Oscar Nominees for playing a Gay Character - A Minor Research

[Hustler]

Meryl Streep, Silkwood

Meryl streep? I don´t think so. I remember Cher playing a lesbian

[Damien]

Hope Emerson was nominated five years earlier than Mineo, but if my memory is correct, Clifton Webb's character in Laura ('44), for which he was nominated as supporting actor, was quite obviously, though off course not explicitly, gay.

Clifton Webb's Waldo Lydecker was in love with Laura, which is confusing since he seems so gay (though if your a Preminger person, you would say it only adds to the ambiguity of the film's characterizations, since we also hae Vincent Price and Judith Anderson interested in Laura). Webb's homosexuality was much more pronounced in his nominated role in The Razor's Edge. (I've always found it amusingly ironic that he would be cast as the father of a huge brood of kids in Cheaper By The Dozen.)

[flipp525]

Estelle Parsons, Rachel, Rachel
Nicole Kidman, The Hours
Catherine Keener, Capote

[Uri]

Hope Emerson was nominated five years earlier than Mineo, but if my memory is correct, Clifton Webb's character in Laura ('44), for which he was nominated as supporting actor, was quite obviously, though off course not explicitly, gay.

And one can always have a case with Charles Laughton in Mutiny on the Bounty.

[HarryGoldfarb]

So this is the reviewed list, according to what has been discussed here... it might be a definitive one...

- Margaret Avery for The Colour Purple
- Kathy Bates, Primary Colors
- Cher, Silkwood
- James Coco, Only When I Laugh (Haven’t seen it)
- Tom Courtenay, The Dresser
- Jaye Davidson, The Crying Game
- Bruce Davison, Longtime companion
- Javier Bardem, Before Night falls
- Hope Emerson for Caged (Haven’t seen it)
- Peter Finch for Sunday Bloody Sunday
- Whoopi Goldberg for The Colour Purple
- Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
- Tom Hanks, Philadelphia (WON)
- Ed Harris, The Hours
- Salma Hayek, Frida
- Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote (WON)
- Djimon Hounsou for In America
- William Hurt, Kiss of the Spider Woman (WON)
- Tommy Lee Jones, JFK
- John Lithgow for The World According to Garp
- Catherine Keener, Being John Malkovich
- Greg Kinnear, As good a s it gets
- Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
- Marcello Mastroianni, A Special Day (Haven’t seen it)
- Sal Mineo for Rebel Without a Cause
- Ian McKellen, Gods and Monsters
- Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon
- Robert Preston, Victor/Victoria
- Vanessa Redgrave for The Bostonians
- Chris Sarandon, Dog Day Afternoon
- Meryl Streep, Silkwood
- Hillary Swank, Boys don’t cry (WON)
- Charlize Theron, Monster (WON)

So this means Sal Mineo was the first actor ever to get a nod for a gay character (even though it was not explicit).

As for Goldberg and Avary in Purple, can not we say the same that Criddic commented before on Sevigny's character? I mean, I don't see Goldberg as a gay character, imho she was a woman that didn't know anything about affection and it was "good" and quite new for her to have some demonstration of kindess from Shug. They both ends up living together but I don't see them as a gay couple, that's not actually explained in the film as a relationship of a sexual nature, I guess it has more to do with kindness and caring instead of their sexual preferences or atractions.

[Damien]

Actually, isn't it John Glover with the lesbian insinuation/drink-in-face scene in Julia? Streep's interview of Hellman is a vaguely similar scene, but I think the content is different.

It's been so long, but now that you mention it Tee I think you're right -- it's Glover (ironic because he's gay) who gets the drink in the face. I think Streep's character does make a homophobic statement. but I couldn't swear to it.

[Mister Tee]

Actually, isn't it John Glover with the lesbian insinuation/drink-in-face scene in Julia? Streep's interview of Hellman is a vaguely similar scene, but I think the content is different.

[Hustler]

That's why he said "Oh...wait". He was implying that the Academy SHOULD have nominated Quaid for the performance but didn't. I agree. Shame on them

Thanks Wes for your explanation.
By the way, I was implying something different with my phrase. You didn´t catch that. My really intention was that Dennis Quaid wasn´t nominated UNFORTUNATELY.

[The Original BJ]

Not only that he should have been nominated but because that nod should have been one of the biggest done deals of the year.

I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but this omission is one of the most obvious examples of the Academy's homophobia ever. Quaid had a big comeback year with a hit and strong notices for The Rookie, stellar reviews for his Far From Heaven turn (an almost-lead role with one big emotional scene after another), EVERY SINGLE precursor nomination . . . and then no Oscar nod. Maybe if his character had been dying of AIDS or jumped to his death out a window (or, hey, both!) he would have been nominated.

[OscarGuy]

Dennis Quaid for Far From Heaven.

He was not nominated.

That's why he said "Oh...wait". He was implying that the Academy SHOULD have nominated Quaid for the performance but didn't. I agree. Shame on them.

[Hustler]

In Julia, Meryl Streep gets a drink thrown in her face for saying Lillian and Julia are lovers.

Thanks! That was the situation. It´s been so many years since I´ve seen this film that I was dobtful about that.

[Damien]

Hope Emerson actually has a feller she's sweet on outside the prison in Caged.

In Julia, Meryl Streep gets a drink thrown in her face for saying Lillian and Julia are lovers. An old Stalinist like Hellmann would not have been gay-friendly, homosexuality being seen as emblematic of the decadence of the ruling class.

[Hustler]

Vanessa Redgrave for The Bostonians

Vanessa Redgrave for Julia? I don´t remember accurately.

[Hustler]

Dennis Quaid for Far From Heaven.

He was not nominated.

[Precious Doll]

Vanessa Redgrave for The Bostonians
Hope Emerson for Caged
John Lithgow for The World According to Garp (if you include Huffman then you need to include Lithgow)