMATN.(PHOTO: JASON MERRT/GETTY IMAG){MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:NONE;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;} + .E1IATVX90{DISPLAY:NONE;}(:EMPTY){DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;}(:EMPTY) + .E1IATVX90{DISPLAY:BLOCK;}{BACKGROUND-LOR:#0A0A0A;LOR:#FAFAFA;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;-WEBK-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MOZ-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MS-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;PADDG:2PX 5PX;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;PADDG:3PX 5PX 4PX 5PX;LOR:#C4FF2C;BACKGROUND-LOR:#000000;LOR:#FFFFFF;DISPLAY:BLOCK;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{FONT:NORMAL 600 1.4REM/1.2 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;BACKGROUND-LOR:#0A0A0A;LOR:#FAFAFA;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;-WEBK-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MOZ-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MS-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;PADDG:2PX 5PX;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;PADDG:3PX 5PX 4PX 5PX;LOR:#C4FF2C;BACKGROUND-LOR:#000000;LOR:#FFFFFF;DISPLAY:BLOCK;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{WIDTH:2063PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}6 / 24ISAIAH WASHGTON - IN 1996, FORMER GREY'S ANATOMY STAR ISAIAH WASHGTON PLAYED HALF OF A GAY UPLE ON THEIR WAY TO THE 1995 MILLN MAN MARCH WASHGTON, D.C., SPIKE LEE'S GET ON THE B. PLAYED BY HARRY LENNIX AND WASHGTON, THE GAY LOVERS ARE ON THE VERGE OF SEPARATN.(PHOTO: MATHEW IMAGG/FILMMAGIC){WIDTH:2456PX;HEIGHT:3500PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}7 / 24GIANRLO ESPOSO - GIANRLO ESPOSO PLAYED JOSEPH, GLORIA MATTHEW'S (LORETTA DEVE) EX-HBAND AND FATHER OF HER CHILD (DONALD FAISON) WAG TO EXHALE. HE DROPS A BOMB ON GLORIA THE FILM WHEN HE OUT OF THE CLOSET AS A GAY MAN.(PHOTO: JASON MERRT/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:2167PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}8 / 24ROCKMOND DUNBAR - ROCKMOND DUNBAR, BT KNOWN FOR HIS LEADG ROLE AS KENNY CHADWAY ON THE CRILLY-ACCLAIMED TELEVISN SERI SOUL FOOD, PLAYED A GAY MAN PUNKS (2000) AND DIRTY LNDRY (2006), WHICH HIS CHARACTER WAS A MAGAZE EDOR.(PHOTOS: MRY PHILLIPS/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:2001PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}9 / 24VG RHAM - VG RHAM PORTRAYED A DRAG QUEEN THE TELEVISN MOVIE HOLIDAY HEART (2000) AND A GAY MAN I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK & LARRY (2007).(PHOTO: LEE CELANO/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:2500PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}10 / 24ANTHONY MACKIE - IN 2004, ANTHONY MACKIE WAS AN UP-AND-G ACTOR AND ALREADY EXPERIENCED BIG SUCCS FOR PLAYG EMEM'S BFF 8 MILE. HOWEVER, HE SHOWED OFF HIS JULLIARD-TRAED ACTG CHOPS AS THE LEAD RODNEY EVANS'S BROTHER TO BROTHER. MACKIE TACKLED THE ROLE OF PERRY — AN ART STUNT WHO WAS ON THE SEARCH FOR LOVE WHILE SIMULTANEOLY LEARNG THE ROOTS OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE VIA AN OLR GAY MAN — WH GRACE. THE RISK PAID OFF, EARNG MACKIE AN INPENNT SPIR AWARD FOR BT DEBUT PERFORMANCE.(PHOTO: LARS NIKI/GETTY IMAG FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOE NEW YORK){WIDTH:2150PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}11 / 24TAYE DIGGS - IN EARLY 2006, TAYE DIGGS GUT-STARRED FOR SEVERAL EPISOS AS WILL TMAN'S LOVE TERT, JAM, ON THE FAL SEASON OF WILL & GRACE.(PHOTO: MICHAEL ZORN/FILMMAGIC){WIDTH:2382PX;HEIGHT:3177PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}12 / 24GABRIELLE UNN - GABRIELLE UNN ADD PLAYG A LBIAN TO HER FILMOGRAPHY 2006 WH A STANDOUT ROLE AS ANTE BENNG’S LOVER THE FILM ADAPTATN OF AUGTEN BURROUGH'S BT-SELLG MEMOIR RUNNG WH SCISSORS.(PHOTO: JON KOPALOFF/FILMMAGIC){WIDTH:2921PX;HEIGHT:4389PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}13 / 24TARAJI P. HENSON - IN 2006'S SMOK' AC, TARAJI P. HENSON WAS SHARICE WATERS, A HARD-RE LBIAN ASSASS WHO HAD A CSH ON HER PARTER--CRIME GEIA SYK (ALICIA KEYS).(PHOTO: KEV MAZUR/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:2103PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}14 / 24JADA PKETT-SMH - IN 2008, JADA PKETT SMH PLAYED A LBIAN THE WOMEN, WHICH ALSO STARRED ANTE BENNG AND EVA MENS. SMH SAID ABOUT THE ROLE, "I ENJOYED PLAYG A LBIAN AND I WISH I ULD HAVE BEEN MORE OF A LBIAN THE MOVIE, BUT I WASN'T ALLOWED TO DO THAT."(PHOTO: MICHAEL LOCCISANO/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:3194PX;HEIGHT:4200PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}15 / 24KERRY WASHGTON - IN 2009, KERRY WASHGTON WOWED DIENC PLAYG A TRANSGENR WOMAN LIFE IS HOT CRACKTOWN. SHE TOLD ABOUT THE ROLE, "ONE OF THE THGS I REALIZED APPROACHG THIS ROLE WAS THAT I ACTUALLY FIGURED OUT EARLY ON THAT I WAS GOG TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT BEG A WOMAN — PERD. BEE, REALLY, WHAT A TRANS WOMAN IS, IS SOMEBODY WHO IS A WOMAN BUT WHOSE BLOGY HAS BETRAYED THEM SOMEWAY."(PHOTO: AXELLE/BER-GRIFF/FILMMAGIC){WIDTH:2152PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}16 / 24GUN HILL ROAD AND PARIAH - THE TWO DIE FILMS DIDN'T HAVE MAJOR STAR POWER, BUT WERE CRIL DARLGS 2011. RASHAAD ERNTO GREEN'S GUN HILL ROAD STARRED HARMONY SANTANA AS A TRANSGENR TEEN LIVG THE BRONX. DEE RE'S PARIAH FEATURED APERO ODUYE AS A LBIAN TEENAGER OM BROOKLYN STGGLG WH INTY AND FAY. BOTH FILMS WERE HONORED WH VAR DIE AWARDS AND PROVED THAT LGBT STORI ARE NECCSARY. (PHOTO: JOHN LAMPARSKI/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:2000PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}17 / 24LENNY KRAVZ - THE WORLD-FAMO ROCKER LOOKED FOR A PROVOTIVE CHARACTER TO PLAY FOR HIS RETURN TO THE BIG SCREEN AND HE FOUND HUNGER GAM' CNA, WHO IS BISEXUAL. TO PORTRAY THE FLAMBOYANT STYLIST, KRAVZ SAYS HE CHANNELED "A IEND WHO IS A DANCER WHO IS BISEXUAL, AND HE WAS A LOT OF SPIRATN FOR MY SPEECH PATTERN AND MY RHYTHM, AND KD OF THE WAY I SNTERED AND OUT A LTLE B." (PHOTO: CHELSEA LREN/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:1300PX;HEIGHT:900PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}18 / 24JEFEY WRIGHT - WRIGHT WAS NOMATED FOR A GOLN GLOBE AND WON AN EMMY FOR HIS PORTRAYAL OF A DRAG QUEEN MIKE NICHOLS'S TELEVISN ADAPTATN OF PULZER PRIZE-WNG PLAY ANGELS AMERI, ABOUT A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHOSE RELATNSHIPS AND LIV ARE AFFECTED BY AIDS. THE SERI WENT ON TO BREAK THE RERD PREVLY HELD BY ROOTS FOR WNG THE MOST EMMYS.