When Leading Men Prefer Men
Some say Americans want leading men to be handsome, virile, sexy, and straight.
May 16, 2007— -- People in dark movie theaters will believe just about anything. A boy magically becoming "Big" overnight, the Terminator recast as a pregnant woman…and "Bennifer" in an unconventional romantic comedy. Okay, that last one didn't quite work out, but at least Hollywood took a shot.
But some people say that one thing Hollywood, and audiences, won't believe in, is an openly gay actor playing a leading man.
Chad Allen, former child star of shows such as "Our House" and "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" believes that Hollywood is still not accepting of actors "coming out" and then playing lead romantic roles. "I think it's the last great hurdle that we have to overcome," said Allen.
"Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" was a top-ten television hit, and Allen's face was on the cover of teen magazines worldwide. But he now says he was living a lie, keeping secret the fact that he was gay. "Everywhere I went, teenage girls followed me around screaming. And inside, I'm going, 'You have no idea,'" Allen said.
In 1996, Allen was outed by a tabloid, and his team of publicists, agents, and managers shifted into crisis mode.
"Everybody sat around with me in the middle, saying, 'You're gay? What are you going to do? What are we going to do?'" he recalled.
While openly gay actors can still get work, there is almost an unwritten rule in Hollywood that romantic roles go to straight actors or those who hide their sexual orientation. Jess Cagle, People Magazine's assistant managing editor, says, "Hollywood is terrified of alienating the audience."
Cagle says that although there are openly gay writers, producers, and executives in Hollywood, they "probably would not hire a gay actor."
And Allen says that his talent team told him they could "get [him] a girlfriend" if he wanted to cover up his sexuality. Allen ultimately decided not to keep his lifestyle a secret from the public and he feels he's paid a price.
"You know, you're talking to a guy who never stopped working from the time he was five years old. I came out, and it stopped," he said. "The year after Dr. Quinn was over, I couldn't get an audition for a pilot for the same network I worked six years in a top ten television series for."
