Most famous openly gay (American) actor?

[Dusty Ayres]

Anne Heche (Six Days, Seven Nights)

Will Geer (The Waltons)-Was married, but had a relationship after marriage was over, IIRC

Raymond Burr (Perry Mason, Ironside)-his marriages were all bogus, designed to keep his true life a secret back in the '50's and '60's.

 

[bigdaddy]

Jodie Foster is a lesbian and recently (within the last year) broke up with her long time girlfriend.

 

[USS Triumphant]

I'm going to reiterate Ellen DeGeneres. People are dismissing her as "a talk show host", but I remember how huge it was when both she and her character came out on her sitcom. Wendy's pulled their ads, the Southern Baptist Convention boycotted Disney (parent company of ABC) until they realized it would mean boycotting ESPN and more-or-less gave up .

From my perspective, her coming out was THE gay moment of the 90s. But I'm "in the community", so the answer might be different for the general public.

 

[RoJoHen]

Lance Bass.

Best actor ever.

 

[Amaris]

I'm going to reiterate Ellen DeGeneres. People are dismissing her as "a talk show host", but I remember how huge it was when both she and her character came out on her sitcom. Wendy's pulled their ads, the Southern Baptist Convention boycotted Disney (parent company of ABC) until they realized it would mean boycotting ESPN and more-or-less gave up .

From my perspecitve, her coming out was THE gay moment of the 90s. But I'm "in the community", so the answer might be different for the general public.

I feel the same way about that particular event. Ellen coming out was huge.

J.

 

[IndyJones]

Lance Bass.

Best actor ever.

He played straight so badly that I knew that he was gay before I knew I was.

 

[Michael Chris]

Ellen, Jodie Foster, and NPH are the ones that stick out in my mind. I think NPH was in town for Thanksgiving. I keep hoping I'll run into him, but it just never happens. That dude is hysterical.

 

[dru]

Anne Heche (Six Days, Seven Nights

Didn't she give it up when she left Ellen and declared herself straight?

I'll add Richard Chamberlain to the list. He came out a few years ago, long after his peak.

Guillermo Díaz from Weeds, Mercy.

 

[bigdaddy]

Guillermo Díaz from Weeds, Mercy.

No fucking way! That is awesome!

 

[Nardpuncher]

This is quickly devolving into a "bash actors by calling them gay even if they're not" thread.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ian McKellen yet.

Also Alan Cumming and John Glover.

You must be reading a different thread or perhaps you went to college too hard and are too sensitive.
I guess you think the Tom Cruise one was just thrown in in the pejorative sense? It's not confirmed whether he's or not and either way, it's not the reason why so many people are averse to him nowadays.

 

[USS Triumphant]

I guess you think the Tom Cruise one was just thrown in in the pejorative sense? It's not confirmed whether he's or not and either way, it's not the reason why so many people are averse to him nowadays.

No, it isn't. That would be because of this.

 

[RandyS]

George Takei and Portia de Rossi are the only two America actors I can think of off the top of my head. John Barrowman also, but he mostly acts in the UK and has duel citizenship. Plus he's not very well known in the US.

de Rossi is actually Australian.

But it would possible to easily name a dozen openly gay actors who are fairly well known but I don't think you'll ever work out who the most famous (and does that include those about whom the truth came out about just before or after their death e.g Rock Hudson, Robert Reed, James Dean).

James Dean was gay? Huh. You really DO learn something new every day.

 

[bigdaddy]

The amount of people that came out last year is amazing. They should have came out a little sooner, aka before prop 8 bullshit. Better late than never!

 

[John Picard]

The amount of people that came out last year is amazing. They should have came out a little sooner, aka before prop 8 bullshit. Better late than never!

*A-Hem* The number of people. Amount is to be used when referencing a quantity that cannot be counted. Have a day.

 

[melancholymecha]

who's that actor who did a bunch of comedies in the 90's, one where he was Julia Roberts best friend? I think he might be British though...

-Rupert Everet-was that his name?

