Much has been made of Milk and Brokeback Mountain recently, but of course gay characters have been at the Oscars for a long time. The following actors were nominated for playing openly gay or bisexual characters. (*indicates an Oscar win):

Peter OToole Lawrence of Arabia 1962
Al Pacino Dog Day Afternoon 1975
Chris Sarandon Dog Day Afternoon 1975
John Lithgow The World According To Garp 1982
Robert Preston Victor/Victoria 1982
Cher Silkwood 1983
William Hurt Kiss of the Spider Woman 1985*
Bruce Davison Longtime Companion 1990
Tommy Lee Jones JFK 1991
Jaye Davidson The Crying Game 1992
Tom Hanks Philadelphia 1993*
Greg Kinnear As Good As It Gets 1997
Ian McKlellan Gods and Monsters 1998
Geoffrey Rush Quills 2000
Javier Bardem Before Night Falls 2000
Ed Harris The Hours 2002
Philip Seymour Hoffman Capote 2005*
Heath Ledger Brokeback Mountain 2005
Jake Gyllenhal Brokeback Mountain 2005
Felicity Huffman TransAmerica 2005 (Were there any straight characters nominated in 05?)
Judi Dench Notes on a Scandal 2006
Sean Penn Milk 2008*

And of course, Rex Harrison was nominated for playing Julius Caesar in Cleopatra in 1963 who was supposedly bisexual, even though that didn't come out in the movie.

And were not too sure about Joel Grey in Cabaret, Sal Mineo in Rebel Without A Cause or Tom Courtenay in The Dresser

Are there any others?

There is no indication of it in Lawrence of arabia the film and in reality there is only some scholars who suspect lacking solid evidence.

Despite the lack of evidence, the film is so bad that it hurts. Peter O'Toole looks terrible. I have a lot of friends interested in cinema and they all agree that Lawrence of Arabia is really bad. Lawrence looks like a sissy boy trying to be cool and to look like a strong guy, honestly I cannot understand why the film is so praised. Maybe it's the first of a kind but it certainly is the worst of a kind.

so Daniel, why exactly do you dislike Lawrence of Arabia?

You missed Salma Hayek for Frida.

Oh yes, "Frida". I knew there was at least one I forgot. Thanks Joshua.

Daniel have you seen Lawrence of Arabia in theaters? I too used to think it wasn't nearly as good as hype had said, then I saw it in theaters...

I didn't like it mostly for two reasons - Peter O'Toole and his make-up(he is supposed to be a "macho" but he looks like a femine man) and unnatural behaviour/bad acting of the whole cast.

He's not supposed to be macho at all. The real T.E. Lawrence (yes, it's based on a real historical figure) was kind of feminine. He had a flamboyant personality, he was excessively vain, (almost obsessed with his own appearance) and he was widely rumored to be either bisexual or homosexual. He was also a great military leader who showed incomparable bravery. Peter O'Toole put all of that in his performance, but he didn't overdo it. It was fairly subtle. I think it's an almost perfect performance, quite frankly.

I'd like to make a point that unless i'm wrong none of those movies with "gay characters" ever won both Best Picture and Best Actor/Best Actress.


My impression of this is that the academy is willing to acknowledge the performance by an actor playing a homosexual but won't reward the film itself.

I agree with John Travolta on the matter. The Academy often recognizes(and occasionaly rewards)performances of gay characters mainly b/c it is still considered daring and risky(though I don't understand why in 2009 playing gay is risky). I think it's very unfortunate that incredible films like Brokeback Mountain and Milk were denied the best picture oscar. I am especially upset that some Academy voters refused to even see BM--how can you deliver a fair vote if you don't even see all the nominees? I hope that future films centered on gay characters receive much more recognition from the Academy.

I agree with Kevin and everyone else above (except Daniel).

John Travolta is right and I didn't even think about it when I was compiling the list that none of those movies won Best Picture.

Except "Lawrence" which of course is a stretch because we're not even sure that he WAS gay.

I agree with the rat though that he wasn't supposed to be macho. If you realize that the real T.E. Lawrence was a bit effeminate, then you'll appreciate the perofrmance more.

Andrew is also right that the movie is much better in theaters. I liked it somewhat when I first saw it (on video), but when I saw it in the theater I was blown away. Sure it's a little long and some of the supporting performances are a bit stiff, but it has a great narrative drive and it's one of the best visual films of all time.