(PHOTOS: MICHAEL LOCCISANO/GETTY IMAG)19 / 24MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS - AS GUN-TOTG STICK-UP MAN OMAR LTLE ON THE WIRE, WILLIAMS GAVE ONE OF THE MOST SUBTLE, HONT AND SURPRISG PORTRAYALS OF A GAY MAN ON TELEVISN. THE CHARACTER'S PERSONAL LIFE, AND THE NER LIFE WILLIAMS BROUGHT TO , WAS SO NUANCED AND UNIQUE THAT PRINT OBAMA LLED HIM HIS FAVORE CHARACTER ON TELEVISN.(PHOTOS: JOHN RIRD/BET)20 / 24DWAYNE "THE ROCK" JOHNSON - JOHNSON PLAYED A GAY BODYGUARD WH DREAMS OF STARDOM THIS SEQUEL TO THE H HEIST EDY GET SHORTY. THOUGH THIS CHARACTER'S JOB WAS NOT A STRETCH FOR THE ROCK, HIS PERSONAL LIFE CERTALY WAS. (PHOTOS: ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/GETTY IMAG)ADVERTISEMENT21 / 24TONY BRAVADO - ON LET'S STAY TOGETHER, BRAVADO PLAYED DARKANIAN LE'JOHNSON, A CLOSETED PROFSNAL FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO OVERPENSAT FOR HIS SECRET RELATNSHIP WH A MAN BY LAYG ON THICK WH THE LADI.(PHOTOS: PERVIS PR){WIDTH:2274PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}22 / 24GAV HOTON - THIS ACTOR'S ACTG REER STARTED 1992 AN EPISO OF THE COSBY SHOW, BUT HIS BIG BREAK ME 2013 WHEN HE STARRED AS JEFEY HARRGTON, THE CLOSETED GAY SON OF A POLICIAN, TYLER PERRY'S THE HAV AND THE HAVE NOTS.(PHOTO: CHRIS MCKAY/WIREIMAGE)
- WILL {LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:600;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:0.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.25REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}} A{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;} A:HOVER{LOR:#A00000;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}WILL SMH TRANSNED OM SUCCSFUL RAPPER TO HOLLYWOOD A-LISTER, STARRG ON 'THE FRH PRCE OF BEL-AIR' BEFORE HEADLG SUCH FILMS AS 'INPENNCE DAY,' 'MEN BLACK' AND 'ALI.'{LOR:#323232;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;MARG-LEFT:0.625REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}UPDATED: APR 22, {DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;}{MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 64REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(100VW - (1REM * 2));MARG-LEFT:1REM;MARG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(-1 * 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - (LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 2 * 1REM)) / -2);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 90REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / 2);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / -2) - 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 2);MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 + 1REM)) / -2) - LC(2 * 1REM));}[DATA-HAS-SPONSOR] {MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);MARG-RIGHT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);}}{JTIFY-SELF:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG-LEFT:-50VW;MARG-RIGHT:-50VW;WIDTH:100VW;LEFT:50%;RIGHT:50%;}}{HEIGHT:TO;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO LC(50% - 50VW);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO;}}{POSN:RELATIVE;HEIGHT:TO;}{POSN:RELATIVE;--POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} A{POSN:ABSOLUTE;}{POSN:RELATIVE;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;VERTIL-ALIGN:TOP;}{BACKGROUND:#C92228;BOTTOM:0;PADDG:.5REM;RIGHT:0;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG:0.39REM;}}{DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:1REM;WIDTH:1REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:1.063REM;HEIGHT:1.063REM;}}{LE-HEIGHT:1;MARG-TOP:0.3125REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0;}}{LOR:#595959;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}PHOTO: JEROD HARRIS/GETTY {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:3.5REM;PADDG-RIGHT:3.5REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MAX-WIDTH:45.25REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 100REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}{CLEAR:BOTH;NTENT:" ";DISPLAY:BLOCK;FONT-SIZE:0.7REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.5REM;HEIGHT:0REM;VISIBILY:HIDN;}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}(1968-){LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;MARG-TOP:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}WHO IS WILL SMH?AFTER WILL SMH MET JEFF TOWN AT AGE 16, THE DUO LNCHED A HIGHLY SUCCSFUL RAP REER AS DJ JAZZY JEFF & THE FRH PRCE. SMH STARRED ON THE S THE FRH PRCE OF BEL-AIR FOR SIX SEASONS, BEFORE TABLISHG HIMSELF AS A HOLLYWOOD A-LISTER WH BAD BOYS (1995) AND INPENNCE DAY (1996). HE HAS SCE HEADLED SUCH POPULAR FILMS AS MEN BLACK (1997) AND HCH (2005) AND EARNED OSR NOMATNS FOR ALI (2001) AND THE PURSU OF HAPPYNS (2006). SMH ALSO EARNED ACCLAIM FOR CONCSN (2015), BEFORE RETURNG TO ACTN FARE WH SUICI SQUAD (2016).EARLY LIFESMH WAS BORN WILLARD CARROLL SMH JR. ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1968, PHILALPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, TO MOTHER CAROLE, A SCHOOL BOARD EMPLOYEE, AND FATHER WILLARD C. SMH, A REIGERATN PANY OWNER. HIS MIDDLE-CLASS UPBRGG SAW HIM ATTEND THE STRICT OUR LADY OF LOURS CATHOLIC SCHOOL, SPE HIS FAY'S OBSERVATN OF THE BAPTIST FAH. HE WENT ON TO ATTEND OVERBROOK HIGH SCHOOL.HIS WT PHILALPHIA NEIGHBORHOOD WAS A MELTG POT OF CULTUR WHERE ORTHODOX JEWS -EXISTED WH A LARGE MLIM POPULATN. SMH WAS A GOOD STUNT WHOSE CHARMG PERSONALY AND QUICK TONGUE WERE RENOWNED FOR GETTG HIM OUT OF TROUBLE, A TRA FOR WHICH HE SOON GAED THE NICKNAME "PRCE.''SMH BEGAN RAPPG AT AGE 12, EMULATG HERO LIKE GRANDMASTER FLASH BUT TGEG HIS RHYM WH A EDIC ELEMENT THAT WOULD LATER BEE HIS TRAMARK. AT 16 SMH MET FUTURE LLABORATOR JEFF TOWN AT A PARTY. THE PAIR BEME IENDS, AND THE DUO DJ JAZZY JEFF & THE FRH PRCE WAS BORN.MIC CAREERAS TEENS, DJ JAZZY JEFF & THE FRH PRCE BEGAN PRODUCG MIC BUT STEERED CLEAR OF THE GANGSTA RAP SOUND THAT WAS EMERGG OM THE WT COAST BY GROUPS LIKE N.W.A. THE FRH PRCE RAPPED ABOUT TEENAGE PREOCCUPATNS A CLEAN, CURSE-EE STYLE THAT MIDDLE AMERI FOUND SAFE AND ENTERTAG. THE PAIR'S FIRST SGLE, "GIRLS A'T NOTHG BUT TROUBLE," WAS A H 1986. THEIR 1987 BUT ALBUM, ROCK THE HOE, H THE BILLBOARD TOP 200, AND MA SMH A LNAIRE BEFORE THE AGE OF 18. THE EARLY SUCCS PUT ANY THOUGHTS OF ATTENDG LLEGE OUT OF SMH'S MD. EARLY ON, WAS REPORTED THAT SMH HAD TURNED DOWN A SCHOLARSHIP TO BOSTON'S ELE MASSACHETTS INSTUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT), BUT SMH LATER DISPELLED THE MOR WHEN HE TOLD AN TERVIEWER: "MY MOTHER, WHO WORKED FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD OF PHILALPHIA, HAD A IEND WHO WAS THE ADMISSNS OFFICER AT MIT. I HAD PRETTY HIGH SAT SR AND THEY NEED BLACK KIDS, SO I PROBABLY ULD HAVE GOTTEN . BUT I HAD NO TENTN OF GOG TO LLEGE." IN 1988, DJ JAZZY JEFF & THE FRH PRCE NTUED THEIR SUCCS WH THE ALBUM HE'S THE DJ, I'M THE RAPPER. FEATURG THE RAD-IENDLY SGL "PARENTS JT DON'T UNRSTAND," "BRAND NEW FUNK," AND "NIGHTMARE ON MY STREET," THE ALBUM WON THE FIRST-EVER GRAMMY AWARD FOR BT RAP PERFORMANCE. IT WAS FOLLOWED 1989 BY AND IN THIS CORNER..., WHICH NTUED THE PAIR'S RISE TO STARDOM.MOVI AND TV SHOWS'THE FRH PRCE OF BEL-AIR'TWO YEARS LATER, SMH BEGAN HIS CROSSOVER TO ACTG. DRAWG ON HIS EXPERIENC WH FLEDGLG STARDOM, NBC SIGNED SMH TO HEADLE A S ABOUT A STREET-SMART KID OM PHILALPHIA WHO MOV WH STUFFY RELATIV THE POSH LOS ANGEL NEIGHBORHOOD OF BEL-AIR. PLAYG ON HIS RAPPER PERSONA, AND AT TIM FEATURG HIS IEND TOWNE, THE FRH PRCE OF BEL-AIR WAS A HUGE SUCCS THAT RAN FOR SIX SEASONS. MEANWHILE, SMH AND TOWNE NTUED PRODUCG MIC, THEIR 1991 ALBUM HOMEBASE PRODUCG THE HS "SUMMERTIME" AND "RG MY BELL." THEIR FAL ALBUM TOGETHER, 1993'S CO RED, WAS NOTABLE FOR "BOOM! SHAKE THE ROOM."'WHERE THE DAY TAK YOU' AND 'SIX DEGRE OF SEPARATN' WHILE STILL MAKG THE FRH PRCE OF BEL-AIR, SMH BEGAN A SEND CROSSOVER TO MOVI. SMALL ROL THE DRAMA WHERE THE DAY TAK YOU (1992) AND THE EDY MA IN AMERI (1993) WERE FOLLOWED BY A CRILLY ACCLAIMED LEAD SIX DEGRE OF SEPARATN (1993). HOLDG HIS OWN ALONGSI {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}DONALD SUTHERLAND, STOCKARD CHANNG AND IAN MCKELLEN, SMH PLAYED A STREET-WISE GAY HTLER WHO NS HIS WAY THROUGH ELE CIRCL.'BAD BOYS' SMH'S FIRST STEPS TO SUPERSTARDOM ME WH HIS NEXT FILM, BAD BOYS (1995). THE HIGH-BUDGET P MOVIE SAW HIM TEAM UP WH IC MART LAWRENCE, BREAKG AWAY OM THE BLACK-P-WHE-P FORMULA THAT HAD BEEN SO SUCCSFUL FOR BEVERLY HILLS COP AND THE LETHAL WEAPON SERI. THE TWO BLACK LEADS PROVED AN STANT SUCCS AND SMH — PLAYG THE SMOOTH LADY KILLER TO LAWRENCE'S CLOWN — WAS TABLISHED AS LEADG MAN MATERIAL.'INPENNCE DAY'SMH NEXT TOOK ON THE EPIC SCI-FI FLICK INPENNCE DAY (1996), A ROLE THAT NFIRMED HIM AS A MAJOR PLAYER HOLLYWOOD AND THE GO-TO GUY FOR SUMMER BLOCKBTERS. HE PLAYED A PILOT LEADG THE UNTERATTACK AGAST VADG ALIEN FORC, AND HIS EDIC TALENTS EFFORTLSLY TRANSFORMED TO THE PHY ONE-LERS ALL ACTN HERO NEED TO BE ABLE TO DROP WHILE DISPATCHG THEIR ENEMI.'MEN BLACK' AND 'ENEMY OF THE STATE' SMH FOUGHT ALIENS AGA HIS NEXT BLOCKBTER, THE IC SCI-FI ACTN FILM, MEN BLACK (1997). PLAYG OPPOSE TOMMY LEE JON, SMH CHEWED UP THE SCREEN AS THE NEW REC TO JON' OLD HAND. SMH RAPPED THE THEME SONG, AND S CLN ON HIS 1997 SOLO ALBUM, BIG WILLIE STYLE, BROUGHT THE MULTI-TALENTED ACTOR MORE SUCCS. ANOTHER BLOCKBTER FOLLOWED WH THE SLICK NSPIRACY THRILLER ENEMY OF THE STATE (1998), WHICH EARNED SMH AN NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMATN FOR OUTSTANDG ACTOR A MOTN PICTURE.'WILD WILD WT' AND 'THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE' THE STRG OF HS ME TO AN END 1999 WH WILD WILD WT, A SCI-FI WBOY WTERN -STARRG KEV KLE. DPE THE FILM'S LACKLTER BOX-OFFICE PERFORMANCE, THE TRACK SMH CUT FOR THE FILM BEME A H ON HIS 1999 ALBUM, WILLENNIUM. THE GOLF MOVIE THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE (2000) WAS HIS NEXT BIG FILM, WH SMH PLAYG THE DDIE TO MATT DAMON'S OUT-OF-SORTS SWGER.OSR NOMATN FOR 'ALI' THE 2001 BPIC ALI, BASED ON BOXG LEGEND MUHAMMAD ALI, GAVE SMH THE OPPORTUNY TO REGA HIS BIG-SCREEN SWAGGER. HIS TURN AS THE CHARISMATIC BOXG GREAT SAW SMH PUT THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS LIFE, TRAG AND DISCIPLG HIMSELF TO EXTRAORDARY LENGTHS TO DO JTICE TO THE ATHLETICISM — AND EGO — OF THE TULAR CHARACTER. THE FILM UNRWHELMED AT THE BOX OFFICE SPE A RERD-BREAKG OPENG DAY, BUT SMH'S PERFORMANCE WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO GARNER HIM HIS FIRST AMY AWARD NOMATN.'MEN BLACK II,' 'BAD BOYS II' AND 'I, ROBOT'A UPLE OF SEQUELS WERE NEXT, WH SMH REPRISG HIS ROL MEN IN BLACK II (2002) AND BAD BOYS II (2003). NEHER WAS A FLOP, BUT NEHER MATCHED THE IMPRSIVE BOX-OFFICE TAKE OF S PRECSOR. STAYG WH THE SCI-FI ACTN THEME, SMH MOVED ON TO I, ROBOT 2004. THE ISAAC ASIMOV ADAPTATN FEATURED SMH AS A FUTURISTIC P VTIGATG A MURR BY A ROBOT AND THEN BATTLG A ROBOT SURGENCY. THE FILM PERFORMED WELL, GROSSG MORE THAN $144 LN DOMTILLY.'HCH' AND 'THE PURSU OF HAPPYNS' SMH'S SMOOTH-TALKG CHARMER PERSONA WAS PUT TO E THE 2005 ROMANTIC EDY HCH, PLAYG A DATG NSULTANT WHO HELPS LUCKLS GUYS WH THEIR ROMANTIC MOV. SMH ALSO PENNED THE THEME SONG AND CLUD ON HIS 2005 ALBUM, LOST AND FOUND. HCH WAS A MASSIVE SUCCS, AND WAS FOLLOWED 2006 BY ANOTHER CRIL AND FANCIAL H, THE PURSU OF HAPPYNS (2006). STARRG ALONGSI HIS REAL-LIFE SON JAN, SMH PTIVATED DIENC WH THE STORY OF A SGLE FATHER WHO HAS TO BUILD A LIFE OM SCRATCH. HE RECEIVED HIS SEND AMY AWARD NOMATN FOR BT ACTOR FOR HIS PERFORMANCE.'I AM LEGEND' IN 2007, SMH STARRED I AM LEGEND, A REMAKE OF THE CHARLTON HTON FILM OMEGA MAN, WHICH HE BATTLED BLOODTHIRSTY VAMPIR. THE FILM BEME A NATNAL AND TERNATNAL H.'HANCK,' 'SEVEN POUNDS,' AND 'MEN BLACK 3' SMH THEN TOOK ON THE DUAL ROLE OF ACTOR AND PRODUCER FOR HANCK (2008), WHICH HE PLAYED AN ALHOLIC ANTI-SUPERHERO, AND FOR SEVEN POUNDS (2008), ABOUT A MAN WHO SETS OUT TO CHANGE THE LIV OF SEVEN PEOPLE. HE ALSO HELPED PRODUCE TWO MORE FILMS RELEASED THAT YEAR, LAKEVIEW TERRACE AND THE SECRET LIFE OF BE. AFTER A HIAT, SMH RETURNED TO THE BIG SCREEN 2012 WH MEN BLACK 3, FOLLOWED BY A TURN AS A ARY MANR THE CRILLY PANNED M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN SCI-FI FLICK AFTER EARTH, WHICH -STARRED SMH'S SON JAN. HE THEN MA A MEO AS LUCIFER THE FILM WTER'S TALE (2014). 'FOC,' 'CONCSN,' 'SUICI SQUAD'SMH'S NEXT LEADG ROLE ME WH THE 2015 HEIST PER FOC, -STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE. LATER THE YEAR, HE STARRED AS DR. BEN OMALU THE SPORTS DRAMA CONCSN, EARNG A GOLN GLOBE NOMATN FOR HIS ROLE AS A DOCTOR FIGHTG TO RAISE AWARENS ABOUT HEAD TRMA NFL PLAYERS. IN 2016, SMH STARRED THE DC COMICS BLOCKBTER H SUICI SQUAD, WHICH BEME HIS MOST SUCCSFUL FILM SCE 1996'S INPENNCE DAY. THE SAME YEAR, HE ALSO TOOK ON A MORE SOMBER ROLE AS A FATHER WHO LOS HIS YOUNG DGHTER THE DRAMA COLLATERAL BETY. ALTHOUGH A FOLLOW-UP ENAVOR, BRIGHT (2017), WAS THOROUGHLY PANNED BY CRICS, DIENC RPOND MORE POSIVELY TO THE URBAN FANTASY CRIME FLICK.'ALADD,' 'GEMI MAN' AND 'BAD BOYS FOR LIFE'IN FEBARY 2019, SMH ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE RETURNG FOR THE SUICI SQUAD SEQUEL. AROUND THAT TIME, A MERCIAL DURG THE GRAMMY AWARDS REVEALED HIM AS A WISECRACKG GENIE GUY RCHIE'S LIVE-ACTN ADAPTATN OF DISNEY'S ALADD, WHICH WENT ON TO TOP $1 BILLN AT THE GLOBAL BOX OFFICE. NEXT UP WAS ANG LEE'S GEMI MAN, WHICH HAD SMH PULLG DOUBLE DUTY — WH HELP OM DIGAL TECHNOLOGY — AS A 50-YEAR-OLD ASSASS ASSIGNED TO KILL A 23-YEAR-OLD VERSN OF HIMSELF.THE A-LISTER CLOSED OUT THE YEAR BY VOICG SUPER AGENT LANCE STERLG THE ANIMATED SPI DISGUISE, ALONGSI TOM HOLLAND, BEFORE OPENG 2020 WH A RETURN TO HIS SUCCSFUL P-BUDDY ANCHISE BAD BOYS FOR LIFE.PERSONAL LIFESMH HAS BEEN MARRIED TWICE. HIS FIRST MARRIAGE, TO SHEREE ZAMPO 1992, LASTED ONLY THREE YEARS BUT PRODUCED A SON, WILLARD SMH III (B. 1992), ALSO KNOWN AS TREY. HE HAS BEEN MARRIED TO ACTRS JADA PKETT SMH SCE 1997. THE UPLE'S SON, JAN, WAS BORN 1998, AND THEIR DGHTER, WILLOW, WAS BORN 2000. SMH LEANS POLILLY LIBERAL AND HAS MA DONATNS TO THE PRINTIAL MPAIGNS OF BARACK OBAMA. SMH IS A FAN OF CHS AND VIO GAM AND IS KNOWN TO TAKE HIS MOTHER ON VATN EVERY YEAR, UALLY TO THE CANYON RANCH SPA TUCSON, {BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK FACTS
