Ever wonder who’s been hiding behind the silver screen? From Old Hollywood legends forced into sham marriages to today’s stars proudly living their truth on Instagram, the evolution of LGBTQ+ visibility in entertainment has been nothing short of revolutionary.
While we celebrate today’s out-and-proud celebrities, it’s easy to forget that some of our most beloved icons lived double lives, risking everything for a shot at stardom.
Let’s peek behind the curtain at 14 actors whose sexuality might surprise you – some who took their secrets to the grave, and others who are finally living authentically after years in the shadows.
1. Sir Alec Guinness (1914-2000)
Before becoming Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, Sir Alec Guinness was already British acting royalty with masterful performances in classics like The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia.
What fans never knew was that Guinness struggled deeply with his sexuality throughout his lifetime. The bisexual actor remained closeted until his death in 2000, reportedly “loathing himself” for his identity despite marrying Merula Sylvia Salaman in 1938.
In 1946, Guinness was allegedly arrested and fined for a homosexual act in a public lavatory in Liverpool. When arrested, he cleverly avoided scandal by giving police the name “Herbert Pocket” – a character from Great Expectations that he had played.
His conflicted feelings affected his relationships with other gay actors. When Ian McKellen was becoming active in gay rights advocacy, Guinness reportedly begged him: “You really should not, as a leading actor, have anything to do with anything political, especially anything as dirty as homosexuality.”
A sad reminder of how even beloved stars felt forced to hide their true selves.
2. Cooper Koch
Born in 1996, Koch made his on-screen debut with a background role in the 2007 film Fracture, which was produced by his grandfather, Hawk Koch (former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences).
Unlike many actors of previous generations, Koch has been an out gay actor since the beginning of his career, appearing in projects centered on queer characters including the slasher film They/Them and body horror film Swallowed.
His breakout moment came in 2024 with his portrayal of Erik Menendez in Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, earning him a Golden Globe nomination and critical acclaim.
Despite his success, the journey hasn’t been easy. Koch recently revealed an acting teacher once told him he wouldn’t book roles because he had a “gay voice” – but he’s refused to let that define his career, stating “I don’t only wanna play queer roles.”
3. Rock Hudson (1925-1985)
The quintessential Hollywood heartthrob of the 1950s and ’60s, Rock Hudson embodied the masculine ideal that made millions swoon. Born Roy Scherer Jr. in Illinois, his transformation into a movie star began when agent Henry Willson rechristened him “Rock Hudson.”
Behind the scenes, Hudson lived a carefully guarded double life. While his homosexuality was reportedly well-known among Hollywood insiders and friends like Elizabeth Taylor kept his secret, the public saw only the dashing leading man.
In 1955, when tabloid magazine Confidential threatened to expose Hudson, his agent arranged a hasty marriage to Phyllis Gates, Willson’s secretary. The marriage lasted just three years.
Hudson never publicly acknowledged his sexuality during his lifetime. It was only when he was diagnosed with AIDS in 1984 that the truth began to emerge.
His death on October 2, 1985, at just 59, marked a turning point in the epidemic as the first major celebrity to die from the disease, generating unprecedented media coverage and forcing America to confront the crisis.
4. Ben Whishaw
With his delicate features and extraordinary range, British actor Ben Whishaw has become one of the most respected performers of his generation.
Whether playing Q in the recent James Bond films, voicing Paddington Bear, or starring in critically acclaimed series like A Very English Scandal (for which he won an Emmy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe).
In 2012, Whishaw entered into a civil partnership with composer Mark Bradshaw, but it wasn’t until 2014 that he publicly discussed his sexuality for the first time in an interview with The Sunday Times while promoting the film Lilting.
Reflecting on his early career in the 2000s, Whishaw explained that “if you had said to another actor you were gay, it was implied or sometimes said explicitly that that was something you shouldn’t make a big thing about.”
In 2021, Whishaw made headlines by suggesting that the next James Bond could potentially be played by an openly gay actor.
“God, can you imagine? I mean, it would be quite an extraordinary thing,” he said. “Of course I would like to see that… I really believe that we should be working towards a world where anyone can play anything.”