 

[exodus]

George Takei and Portia de Rossi are the only two America actors I can think of off the top of my head. John Barrowman also, but he mostly acts in the UK and has duel citizenship. Plus he's not very well known in the US.

de Rossi is actually Australian.

But it would possible to easily name a dozen openly gay actors who are fairly well known but I don't think you'll ever work out who the most famous (and does that include those about whom the truth came out about just before or after their death e.g Rock Hudson, Robert Reed, James Dean).

James Dean was gay? Huh. You really DO learn something new every day.

The rumor is he was bi-sexual.


Nobody mentioned: Andy Dick

 

[OmahaStar]

Nobody mentioned: Andy Dick

For good reason.

 

[captcalhoun]

who's that actor who did a bunch of comedies in the 90's, one where he was Julia Roberts best friend? I think he might be British though...

-Rupert Everet-was that his name?

Rupert Everett is indeed A)Gay and B)British.

 

[bigdaddy]

The amount of people that came out last year is amazing. They should have came out a little sooner, aka before prop 8 bullshit. Better late than never!

*A-Hem* The number of people. Amount is to be used when referencing a quantity that cannot be counted. Have a day.

Actually no.

a⋅mount

  /əˈmaʊnt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [uh-mount] Show IPA Use amount in a Sentence

See web results for amount

See images of amount

–noun 1. the sum total of two or more quantities or sums; aggregate. 2. the sum of the principal and interest of a loan. 3. quantity; measure: a great amount of resistance. 4. the full effect, value, or significance.
–verb (used without object) 5. to total; add (usually fol. by to): The repair bill amounts to $300. 6. to reach, extend, or be equal in number, quantity, effect, etc.; be equivalent (usually fol. by to): It is stated differently but amounts to the same thing. 7. to develop into; become (usually fol. by to): With his intelligence, he should amount to something when he grows up.

Or sum or total...

• sum: a quantity of money; "he borrowed a large sum"; "the amount he had in cash was insufficient"
• be tantamount or equivalent to; "Her action amounted to a rebellion"
• the relative magnitude of something with reference to a criterion; "an adequate amount of food for four people"
• total: add up in number or quantity; "The bills amounted to $2,000"; "The bill came to $2,000"
• measure: how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
• come: develop into; "This idea will never amount to anything"; "nothing came of his grandiose plans"
• sum: a quantity obtained by the addition of a group of numbers

None of them deal with numbers that can't be qualified.

Have a nice day.

 

[John Picard]

The amount of people that came out last year is amazing. They should have came out a little sooner, aka before prop 8 bullshit. Better late than never!

*A-Hem* The number of people. Amount is to be used when referencing a quantity that cannot be counted. Have a day.

Actually no.

a⋅mount

  /əˈmaʊnt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [uh-mount] Show IPA Use amount in a Sentence

See web results for amount

See images of amount

–noun 1. the sum total of two or more quantities or sums; aggregate. 2. the sum of the principal and interest of a loan. 3. quantity; measure: a great amount of resistance. 4. the full effect, value, or significance.
–verb (used without object) 5. to total; add (usually fol. by to): The repair bill amounts to $300. 6. to reach, extend, or be equal in number, quantity, effect, etc.; be equivalent (usually fol. by to): It is stated differently but amounts to the same thing. 7. to develop into; become (usually fol. by to): With his intelligence, he should amount to something when he grows up.

Or sum or total...

• sum: a quantity of money; "he borrowed a large sum"; "the amount he had in cash was insufficient"
• be tantamount or equivalent to; "Her action amounted to a rebellion"
• the relative magnitude of something with reference to a criterion; "an adequate amount of food for four people"
• total: add up in number or quantity; "The bills amounted to $2,000"; "The bill came to $2,000"
• measure: how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
• come: develop into; "This idea will never amount to anything"; "nothing came of his grandiose plans"
• sum: a quantity obtained by the addition of a group of numbers

None of them deal with numbers that can't be qualified.

Have a nice day.

People can be counted. Oh nevermind -- it's teh InterWeb, where people take pride in ignorance and the proliferation of misinformation as Teh Truth.