Jonathan Bailey urges other stars to COME OUT OF THE CLOSET ALREADY

I understand where he is coming from but most people seem to not know he’s gay in real life, or don’t believe it.

Good for him. People need to stop hiding

I agree and don't agree. If you are an actor that has a public side, by all means, come out. But if you're a private person that happens to be an actor and your life isn't lived in the gossip rags, then stay where you are.

r3, even the most private straight actors don't hide the fact that they date people of the opposite sex

R4 actually they tend to try.

r5, no, they don't. They don't hide their marriages or children either

R6 how does someone hide the person they’re married to and kids? I don’t think you know what private means.

r7, my point is that even if straight people are private you know they're straight. Only gay or bi people are expected to hide their basic orientation.

Yes. Everyone should be themselves, and. Actors should focus on acting believably in whatever role they are playing. They don't need to "be" the role, just embodfy it for awhile.

I thought it was a requirement for the male romantic lead in Bridgerton to be gay. The queen and Prudence Featherington are lesbians.

That "article" (copy and paste job from various interviews) refers to Nicki van Gelde as Bailey's assistant AND agent. Which is it?

He's right. Finally a gay man in Hollywood actually said it.

[quote] even the most private straight actors don't hide the fact that they date people of the opposite sex / my point is that even if straight people are private you know they're straight. Only gay or bi people are expected to hide their basic orientation.

R8 BINGO! Someone gets it.

Coming out is only something done at the beginning of your career to get attention or at the end of your career to get attention. If you're actually successful and getting paid millions, there is no reason to come out. You can hire a lawyer who will write up NDA's for your boyfriends and hookers.

[quote] That "article" (copy and paste job from various interviews) refers to Nicki van Gelde as Bailey's assistant AND agent. Which is it?

Whoever wrote that article is goddamned mess.

They incorrectly identified Shonda Rhimes as "Shondra Rimes."

I guess accuracy is not very important to them.

It's hard to take that article seriously, when they make stupid mistakes like that.

[Quote]Whoever wrote that article is goddamned mess.

It's understandable R14. I get into a mess just thinking about Mr Bailey.

“Should I come out of the closet when I’m not in one?”Tom Hardy insist he’s not in the closet so there!

He’s so fucking hot and has major chemistry with his love interest. He’s a very good actor.

It seems tricky because it seems a lot of gays and lesbians within the industry are out within the industry.

Queen Latifah has never come out but we all know about her longtime girlfriend and I’m sure everyone in the industry knows she’s a lesbian.

Same for Richard Madden. Same with Jodie Foster.

These people aren’t hiding. They’ve never spoken about it. But they don’t have to declare they’re gay just like straight people don’t have to declare they’re straight.

How do you normalize something by announcing it on magazine covers and interviews?

Is Richard Madden really gay, though?

I think he's actually bi.

[quote]These people aren’t hiding. They’ve never spoken about it.

Is this a koan?

I also like to add that not only is Tom Hardy not hiding in a closet he’s been open about his past with men since 2008 and:

“Hardy never said he was heterosexual. He didn’t say it in the initial interview or in any of his follow-up comments He never fully took back his 2008 comments either. He just said that his past experiences as a young adult with people of the same gender shouldn’t be reflected over his current life choices.”

Richard Madden and Tom Hardy are bi scums

[Quote]I think he's actually bi.

R19, come sit by me. I'll explain the stages of internalised homophobia and celebrity.

Is it possible that Richard Madden's relationships with Jenna Coleman and Ellie Bamber were genuine and sincere and his relationships with that guy who also dated Sam Smith and that Froy person are also genuine and sincere?

RM is definitely bi. I don't know why some of the DLers here can't accept that some of the men who like men also like women.

Oli, Oli, oxen free, You can ALL come out now, wherever you are! Be yourself! Don't waste your life hiding, and pretending to be something you're not.

[quote] These people aren’t hiding. They’ve never spoken about it. But they don’t have to declare they’re gay just like straight people don’t have to declare they’re straight. How do you normalize something by announcing it on magazine covers and interviews?