- WILL SMH IS GAY? SHOCKG EXPLORG THE TTH BEHD THE RUMORS AND DEBUNKG SPECULATNS
WILL SMH IS GAY? SHOCKG EXPLORG THE TTH BEHD THE RUMORS AND DEBUNKG SPECULATNS
Will Smh And The History Of Gay Rumors: Why Are People Still Obssed? * is wil smith gay *
Adults surveyed, over 20 percent reported havg at some pot their liv experienced this nontradnal romantic fdg held steady across age, tn level, e, relign, regn, polil affiliatn and race but not genr and sexual orientatn: Men and gay, lbian or bisexual people were likelier to have experienced nsensual FzsimonsTim Fzsimons is a reporter for NBC News. Alexis Arquette, a transgenr actrs and genr-rights activist, ma public allegatns regardg Will Smh’s alleged homosexualy. She claimed that Will’s first marriage end after his then-wife walked on him wh a man, and that Jada Pkett Smh, his current wife, is also secretly gay.
Dpe the swirlg mors, ’s sential to acknowledge the lack of ncrete evince supportg the claims of Will Smh beg gay.
WILL SMH GAY RUMORS: PHOTOGRAPHED HALF-NAKED IN HOTEL ROOM WH A MAN [PHOTOS]
* is wil smith gay *
Both Will Smh and Jada Pkett Smh have not publicly addrsed or nfirmed the mors about their alleged homosexualy. In ncln, mors surroundg Will Smh’s alleged homosexualy should be approached wh utn and skepticism. Is Will Smh gay?
WILL SMH’S GAY RELATNSHIP: JAN SMH BREAKS HIS SILENCE
It has been claimed that he uld be gay or bisexual.
There is no hard proof to support the claim that he is gay, even though some may ntend that this do not necsarily prove . img src: gayety.
Will Smh Gay Vio.
WILL SMH’S EX WIFE ON RUMORS WILL IS GAY: ‘HE WAS STRAIGHT IN 1992, AND HE’S STRAIGHT IN 2016’
For a rapper turned actor, was a bold project—a cerebral play ma to a film, based on a te story, which Smh’s young, gay n artist fools a seri of high-society New Yorkers to providg him shelter by nvcg them he’s the son of Sidney of those New Yorkers was played by Stockard Channg, whom Smh has admted to fallg love wh as a rult of stayg character throughout filmg (a technique, he wr, that he won’t e aga). Stg her livg room, the 48-year-old, put to rt the gay mors that have been swirlg around Will, and said the reason their three year marriage end was simply bee they were both so young. Sce the mid-1990s, mors that Will Smh was eher gay or bisexual ran rampant the gay muny.
It me as no surprise, then, to hear that Smh, who’s been pallg around wh Tom Cise and his anti-gay Scientologists, has spent some time wh male prostut the past. Not a cince – pecially after Smh started hangg out wh Tom Cise and all his gay iends at Scientology, ” said menter “Fern” after the article on Queerty. “When Jada out as Gay and her beard hband adms his first marriage end when she walked to him **** servicg his Sugar Daddy Benny I will listen to them, ” the Daily Mail quot Arquette as sayg.
I believe what #AlexisArquette said about @jadapsmh and Will Smh beg gay.
WILL SMH AND THE HISTORY OF GAY RUMORS: WHY ARE PEOPLE STILL OBSSED?
If Will Smh did reveal he was gay or bisexual, wouldn’t hurt his reer one sgle b. Perhaps people are still obssed bee they believe Smh uld have been a great role mol for the gay muny, but chose to stay the closet.
WILL SMH PLAYS GAY -- BUT NOT WELL WH {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}MOVIBY NEWNOWNEXT STAFFJANUARY 1, 2007/2:05 PMBY NEWNOWNEXT STAFFJANUARY 1, 2007 / 2:05 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"WILL SMH PLAYS GAY -- BUT NOT WELL WH OTHERS","DATEPUBLISHED":"2007-01-01T19:05:05.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2007-01-01T19:05:05.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"NEWNOWNEXT STAFF","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"MOVI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WILL SMH AND DONALD SUTHERLAND SIX DEGRE OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}YOU MIGHT RELL WILL SMH'S BIG SCREEN BUT 1993'S SIX DEGRE OF SEPARATN. IN HE PLAYS A GAY N ARTIST WHO SUCKERS RICH NEW YORKERS BY PRETENDG TO BE PRIVILEGED, PRIVATE-SCHOOLED, AND SIDNEY POIER'S SON. THE FILM WAS TO HAVE CLUD A GAY LOVE SCENE, BUT AFTER HE LAND THE PART (AND FILMG WAS HALFWAY NCLUD) WILL SMH APPARENTLY BALKED AT ACTUALLY KISSG ANOTHER ACTOR ONSCREEN. THEY HAD TO E MIRRORS AND TRICK MERA ANGL TO MAKE APPEAR AS IF SMH'S CHARACTER LOCKS LIPS WH ANOTHER MAN. RIDICULO, RIGHT? IMAGE IF HEATH LEDGER AND JAKE GYLLENHALL HAD FILMED HALF OF BROKEBACK MOUNTA AND THEN TOLD ANG LEE THEY WEREN'T GOG TO DO THE TENT SCENE?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I REMEMBER TERVIEWS WH WILL SMH EXPLAG HIS BEHAVR. HE SAID HE'D BEEN ADVISED AGAST TARNISHG HIS HETERO IMAGE BY NONE OTHER THAN DENZEL WASHGTON. ARRGH! I PRETTY MUCH WROTE THE TWO OF THEM OFF AT THAT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AROUND THE SAME TIME ANOTHER BLACK ACTOR, WLEY SNIP, WAS ASKED FOR A MENT: WHAT DID HE THK OF WILL SMH'S REFAL AND WOULD HE KISS ANOTHER MAN ONSCREEN. SNIP SAID SOMETHG ALONG THE L OF "IT'S LLED ACTG, STUPID! GET OVER ." (I WISH I ULD PROVI A LK FOR YOU AND THE EXACT EARLY 1990'S QUOTE, BUT I SEARCHED EVERYWHERE AND DON'T SEEM TO BE ONLE.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}JT SHOWS, I SURE N PICK 'EM. WILL SMH MAY JT BE THE BIGGT MALE STAR THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, WHEREAS POOR WLEY SNIP IS STRAIGHT-TO-VIO PURGATORY AND FACG SER PRISON TIME FOR TAX {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AH WELL, FOR THAT ONE ENLIGHTENED MENT ALONE I'LL ALWAYS BE A SNIP FAN-- NO MATTER HOW MANY BAD MOVI HE MAK OR HOW MUCH HE CHEATS THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HEY, ON A SI NOTE, DID YOU KNOW YOU N ACTUALLY TURN SOMEONE FOR TAX EVASN AND BE ELIGIBLE FOR A 15% REWARD? YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE VERY SPECIFIC RMATN -- JT FILG THE FORM ULD TRIGGER AN IRS QUIRY. JT FOR THE HECK OF , I'M TURNG WILL SMH AND DENZEL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ERR, ONLY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
Wil Smh’s dream was to be a school teacher, but he abandoned that dream bee he believed that he uld never do that as a gay man the 70s.
