Is Cary Grant Gay?
If you’ve ever watched a Cary Grant movie, you’ll recognize him as the cool-elan actor with an accent from mid-Atlantic countries and trademark pratfalls from years in vaudeville. He is revered by fans worldwide but there have been some intriguing rumors about him being gay.
Hollywood in the 1930s was an unforgiving place, where stardom dictated one’s lifestyle. Yet Grant, who married five times and never remained single for long, may have been living with a male costume designer lover in New York, according to evidence in a new documentary.
He was a homosexual
Cary Grant, one of Hollywood’s iconic leading men, has long been the subject of sexual rumors. Though he never publicly declared his preference, many believed him to have been gay throughout much of his life and was married five different women.
Grant had a public persona as an attractive and debonair leading man, yet he struggled with his sexuality most of his life. Although openly gay when young, Grant became increasingly desirous to come out as straight.
Over the years, Grant lived with a number of men, such as fashion critic Richard Blackwell, glamor photographer Jerome Zerbe and gay Hollywood costume designer Orry Kelly. However, perhaps most infamous evidence that Grant was homosexual comes from photographs taken of him with roommate Randolph Scott.
In the 1930s, Grant and Scott shared a beach house together and often posed in affectionate poses for fans. These pictures have been reprinted in fan magazines ever since and are now prized by Grant-as-gay advocates who claim they provide definitive proof that he was gay.
Even more suggestive is a statement made by George Burns, an old comic who was Grant’s friend since his days in vaudeville. In 1986, Burns mentioned seeing Grant having an argument with a friend when he was struggling as an actor in New York.
According to Burns, Grant was a tyrannical control freak and would frequently abuse his girlfriends. Additionally, Grant suffered from intense jealousy which is why he would frequently argue with his wife.
As a result, he was constantly seeking out new women and becoming emotionally and physically abusive to them. This behavior would lead to several troubled relationships during his early career.
Later in life, he became more conscious of his behaviors and sought out LSD therapy to help him deal with them. After marriage actress Dyan Cannon, however, this relationship did not last and he eventually divorced her.
He was a lesbian
In the 1970s, when MindHunter takes place, gay men were not yet accepted in society. They were often labeled mentally ill and their sexuality stigmatised.
However, there were exceptions. Grant was a lesbian and active in the gay rights movement at that time. He had a close friendship with William Inge and had a daughter named Jennifer with Dyan Cannon.
He had been a vaudeville performer before moving to Hollywood in the 1930s. He collaborated with Mae West on 57 films. Additionally, he became an accomplished businessman and served on several corporate boards.
Carr’s status as an openly gay actor made him one of the first openly gay actors in history and an inspiration to many LGBTQ artists and writers alike. Additionally, Carr was part of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis organization and actively supported AIDS awareness initiatives.
Grant had a lifelong appreciation of the arts and was an avid moviegoer. He enjoyed attending theater performances with his girlfriend, often meeting up in Los Angeles to watch films together.
Grant had a prolific acting career, appearing in several comedies as well as some dramas.
He was an incredibly gifted acrobat with an impressive range of skills that enabled him to escape his family’s hardships. Touring with vaudeville acts in England and America before landing a film role was one of his many successes.
His debut film was “She Done Him Wrong.” Over the course of several decades, he would star in 57 films. An avid supporter of gay rights, he voted for the Equal Rights Amendment of 1980.
Carr was acutely aware of the prejudices people might harbor against him as a gay man, yet he could do nothing about them. Although Carr could influence how others perceived his sexuality, it was ultimately beyond his control to alter that perception.
But, he felt it was essential to remain true to himself. He did not wish to live a lie and wanted the freedom to be honest about his sexuality.
He hoped that by being honest about his sexuality, it would make him a better person and make it easier for him to find love again.
He was a bisexual
Grant was an enticing figure, his charm winning the hearts of many women in Hollywood. Unfortunately, his self-absorption and need for control made it difficult for him to maintain healthy relationships.
In the 1930s, Hollywood was controlled by an iron-fisted studio system that monitored and dictated its stars’ personal lives. As such, actors had no choice but to hide their true identities from public scrutiny.
Therefore, many men were unwilling to come out of the closet as gays. Indeed, some were even afraid to acknowledge their sexuality at all.
One of the best-known examples was Rock Hudson. He achieved great success as a movie star but never came out as gay. Additionally, he had an intimate affair with Jean Harlow, but this affair remained private.
At that time, many actors were prohibited from living openly homosexual lives as a way of selling their films to the public. Nonetheless, there were still rumors that some of Hollywood’s leading men were gay.
Cary Grant and Randolph Scott were two of the most renowned stars during this era. Both men had stunning good looks, and lived together for about 12 years in a Santa Monica beach house together – they were affectionately known as “Bachelor Hall”.
According to a recent documentary, Carry Grant was bisexual. He married Barbara Hutton in 1943 and divorced her later; they had a daughter together with his fourth wife Dyan Cannon.
He was an immensely successful actor, renowned for his transatlantic accent, debonair demeanor, and light-hearted approach to acting. He appeared in many popular movies such as North by Northwest and Charade.
Grant was a successful businessman with many friends, yet his personal life wasn’t particularly happy. For many years he battled depression and anxiety.
His relationships were usually short lived and he struggled to find true love. Additionally, his mother-son bond was deeply complicated, leading him into a toxic pattern of falling in love quickly and obsessively with someone but then having that love evaporate quickly after they parted ways.
He was a transgender
At age 13, Carr began performing at a local theater. Though an accomplished actress, she lacked the financial backing to reach success. But then she met Bob Pender – a traveling comedian who gave her an opportunity at both theater and screen work.
Carr, though a struggling artist, didn’t want to give up on her dream. So she returned to school and became a theater teacher.
She hoped her new job would provide for her family and enable her daughter, Hope, a better life. Additionally, it would give her an outlet to contribute to society in some small way.
She experienced during her time teaching that transgender children often struggle to find their place in society. They may be pressured into sex work they don’t feel comfortable doing or denied the freedom to live life as they choose. Furthermore, these individuals often have trouble accessing medical care and are at higher risk for sexually transmitted infections.
Transgender people experience homelessness in shocking numbers. Additionally, many are disowned by their families after coming out as transgender.
Though few statistics exist to describe the experience of transgender children, a variety of studies have highlighted its effects on their lives. For instance, a 2011 survey from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force revealed that nearly one in two transgender youth had experienced homelessness.
In recent years, US state laws have been passed to restrict transgender people’s rights in various ways, such as disallowing them access to healthcare and making it illegal to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity. According to a recent report by American Civil Liberties Union, anti-transgender laws are on the rise across 30 states and have become a political issue.
Kansas recently passed a bill that seeks to curtail gender-affirming healthcare for minors, which was approved by the Senate and awaits House committee hearing. Governor Laura Kelly is expected to veto it – an indication that lawmakers are looking for ways to safeguard this vulnerable group of citizens.
