GENERAL FEATURES
Top Ten Real-life Gays on Film
With the release of J Edgar this Friday, we list the top ten best real-life gays on film.
Have we missed out any great gay biopic performances? Let us know below!
1. Stephen Fry in ‘Wilde' (1997)
Effectively a chronicle of Oscar Wilde's rise and fall, from his dandy days to his ill-fated relationship with utter cad, Lord Bosie, right through to his imprisonment and ignominious death, 1997's Wilde features an utterly engaging, thoroughly convincing - but sadly, Oscar-snubbed - performance by Stephen Fry.
2. Toby Jones in ‘Infamous' (2005)
Despite having suffered from rival Truman Capote biopic Capote's success - which bagged Philip Seymour Hoffman an Oscar in 2005 for his performance of the In Cold Blood scribe - Toby Jones' flawless portrayal of the diminutive literary genius in this superior film is much closer to the mark.
3. Sean Penn in ‘Milk' (2008)
Sean Penn garnered a slew of awards, including an Oscar and BAFTA, and oodles of critical acclaim for his portrayal of assassinated gay activist Harvey Milk in Milk, which loosely follows Milk's 1978 political campaign against a statewide initiative to bar gays and their supporters from public school jobs.
4. Hilary Swank in ‘Boys Don't Cry' (1999)
Hilary Swank's pitch-perfect portrayal of Brandon Teena, born Teena Brandon, a transgender teen who lived life as a man until his identity was discovered and he was raped and murdered in 1993, won her a much-deserved Oscar and enlightened a mainstream audience about the discrimination faced by the trans community.
5. Charlize Theron in ‘Monster' (2003)
2003's Monster tells the story of disturbed killer Aileen Wurornos, a prostitute who made the transition from victim to aggressor by murdering her clients after a series of brutal assaults. Theron's amazing visual transformation from beauty to beast, thanks to prosthetics and fake dentures, helped her transcend the ‘romantic interest' roles her good looks had pigeonholed her in, and elevated her deservedly to Oscar-winner status.
6. John Hurt in ‘The Naked Civil Servant' (1975)
John Hurt won a Best Actor BAFTA in 1976 for his stunningly bittersweet portrayal of Quentin Crisp in the TV film based on the gay icon's autobiography. The film, a cult classic in its own right, also won the 1976 Prix Italia and in 2000 it was placed fourth in a poll by industry professionals to find the BFI TV 100 of the 20th century.
7. Cher in ‘Silkwood' (1983)
Meryl Streep starred in this film inspired by the true-life story of Karen Silkwood, who died in a suspicious car accident while investigating alleged wrongdoing at the plutonium plant where she worked. Cher was nominated as Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for her portrayal of Karen's lesbian housemate, Dolly Pelliker. She may have had issues when her own daughter came out, but Cher turns in a performance that's so lesbian, it's almost real.
8. Daniel Craig in ‘Love Is The Devil' (1998)
A biography of Irish painter Francis Bacon (played by Derek Jacobi), Love Is The Devil, concentrates on his strained relationship with George Dyer (Craig), a small time thief. Craig won a Best British Performance award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival for his gritty, realistic and very sexy performance.
9. Gary Oldman in ‘Prick Up Your Ears' (1987)
Stephen Frears directed Prick Up Your Ears, the film that gave Gary Oldman his career break playing the 1960s gay playwright Joe Orton, who was murdered by his lover Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina). Oldman's cheeky, dark portrayal of Orton earned him a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor.
10. Javier Bardem in ‘Before Night Falls' (2000)
The artist Julian Schnabel followed up his portayal of the gay artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in this biopic of the openly gay poet Reinaldo Arenas who was persecuted in Castro's Cuba. Because of his powerhouse, heartrending performance Bardem picked up a raft of awards for his portrayal of Arenas, including Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival.
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