Closeted (gay) actors formerly on the soaps

[j swift]

Watch this video essay on Kevin Conroy (AW - Jerry Grove, SFT - Chase Kendall, and Dynasty -Bart Fallmont) - I enjoy the work of Matt Baume

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Edited December 24, 2022 by j swift

[Soapsuds]

Thanks for sharing this. I didn't know Kevin was gay. I enjoyed him on Dynasty but I don't recall his time on SFT.

[Paul Raven]

Not sure where to pst this but this thread seemed appropriate.

Variety March 1969 reviewed the 'The Boys in the Band' for a second time, now that the original cast had moved on to LA and London productions.

Most of the roles were taken by soap performers, many who were gay IRL

Michael Lipton

Konrad Matthei

David O'Brien

Matthew Tobin

Leon Russom

Christopher Bernau

Ted LePlat

Harold Scott and David Daniels were other castmembers.

Interesting that so many closeted actors would take on gay roles on stage.

 

[Soapsuds]

I'd say about 90% of the male Dallas cast was closeted gay. I can't believe there were so many. Most were the supporting cast except for Dack Rambo.

Actors married to other women while living with their partner, lover, boyfriend.

[Paul Raven]

90%??

Ok we need some names ...Timothy Patrick Murphy and Tom Fuccello are 2 that come to mind but you obviously have alot more.

[Contessa Donatella]

If you use a rule of thumb that someone has been outed then you're not outing them, then an author outed Connie Ford when she wrote a biography of Louise Fitzhugh who wrote the "Harriet the Spy" books. 

[GymnastGuy]

I believe Russom and LePlat are str8?

[j swift]

I don't know how Leon Russom identifies his sexuality, but he was married to Karen Grassle (Ma on Little House on the Prairie) for many years, and there are easily google-able stories about him marrying a second time to a woman who is the "love of his life."

Edited August 17, 2023 by j swift

[GLATWT88]

Who do we know? I'm really so unaware when it comes to these things.

 

Also, I looked up Chris Bernau's wiki (I've been watching a lot of 1981 GL) and saw that he died of AIDS related complications in the 80s. My first assumption was he may have been gay

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I did see his name on the list up a few posts, so seems it's true. Do we know if he was out to cast or if he had any partners? 

[Sapounopera]

I am not sure most of these people were really in the closet. They just didn't care to expose their personal lives to a very specific audience. 

GL's Don Stewart did the same thing and didn't mention his wife in interviews. 

[Contessa Donatella]

It's my understanding that he was out to everyone at GL & to a wide gay community in either NY or where ever he hung his hat. It was also suggested to me that when people told a tale about how he got some exotic disease on his travels & that's what he died of, that he would not have wanted people to make that up. 

[Sapounopera]

I think you are right about that and this is probably the truth about most of the people we are talking about. They opened the way for younger generations by being themselves and we should all be thankful.

[Soapsuds]

Ben Piazza

Most of the supporting male cast were gay. Too many to name.

@GLATWT88

[j swift]

Every time we come back to this discussion, there's always a lot more speculation about men than women.  Sure, the usual actresses are mentioned, but it is a small percentage compared to the men that are discussed.  Obviously, some of that is because this topic is dominated by male posters. 

However, practically, I wonder if it was "easier" for women in the 1970s and 1980s to stay closeted?  I would hypothesize that unmarried women were considered more common because it was easy to imagine that a lead actress wouldn't have the time for a husband and children.  I mean, one never reads a profile of Joanna Johnson or Maureen Garrett where they asked about dating. 

Just food for thought...

Edited August 17, 2023 by j swift

[Contessa Donatella]

Yes, I know I am. 

I think soap journos knew who was gay & had enough sense not to ask!! 

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