Closeted (gay) actors formerly on the soaps

[Xanthe]

Could there also have been an assumption that the audience was mostly female and would be interested in the love lives of the male stars in a way that they would not be for the female stars?  

[Contessa Donatella]

P&G at EON had an openly gay actor who was a gay porn star before he began acting on EON. One of his names was Dennis Parker. I can't think what his other name is right now. Oh, wait, I'll look it up. Wade something I think. Yes, as a straight actor he was Wade Nichols. He also had a hit record, disco. "Like an Eagle" His character was Dereck Mallory. 

Farley Granger & Robert Calhoun were open, always to anyone. 

I think it's odd that Susan Flannery has never come out because she was outed years & years ago by famous author Rita Mae Brown in her memoir Rita Will. She said she had a lot of nerve thinking she could date someone as open as she was/is & be in the closet. 

Joel Crothers we lost to the damned plague. Also Samuel D. Ratcliffe, writer. The only person that surprised me was William Roerick. 

David Oliver & Wesley Eure were fired for being gay, AW & DAYS respectively. I think the same  NBC purge got them both. 

Edited August 17, 2023 by Donna L. Bridges
2 posts

[j swift]

Totally, it is just remarkable how the sexuality of women gets less speculation

[Contessa Donatella]

The flip side of that is that lesbians have an invisibility factor. 

@danfling  The two DS actors you mentioned? Both are straight. I got it from a gay man who is a rabid DS fan. 

[Paul Raven]

As I stated most (not all ) of the cast were gay. Russom and LePlat were two who were not.

[Broderick]

I think it's a little inaccurate to describe Dennis Posa as an "openly gay actor who was a gay porn star".  

When I was growing up, he was a well-known heterosexual porn actor who'd appeared in one gay flick, along with a couple of dozen hetero flicks.

I would describe him simply as a "performer", who applied himself in a variety of different genres, including hetero porn, gay porn, mainstream television, and music.

As for his personal life and how "openly gay" he was --I've got no idea.  I didn't know him personally.  Some people have opined that he was Jacques Morali's boyfriend; some people have assumed he slept with Jacques Morali in order to get a record contract with Casablanca Records; some people have suggested he was just Jacques Morali's good friend. 

I'd say those of us who enjoyed his work should enjoy him for what he was -- a guy who did it all.   lol.   

[Paul Raven]

Two other actors I don't believe have been mentioned

Palmer Deane (Hank the Doctors)

Wayne Hudgins (Beau Spencer As The World Turns)

[Efulton]

Wesley Eure has stated publicly that he was fired for being gay.  I have never read anything about David Oliver being fired at all let alone for being gay.  I understood that his contract was up and he chose not to renew it.  Where did you read that David Oliver was fired? 

[Contessa Donatella]

I'm sorry. This is a case of it being so long ago that I no longer recall. However, it was common knowledge BITD among some AW fans & Charles used to talk to him & would tell fans how he was doing but perhaps the best confirmation for you would be his cause of death as listed on Eddie Drueding's AWHP which is AIDS related illness. 

[Contessa Donatella]

I feel like you think I'm being negative about him or critical, when I am not. But I first learned about him in this therialtoreport.com/2017/06/25/wade-nichols/ and I found him to be so interesting that I tried to find out more & often I listen to his music on YouTube. If I got something factually wrong, I'm sorry but what I said is reflected in what I read about him. And, of course the fact that EON knew & didn't care but P&G of course did care & did not like it one bit, is just of interest because I'm a soap fan. And I can see how your description of him as a performer in several genres is apt. 

[Broderick]

Oh no, I don't think you're being negative or critical about him at all.

I was just a little surprised to see him described as a "gay" porn actor, as based on my experiencing of his various blue movie roles, his music adventures, and his role as a police chief, I tended to think of him more as a "jack of all trades", lol.  

Edited August 18, 2023 by Broderick

[Contessa Donatella]

Okay, great! 

Your descriptions of him are just more swashbuckling than mine! I think yours are better! 

[GymnastGuy]

Here is a great article about Dennis Parker/Wade Nichols from The Edge of Night.  At the time of his death his partner was Joey Allan Phipps who was the first Kelly McGrath in 1980:

https://www.therialtoreport.com/2017/06/25/wade-nichols/

[Efulton]

It was common knowledge that he was fired or that he was gay?  I knew he was gay and died of aids.  His last episode as Perry aired in May 1985 and he did not die until November 1992. I’m not sure how dying of aids 7.5 years after leaving AW proves he was fired for being gay.  I really think it’s important to make sure you can back statements like these with facts.

[Contessa Donatella]

You said, "I have never read anything about David Oliver being fired at all let alone for being gay." So, I attempted to address both issues. His dying of AIDS-related illness relates to his being gay. Only, of course. I should think that would be obvious. 

And, it was common knowledge that he was a victim of one of the purges & was fired for being gay. So, common knowledge for both. I'm sorry that I don't have a cite for you, but in this instance I simply do not. You certainly can consider this disputed knowledge if you choose to.