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Most famous openly gay (American) actor?

Meredith Baxter from the 80's program "Family Ties" just came out today. She has been in a long term relationship (4 yrs) and wanted to stop the tabloids from making it out to be a big deal.

But frankly, who cares if they are happy then it isn't anyones concern.

The biggest homophobe I ever encountered was a woman who would not watch or allow her children to watch "Finding Nemo" because Ellen provided a voice to a character and she was gay.

sheesh
 
Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilly. Way back in the 60's and early 70's.

--Ted

See, I think that whole thing is incredibly funny. Today, we can view their shows on the Game Show Network, and they are both extremely camp. To me, at least, it seems obvious that they're both gay. Same with Liberace.

And yet, I've talked with my grandmother, who was around and watching these game shows when they originally aired, and according to her, no one at the time ever dreamed any of those three men were anything but heterosexual.

She has a stunted view of things then, because Charles Nelson Reilly and Paul Lynde may have been in the closet, but the door was wide open and they were in fact waving to people from inside.
 
The biggest homophobe I ever encountered was a woman who would not watch or allow her children to watch "Finding Nemo" because Ellen provided a voice to a character and she was gay.

sheesh
Does she also think that if someone touches a gay person, then the formerly straight person will become gay? It's TRUE!
 
The biggest homophobe I ever encountered was a woman who would not watch or allow her children to watch "Finding Nemo" because Ellen provided a voice to a character and she was gay.

sheesh


She might as well never watch a movie or tv show again. And her clothes were prbably designed by a gay too, looks like it's animal pelts for her!
 
The biggest homophobe I ever encountered was a woman who would not watch or allow her children to watch "Finding Nemo" because Ellen provided a voice to a character and she was gay.

sheesh


She might as well never watch a movie or tv show again. And her clothes were prbably designed by a gay too, looks like it's animal pelts for her!
The animals might have been gay.
 
Is Richard Simmons considered an actor 'cuz I can't think of a more openly gay American on TV...
 
Is Richard Simmons considered an actor 'cuz I can't think of a more openly gay American on TV...


He's not gay, he's asexual, I think he just loves everyone. :) Has he ever dated a guy? If he has I never heard around it, which is amazing.

^Some people are just idiots. Live and let live I say.

In her case, die and let die. She is just spreading her stupidity to her children.
 
Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilly. Way back in the 60's and early 70's.

--Ted

See, I think that whole thing is incredibly funny. Today, we can view their shows on the Game Show Network, and they are both extremely camp. To me, at least, it seems obvious that they're both gay. Same with Liberace.

And yet, I've talked with my grandmother, who was around and watching these game shows when they originally aired, and according to her, no one at the time ever dreamed any of those three men were anything but heterosexual.

She has a stunted view of things then, because Charles Nelson Reilly and Paul Lynde may have been in the closet, but the door was wide open and they were in fact waving to people from inside.
Being comedic, campy, "safe" gays that played to the stereotype made it easy. Macho leading men like Rock Hudson hade it tougher.
 
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).
I think that the general opinion about James Dean is that he was bisexual, especially since he pretty much admitted it himself ("I don't want to go through life with one hand tied behind my back" comments), is known for having had relationships with both men and women, and was madly in love with Annamaria Pier Angeli... I don't think that many people believe he was gay, and it's hard to do so since there's too much evidence that contradicts it.
 
Anne Heche (Six Days, Seven Nights)
Not exactly gay... at least not consistently so :p
Relationships


Heche and Ellen DeGeneres


In the early 1990s, Heche dated both Another World costars Richard Burgi and David Forsyth.[3] She also dated musician Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac for a year in the early 1990s. Some speculate that she is the subject of Buckingham's barbed song "Come." Others speculate that he wrote "Down on Rodeo" on the Under the Skin album about her because he can be heard saying "Do you hear me, Annie?" at the end. Heche dated comedian Steve Martin for two years. She is rumored to be the basis for Heather Graham's character in Bowfinger, although Martin denies it.[4]
Heche's relationship with comedian Ellen DeGeneres and the events following their breakup became subjects of widespread media interest. The couple started dating in 1997 shortly after the famous "Puppy Episode" of DeGeneres' sitcom Ellen. At one point, the two said they would get a civil union if such became legal in Vermont. They also worked on film and TV projects together. They broke up in August 2000.
Shortly after the split, Heche began dating cameraman Coley Laffoon, whom she met while Laffoon was filming a comedy special for DeGeneres. They were married on September 1, 2001. Their son, Homer, was born six months later, on March 2, 2002. The couple formally separated in late January 2007.[5] Laffoon filed for divorce on February 2, 2007.[6] After a long-running court battle over spousal and child support, Heche and Laffoon reached a divorce settlement on March 4, 2009, two years after they separated.[3][7][8]
Sources say Heche left her husband for Men in Trees co-star James Tupper.[9] The couple reportedly moved in together in August, 2007.[10] Their son, Atlas Heche Tupper, was born over the weekend of March 7-8, 2009.[11]
 
I'd say the top 3 are:

Neil Patrick Harris-- Possibly not an A-list MOVIE star right now but his characters on Doogie Howser & How I Met Your Mother have become major TV icons. His versatile talent will likely keep him in the spotlight for decades to come.

Ellen DeGeneres-- One of the first major celebrities to come out of the closet while at the height of her popularity. Hers is probably the playbook that should be followed by any future celebrities coming out. Most importantly, she was never deceptive about it prior to her coming out and she quickly returned to being, you know, entertaining.

Rosie O'Donnell-- The anti-Ellen. Her militancy has done severe damage to her image. She seemed to lose sight of being entertaining immediately after she outed herself. Plus, I think that, in retrospect, her faux schoolgirl crush on Tom Cruise felt too much like an intentionally deceptive charade.
 
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