Is the issue really homophobia or is it how a star’s real-life identity – when it comes to their sexuality or anything else – bleeds into their screen persona?

One of the primary reasons the movie star is pretty much dead today is due to their own acts of deconstruction. Whether it’s politics or reality shows or interviews, we’re constantly faced with a lack of class and dignity, which in turn damages the brand. Great movie stars allow the public to project whatever they want into the image up on the screen. Or, through their personal behavior, a savvy star will feed into their screen persona. Regardless, it’s just a fact that the more an actor tells us — for good or bad — about who they really are, the harder it can be to see them in certain roles.

When it comes to openly gay actors, Richard Chamberlain and Rupert Everett would disagree. They blame a lack of acting opportunities on homophobia: 

“It’s complicated. There’s still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. It’s regrettable, it’s stupid, it’s heartless, and it’s immoral, but there it is,” [Richard Chamberlain] told the magazine. “For an actor to be working is a kind of miracle, because most actors aren’t, so it’s just silly for a working actor to say, “Oh, I don’t care if anybody knows I’m gay” — especially if you’re a leading man. Personally, I wouldn’t advise a gay leading man-type actor to come out.”

And while things have gotten better, he’s skeptical that attitudes have changed enough:

“Despite all the wonderful advances that have been made, it’s still dangerous for an actor to talk about that in our extremely misguided culture. Look at what happened in California with Proposition 8. Please, don’t pretend that we’re suddenly all wonderfully, blissfully accepted.”

The sentiment is shared by Rupert Everett, the ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ star who has been out for over twenty years.  (more…)

In what is becoming an annual rite of self-destruction, Broadway has once again chosen to snub many of the big-name stars who have put their film careers on hold to trudge onto the boards eight times a week, take a significant pay cut, and run the risk of being ridiculed for being unable to cut the mustard as a theatre actor  (As Alan Swan famously said before having to appear on live television in “My Favorite Year”:  ‘I’m not an actor, damn you, I’m a movie star!’).  This week’s announcement of nominees for Broadway’s top prize, the Tony Award, was more newsworthy for the names left off the list than for the relatively unfamiliar names singled out for the honor. 

Nathan Lane and John Goodman are selling tickets hand over fist for their revival of “Waiting for Godot” but neither received the honor of a nomination.  Same with David Hyde Pierce, Frank Langella, Mary Louise Parker and Matthew Broderick. 

It was no surprise that Jeremy Piven was included out of the Best Actor category after his famous sushi defense for missing performances in David Mamet’s “Speed-the-Plow,” but not honoring John Lithgow’s brilliant turn in “All My Sons” in the same category is a crime against humanity!  It ranks up there with the snub of Dustin Hoffman as Willy Loman in the 1984 revival of “Death of a Salesman.” Brian Dennehy was honored with the Best Actor award when he did Willy Loman in 2000, but that goodwill did not anoint him worthy of a nomination this year for his turn in “Desire Under the Elms.”  (more…)