5. Kristian Nairn
Standing at an imposing 6’10”, Northern Irish actor and DJ Kristian Nairn won hearts worldwide as the gentle giant Hodor on HBO’s Game of Thrones – a character who could only say his own name yet conveyed tremendous emotion.
In March 2014, Nairn casually came out in an interview with a Game of Thrones fan site. When asked about his “bear” fan following in the gay community, he replied, “When you talk about ‘the gay community,’ you are talking about MY community.”
Nairn explained, “I’ve never hidden my sexuality from anyone, my whole life in fact, and I’ve been waiting for someone to ask about it in an interview,” adding that it’s “important to stand up and be counted.”
Interestingly, after the interview went viral with headlines about him “coming out,” Nairn was surprised by the reaction, tweeting that he thought people already knew he was gay and had always assumed it was “no big deal.”
A refreshing perspective from an actor who clearly has never seen his sexuality as something to hide.
6. Lee Pace
With his striking 6’5″ frame and enigmatic presence, Lee Pace has captivated audiences in roles ranging from the pie maker with resurrection powers in Pushing Daisies to the Elven king Thranduil in The Hobbit trilogy.
Pace’s sexuality became a topic of public discussion after he was accidentally outed by his Hobbit co-star Ian McKellen in 2012, who casually mentioned him among openly gay actors in the film during an interview with a German website.
In 2018, while promoting his role in the Broadway production of Angels in America, Pace told W Magazine, “I’ve dated men. I’ve dated women,” though he initially appeared flustered by the question and called it “intrusive.”
Shortly after that interview, Pace clarified his position on Twitter, writing: “As a member of the queer community, I understand the importance of living openly, being counted, and happily owning who I am. That’s how I’ve always lived my life.”
When reflecting on his coming out journey in 2019, Pace said simply, “I never felt like I was in [the closet], so I don’t know what to say about it. It didn’t really feel like that much of a change.”
7. Jason Mraz
The velvet-voiced singer-songwriter behind hits like “I’m Yours” and “I Won’t Give Up” has been charming audiences since the early 2000s with his acoustic guitar and laid-back style. But there was one aspect of himself he kept private for years.
In June 2018, Mraz came out as bisexual in a poetic letter of support for the LGBTQ+ community published by Billboard. His clever wordplay included the line: “I am bi your side / All ways,” making a subtle but unmistakable acknowledgment of his sexuality.
In 2024, Mraz opened up about why he waited so long to come out, explaining on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s podcast that “In the ’90s, being gay was like the punchline of a joke, and I didn’t want to be the punchline of a joke.”
Growing up on a “conservative street” in Virginia had a profound impact on his journey. Despite moving to California later in life where he found “a community of people that would see me in a new way,” he struggled to shake off his early conditioning.
Following his divorce from Christina Carano in 2023, Mraz has continued to speak openly about his queerness, saying he finally feels “so much love for myself” and is ready for whatever comes next in his life journey.
(Oh, and yes, he’s primarily known as a singer-songwriter, but with a few guest appearances in film and TV, we were OK with sliding him into this roundup…)
8. Anthony Perkins (1932-1992)
Best known for his iconic role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), Anthony Perkins began his career as a teen heartthrob and romantic leading man.
His Oscar-nominated performance in Friendly Persuasion (1956) and Broadway success in plays like Tea and Sympathy made him one of Hollywood’s most promising young actors.
Behind his successful career, Perkins lived a complex private life. After his death from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1992, it was revealed that he had exclusively had same-gender relationships until his forties.
His past lovers reportedly included actor Tab Hunter, artist Christopher Makos, dancer Rudolf Nureyev, and composer Stephen Sondheim.
Throughout his life, Perkins struggled with his sexual identity. He reportedly underwent “gay to straight” therapy in the late 1960s/early 1970s with a New York doctor named Mildred Newman, author of a bestseller that promoted conversion therapy.
In 1973, at age 41, Perkins married photographer Berinthia “Berry” Berenson, with whom he had two sons. They remained married until his death.
