Gay actors old hollywood
From salacious rumors and fun scandals to some pivotal names in LGBTQ + history, here are just a few of the biggest stars. With a devilishly handsome smile and a towering height of 6'3", Cesar. Keep reading for our list of the stars that lived with sexual secrets. Anthony Perkins, best known for his portrayal of Norman Bates in the film Psycho, was a married father of two.
Rumors. A look at 10+ LGBT stars of Old Hollywood, featuring famous gay actors and actresses who made history. This list highlights iconic celebrities from the past, including the men and women who shaped the movie industry. Tommy Kirk, known for his roles in beloved Disney films like “Old Yeller,” saw his career abruptly end when rumors of his homo𝓈ℯ𝓍uality emerged in the early s. Disney terminated his contract, forcing him to leave Hollywood.
Older gay actors are breaking stereotypes and advocating for increased LGBTQ+ representation both on and off screen. Their visibility and open discussions about their sexual orientation help challenge societal norms and create more inclusive narratives. Let's state the obvious: Being a gay celebrity during the days of Old Hollywood was no walk in the park. The threat of exposure was real and ever-present for these entertainers.
Per Tyrnauer, studio contracts contained so-called "moral clauses" that could instantly vaporize a lucrative career. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department's vice squad were all too willing to bust celebrities, often working in cahoots with the press in their quest to hobble reputations. Definitively name-checking these stars is impossible, as they were all in the closet throughout their careers. SFGate cannily suggested that "gossip is where the real truth lies" in this arena, and there's plenty of gossip to spare.
Bowers has proven to be loose-lipped on the subject, and sordid "tell-alls" like the Hollywood Babylon series — written by author and filmmaker Kenneth Anger — have kept the speculation swirling for decades. Here's a roundup of Old Hollywood stars who were reportedly gay. As could be expected given that statement, Dean reportedly had to address rumors about his sexuality during his lifetime.
According to Salon , Dean once claimed, "No, I'm not homosexual, but I am also not going through life with one hand tied behind my back. Judging by other reports, Dean may have occasionally enjoyed going through life with both hands tied behind his back. He'd reportedly wait outside Brando's apartment like a "puppy dog," and ask Brando to burn him with cigarettes during sex per the Daily Mail.
Composer Alec Wilder claimed "they were definitely a couple," adding, "Of course, the words 'sexual fidelity' would be unknown in each of their vocabularies.
famous gay actors of the 50s and 60s and 70s
Brando wasn't Dean's only alleged same-sex conquest. In the book James Dean: The Biography , author Val Holley claimed Brackett "took [Dean] in when almost no one else believed in him" and felt their relationship was the real deal, as noted by Real James Dean. In her book, Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox , author Lois Banner claims Marilyn Monroe "desired women, had affairs with them, and worried that she might be lesbian by nature" via The Guardian.
In regards to that last escapade, transcripts of Monroe's therapy sessions with Dr. Ralph Greenson suggest that she once bragged, saying, "Oh yes, Crawford. We went to Joan's bedroom. Crawford had a gigantic orgasm and shrieked like a maniac. After Monroe and baseball legend Joe DiMaggio divorced in , he reportedly told journalist Walter Winchell that their relationship ended because of Monroe's preference for women.
The actress reportedly bedded two of her acting teachers, Paula Strasberg and Natasha Lytess, and reportedly dumped the latter in a "brutal" fashion, refusing to take Lytess' calls. Opening up further about the end of the affair, Lytess claimed, "She said she was the needy one. Alas, it was the reverse. It was Scotty Bowers — the aforementioned "pimp for Hollywood's closeted movie stars" via NPR — who first shared this particular piece of gossip with the author.
Bowers claimed Tracy was one of several stars he "serviced" out of a gas station located on Hollywood Boulevard and North Van Ness Avenue, and he swore he slept with Tracy "on numerous occasions. At the opening-night party for the documentary, Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood , in August , IndieWire reportedly asked Bowers a particularly pointed question: "So how gay was Spencer Tracy?
To that end, there are rumors that Tracy and Kate Hepburn's alleged decades-long affair wasn't quite what it seemed. Everyone in Hollywood knows this is true, but of course I haven't seen it printed anywhere. He claimed a typical request from Hepburn would sound something like this: "When you get a chance, do you think you can find a nice young dark-haired girl for me? Someone that's not too heavily made-up.
Bowers and Hepburn allegedly became quite chummy over the course of five decades, and the author claimed to have procured "over different women" for the four-time Oscar winner. He also suggested that Hepburn was rather fickle and would only see each woman "once or twice, and then tire of them.