I find this to be a bit of a cop-out. You can say on a 'technical' level, no, they're not exactly hiding, per se. But they're not exactly living openly - to the public, as public figures - in the way their hetero counterparts do without even having to think twice about it, nor to the point where the greater public can identify it immediately. So, no, it's not the same thing. It's almost like a "Don't ask, don't tell" situation that folks still make excuses for. I'm not saying you have to plaster your relationship out there for public media consumption...but if we still have to 'guess' or 'wonder' or 'speculate' because it's treated like it's still this unspoken thing that we can't formally acknowledge openly, and that they refuse to themselves, then who are we kidding. It may not be hiding, but it's not exactly open either. It's this grey space we've rationalized away, even to the point of preferring it to people who have the guts to truly live openly. A glass closet is still a closet.

Straight people don't have to declare they are straight because we live in a straight, hetero-normative world.

You normalize something by unapologetically living it out in the open without giving a damn, without apologizing for it, without 'making it smaller', without rationalizing ways to not really acknowledge it, etc. By openly acknowledging your significant other (in whatever various ways) exactly as your hetero counterparts do with theirs.

People have to do what's comfortable for themselves, it's a personal decision.

^ Lying and/or denial is never usually comfortable R28.

R13 Curiously, Bailey doesn't fit what you are saying. He came out after a long career in theatre and some tv projects. He is way more famous right now (he got his higher profile role after coming out).

And he is discreet about his private life, so he didn't came out for attention.

And yes, some of the fans of the show have problems to accept he is gay, but that's because he is a good actor.

R18, straight people "come out" every time they mention girlfriends, boyfriends, or spouses. If straight people don't hide their relationships then gay people shouldn't either

Some may take courage in this song.

There is a thing called glass closet. DL's current obsession, Manu Rios from Elite is not out officially, but everybody assumes he's gay.

But Manu has zero problems discussing his male crushes.

There was a recent article in Spain about him and described him as a flamboyant child (they mentioned two other actors who were kids auditioned for the same role, saying they can't or want to hide their flamboyance, one of the actors is openly gay right now, i don't know they other but it surprised me the way they talked about them, specially because they were kids back then).

I don't think Manu will come out as gay (he will probably said queer or fluid) and the guy is too handsome to come out so soon, specially when all his prominent roles are gay ones

I’d fuck that wig right off him!

He’s right. It’s getting ridiculous all of the obviously gay people that still won’t come out and have beards. It looks ridiculous.

To be fair, it's not remotely the same not coming out than faking straight relationships. Not even close

Yeah, it isn't really our business who they fuck but if the constantly parade that fake bullshit around, they see trying to make it public business AND lying.

[quote] Is this a koan?

R20 wins the thread! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[quote]even the most private straight actors don't hide the fact that they date people of the opposite sex

Jonathan Bailey is on Bridgerton with another actor, Luke Thompson who absolutely won't discuss his private life.

But also how often does that actually come up in an interview? People don't generally get asked point blank if they're gay or straight. That's a faux pas.

If someone is bringing it up, it's usually for a reason.

R41, they don't even have to be asked about it. They reveal they are straight by taking their opposite sex partners to events or being papped with them

Ben Whishaw refused to discuss his personal life until it was reported that he had married man.

Luke Evans was openly gay when he was a musical theatre actor, then he butched up and took on some film roles and became "ambiguous" even being "linked" to various women. Then he officially came out (again).

The thing is, straight actors can use their relationships for extra PR coverage, giving them further PR exposure. The same goes for closeted actors and their beards. But, the wild and crazy dating life of gay celebrities? For a gay actor's management, that's TMI! The most what you get are gay couple profiles, like Nate Berkus and his boyfriend showing off their home in an Architectural Digest clip.

It's different for him. He was not really known until very recently. A character actor can be openly gay with little to no consequence, but still in 2022 an openly gay actor cannot carry a franchise playing a straight guy.

[quote] There is a thing called glass closet. DL's current obsession, Manu Rios from Elite is not out officially, but everybody assumes he's gay.

In Hollywood, your career prospects are much better when you are assumed to be gay than when you are known to be gay.

[quote] 2022 an openly gay actor cannot carry a franchise playing a straight guy.

Bailey's doing a good job doing just that.

Here's a distillation of the entire Bridgerton second season featuring a lot of his scenes with Kate, the love interest. This lets you determine if he's any good without watching hours and hours of the show.

Pimping your family as part of the PR game is disgusting.

Only idiots care about that crap, and not the work produced, youknow--acting!

That's all fine and good for him. He's gorgeous, so coming out will have less consequences if you are a reasonably established actor. Up and coming actors that aren't ass pretty or haven't appeared in popular shows or films will have a tougher time.

Really crap writing in Instinct.