You know why a "gay film" has never won Best Picture? Cause no "gay film" has ever deserved it.

Wow, you are missing a lot of others.

1940: Judith Anderson - Rebecca
1943: Claude Rains - Casablanca
1955: Sal Mineo - Rebel without a Cause
1958: Paul Newman - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
1959: Charlton Heston - Ben-Hur
1962: Peter O'Toole - Lawrence of Arabia
1963: Rex Harrison - Cleopatra
1966: Richard Burton - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
1966: George Segal - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
1969: Dustin Hoffman - Midnight Cowboy
1969: Jon Voight - Midnight Cowboy
1971: Peter Finch - Sunday, Bloody Sunday
1972: Joel Grey - Cabaret
1973: Jason Miller - The Exorcist
1975: Al Pacino - Dog Day Afternoon
1975: Chris Sarandon - Dog Day Afternoon
1977: Peter Firth - Equus
1982: John Lithgow - The World According to Garp
1983: Cher - Silkwood
1984: F. Murray Abraham - Amadeus
1985: Margaret Avery - The Color Purple
1985: Whoopi Goldberg - The Color Purple
1985: William Hurt - Kiss of the Spider Woman
1990: Bruce Davison - Longtime Companion
1991: Geena Davis - Thelma and Louise
1991: Tommy Lee Jones - JFK
1991: Susan Sarandon - Thelma and Louise
1992: Jaye Davidson - The Crying Game
1992: Stephen Rea - The Crying Game
1993: Tom Hanks - Philadelphia
1997: Matt Damon - Good Will Hunting
1997: Greg Kinnear - As Good As It Gets
1998: Ian McKellen - Gods and Monsters
1999: Angelina Jolie - Girl, Interrupted
1999: Catherine Keener - Being John Malkovich
1999: Jude Law - The Talented Mr. Ripley
1999: Chloe Sevigny - Boys Don't Cry
1999: Hilary Swank - Boys Don't Cry
2000: Javier Bardem - Before Night Falls
2000: Geoffrey Rush - Quills
2001: Russell Crowe - A Beautiful Mind
2001: Ian McKellen - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2002: Ed Harris - The Hours
2002: Salma Hayek - Frida
2002: Nicole Kidman - The Hours
2002: Queen Latifah - Chicago
2002: Julianne Moore - The Hours
2003: Charlize Theron - Monster
2004: Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby
2005: Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
2005: Heath Ledger - Brokeback Mountain
2005: Felicity Huffman - Transamerica
2005: Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain
2006: Judi Dench - Notes on a Scandal
2007: Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
2008: Josh Brolin - Milk
2008: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
2008: Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
2008: Sean Penn - Milk

Those are all performances that were either openly gay or bisexual, or have been speculated a lot AS being gay or bisexual.

Wow, awesome list. Was Matt Damon gay in Good Will Hunting?

I don't think he was, but it has been discussed on IMDb's message boards before. Some connected homoeroticism to Ben Affleck's character. I personally, don't see it. Lol.

Just because a guy takes his shirt off in a movie, or is good friends with another guy, or really looks up to another guy, doesn't mean he's gay.

If we go by "speculation" on message boards then the amount of straight characters nominated drops to about four.

We can't go by just speculation because it's completely argumentative. Hell, I don't agree with some of those. I think JWC got them right.

Not all of those are speculation...

1940: Judith Anderson in Rebecca
1955: Sal Mineo in Rebel without a Cause
1958: Paul Newman in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
1968: Daniel Massey in Star!
1969: Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy
1969: Jon Voight in Midnight Cowboy
1971: Peter Finch in Sunday, Bloody Sunday
1975: Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon
1975: Chris Sarandon in Dog Day Afternoon
1982: John Lithgow in The World According to Garp
1983: Cher in Silkwood
1985: Margaret Avery in The Color Purple
1985: Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple
1985: William Hurt in Kiss of the Spider Woman
1990: Bruce Davison in Longtime Companion
1991: Tommy Lee Jones in JFK
1992: Jaye Davidson in The Crying Game
1993: Tom Hanks in Philadelphia
1997: Greg Kinnear in As Good As It Gets
1998: Ian McKellen in Gods and Monsters
1999: Angelina Jolie in Girl, Interrupted
1999: Chloe Sevigny in Boys Don't Cry
1999: Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry
2000: Javier Bardem in Before Night Falls
2000: Geoffrey Rush in Quills
2002: Ed Harris in The Hours
2002: Salma Hayek in Frida
2002: Nicole Kidman in The Hours
2002: Julianne Moore in The Hours
2003: Charlize Theron in Monster
2005: Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote
2005: Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain
2005: Felicity Huffman in Transamerica
2005: Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain
2006: Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal
2008: Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona
2008: Sean Penn in Milk

Those are all gay, bisexual, or transgendered characters that were nominated.

