10 Gay Actors Who Are Famous and Successf

Gay actors may not have ruled Hollywood, but their existence was always visible. With gay rights luring towards equality and societal perception being normal towards gay individuals, more and more actors are coming forward and proudly mentioning their sexuality. Still, there are many that hide in the shadows of being the ‘gentlemen of Hollywood’, without realizing that the ones who opened up are the actual gentlemen (respecting their individual pronouns).

Nonetheless, it does not mean that we should wait for others to join before celebrating this excellent feat of actors coming forward and accepting their sexuality proudly. Not to mention the number of people they have encouraged (although indirectly) to come forward and not hide from societal norms.

That said, let’s celebrate and honor ten such actors who have come forward and encouraged millions of gay people along the way:

Matt Bomber

Known for the role of Neil Caffrey in the famous White Collar and side roles in the best TV series of decades (Suits, Mentalist, Graceland) — Actor Matt Bomber came out publicly in an award show by mentioning his partner and kids. But even before coming out, Matt Bomber is one of the few gay actors who always spoke for the LGBTQ community and, like some other actors, are renowned for being an active member of the community.

Matt Bomber is also one of the few gay actors to ever receive the Inspiration Award as GLSEN — an American Education Organization working to end discrimination.

Neil Patrick Harris

Yes, it is just a space grabber. While it might not come as a surprise that Neild Patrick Harris is gay, the story of him discovering his homosexuality was tough to ignore.

As Neil, known for being the womanizer in “How I Met Your Mother”, is one of the few gay actors that actually came to know about his homosexuality on the set of B.L. Stryker, where his co-star kissed him casually (while playing a Truth and Dare game). Today, however, Neil Partick Harris is a household name when it comes to the gay actors count.

Sir Ian McKellen

Known for roles in classics like Lord of the Rings, X-Men, and The Hobbit Trilogy, Sir Ian McKellen is a champion when it comes to being an LGBTQ+ activist. He got his knighthood back in 1991 for his contributions in Arts and Theatrics and opened about his sexuality in 1998.

He is also one of few gay actors to ever receive the Knighthood in New Years Honors by the Queen of England. His story of “being gay in the 60s” is an inspiration for this generation, given that coming out and being gay is much easier for these Z-Gen individuals.

Ben Whishaw

You might recognize Ben Whishaw from the voice of Paddington or the role of Normal Scott in the famous miniseries “A Very English Scandal” starring opposite Hugh Grant. It is for the role of Norman Scott that he received a Golden Globe. In all, if there is an anguished role denied by other actors — Ben Whishaw takes it and executes it magically.

But his acting career alone isn’t something to praise— his story of coming out and struggling with his sexuality in his 20s is enough to motivate all the gay who are afraid of coming out.

Brian J. Smith

Netflix’s Sense8 was a sensation, but the other sensational thing about it is the actor Brian J. Smith. Rumored to share the screen along with Keanu Reeves in the upcoming Matrix 4, the texas-based star was initially afraid to come out. Nonetheless, in 2019, during an interview, Brian revealed that he is gay. The reason for being afraid and not coming out before like other actors was his conventional Texan family.

Zachary Quinto

Though not as Leonard Nimoy’s role of Spock, Zachary Quinto’s role of Spock in the latest edition of Star Trek received good attention from internet users. Nominated for an Emmy for his role in American Horror Story: Asylum, Zachary Quinto came out recently mentioning that “his sexuality is his power and the God’s greatest gift to him”. He has been seen encouraging gay members and other actors from his community to come forward, saying, “you are not alone in your feeling.”.

Keiynan Lonsdale

The Nigerian-Australian actor Keiynan Lonsdale identifies himself as a member of the LGBTQ+ community but does not want to label a gender to him. You can find his Twitter account mentioning him being a queer. Still, in view of his past affiliation with men, we can assume that he is also one of few actors to share the gay status in Hollywood. He has also worked in movies showcasing and discussing sensitive topics like genders — like Love, Simon.

Luke Macfarlane

Luke Macfarlane has an unusual career history of all actors: he is known to work in eight films made in the spirit of celebrating Christmas. Or at least the majority of the movie revolving around those dates like Valentine’s flick. So, if you are into Christmas movies, there is a good chance that you have seen one of your favorite movies of all time. The Candian actor, after revealing his gender in an interview with The Globe, changed his nationality to American in 2018.

Darryl Stephens

Known for the role in Noah’s Ark, Darryl Stephens has always been in the news for turning down stereotypical roles that put both Black and Gays as not a normal part of the society. He is also one of the few gay actors to actively speak about the discrimination while typecasting for roles, especially when it comes to Black or Gay characters. In all, Darryl Stephens has always supported the LGBTIQ community and took pride in being an individual in the gay community.

Luke Evans

The ever handsome and charming welsh actor, Luke Evans — famous for roles in Dracula recently came in the news for hiding his sexuality. Nonetheless, contrary to these hurtful speculations — Luke Evans is one of the first actors to come out proudly of being gay. It is clear that the actor — Luke Evans came out in 2002. But he is still defending the attacks from people criticizing him for hiding his sexuality, i.e., a gay.

To put an end to all of these rumors of his sexuality and tell that he is gay, Luke mentioned that, ‘I am proud and happy, I have got a very big life that I’m super happy with being gay.”.

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