They can’t even cut and paste accurately: “award-winner actor’s inner circle were interviewed, including his assistant Nicki van Gelder.”

Yet, in the original: “Nicki van Gelder, who has been [Jonathan] Bailey’s agent since he was 15, laughed when told about this reticence.”

Just a tad difference between agent and assistant.

[Quote] I don't know why some of the DLers here can't accept that some of the men who like men also like women.

[Quote] He’s right. It’s getting ridiculous all of the obviously gay people that still won’t come out and have beards. It looks ridiculous. Henry C.

Exhibit A

Thanks for that handy time-saver, R47.

Here's Jonathan playing straight again. This was posted about 5 years ago, and it's his audition for "Last Five Years."

He's singing and acting in this clip, and he shows us how to use hair as an acting crutch.

How do we know he is gay not bi?

R54 why the fuck does it bother you? He's got a fuckin boyfriend, he might even prefer boys even if he was bi. Years from now you shitheads will start wondering if actor that has a fuvkin boyfriend is pansexual or not, you all have no chill whatsoever.

It's all BS. Closeted people, actors or not, don't owe the gay community anything. People like Jonathan Bailey need to fuck off and mind their own business.

R54 Considering he identifies as gay, not sure what you're even asking.

Um, Jodie Foster gave a big, long-winded speech about being a lesbian at some Awards show.

Jodie coming out publicly. WARNING: sleep-inducing ramble involved.

[quote] It's all BS. Closeted people, actors or not, don't owe the gay community anything.

Nobody should ever come out for the sake of "his" community. That is true. It should be one's personal choice to come out to get rid of the huge, crushing weight off one's shoulder which hiding in the closet puts on people. If you come to the point where suicide is a viable option to end the misery, come out. Choose life and your self-respect, and find yourself a support system that doesn't reject you based on sexual identity.

R59 Anyone with a brain could tell jodie was a big dyke if they watched her in freaky Friday.

It is easier for gay actors In committed relationships to come out than for those who are single and have an active sex life with multiple partners. The heteronormative life with spouse & children is more acceptable. It’s also harder to cover up a spouse & children without hurting them.

R60 Not every closeted person is miserable because of it, nor is coming out required for self-respect. It seems to be required for the respect of the community, but fuck that and fuck them.

[quote] Not every closeted person is miserable because of it, nor is coming out required for self-respect.

Nothing in that sentence makes any sense unless you are a total psychopath who is ok with living a lie to get what he wants.

Are there any openly gay actors that have played straight in a leading role that have been successful? I mean if it wasn't an issue in terms of box office, I think it wouldn't be a problem. But that doesn't seem to be the case. It's not going to be the same for women actors who are out, that's for sure.

R65 You know exactly shit about it.

[quote] [R65] You know exactly shit about it.

I know more about human emotion and psychology than you, psychopath.

R69 Yes, you know how to Google, very impressive. Do STFU, and get over this delusion that you understand the lives and choices of others.

Blocking you now, btw.

It sucks when this day and age is all about representation, truth, adding letters to the LGBT flag yet so many actors are scared to admit who they are. You’re straight, bi or gay. It’s not rocket science. You’re acting when you’re doing a scene with someone who sexuality is not aligned with yours off screen but on screen it’s about the acting and believability factor. Middle american house fraus are living vicarious through these hallmark movies so they need to believe male actor is straight and female is straight as if it’s them in the role. Bradley Cooper is a prime example of this. Concocting a fake “did they or didn’t they” with GaGa on the movie set was peak fake PR. The fact she went along with it was a bit shocking considering her LGBT alliance. Tom Cruise went to a brain washing cult to “wash away the gay” and his movie career soared. He’s now void of sexuality and his robotic personality is proof. Whitney Houston was bullied into being “straight” by her religious overbearing mother so she turned to drugs to numb her pain and ruined her own life but worse off brought an innocent child into a hell life which ended just as tragic. Being open from the get go will save a lot of headache and heartache and maybe begin to normalize being gay or bi with the conservative creeps.

[quote] Do STFU, and get over this delusion that you understand the lives and choices of others.

That's rich coming from a total psycho who thinks

[quote] (Not every closeted person is miserable because of it, nor is coming out required for self-respect. ) [bold] It seems to be required for the respect of the community, but fuck that and fuck them. [/bold]

is true.

r71. Hollywood is a business built on outdated values where the mainstream will like actors, and their movies / TV shows more when they are relatable (straight, for example). And, for the longest time, justified discrimination with "we want to make (the most) money and not risk easy to make failures by casting the wrong kind of lead and make less money".