In he plays a gay n artist who suckers rich New Yorkers by pretendg to be privileged, private-schooled, and Sidney Poier's son.
23 CELEBS WHO WEREN'T AAID TO PLAY LGBT {MARG:12PX TO 0;}@MEDIA (M-WIDTH:980PX){{MAX-WIDTH:50%;}}{FONT:NORMAL 400 1.4REM/1.5 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;MARG:12PX TO 0;}@MEDIA (M-WIDTH:980PX){{MAX-WIDTH:50%;}}A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BT QUEER CHARACTERS ON FILM AND {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;OVERFLOW-X:HIDN;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;-WEBK-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;-MS-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;BOX-SHADOW:0 4PX 8PX 0 RGBA(0,0,0,0.08);MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}{WIDTH:1600PX;HEIGHT:800PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:18PX 24PX;DISPLAY:GRID;GRID-GAP:18PX;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{LOR:#0A0A0A;}{FONT:NORMAL 700 2.0REM/1.25 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#0A0A0A;}1 / {LOR:#0A0A0A;} A{FONT:HER;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} STRONG, B{FONT-WEIGHT:BOLR;}{FONT:NORMAL 400 1.4REM/1.5 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#0A0A0A;} A{FONT:HER;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} STRONG, B{FONT-WEIGHT:BOLR;}AND SCENE - ONCE UPON A TIME, PLAYG AN LGBT CHARACTER ON SCREEN WAS REER SUICI. TODAY, PORTRAYG AN LGBT CHARACTER N LEAD TO AN OSR W. FEATURG A-LISTERS LIKE QUEEN LATIFAH, WILL SMH AND TAYE DIGGS, HERE IS A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE MOST FAMO LGBT ROL ON THE BIG AND SMALL SCREEN.(PHOTOS OM LEFT: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAG, PL ARCHULETA/FILMMAGIC, TONY BARSON/FILMMAGIC) {LOR:#818181;FONT-WEIGHT:400;}{FONT:NORMAL 600 1.4REM/1.2 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#818181;FONT-WEIGHT:400;}PHOTO BY {LOR:HER;FONT:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;}{LOR:HER;FONT:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;}PHOTO BY FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY {WIDTH:4216PX;HEIGHT:2873PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}2 / 24WILL SMH - IN 1993, WILL SMH PLAYED THE ROLE OF PL SIX DEGRE OF SEPARATN, BASED ON THE TE-LIFE STORY OF DAVID HAMPTON, AN OPENLY GAY N MAN WHO MANAGED TO NVCE MANY PEOPLE HE WAS THE SON OF SIDNEY POIER.(PHOTO: JASON MERRT/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:2581PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}3 / 24FORT WHAKER - AMY AWARD-WNER FORT WHAKER, ALWAYS A WILLG PARTICIPANT TO PH THE ENVELOPE, PLAYED A FLAMBOYANT GAY FASHN SIGNER ROBERT ALTMAN'S PRêT-à-PORTER (1994). HE ALSO PLAYED A GAY CHARACTER THE CRYG GAME (1993).(PHOTO: JEFEY UFBERG/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:2134PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}4 / 24WLEY SNIP - WLEY SNIP LAMPOONED HIS MACHO IMAGE TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHG! JULIE NEWMAR (1995), WHICH HE, ALONG WH PATRICK SWAYZE AND JOHN LEGUIZAMO, PLAYED A DRAG QUEEN. SNIP'S NOXEEMA JACKSON PLETE WH A BLOND WIG AND RED HIGH-HEELED SHO. NOXEEMA IS THE -WNER OF A DRAG QUEEN BETY PAGEANT AND IS NOT AAID OF WIGGLG HER HIPS.(PHOTO: JIM SPELLMAN/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:2149PX;HEIGHT:3235PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}5 / 24QUEEN LATIFAH - QUEEN LATIFAH WAS UNFETTABLE HER ROLE AS CLEO SIMS, A TOUGH, LBIAN BANK ROBBER THE 1996 BOX-OFFICE H SET IT OFF. THE CHARACTER EARNED HER AN NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMATN.(PHOTO: JASON MERRT/GETTY IMAG){MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:NONE;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;} + .E1IATVX90{DISPLAY:NONE;}(:EMPTY){DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;}(:EMPTY) + .E1IATVX90{DISPLAY:BLOCK;}{BACKGROUND-LOR:#0A0A0A;LOR:#FAFAFA;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;-WEBK-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MOZ-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MS-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;PADDG:2PX 5PX;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;PADDG:3PX 5PX 4PX 5PX;LOR:#C4FF2C;BACKGROUND-LOR:#000000;LOR:#FFFFFF;DISPLAY:BLOCK;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{FONT:NORMAL 600 1.4REM/1.2 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;BACKGROUND-LOR:#0A0A0A;LOR:#FAFAFA;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;-WEBK-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MOZ-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MS-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;PADDG:2PX 5PX;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;PADDG:3PX 5PX 4PX 5PX;LOR:#C4FF2C;BACKGROUND-LOR:#000000;LOR:#FFFFFF;DISPLAY:BLOCK;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{WIDTH:2063PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}6 / 24ISAIAH WASHGTON - IN 1996, FORMER GREY'S ANATOMY STAR ISAIAH WASHGTON PLAYED HALF OF A GAY UPLE ON THEIR WAY TO THE 1995 MILLN MAN MARCH WASHGTON, D.C., SPIKE LEE'S GET ON THE B. PLAYED BY HARRY LENNIX AND WASHGTON, THE GAY LOVERS ARE ON THE VERGE OF SEPARATN.(PHOTO: MATHEW IMAGG/FILMMAGIC){WIDTH:2456PX;HEIGHT:3500PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}7 / 24GIANRLO ESPOSO - GIANRLO ESPOSO PLAYED JOSEPH, GLORIA MATTHEW'S (LORETTA DEVE) EX-HBAND AND FATHER OF HER CHILD (DONALD FAISON) WAG TO EXHALE. HE DROPS A BOMB ON GLORIA THE FILM WHEN HE OUT OF THE CLOSET AS A GAY MAN.(PHOTO: JASON MERRT/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:2167PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}8 / 24ROCKMOND DUNBAR - ROCKMOND DUNBAR, BT KNOWN FOR HIS LEADG ROLE AS KENNY CHADWAY ON THE CRILLY-ACCLAIMED TELEVISN SERI SOUL FOOD, PLAYED A GAY MAN PUNKS (2000) AND DIRTY LNDRY (2006), WHICH HIS CHARACTER WAS A MAGAZE EDOR.(PHOTOS: MRY PHILLIPS/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:2001PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}9 / 24VG RHAM - VG RHAM PORTRAYED A DRAG QUEEN THE TELEVISN MOVIE HOLIDAY HEART (2000) AND A GAY MAN I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK & LARRY (2007).