Yes, this list is better than mine or your first one.

-You forgot Robert Preston in "Victor/Victoria" - openly gay.

-I think evidence is strong enough that we can add Rex Harrison for "Cleopatra" and Peter O'Toole for "Lawrence".

-I totally forgot (and agree with) Daniel Massey, Peter Finch, the two women each from "The Color Purple", "Boys Don't Cry" and "The Hours", Selma Hayek, and Penelope Cruz - all good calls. (I had originally indicated that it was an incomplete list and was asking for help.)

-Judith Anderson is only really going on an obscure interpretation of "Rebecca" - not so definite.

-Sal Mineo prbobably is in "Rebel" but it's very subtle - not quite enough evidence.

-Tennessee Williams said he was deliberately leaving it open in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and that he himself was not even sure if that character was gay.

-I didn't see a lot of ambiguity with the Newman character in Cat in either the play or the film. I thought he was pretty clearly gay.

-The speculation about Burton in Virginia Woolf is interesting, definitely one way to look at the character. It could also explain the ending and everything with the son.

-Catherine Keener in John Malkovich shoudln't be considered speculation. I thought it was clear as day that she and Diaz hooked up in the end.

-Though I understand the roots of the speculation about Jason Miller in Exorcist, I think it's quite a stretch and sort of irrelevant.

-Sort of OT, but seeing Ian McKellen on that list makes me wish he'd played Dumbledore, who's also a queen.

-Hilary Swank in MDB = full blown dyke fest.

-Don't understand Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur, granted that movie is amazingly gay.

-I think that in the revival of Cabaret with Alan Cumming, the emcee was portrayed as bisexual. Some of the chorus girls in "Wilkommen" were men. Seems fitting.

Catherine Keener in "Malkovich" definitely is, but..

Gandalf is NOT gay. Tolkein would be apalled at such an interpretation. Ian McKellan is gay, of course, but I don't think he played the role particularly gay.

Jason Miller in "The Exorcist" is not gay either. Very little evidence and I agree irrelevant anyway.

Charlton Heston is not gay in "Ben Hur". Anonymous up there is right that just because a guy takes his shirt off doesn;t mean he's gay. I know, I'm straight and I take my shirt off pretty much every day.

All of those you mentioned ARE gay. It's easy to tell if a character in a movie is gay. There are very clear criteria:

-If a man takes off his shirt in a movie, or shows too muck skin - he's gay.

-If a woman exposes her breats or rear - she's gay.

-If a man is very good friends with another man - he's gay (same with women).

-If a man admires another man - he's gay and same with women.

-If a man wears pink or purple at any time during the movie - he's gay.

-If a man sings or dances at all during the movie - he's gay.

-If a woman shows any athletic prowess at all - she's gay.

-If a woman attains or holds any position of power during the movie - she's gay.

-All Catholic clergy come upon their vocation really as the only means to supress their homosexual desires and remain true to their faith. In fact, all clergy in movies, of any faith, are gay.

-If a man kills or harms another man during the movie, he's trying to rechannel his homosexual desires toward him. (same with women on women)

-If a character is unmarried, is not dating anyone, and shows no romantic attachments at all during the movie, he or she is gay.

-On the other hand, if a man hooks up with more than one woman during the movie, he does so to deny is own homosexuality.

-All promiscuous women are really gay also.

-If a man uses words like "delightful" and "fabulous", he's gay.

-All artists of any medium are gay.

-All British and French characters are gay.

-All cowboys, soldiers, cops, firemen, and gangsters are gay.

-Any man who is too sophisticated or intelligent is gay.

-Any woman who is not sophisticated or intelligent enough is gay.

-And of course, all openly gay characters are actually gay.

So that means that of all the Oscar nominations in the acting categories over the years, the straight ones are: Beatrice Straight in "Network" and that's it.

Well, I guess that's the final word on THAT topic.