Torchwood's Captain Jack Harkness

The husbands on Grace and Frankie

The Politician's Payton Hobart

The Umbrella Academy's Klaus Hargreeves

Going way back, "Jack" in Three's Company, played by John Ritter.

Robert Reed was the dad in The Brady Bunch. Dr Doogie Houser, Niel Patrick Harris. Nathan Lane in The Birdcage. Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist: Alex Newell.

Or do you mean the leading character is gay, maybe played by someone who isn't?

Robin Williams in the BIrdcage.

Jack wasn't gay he was PRETENDING to be. I thought she meant Rock Hudson type but now I think she means like if Frank Reagan was portrayed as a gay man...women seem to be the leading role that more and more end up gay. I guess a strong woman cant be heterosexual. I find that insulting! The media is portraying things that just don't exist in real numbers in real time. YAWN I am so over their agenda.

And Billy Crystal's character on Soap, IIRC.

IRL, Jussie Smollet from Empire. Don't know about the character; I haven't watched TV in over 20 years.

Isn't there a gay male couple on Modern Family?

arcy, we're in agreement

I mean, show me any gay characters who are gay and are leading men. Currently. Leading, but are gay. Women count, but really, it no one is gay and leading. Current day. It's not happening. THE main character. It's really disappointing. Some main supporting, but not the leading role.

I guess a strong woman cant be heterosexual.

Huh? I guess you don't watch The Good Fight, or The Good Wife before that? I can come up with many other examples if you like.

Elmer’s suggestion hits both sides. There is a gay couple, and one of the actors is gay, the other is straight.

Bert and Ernie

I'm pissed because there's no strong gay man leading role. Actually, I hate the woman Dr Who. Not becausei dislike Jodie. She great. Why does she need a posse when David Tenant or Matt Smith didn't need one. Why is there no strong gay leading role?

Jack wasn't gay he was PRETENDING to be

I know that. I don't know what Rob is asking, though.

Gay leading character?

Gay actor playing a gay character?

A gay actor playing a straight character?

Straight actor playing a gay character?

Straight actor playing a character that pretends to be gay?

Gay actor playing a character that pretend to be straight?

Why are we having this conversation?

Whose "agenda"? Seeking inclusion and visibility is an agenda?

Most recently "Rocketman".

Montgomery Clift.

Matt Bomer

Jane Lynch

Gay leading character?

I think that's what rob is asking, and specifically in a current or very recent role.

So then Will and Jack on Will and Grace?

or Vicious (now ended) British comedy starring Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi who played gay men who were a couple AND they are both gay in real life. It was such a funny show

Brokeback Mountain, the Birdcage??

Not sure exactly what you are looking for. A gay leading man character would probably not be marketable. Although maybe Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady would be???

"A gay leading man would probably not be marketable"

That's exactly what breaks my heart Maddie. You said it. We're there. We're still in the dark ages. No gay leading man, save Will, who is a leading role. Broken heart.

Not everyone is equal. Nor will be in my lifetime

I should be irate I settled for scraps.

It's a long journey. A step isn't a scrap, it is one step closer.

Blfenton, I didn't know that Derek Jacobi was gay until I saw Vicious. I loved him in Last Tango in Halifax, and he didn't play a gay character.

My first thought was Matt Bomer, but he didn't play a gay man.

I named five lead characters in television series that are gay. While Torchwood isn't a current series, all of the others are.

Eric McCormack who plays the character Will (Will and Grace) is not gay.

I'll look at it closer tomorrow fun. Thank you.

I don't know, or care. I watch movies, shows, series, whatever for the story and acting, not the sexuality or lack thereof of the actors.

Why does she need a posse when David Tenant or Matt Smith didn't need one.

I've always wondered that too. I'm glad someone else mentioned it.

Who cares, and why is it an issue? I agree with sleeperblues.

Rusty

A gay leading man character would probably not be marketable.

Not 'mass market marketable', I agree. But there would be something akin to a niche market, for sure. (Gay cruises, for example.) Maybe some indie films & the porn industry, for sure, focus here.

I know that if I was a producer and investing +/- 100 million in a film, I would be looking at something that was mass marketable, no matter my personal sexual orientation. Because my agenda would be to make money.

elmer, I couldn't agree more. But we have to have enough of them promoted for it not to matter. Them being gay or gender roles

Dr Who thoughts, Dr Who normally gets a female sidekick so as to create sexual tension. Apparently seriously weird and quirky can translate as attractive if that person is a man but not, especially with this particular female Dr., when that person is female hence encumbering the Dr with extra characters that will carry the story otherwise as in none of the lingering looks so common is past Drs. There was none of that in the original Dr. Who Story lines. The girls often had boyfriends-stupid boy friends no less.