(PHOTO: LEE CELANO/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:2500PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}10 / 24ANTHONY MACKIE - IN 2004, ANTHONY MACKIE WAS AN UP-AND-G ACTOR AND ALREADY EXPERIENCED BIG SUCCS FOR PLAYG EMEM'S BFF 8 MILE. HOWEVER, HE SHOWED OFF HIS JULLIARD-TRAED ACTG CHOPS AS THE LEAD RODNEY EVANS'S BROTHER TO BROTHER. MACKIE TACKLED THE ROLE OF PERRY — AN ART STUNT WHO WAS ON THE SEARCH FOR LOVE WHILE SIMULTANEOLY LEARNG THE ROOTS OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE VIA AN OLR GAY MAN — WH GRACE. THE RISK PAID OFF, EARNG MACKIE AN INPENNT SPIR AWARD FOR BT DEBUT PERFORMANCE.(PHOTO: LARS NIKI/GETTY IMAG FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOE NEW YORK){WIDTH:2150PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}11 / 24TAYE DIGGS - IN EARLY 2006, TAYE DIGGS GUT-STARRED FOR SEVERAL EPISOS AS WILL TMAN'S LOVE TERT, JAM, ON THE FAL SEASON OF WILL & GRACE.(PHOTO: MICHAEL ZORN/FILMMAGIC){WIDTH:2382PX;HEIGHT:3177PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}12 / 24GABRIELLE UNN - GABRIELLE UNN ADD PLAYG A LBIAN TO HER FILMOGRAPHY 2006 WH A STANDOUT ROLE AS ANTE BENNG’S LOVER THE FILM ADAPTATN OF AUGTEN BURROUGH'S BT-SELLG MEMOIR RUNNG WH SCISSORS.(PHOTO: JON KOPALOFF/FILMMAGIC){WIDTH:2921PX;HEIGHT:4389PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}13 / 24TARAJI P. HENSON - IN 2006'S SMOK' AC, TARAJI P. HENSON WAS SHARICE WATERS, A HARD-RE LBIAN ASSASS WHO HAD A CSH ON HER PARTER--CRIME GEIA SYK (ALICIA KEYS).(PHOTO: KEV MAZUR/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:2103PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}14 / 24JADA PKETT-SMH - IN 2008, JADA PKETT SMH PLAYED A LBIAN THE WOMEN, WHICH ALSO STARRED ANTE BENNG AND EVA MENS. SMH SAID ABOUT THE ROLE, "I ENJOYED PLAYG A LBIAN AND I WISH I ULD HAVE BEEN MORE OF A LBIAN THE MOVIE, BUT I WASN'T ALLOWED TO DO THAT."(PHOTO: MICHAEL LOCCISANO/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:3194PX;HEIGHT:4200PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}15 / 24KERRY WASHGTON - IN 2009, KERRY WASHGTON WOWED DIENC PLAYG A TRANSGENR WOMAN LIFE IS HOT CRACKTOWN. SHE TOLD ABOUT THE ROLE, "ONE OF THE THGS I REALIZED APPROACHG THIS ROLE WAS THAT I ACTUALLY FIGURED OUT EARLY ON THAT I WAS GOG TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT BEG A WOMAN — PERD. BEE, REALLY, WHAT A TRANS WOMAN IS, IS SOMEBODY WHO IS A WOMAN BUT WHOSE BLOGY HAS BETRAYED THEM SOMEWAY."(PHOTO: AXELLE/BER-GRIFF/FILMMAGIC){WIDTH:2152PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}16 / 24GUN HILL ROAD AND PARIAH - THE TWO DIE FILMS DIDN'T HAVE MAJOR STAR POWER, BUT WERE CRIL DARLGS 2011. RASHAAD ERNTO GREEN'S GUN HILL ROAD STARRED HARMONY SANTANA AS A TRANSGENR TEEN LIVG THE BRONX. DEE RE'S PARIAH FEATURED APERO ODUYE AS A LBIAN TEENAGER OM BROOKLYN STGGLG WH INTY AND FAY. BOTH FILMS WERE HONORED WH VAR DIE AWARDS AND PROVED THAT LGBT STORI ARE NECCSARY. (PHOTO: JOHN LAMPARSKI/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:2000PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}17 / 24LENNY KRAVZ - THE WORLD-FAMO ROCKER LOOKED FOR A PROVOTIVE CHARACTER TO PLAY FOR HIS RETURN TO THE BIG SCREEN AND HE FOUND HUNGER GAM' CNA, WHO IS BISEXUAL. TO PORTRAY THE FLAMBOYANT STYLIST, KRAVZ SAYS HE CHANNELED "A IEND WHO IS A DANCER WHO IS BISEXUAL, AND HE WAS A LOT OF SPIRATN FOR MY SPEECH PATTERN AND MY RHYTHM, AND KD OF THE WAY I SNTERED AND OUT A LTLE B." (PHOTO: CHELSEA LREN/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:1300PX;HEIGHT:900PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}18 / 24JEFEY WRIGHT - WRIGHT WAS NOMATED FOR A GOLN GLOBE AND WON AN EMMY FOR HIS PORTRAYAL OF A DRAG QUEEN MIKE NICHOLS'S TELEVISN ADAPTATN OF PULZER PRIZE-WNG PLAY ANGELS AMERI, ABOUT A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHOSE RELATNSHIPS AND LIV ARE AFFECTED BY AIDS. THE SERI WENT ON TO BREAK THE RERD PREVLY HELD BY ROOTS FOR WNG THE MOST EMMYS.(PHOTOS: MICHAEL LOCCISANO/GETTY IMAG)19 / 24MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS - AS GUN-TOTG STICK-UP MAN OMAR LTLE ON THE WIRE, WILLIAMS GAVE ONE OF THE MOST SUBTLE, HONT AND SURPRISG PORTRAYALS OF A GAY MAN ON TELEVISN. THE CHARACTER'S PERSONAL LIFE, AND THE NER LIFE WILLIAMS BROUGHT TO , WAS SO NUANCED AND UNIQUE THAT PRINT OBAMA LLED HIM HIS FAVORE CHARACTER ON TELEVISN.(PHOTOS: JOHN RIRD/BET)20 / 24DWAYNE "THE ROCK" JOHNSON - JOHNSON PLAYED A GAY BODYGUARD WH DREAMS OF STARDOM THIS SEQUEL TO THE H HEIST EDY GET SHORTY. THOUGH THIS CHARACTER'S JOB WAS NOT A STRETCH FOR THE ROCK, HIS PERSONAL LIFE CERTALY WAS. (PHOTOS: ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/GETTY IMAG)ADVERTISEMENT21 / 24TONY BRAVADO - ON LET'S STAY TOGETHER, BRAVADO PLAYED DARKANIAN LE'JOHNSON, A CLOSETED PROFSNAL FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO OVERPENSAT FOR HIS SECRET RELATNSHIP WH A MAN BY LAYG ON THICK WH THE LADI.(PHOTOS: PERVIS PR){WIDTH:2274PX;HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;}22 / 24GAV HOTON - THIS ACTOR'S ACTG REER STARTED 1992 AN EPISO OF THE COSBY SHOW, BUT HIS BIG BREAK ME 2013 WHEN HE STARRED AS JEFEY HARRGTON, THE CLOSETED GAY SON OF A POLICIAN, TYLER PERRY'S THE HAV AND THE HAVE NOTS.(PHOTO: CHRIS MCKAY/WIREIMAGE)
The film was to have clud a gay love scene, but after he land the part (and filmg was halfway nclud) Will Smh apparently balked at actually kissg another actor onscreen. (Photos om left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Imag, Pl Archuleta/FilmMagic, Tony Barson/FilmMagic) Photo By Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Imag2 / 24Will Smh - In 1993, Will Smh played the role of Pl Six Degre of Separatn, based on the te-life story of David Hampton, an openly gay n man who managed to nvce many people he was the son of Sidney Poier. (Photo: Jason Merrt/Getty Imag)3 / 24Fort Whaker - Amy Award-wner Fort Whaker, always a willg participant to ph the envelope, played a flamboyant gay fashn signer Robert Altman's Prêt-à-Porter (1994).
