Zachary Quinto recently opened up about being an openly gay male actor in Hollywood, and how there is still a stereotype surrounding the community.
In a recent interview with The Independent, the 45-year-old ‘Star Trek’ actor noted that there has been an “incredible explosion of visibility” for the LGBTQ+ community on-screen, “particularly in the trans community.”
However, he pointed out that coming out can change how the casting directors and audiences perceive actors. Quinto explained,
“There’s still a tremendous amount of fear around particularly openly gay men in our industry.
There is this long-held and stubborn belief that to identify as an openly gay man on some level means you’re inherently less masculine, inherently less believable as a straight character.”
The “American Horror Story: NYC” star continued by sharing how there are still actors who hide their true selves because they believe that their careers will be better off that way.
“There are still actors who believe their careers are better served by not acknowledging their authentic selves. That’s their prerogative, but I think we’re part of a movement that is unstoppable,” he expressed with optimism for the LGBTQ+ community.
Moreover, Quinto is currently starring as Sam in the latest season of ‘American Horror Story: NYC,’ which has a primary plot of “a serial killer victimizing gay men,” as per Collider. The horror anthology series airs every Wednesday at 10p.m. ET/PT on FX, and it is also available for streaming on Hulu.
Sources: indiewire.com, collider.com, harpersbazaar.com
I find it amazing that just the article prior to this, the writer comes down like a ton of bricks on Candace Cameron Bure for working for a production company that will concentrate on portraying “traditional marriages” but remains oddly silent about the system that keeps gay actors in the closet in this article. I don’t remember Ms. Bure saying anything disparaging about LGBT people nor did she attack same-sex marriages. Just that her new channel will focus on faith and heterosexual love stories. That’s all. Yet, Mr. Quinto highlights how the secular Hollywood industry, which is supposed to be “loving, tolerant, open-minded, and LGBTQ+ supportive,” to this day keeps gay actors in the closet. This probably leads to higher rates of depression, drug & alcohol abuse, suicidal attempts, and other self-destructive behaviors among closeted gay performers. Still, not a word of criticism from the gay press. I guess so long as Hollywood toes the current liberal, cultural line, they get a free pass, don’t they?
Happy that there what seems to be a lot of gay men who are out and acting. I hope that fact encourages others to come out as well.