[quote]Are there any openly gay actors that have played straight in a leading role that have been successful? I mean if it wasn't an issue in terms of box office, I think it wouldn't be a problem. But that doesn't seem to be the case. It's not going to be the same for women actors who are out, that's for sure.

Ian McKellen in X Men.

R74 Well that isn't exactly the point I was making. By leading man, I meant someone that women find attractive and straight men like as well. You know, like a Brad Pitt.

R67, it’s not about whether or not there is a gay man who has successfully played a straight role in a box office success; it’s about the fact that gay men wouldn’t even get the chance to prove that they could do that.

If not for Shonda, Jonathan wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to play the lead on a successful show. (That wasn’t an ensemble.) Even then it was only for a season. (I do love him, though.) Hell, look at television: while Ryan Murphy and Greg Berlanti love hiring out gay actors, you can count the times on a few fingers they made those actors the lead in a tv show. Although, Ryan managed to fill a cast with gay men in, “The Boys in the Band” remake which bombed on Netflix. Fire Island pulled it off but that wasn’t a movie in theaters

Bros will be the first movie of its kind but if it bombs at the box office, it will be a while before people take a risk on something like this.

As Matt Bomer once implied when discussing his career after he came out, the people that aren’t hiring gay men are usually other gay men in Hollywood. The decision makers. He refused to go into more detail about it.

R76 I get your point that gay man should be given the opportunity. I'm just saying that because it hasn't happened. Gay closeted actors are afraid to take the risk. And I understand that. I don't like it and I'm sure they hate it.

The thing is, you can either despair that it has not happened yet (in blockbuster movies) or celebrate the instances where it has happened, like Hallmark movies, movies and shows like Bridgerton on regular TV and streaming platforms.

And yeah, financial support (buying tickets for gay entertainment in movie theaters or join streaming platforms for their gay entertainment and let them know why you joined them) matters.

Shitting all over gay entertainment, because it's not good enough? Yeah, that surely will produce better gay entertainment and will motivate closet cases to come out. /s

These "I'm gay" articles are always such a humble brag. I never see one without the guy shirtless. Do publicists insist upon it? Or do they do it as if to say "Gay is okay when you're smoking hot..."?

I don’t think Madden is bi. He either used these women to hide his truth while he struggled with his sexuality, or they helped him put outa straight image. Full on gay now. Let’s see which sex he chooses after Froy. My guess it will be male.

Jonathan Bailey was sexy and excellent in the British mockumentary W1A so I looked him up and saw he was gay. So cool, although he wasn't out at the time of the series.

Then I saw him in a few clips of Bridgerton (which frankly, is unwatchable) playing a romeo and nailing it. I said to my partner, I bet 70 percent of fraus in love with this guy don't know he's gay and would be devastated. My partner says "he's gay???"

His sphincter flaps in the wind. He needs to stfu and mind his own business.

Bailey is about to costar with Matt Bomer in Fellow Travelers, a series about two gay lovers in the time of McCarthy. Wonder how that will go over.

Why did you bump an old thread to link to a more active thread?

What the hell is wrong with you?

R84 Because I thought it related to this topic.

There are a lot of actors where it's very hard to find out if they've ever had a partner. And I can't believe all of those actors are gay.

So I think there are straight actors who prefer to keep their private life that way, especially if their partner doesn't want the publicity.

That said, it's definitely much more common for a gay actor to play the "I'm a private person" card. Not that I'm being critical because I'm the same. I'm not an actor and I'm not fully in the closet. I'm out to my close family and friends, but I've never told work colleagues because I prefer not to. Deep down I know that if I was straight I probably wouldn't be as "private".

Like someone said above, I agree and don't agree.

My take on all of it is: I really don't want to know much about an actor's life period, whether they are straight or gay, man or woman or trans, what have you.

I know too much about Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts' private lives (or what we're told about them) to be able to now see or hear anything but that noise when I watch them.

My opinion isn't about shame or wanting anyone to be in the closet. But if I were an actor, I'd want my personal life to be the blankest canvas imaginable so that the audience (film, TV or stage) would see the portrayal, and not who I blew in the parking lot of a nightclub the night before.

Actors who play popular characters are besieged by fans who think they ARE the character they play. They can’t understand that an actor looks like the character, but his personality (and life) is completely different. He is just playing the part.

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