There’s a perception that while US actors have to stay in the closet, in Britain you can be out and proud and nobody will care. However that’s a perception that’s largely created because of the number of well-known gay British actors there are (Rupert Everett, Alan Cumming, Russell Tovey), rather than any empirical evidence.
To try and get a better insight into being a gay actor in the UK, the performers’ union, Equity, conducted a survey of gay actors to try and find out what life is like for them in 2012. It paints a mixed picture to say the least. While 81% of respondents said they were openly gay in their professional life and 94% were open to performers they are working with, 43% said they wouldn’t be so open talking to their agent. Perhaps most worrying, 35% of respondents said they have experienced direct homophobia in their professional lives.
The last two statistics have been described as ‘troubling’ by Equity equalities officer Max Beckmann, who said “This goes some way to explaining that many respondents say they weigh up whether or not to come out on a job by job basis, and while not hiding their orientation often do not ‘broadcast it’. Comments also suggest that actors remain fearful that coming out will hinder their prospects of being cast in certain roles such as romantic leads.”
On the plus side he notes, “The finding that 81% of survey respondents are out in their professional lives and that 73% found the decision to be out easy is hugely encouraging and suggests an industry in which it is safe to be out.”
It’s particularly interesting that comparatively few actors have come out to their agents. In the US it is agents (and casting directors) who are often blamed for keeping actors in the closet. A fear that it will affect an actor’s career – and therefore the agent’s 10% commission – means it’s believed many will strongly encourage their clients to keep they sexuality hidden. It seems this is incredibly common in America, where young actors have the fear of God drummed into them about staying in the closet if they want to get roles, but it would appears UK professionals feel there may be some truth to it as well.
Actors do seem divided on whether being out and proud will hurt your career. Rupert Everett suggested in a 2009 Observer interview, that despite the fact he came out, “It just doesn’t work and you’re going to hit a brick wall at some point. You’re going to manage to make it roll for a certain amount of time, but at the first sign of failure they’ll cut you right off… Honestly, I would not advise any actor necessarily, if he was really thinking of his career, to come out.”
Others have rejected his interpretation, feeling that he’s merely blaming a lull in his ridiculously successful on being openly gay, when few actors reach and sustain the heights he briefly managed whether they’re gay or not. Ben Daniels reacted to Everett’s comments saying “I would never advise anyone to stay in the closet to further their careers – I’m sure it leads to big fat gay ulcers. There are actors I know who won’t come out, and I can see it crippling them as human beings. It’s a great shame that people can’t be who they are in the 21st century, and people won’t let them be who they are.”
President of Equity, Malcolm Sinclair takes a rather measured view of the survey findings, saying: “I have never felt that being gay has worked against me but the finding in Equity’s own survey that just under half of all gay performers are not out to their agent in the UK is worrying. But then work is scarce and, whether sexuality is a barrier or not, people may just err on the side of caution. They don’t want to test the water to see if it’s all right. I think the great issue today is the nightmare problems facing gay teenagers in coping with vicious bullying in schools.”