Even after he was outed by the gay press in 1994, and called "The Madness of Queen Nigel," and "Yes Minister, I'm Gay," by British tabloids, he merely brushed off the insults as trashy. Similarly, Hawthorne, who was to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in The Madness of King George (1994), professed not to understand why one should be an activist. He never discussed his homosexuality or his relationship with his manager Tony Forwood, claiming that who he was could be seen in his movies and discovered in his autobiographies.
Two years later, in The Servant (1963), Bogarde portrayed a predatory homosexual who destroys a home's quiet domesticity.ĭespite his daring in accepting these parts at a time when they may have damaged his career, Bogarde was notoriously reticent about his private life. After becoming England's Rock Hudson in the 1950s, starring in comedies and romances, Bogarde had taken a daring step by appearing in the 1961 film Victim, in which he played a lawyer who was blackmailed for his homosexuality. Living in rural France, Bogarde remained aloof and distant, offending British actors who wanted his distinguished reputation behind their lobbying efforts. His silence at the time of the McKellen controversy must have been both considered and painful. But he had led a circumspect life for many years, his homosexuality widely known and accepted, but not discussed. Gielgud, one of the greatest stage actors of the century, and the winner of an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Arthur (1981), had been outed years ago by his arrest in a public restroom. Interestingly, Sir John Gielgud, Dirk Bogarde, and Nigel Hawthorne remained silent during the McKellen controversy, yet they were among the best known gay actors in England.
A comparable scenario to this one in Hollywood at the time is impossible to conceive. Openly gay British actors Stephen Fry, Alex McCowen, and Simon Callow came to McKellen's defense. Three years later when McKellen was knighted, gay British filmmaker Derek Jarman attacked him for accepting the honor and for his congenial ties with a homophobic government. Still closeted at that time were many other highly respected actors, some of whom, such as Nigel Hawthorne, would later be outed by others. In 1988, Ian McKellen outed himself as he spoke on BBC Radio against pending anti-gay government regulations. Let's not forget what R30 has also stated, many British gay actors simply couldn't come out because homosexuality was a criminal offense before 1967. Of course, I'm not saying it's correct for them not to come out, but these are simply a few of the reasons 'why' these famous actors and actresses don't/can't come out. There is a whole other area between liberal NY and California and beyond.
ALAN BATES MOVIE
People seem to forget that so many fans of these movie stars are rednecks and religious fanatics. There's a hell of a lot of people whose careers are dependent on the careers of the 'big star'.īesides, their 'images' for one thing might be totally 'ruined' by coming out. They are/were famous! Unlike the rest of the world, their careers also affected many others careers, like their managers, agent, their lawyers, their co-stars, basically anyone involved in films they were signed to do. What's my point? My point is, Bates, as well as many other actors and actresses didn't or couldn't come out for various reasons.