That kind of explains why you don't just get a Leading Man type gay character. The Leading Man is supposed to be attractive to the female part of the audience which is a hard sell when he is gay. Not so much a problem if he is known to just be playing gay. characters are chosen to fit a certain kind of dynamic. You have to play all the angles to make it pay and that is why TV shows are so formulaic. It is a formula that works.

One of the main characters in Six Feet Under (2001-05) was gay. He was one of the two brothers who ran the family funeral business. IDK if he or any of the actors portraying his partners or others in gay bars actually *are* gay.

I agree with Elmer. Let's get to where anyone's legal sexual preferences are unremarkable. (A little less 'in your face' PDA from some couples of *every* orientation would be welcome.)

One of the characters.... does not a leading man make.

I already agreed with elmer. Don't you agree there have to be more of them, more often, and it become commonplace before it won't matter. Unless you have a better idea

I suspect the point of the thread is to underline inequities in scripted movie and television roles with regard to the LGBTQ+ community. Are those who develop and write scripts trend setters or trend followers? In general, there will be more trend setting from movies and cable channels/streaming services than from the three main U.S. broadcast networks.

Brokeback Mountain was successful and popular, but that was 15 years ago.

Why does it matter what someone's sexual orientation is?

Why does it matter that we have people of different religions, ethnicities, etc. represented in movies, TV, and other arts? Or perhaps you don't think it does?

Not to speak for the original poster, but I think it's important for all types of people to be represented in popular culture in a positive light to help foster the acceptance of same.

Yes! What Fun2B said. Answering as the original poster

Was Brokeback Mountain actually popular? Not that my demographic is necessarily definitive, but I don't know anyone other than myself who saw it. Not my husband, nor anyone in our families, nor our neighbors nor friends with whom we discuss movies. When I would mention that I loved this movie, the most I would get would be an "oh", or maybe a snicker, this from people who supposedly "celebrate differences".

Brokeback Mountain contained possibly the most all-out passionate kiss in the movies, I totally bought it. Whoa!

I've come back to this a few times now, and I guess I still don't understand the question.

"In movies or tv, what main characters, who are male, are portrayed as being homosexual"

Not a member of the cast. Not in their personal life. The character.

I asked because this is a mainstream lifestyle, but it's still not allowed for them to exist in the general public. It's not fair or right.

I just remembered a detective crime series I really enjoyed, called "Instinct." It had a lead gay male character played by Alan Cummings. One of the subplots of the show was the relationship of Cummings' character and his husband, and towards the end of the series they adopted a child. I liked how the characters in the show interacted like they were all just _people_ and sexual orientation really didn't get any attention (as it should be in real life, IMO).

Was Brokeback Mountain actually popular?

Very, according to Wikipedia:

Over the Christmas weekend, Brokeback Mountain posted the highest per-theater gross of any film and was considered a box office success not only in urban centers such as New York City and Los Angeles, but also in suburban theaters near Portland, Houston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and Atlanta...

The film's theatrical run lasted for 133 days and grossed $83,043,761 in North America and $95,018,998 abroad, adding up to a worldwide gross of $178,062,759. It is the top-grossing release of Focus Features, it ranks fifth among the highest-grossing westerns (since 1979), and eighth among the highest-grossing romantic dramas (since 1980).

Has anybody else watched Schitt's Creek? David Levy, Eugene Levy's son, is gay and plays a gay character. He is a lead character and co-creator of the show. The show is really funny & has gotten lots of acclaim.

All the other leading men of the past who were gay, like Rock Hudson, Montgomery Clift, Laurence Harvey, etc., were closeted, so I don't think that counts, does it?

Glad to hear of "Instinct" and about "Schitt's Creek".

When sexuality doesn't matter, one does not hear comments like "in your face" or "closeted".

Afterall, have you ever heard anything like this:

__________
Did you see that show the other night?

I did, but I would just love it if that heterosexual couple wasn't so in your face about it.

__________

Until that changes, gays will not be free to be who they are.

Rob -- Take a look at Six Feet Under. IMO there is no 'main character'; it's an ensemble piece. The gay brother's charcter development is equal to that of his straight brother, his little sister, and their mother. (Dad, being 'under', does have a somewhat smaller role.)

We enjoyed this dark comedy series last year, even though it premiered nearly 20 years ago.

Q ueer As Folk was a pretty good series.

eta Wow, just looked it up. It aired 15-20 years ago!

eta Had to edit a word as my first try wouldn't post :(