Closeted (gay) actors formerly on the soaps

[Maxim]

Don't remind me. 

And keeping the topic on - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joanna-johnson-lesbian-bold-and-the-beautiful_n_1515489

Sorry if this has been posted before. I was just struck by this.

"I was so worried I wouldn't be employable as an actress if people knew I was a lesbian," she said. "Or that I wouldn't be believable in romance stories. I had to deal with a lot of self-loathing."

Heartbreaking what she had to fight through. 

[Soapsuds]

Go to divorce court.

I was shocked JJ was a lesbian.

 

[Contessa Donatella]

Why do you think you were shocked?

[Soapsuds]

I don't know. I just was..

And as Blanche nicely put it.....a man has more to offer....know what I mean?

Which Dorothy replied.... I know... Mark Purpur was running for class president and his campaign slogan was vote for me and I'll show you my weewee!

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@Maxim

[Maxim]

I always vote. 

https://xtramagazine.com/culture/my-day-at-the-bold-and-the-beautiful-31354

- More about JJ's journey of coming out. Fascinating read.

 

[Contessa Donatella]

Did he say before JJ did? I would have guessed JJ. 

I looked at a post I made last year, elsewhere, and it has dates for these two.

Joanna Johnson May 14, 2012

Greg Rikaart June 29, 2013

So, from that, it appears she was first woman & he was first man. Everyone wins!!! When she came out she was not on B&B at that time but she would be back on B&B later. When Greg came out, he was on a soap. Vive la difference. 

I would note, however, that Rita Mae Brown outed Susan Flannery in a memoir ©1997.  So there's a "winner" in the category of outed by a friend. 

Oh, no! Here's an earlier date, but it wasn't like JJ or Rikaart, but Joel Crothers, who sadly died of AIDS, was outed May 10, 2012. 

Seems like 2012-2013 there's a hotbed of activity of soap actors coming out or being outed, according to circumstances. 

And just because it exists, here is a picture of William Roerick & his long time partner Thomas Coley. Both were actors who also wrote. 

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Edited June 4, 2024 by Contessa Donatella
combine

[Contessa Donatella]

Well, that's okay.

I was thinking about the people who were simply always out. Farley Granger said he was always out. Never saw any point to being in. Dennis Parker also said he was always out. The remarkable thing to me is that he, an employee of conservative P&G, was known to have been a porn actor before he began on EON. 

That seems to me to be an odd quid pro quo, One vote for one full frontal?

[TheyStartedOnSoaps]

Kevin Spirtas (Dr. Craig Wesley Days of our Lives) was on the Locher Room and said he was in a long-term relationship with Timothy Patrick Murphy (Mickey Trotter Dallas & Search for Tomorrow) back in the early 80s

[j swift]

Someone should correct (or amend) his wiki

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Edited June 4, 2024 by j swift

[Soapsuds]

Which is William?

Loved me some TPM!!

[Contessa Donatella]

I think he's on the left. 

[John]

Murphy and Mark Patton did in fact date while Murphy was on Dallas. It was part of Patton's doc, Scream Queen

Edited June 4, 2024 by John

[Soapsuds]

Seriously, who wouldn't want to date Timothy Patrick Murphy?

He was

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[Contessa Donatella]

Laura Wright tells the most delightful story on herself. Her first job, LOVING, and she was quite naive. She & PAS were romantic scene partners. She had this monstrous crush on him and she was sure it was reciprocated!!! I can only imagine the kinds of hoops that PAS jumped through to be polite and not hurt her feelings!!!! Hmm, it's possible this may not work when I tell it on her. Much better when she tells it on herself. 

[j swift]

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This just came up on my timeline, and it made me think of this topic, even though it is not exactly soap related

Rhetorically, here's what I wonder in 2024.  Obviously, there are still people who are going to try to scare actors into not coming out, because they depend on a percentage of their income for their livelihood.  I mean, if it can happen to this guy who Ryan Murphy specifically cast to play a gay character, then it could happen to anyone.  BUT, with social media, and the use of parasocial relationships to advance careers, do young actors still care about such bad advice?  For example, if there's a gay actor on DAYS playing a romantic lead, but showing his actual life on Instagram, would it matter if an agent said to stop it?  Or, would a production dare to make that demand in the current cultural (and litigious) environment? I hope not (but, obviously, there is no way of knowing).

I think there is clearly a difference between actors who choose not to live their lives publically, and agents/managers telling people to stay in the closet.  So, I'm not talking about actors who censor themselves, but I am surprised that there are still open discussions amongst their teams in terms of staying closeted.  Perhaps, I've lived in LA too long and have become jaded about such issues.

Edited June 5, 2024 by j swift