A recent survey reveals only 57% of gay actors feel they are able to be open about their sexuality to their agents without fear of it affecting the roles they play.
A recent survey reveals only 57% of gay actors feel they are able to be open about their sexuality to their agents without fear of it affecting the roles they play.
Last January British actor Rupert Everett told the Observer that he regretted coming out. 'For an actor to be working (at all) is a kind of miracle, because most actors aren't. So it's just silly for a working actor to say, 'Oh, I don't care if anybody knows I'm gay' ' especially if you're a leading man,' Everett said.
More than half of the gay actors surveyed admitted that they feared being type-casted if they came out.
'I have seen others sidelined due to their sexuality and I know that I have been sidelined too' an actor told Equity.
Despite the theatre's reputation for being one of the most gay-friendly institutions in the acting industry, a third of gay actors said they had experienced homophobia with 57% saying they had been discriminated against by other performers.
Survey comments suggested that lesbians felt they were even less supported in the industry than gay men.
'The representation of gay women in the media is usually of young feminine women. Casting directors are usually looking for a 'type' based on the heterosexual model. Which means you have to act straight regardless' one woman said.
Despite this, most actors surveyed said they would encourage others to come out. 'Being true to yourself is a step to being true to the character you play' an actor said.
Main photo is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, posted to Flickr by laverrue at http://flickr.com/photos/23912576@N05/2942525739
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