Staying in the closet is one of the things lots of actors do in Hollywood, and indeed all over the world, for fear that their sexuality will ruin or limit their careers. This month we explore that theme in classic gay comedyĀ Straight-JacketĀ for our June instalment of the aptly namedĀ Celluloid Closet.
Straight-JacketĀ is set in 1950s Hollywood when being gay was not something you publicly revealed especially not when youāre a leading actor. Guy Stone (Matt Letscher) is at the top of the Hollywood ladder, desired by women and imitated by men. Behind the shiny perfect exterior though lies a man who enjoys hooking up with other men as his manager Jerry (Veronica Cartwright) covers his tracks and makes sure no one suspects a thing.
Convinced into a sham marriage with fan Sally (Carrie Preston), Guy canāt keep his sights (or hands) off fellow actor Rick (Adam Greer). As his affair threatens to be exposed Guy has to decide if being openly gay is worth risking his career for?
The subject matter ofĀ Straight-JacketĀ is an all too familiar one with celebrities across the world hiding their true sexuality in fear that revealing it may end their careers. Whilst it certainly isnāt the case for everyone ā singer Will Young and actor Zachary Quinto being two good examples ā some stars have criticised the way theyāve been treated after coming out. Rupert Everett has long proclaimed that being openly gay has harboured his career.
One of the problems seems to be the perception that audiences canāt believe a gay actor in a straight role if they know the actor is gay. This logic makes no sense. Surely if an actor is good at his/her craft, regardless of their sexuality, they should be able to convince you. After all we doubt that Michael C. Hall regularly kills people like his alter-ego Dexter or that Ian Somerhalder has years of experience as a vampire. This notion is simply ridiculous and short-sighted.
Sadly though we live in a society where outing someone is praised yet we donāt see people desperate to out anyone as straight do we? InĀ Straight-JacketĀ Guyās attitude isnāt one of fear but one that believes his star power will prevent the truth from ever being revealed. He receives a bit of a shock when the scandal around his sexuality threatens to ruin his career but a smart move by his manager straightens things out (pardon the pun).
Matt Letscher is superb in the lead role of Guy Stone. Loosely based on Rock Hudson, he plays the character with a confident swagger that both endearing and ultimately his downfall. Weāre used to seeing Letscher play supporting roles in shows likeĀ Entourage,Ā Eli StoneĀ andĀ Brothers and SistersĀ but here he proves he has leading man potential. His interaction with bothĀ True BloodāsĀ Carrie Preston and his on-screen lover Adam Greer is fantastic and he plays both relationships to his advantage.
Itās a sad state of affairs that 8 years sinceĀ Straight-JacketĀ was first released, the pressure is still there for gay celebrities to keep hiding in the closet. The way in which the media aggressively outs people is sickening but times do seem to be changing. RecentlyĀ The Big Bang TheoryāsĀ Jim Parsons came out and the announcement was met with barely any reaction at all. We hope one day to live in a world where people are defined by what they do rather than their sexuality. Gay or straight does it really matter? Hopefully one day Hollywood wonāt care either and the Guy Stones of this world can concentrate more on what theyāre good at and less on hiding who they really are from the world.
Straight-Jacket is available on DVD now through TLA Releasing.