9. Tab Hunter (1931-2018)
With his blonde hair, blue eyes, and all-American good looks, Tab Hunter was the epitome of a 1950s heartthrob.
Originally named Arthur Gelien, he was discovered at 17 while working as a stable boy and transformed by agent Henry Willson into one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Hunter starred in dozens of films including Damn Yankees and Battle Cry, becoming so popular that in February 1956, he reportedly received 62,000 Valentine’s cards from adoring female fans.
All while keeping a profound secret – he was gay at a time when homosexuality was both illegal and considered a mental illness.
In 1955, scandal magazine Confidential revealed that Hunter had been arrested at a gay party years earlier, describing it cruelly as a “queer romp.”
The charge was later reduced to disturbing the peace with a $50 fine, but such exposure could have destroyed his career. Warner Bros. chose to ignore it, and audiences eventually did too.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Hunter lived long enough to tell his own story. In 2005, at age 74, he published his autobiography Tab Hunter Confidential, in which he finally discussed his sexuality publicly.
“The hardest thing about writing the book was coming out to myself,” he told The Advocate. “Without a doubt, my sexuality was something that I just never discussed, especially in the 1950s.”
Hunter passed away in 2018 at age 86, having found long-term happiness with film producer Allan Glaser, his partner of over 35 years.
10. Charlie Barnett
From stealing scenes as firefighter Peter Mills on NBC’s Chicago Fire to captivating audiences as Alan in Netflix’s hit series Russian Doll, Charlie Barnett has established himself as one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors.
Born in February 1988 in Sarasota, Florida, Barnett was adopted by Bob and Danee Barnett. His adoptive mother is of Swedish descent from Utah, while his adoptive father is a boat builder from Minnesota. He spent his early childhood living on a sailboat near Longboat Key in Florida until age seven.
Unlike many LGBTQ+ actors who struggled to come out, Barnett’s journey was different. He realized he was gay at age 13, the same year he came out to his parents.
The actor has spoken about how seeing himself represented on screen for the first time in 1996’s Basquiat changed his life, giving him “stepping stones to understanding his own emotions.”
Barnett’s career has included many notable roles, from his breakout on Chicago Fire (2012-2015) to starring in Netflix’s Russian Doll alongside Natasha Lyonne, playing Ben Marshall in Tales of the City, and appearing as Gabe Miranda in the psychological thriller You.
Most recently, he’s gained attention for his role as Jedi Yord Fandar in Disney+’s Star Wars: The Acolyte.
11. Wentworth Miller
As the tattooed escape artist Michael Scofield on FOX’s hit series Prison Break, Wentworth Miller became one of television’s biggest heartthrobs. His intense chemistry with co-star Sarah Wayne Callies had fans swooning over their on-screen romance for years.
Miller was born in 1972 in Chipping Norton, England, to American parents who were overseas at the time. His father was a Rhodes Scholar studying at Oxford.
The future actor described himself as having a mixed heritage, with his father being Black with Jamaican, German, and English ancestry, and his mother being of Rusyn, Swedish, French, Dutch, Syrian, and Lebanese descent.
In 2013, Miller made headlines when he publicly came out as gay in a powerful letter declining an invitation to a Russian film festival.
In his message, he wrote that he could not attend an event in a country where “people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly,” referring to Russia’s anti-gay laws.
In 2020, Miller made another significant announcement, stating that he would no longer play straight characters, including his iconic Prison Break role, explaining: “My gayness was largely erased (by me, for starters) in the first decades of my career. It is my want, now, to centre it in a way that cannot be missed by myself or anyone else.”
Miller has since been open about his mental health struggles and revealed in 2021 that he had been diagnosed with autism.
12. Ronen Rubinstein
With his smoldering good looks and intense screen presence, Ronen Rubinstein has quickly become one of television’s most captivating talents. His role as firefighter T.K. Strand on Ryan Murphy’s hit series 9-1-1: Lone Star has earned him a devoted fan base and critical acclaim.