WILL {LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:600;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:0.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.25REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}} A{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;} A:HOVER{LOR:#A00000;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}WILL SMH TRANSNED OM SUCCSFUL RAPPER TO HOLLYWOOD A-LISTER, STARRG ON 'THE FRH PRCE OF BEL-AIR' BEFORE HEADLG SUCH FILMS AS 'INPENNCE DAY,' 'MEN BLACK' AND 'ALI.'{LOR:#323232;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;MARG-LEFT:0.625REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}UPDATED: APR 22, {DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;}{MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 64REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(100VW - (1REM * 2));MARG-LEFT:1REM;MARG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(-1 * 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - (LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 2 * 1REM)) / -2);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 90REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / 2);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / -2) - 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 2);MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 + 1REM)) / -2) - LC(2 * 1REM));}[DATA-HAS-SPONSOR] {MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);MARG-RIGHT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);}}{JTIFY-SELF:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG-LEFT:-50VW;MARG-RIGHT:-50VW;WIDTH:100VW;LEFT:50%;RIGHT:50%;}}{HEIGHT:TO;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO LC(50% - 50VW);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO;}}{POSN:RELATIVE;HEIGHT:TO;}{POSN:RELATIVE;--POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} A{POSN:ABSOLUTE;}{POSN:RELATIVE;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;VERTIL-ALIGN:TOP;}{BACKGROUND:#C92228;BOTTOM:0;PADDG:.5REM;RIGHT:0;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG:0.39REM;}}{DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:1REM;WIDTH:1REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:1.063REM;HEIGHT:1.063REM;}}{LE-HEIGHT:1;MARG-TOP:0.3125REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0;}}{LOR:#595959;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}PHOTO: JEROD HARRIS/GETTY {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:3.5REM;PADDG-RIGHT:3.5REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MAX-WIDTH:45.25REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 100REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}{CLEAR:BOTH;NTENT:" ";DISPLAY:BLOCK;FONT-SIZE:0.7REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.5REM;HEIGHT:0REM;VISIBILY:HIDN;}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}(1968-){LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;MARG-TOP:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}WHO IS WILL SMH?AFTER WILL SMH MET JEFF TOWN AT AGE 16, THE DUO LNCHED A HIGHLY SUCCSFUL RAP REER AS DJ JAZZY JEFF & THE FRH PRCE. SMH STARRED ON THE S THE FRH PRCE OF BEL-AIR FOR SIX SEASONS, BEFORE TABLISHG HIMSELF AS A HOLLYWOOD A-LISTER WH BAD BOYS (1995) AND INPENNCE DAY (1996). HE HAS SCE HEADLED SUCH POPULAR FILMS AS MEN BLACK (1997) AND HCH (2005) AND EARNED OSR NOMATNS FOR ALI (2001) AND THE PURSU OF HAPPYNS (2006). SMH ALSO EARNED ACCLAIM FOR CONCSN (2015), BEFORE RETURNG TO ACTN FARE WH SUICI SQUAD (2016).EARLY LIFESMH WAS BORN WILLARD CARROLL SMH JR. ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1968, PHILALPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, TO MOTHER CAROLE, A SCHOOL BOARD EMPLOYEE, AND FATHER WILLARD C. SMH, A REIGERATN PANY OWNER. HIS MIDDLE-CLASS UPBRGG SAW HIM ATTEND THE STRICT OUR LADY OF LOURS CATHOLIC SCHOOL, SPE HIS FAY'S OBSERVATN OF THE BAPTIST FAH. HE WENT ON TO ATTEND OVERBROOK HIGH SCHOOL.HIS WT PHILALPHIA NEIGHBORHOOD WAS A MELTG POT OF CULTUR WHERE ORTHODOX JEWS -EXISTED WH A LARGE MLIM POPULATN. SMH WAS A GOOD STUNT WHOSE CHARMG PERSONALY AND QUICK TONGUE WERE RENOWNED FOR GETTG HIM OUT OF TROUBLE, A TRA FOR WHICH HE SOON GAED THE NICKNAME "PRCE.''SMH BEGAN RAPPG AT AGE 12, EMULATG HERO LIKE GRANDMASTER FLASH BUT TGEG HIS RHYM WH A EDIC ELEMENT THAT WOULD LATER BEE HIS TRAMARK. AT 16 SMH MET FUTURE LLABORATOR JEFF TOWN AT A PARTY. THE PAIR BEME IENDS, AND THE DUO DJ JAZZY JEFF & THE FRH PRCE WAS BORN.MIC CAREERAS TEENS, DJ JAZZY JEFF & THE FRH PRCE BEGAN PRODUCG MIC BUT STEERED CLEAR OF THE GANGSTA RAP SOUND THAT WAS EMERGG OM THE WT COAST BY GROUPS LIKE N.W.A. THE FRH PRCE RAPPED ABOUT TEENAGE PREOCCUPATNS A CLEAN, CURSE-EE STYLE THAT MIDDLE AMERI FOUND SAFE AND ENTERTAG. THE PAIR'S FIRST SGLE, "GIRLS A'T NOTHG BUT TROUBLE," WAS A H 1986. THEIR 1987 BUT ALBUM, ROCK THE HOE, H THE BILLBOARD TOP 200, AND MA SMH A LNAIRE BEFORE THE AGE OF 18. THE EARLY SUCCS PUT ANY THOUGHTS OF ATTENDG LLEGE OUT OF SMH'S MD. EARLY ON, WAS REPORTED THAT SMH HAD TURNED DOWN A SCHOLARSHIP TO BOSTON'S ELE MASSACHETTS INSTUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT), BUT SMH LATER DISPELLED THE MOR WHEN HE TOLD AN TERVIEWER: "MY MOTHER, WHO WORKED FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD OF PHILALPHIA, HAD A IEND WHO WAS THE ADMISSNS OFFICER AT MIT. I HAD PRETTY HIGH SAT SR AND THEY NEED BLACK KIDS, SO I PROBABLY ULD HAVE GOTTEN . BUT I HAD NO TENTN OF GOG TO LLEGE." IN 1988, DJ JAZZY JEFF & THE FRH PRCE NTUED THEIR SUCCS WH THE ALBUM HE'S THE DJ, I'M THE RAPPER. FEATURG THE RAD-IENDLY SGL "PARENTS JT DON'T UNRSTAND," "BRAND NEW FUNK," AND "NIGHTMARE ON MY STREET," THE ALBUM WON THE FIRST-EVER GRAMMY AWARD FOR BT RAP PERFORMANCE. IT WAS FOLLOWED 1989 BY AND IN THIS CORNER..., WHICH NTUED THE PAIR'S RISE TO STARDOM.MOVI AND TV SHOWS'THE FRH PRCE OF BEL-AIR'TWO YEARS LATER, SMH BEGAN HIS CROSSOVER TO ACTG. DRAWG ON HIS EXPERIENC WH FLEDGLG STARDOM, NBC SIGNED SMH TO HEADLE A S ABOUT A STREET-SMART KID OM PHILALPHIA WHO MOV WH STUFFY RELATIV THE POSH LOS ANGEL NEIGHBORHOOD OF BEL-AIR. PLAYG ON HIS RAPPER PERSONA, AND AT TIM FEATURG HIS IEND TOWNE, THE FRH PRCE OF BEL-AIR WAS A HUGE SUCCS THAT RAN FOR SIX SEASONS. MEANWHILE, SMH AND TOWNE NTUED PRODUCG MIC, THEIR 1991 ALBUM HOMEBASE PRODUCG THE HS "SUMMERTIME" AND "RG MY BELL." THEIR FAL ALBUM TOGETHER, 1993'S CO RED, WAS NOTABLE FOR "BOOM! SHAKE THE ROOM."'WHERE THE DAY TAK YOU' AND 'SIX DEGRE OF SEPARATN' WHILE STILL MAKG THE FRH PRCE OF BEL-AIR, SMH BEGAN A SEND CROSSOVER TO MOVI. SMALL ROL THE DRAMA WHERE THE DAY TAK YOU (1992) AND THE EDY MA IN AMERI (1993) WERE FOLLOWED BY A CRILLY ACCLAIMED LEAD SIX DEGRE OF SEPARATN (1993). HOLDG HIS OWN ALONGSI {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}DONALD SUTHERLAND, STOCKARD CHANNG AND IAN MCKELLEN, SMH PLAYED A STREET-WISE GAY HTLER WHO NS HIS WAY THROUGH ELE CIRCL.'BAD BOYS' SMH'S FIRST STEPS TO SUPERSTARDOM ME WH HIS NEXT FILM, BAD BOYS (1995). THE HIGH-BUDGET P MOVIE