Born in Israel in 1993 to Russian Jewish immigrants from Kazakhstan, Rubinstein moved to the United States when he was five years old.
He grew up in Staten Island, New York, where he discovered acting in high school when his guidance counselor suggested theater as a form of therapy and escape from the opioid epidemic in his neighborhood.
In April 2021, Rubinstein publicly came out as bisexual in an exclusive interview with Variety. “I fully identify as bisexual,” he said. “I literally just got goosebumps saying that. It feels so good to talk about it, it feels so good to finally be comfortable with it.”
The actor credited his role on 9-1-1: Lone Star, where his character has a relationship with police officer Carlos Reyes (played by openly gay actor Rafael L. Silva), with helping him embrace his truth.
“The fans, especially the Tarlos fans, it’s one of the biggest reasons that I finally felt safe and comfortable to talk about it and to finally embrace it and be happy about it,” Rubinstein explained.
Rubinstein has been open about the homophobia he experienced growing up, which made it difficult for him to accept his sexuality. “I want people to know that they’re not alone and it’s definitely okay,” he said of his decision to come out publicly.
“Trust me, I know that it is not easy. My path has not been easy at all, but it’s just one more thing that I can share with people to help them.”
13. Connor Jessup
With his boyish charm and thoughtful intensity, Canadian actor Connor Jessup has been quietly building an impressive career since childhood.
He first gained widespread recognition as Ben Mason in TNT’s sci-fi series Falling Skies before earning critical acclaim for his nuanced performance in ABC’s anthology series American Crime.
Born on June 23, 1994 in Toronto, Canada, Jessup began acting at age 11. Beyond acting, he’s also developed a passion for filmmaking, writing and directing several short films that have premiered at prestigious festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival.
On June 23, 2019, his 25th birthday, Jessup came out as gay in a heartfelt Instagram post. In it, he revealed: “I knew I was gay when I was thirteen, but I hid it for years. I folded it and slipped it under the rest of my emotional clutter. Not worth the hassle. No one will care anyway. If I can keep making it smaller, smaller, smaller… My shame took the form of a shrug, but it was a shame.”
In February 2020, he made his relationship with fellow actor Miles Heizer (known for his role in 13 Reasons Why) Instagram-official.
Though Jessup has played gay characters before – notably the closeted Taylor Blaine in ABC’s American Crime—he finds it ironic that these roles came before his public coming out.
“I can draw lines between who I’ve played and who I’ve become but never in the moment. For instance, I played openly gay characters before I came out,” he reflected.
Since 2020, he has been enchanting audiences as Tyler Locke in Netflix’s adaptation of the popular comic series Locke & Key, which concluded after three seasons.
14. Colman Domingo
From cunning con man Victor Strand on Fear the Walking Dead to recovering addict Ali on HBO’s Euphoria, Colman Domingo has established himself as one of the most versatile and compelling actors working today.
His career spans theater, film, and television, with his extraordinary range earning him accolades including an Emmy Award and multiple Oscar nominations.
Born on November 28, 1969, Domingo’s career flourished in theater before transitioning to screen. His early Broadway roles included the 2005 play Well and the 2008 musical Passing Strange.
He gained major acclaim for his role as Mr. Bones in The Scottsboro Boys (2011), earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.
Interestingly, Domingo almost quit acting in his mid-forties due to lack of opportunities. “I thought I had achieved what I was supposed to achieve, and I was kindly ready to step away from the whole industry. Things were just not progressing the way I thought that made sense,” he revealed.
His breakthrough role came when he was cast as Victor Strand in Fear the Walking Dead in 2015, which “literally did change my entire career.”
As an openly gay Black man in Hollywood, Domingo has spoken about representation but doesn’t want his sexuality to define his career. “I used to think that being featured in gay media would put me in a box. I didn’t shy away from it, but I didn’t want that to be my narrative,” he explained.
Domingo met his husband, Raúl, in 2005 through a Craigslist missed connection, and they married in 2014. After years of keeping his personal life relatively private, the couple has become more open, appearing together in magazine features including GQ and Architectural Digest.