SAW HIM TEAM UP WH IC MART LAWRENCE, BREAKG AWAY OM THE BLACK-P-WHE-P FORMULA THAT HAD BEEN SO SUCCSFUL FOR BEVERLY HILLS COP AND THE LETHAL WEAPON SERI. THE TWO BLACK LEADS PROVED AN STANT SUCCS AND SMH — PLAYG THE SMOOTH LADY KILLER TO LAWRENCE'S CLOWN — WAS TABLISHED AS LEADG MAN MATERIAL.'INPENNCE DAY'SMH NEXT TOOK ON THE EPIC SCI-FI FLICK INPENNCE DAY (1996), A ROLE THAT NFIRMED HIM AS A MAJOR PLAYER HOLLYWOOD AND THE GO-TO GUY FOR SUMMER BLOCKBTERS. HE PLAYED A PILOT LEADG THE UNTERATTACK AGAST VADG ALIEN FORC, AND HIS EDIC TALENTS EFFORTLSLY TRANSFORMED TO THE PHY ONE-LERS ALL ACTN HERO NEED TO BE ABLE TO DROP WHILE DISPATCHG THEIR ENEMI.'MEN BLACK' AND 'ENEMY OF THE STATE' SMH FOUGHT ALIENS AGA HIS NEXT BLOCKBTER, THE IC SCI-FI ACTN FILM, MEN BLACK (1997). PLAYG OPPOSE TOMMY LEE JON, SMH CHEWED UP THE SCREEN AS THE NEW REC TO JON' OLD HAND. SMH RAPPED THE THEME SONG, AND S CLN ON HIS 1997 SOLO ALBUM, BIG WILLIE STYLE, BROUGHT THE MULTI-TALENTED ACTOR MORE SUCCS. ANOTHER BLOCKBTER FOLLOWED WH THE SLICK NSPIRACY THRILLER ENEMY OF THE STATE (1998), WHICH EARNED SMH AN NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMATN FOR OUTSTANDG ACTOR A MOTN PICTURE.'WILD WILD WT' AND 'THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE' THE STRG OF HS ME TO AN END 1999 WH WILD WILD WT, A SCI-FI WBOY WTERN -STARRG KEV KLE. DPE THE FILM'S LACKLTER BOX-OFFICE PERFORMANCE, THE TRACK SMH CUT FOR THE FILM BEME A H ON HIS 1999 ALBUM, WILLENNIUM. THE GOLF MOVIE THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE (2000) WAS HIS NEXT BIG FILM, WH SMH PLAYG THE DDIE TO MATT DAMON'S OUT-OF-SORTS SWGER.OSR NOMATN FOR 'ALI' THE 2001 BPIC ALI, BASED ON BOXG LEGEND MUHAMMAD ALI, GAVE SMH THE OPPORTUNY TO REGA HIS BIG-SCREEN SWAGGER. HIS TURN AS THE CHARISMATIC BOXG GREAT SAW SMH PUT THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS LIFE, TRAG AND DISCIPLG HIMSELF TO EXTRAORDARY LENGTHS TO DO JTICE TO THE ATHLETICISM — AND EGO — OF THE TULAR CHARACTER. THE FILM UNRWHELMED AT THE BOX OFFICE SPE A RERD-BREAKG OPENG DAY, BUT SMH'S PERFORMANCE WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO GARNER HIM HIS FIRST AMY AWARD NOMATN.'MEN BLACK II,' 'BAD BOYS II' AND 'I, ROBOT'A UPLE OF SEQUELS WERE NEXT, WH SMH REPRISG HIS ROL MEN IN BLACK II (2002) AND BAD BOYS II (2003). NEHER WAS A FLOP, BUT NEHER MATCHED THE IMPRSIVE BOX-OFFICE TAKE OF S PRECSOR. STAYG WH THE SCI-FI ACTN THEME, SMH MOVED ON TO I, ROBOT 2004. THE ISAAC ASIMOV ADAPTATN FEATURED SMH AS A FUTURISTIC P VTIGATG A MURR BY A ROBOT AND THEN BATTLG A ROBOT SURGENCY. THE FILM PERFORMED WELL, GROSSG MORE THAN $144 LN DOMTILLY.'HCH' AND 'THE PURSU OF HAPPYNS' SMH'S SMOOTH-TALKG CHARMER PERSONA WAS PUT TO E THE 2005 ROMANTIC EDY HCH, PLAYG A DATG NSULTANT WHO HELPS LUCKLS GUYS WH THEIR ROMANTIC MOV. SMH ALSO PENNED THE THEME SONG AND CLUD ON HIS 2005 ALBUM, LOST AND FOUND. HCH WAS A MASSIVE SUCCS, AND WAS FOLLOWED 2006 BY ANOTHER CRIL AND FANCIAL H, THE PURSU OF HAPPYNS (2006). STARRG ALONGSI HIS REAL-LIFE SON JAN, SMH PTIVATED DIENC WH THE STORY OF A SGLE FATHER WHO HAS TO BUILD A LIFE OM SCRATCH. HE RECEIVED HIS SEND AMY AWARD NOMATN FOR BT ACTOR FOR HIS PERFORMANCE.'I AM LEGEND' IN 2007, SMH STARRED I AM LEGEND, A REMAKE OF THE CHARLTON HTON FILM OMEGA MAN, WHICH HE BATTLED BLOODTHIRSTY VAMPIR. THE FILM BEME A NATNAL AND TERNATNAL H.'HANCK,' 'SEVEN POUNDS,' AND 'MEN BLACK 3' SMH THEN TOOK ON THE DUAL ROLE OF ACTOR AND PRODUCER FOR HANCK (2008), WHICH HE PLAYED AN ALHOLIC ANTI-SUPERHERO, AND FOR SEVEN POUNDS (2008), ABOUT A MAN WHO SETS OUT TO CHANGE THE LIV OF SEVEN PEOPLE. HE ALSO HELPED PRODUCE TWO MORE FILMS RELEASED THAT YEAR, LAKEVIEW TERRACE AND THE SECRET LIFE OF BE. AFTER A HIAT, SMH RETURNED TO THE BIG SCREEN 2012 WH MEN BLACK 3, FOLLOWED BY A TURN AS A ARY MANR THE CRILLY PANNED M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN SCI-FI FLICK AFTER EARTH, WHICH -STARRED SMH'S SON JAN. HE THEN MA A MEO AS LUCIFER THE FILM WTER'S TALE (2014). 'FOC,' 'CONCSN,' 'SUICI SQUAD'SMH'S NEXT LEADG ROLE ME WH THE 2015 HEIST PER FOC, -STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE. LATER THE YEAR, HE STARRED AS DR. BEN OMALU THE SPORTS DRAMA CONCSN, EARNG A GOLN GLOBE NOMATN FOR HIS ROLE AS A DOCTOR FIGHTG TO RAISE AWARENS ABOUT HEAD TRMA NFL PLAYERS. IN 2016, SMH STARRED THE DC COMICS BLOCKBTER H SUICI SQUAD, WHICH BEME HIS MOST SUCCSFUL FILM SCE 1996'S INPENNCE DAY. THE SAME YEAR, HE ALSO TOOK ON A MORE SOMBER ROLE AS A FATHER WHO LOS HIS YOUNG DGHTER THE DRAMA COLLATERAL BETY. ALTHOUGH A FOLLOW-UP ENAVOR, BRIGHT (2017), WAS THOROUGHLY PANNED BY CRICS, DIENC RPOND MORE POSIVELY TO THE URBAN FANTASY CRIME FLICK.'ALADD,' 'GEMI MAN' AND 'BAD BOYS FOR LIFE'IN FEBARY 2019, SMH ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE RETURNG FOR THE SUICI SQUAD SEQUEL. AROUND THAT TIME, A MERCIAL DURG THE GRAMMY AWARDS REVEALED HIM AS A WISECRACKG GENIE GUY RCHIE'S LIVE-ACTN ADAPTATN OF DISNEY'S ALADD, WHICH WENT ON TO TOP $1 BILLN AT THE GLOBAL BOX OFFICE. NEXT UP WAS ANG LEE'S GEMI MAN, WHICH HAD SMH PULLG DOUBLE DUTY — WH HELP OM DIGAL TECHNOLOGY — AS A 50-YEAR-OLD ASSASS ASSIGNED TO KILL A 23-YEAR-OLD VERSN OF HIMSELF.THE A-LISTER CLOSED OUT THE YEAR BY VOICG SUPER AGENT LANCE STERLG THE ANIMATED SPI DISGUISE, ALONGSI TOM HOLLAND, BEFORE OPENG 2020 WH A RETURN TO HIS SUCCSFUL P-BUDDY ANCHISE BAD BOYS FOR LIFE.PERSONAL LIFESMH HAS BEEN MARRIED TWICE. HIS FIRST MARRIAGE, TO SHEREE ZAMPO 1992, LASTED ONLY THREE YEARS BUT PRODUCED A SON, WILLARD SMH III (B. 1992), ALSO KNOWN AS TREY. HE HAS BEEN MARRIED TO ACTRS JADA PKETT SMH SCE 1997. THE UPLE'S SON, JAN, WAS BORN 1998, AND THEIR DGHTER, WILLOW, WAS BORN 2000. SMH LEANS POLILLY LIBERAL AND HAS MA DONATNS TO THE PRINTIAL MPAIGNS OF BARACK OBAMA. SMH IS A FAN OF CHS AND VIO GAM AND IS KNOWN TO TAKE HIS MOTHER ON VATN EVERY YEAR, UALLY TO THE CANYON RANCH SPA TUCSON, {BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK FACTS
He also played a gay character The Cryg Game (1993).
(Photo: Jason Merrt/Getty Imag)6 / 24Isaiah Washgton - In 1996, former Grey's Anatomy star Isaiah Washgton played half of a gay uple on their way to the 1995 Milln Man March Washgton, D. Played by Harry Lennix and Washgton, the gay lovers are on the verge of separatn. He drops a bomb on Gloria the film when he out of the closet as a gay man.
WILL SMH IS GAY? SHOCKG EXPLORG THE TTH BEHD THE RUMORS AND DEBUNKG SPECULATNS
(Photo: Jason Merrt/Getty Imag)8 / 24Rockmond Dunbar - Rockmond Dunbar, bt known for his leadg role as Kenny Chadway on the crilly-acclaimed televisn seri Soul Food, played a gay man Punks (2000) and Dirty Lndry (2006), which his character was a magaze edor. (Photos: Mry Phillips/WireImage)9 / 24Vg Rham - Vg Rham portrayed a drag queen the televisn movie Holiday Heart (2000) and a gay man I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007). Mackie tackled the role of Perry — an art stunt who was on the search for love while simultaneoly learng the roots of the Harlem Renaissance via an olr gay man — wh grace.