Openly Gay Former Soap Opera Actors
Male actors who have worked on a soap opera and have since come out as openly gay
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- Producer
- Soundtrack
Murray Bartlett is an Australian actor. His roles include Dominic "Dom" Basaluzzo in the HBO comedy-drama series Looking, Michael "Mouse" Tolliver in the Netflix revival of Tales of the City, and Armond in the HBO satire comedy series The White Lotus, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. He is set to star in the upcoming television series adaptation of The Last of Us.- Richard Bekins was born on 17 July 1954 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Young Adult (2011), Limitless (2011) and Julie & Julia (2009).
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Jonathan David Bennett was born in Rossford, Ohio, to RuthAnne (Mason) and Dr. David Paul Bennett. He headed straight to New York to pursue acting after graduating from the theater program at Otterbein. He was actually discovered by an agent while sitting on a train. Six months later he signed on to the iconic soap opera "All My Children," playing J.R. Chandler. Since then Jonathan's career has been on fire. He has appeared in a slew of teen comedies, side-by-side with some of the biggest and brightest stars of their time including; "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" (with Steve Martin) and "Lovewrecked" (with Amanda Bynes). He also stepped into and took over the iconic role replacing Ryan Reynolds as Van Wilder in "Van Wilder: Freshman Year."- After four years in the Drama Department of the University of California, Bernau appeared in the New York Shakespeare Festival's production of "Antony and Cleopatra". In 1964, he was featured in the National Company's touring production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?".
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Thom Bierdz was born on 25 March 1962 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Young and the Restless (1973), St. Elmo's Fire (1985) and The Last Place on Earth (2002). He is married to Mark R. Harris.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Matthew Staton Bomer was born in Webster Groves, Greater St. Louis, Missouri, to Elizabeth Macy (Staton) and John O'Neill Bomer IV, a Dallas Cowboys draft pick. Matt was raised in Spring, Texas, and educated at Klein High School, near Houston. After school, he attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Bomer then relocated to New York to forge a career in acting.
Theater work followed, but his television break came with a small part in All My Children (1970). This lead to a reoccurring role in Guiding Light (1952) as murderous Ben Reade. Further success in TV followed including parts in Tru Calling (2003), Chuck (2007) and the lead role in Traveler (2007). Bomer also scored film roles in projects such as Flightplan (2005) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006). In 2009, he was cast in the lead role of criminal mastermind Neal Caffrey in Fox's White Collar (2009).- David Carroll was born on 30 July 1950 in Rockville Center, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Abduction (1975), Rockabye (1986) and The Rockford Files (1974). He died on 11 March 1992 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Keith Hamilton Cobb Graduated Sleepy Hollow High School and Westchester Community College. As well as New York University Tisch School of the Arts. He attended Circle in the Square Theatre School and Playwrights Horizons Theater School. His hobbies are writing, photography & renovating home. He lives in Los Angeles, California, USA. He has two sisters, Pamela and Lane Cobb, both of whom are physicians. His mother, Mary Lane Cobb is a retired physician and father James Cobb is a mechanical engineer. Keith has often said that his biggest inspiration are his hard working African American parents.
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Kevin Conroy was born on November 30, 1955 in Westbury, New York. At age 17, Kevin earned a full scholarship to attend Juilliard's drama division, where he studied under actor John Houseman. In 1978, after graduating from Juilliard, he toured with "The Acting Company", Houseman's acting group, and in 1979, he went on the national tour of "Deathtrap". In 1980, he was cast in the daytime soap opera Another World (1964). However, he soon missed the theatre, and so he became associated with the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, where he performed in "Hamlet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream". From 1980 to 1985, he acted in a variety of contemporary and classic theatre pieces, including the Broadway production of "Eastern Standard" and "Lolita". He is very respected in theatre circles for his interpretation of Shakespearean characters, and in 1984, he played the title role in "Hamlet" in the New York Shakespeare Festival. Kevin returned to television in the television movie Covenant (1985). He was a series regular on Ohara (1987) in 1987, and on Tour of Duty (1987) from 1987 to 1988, before starring in a series of television movies. He is best known for providing the title role in the animated Batman: The Animated Series (1992) series.- Actor
- Sound Department
- Producer
Michael Corbett began his career on Broadway, and then quickly made the transition to Television. In his 16 years starring on daytime television, Michael Corbett was voted "Daytime's Most Lovable Cad" by People magazine, for his red-hot starring roles in three different soap operas. He first starred for three years on Ryan's Hope for ABC, next for four years on Search for Tomorrow for NBC, and then nine years playing David Kimble on the CBS number-one daytime ratings grabber in the United States, Canada, and Europe, The Young and the Restless. He starred in several movies, Broadway shows and numerous guest star roles.
Michael Corbett is the Real Estate and Lifestyle Host of NBC's number-one-rated national news magazine show Extra. And is host and producer of NBC's Extra's Mansions & Millionaires! Corbett is now the very popular resident real estate expert for five major television shows - ABC's The View, CNN's Newsroom, NBC's Extra, and his weekly Friday morning real estate segments on FOX AND FRIENDS. His real estate expertise even reaches as far as The Today Show Australia. He is also Trulia.com's real estate expert with real estate tips and content syndicated nationally
Michael also regularly appears on CBS News, HGTV, Discovery Channel and had a long run as the featured real estate expert for Larry King Live! His real estate expertise and advice has been featured in all major nation publications including New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Newsweek, Smart Money, Huffington Post, People Magazine, Yahoo Real Estate and Business Week.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Joel Crothers was born on 28 January 1941 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for Dark Shadows (1966), The Edge of Night (1956) and Rescue 8 (1958). He died on 6 November 1985 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Curt Dawson was born on 5 December 1941 in Russell, Kansas, USA. He was an actor, known for The Adams Chronicles (1976), Guiding Light (1952) and Mardi Gras Massacre (1978). He died on 13 January 1985 in Long Beach, California, USA.
- Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he studied at Louisiana State University and the Carnegie Institute of Technology. During WWII, he served in the Navy. His career was started in New York, acting in regional and Off-Broadway Theatre until his Broadway debut in the musical, "Candide" in 1956. Edmonds stage role in "The Importance of Being Earnest" and his work on the accompanying album led him to television roles. He is survived by his brother, Walter, Jr. of Baton Rouge. His only sister Alma Edmonds Fritchie passed in 2006.
- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Wesley Eure was born on 17 August 1951 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Land of the Lost (1974), Days of Our Lives (1965) and Dragon Tales (1999).- Actor
- Producer
Scott Evans was born on 21 September 1983 in Sudbury, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Barbie (2023), Almost Love (2019) and Grace and Frankie (2015).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
With several decades of wide-ranging credits to his name, Robert Gant has become a well known actor and participant both in Hollywood and abroad. From television to film, dramatic to comedic, his portrayals have spanned all genres. In one of his most well known roles, Robert starred as Professor Ben Bruckner in Showtime's hit television series, "Queer as Folk." In that groundbreaking show, Robert explored broad dramatic terrain through his character, including being married in the first legal gay marriage ever portrayed on television. His list of credits include recurring parts on multiple series, television and theatrical films, and becoming television's first gay spy in the film, "Kiss Me Deadly." His many guest starring roles include a well known turn on the TV hit show, "Friends," where he played one of two men Phoebe was dating simultaneously. Robert also stars as Melissa Benoist's Kryptonian father Zor-El on "Supergirl" and as Todd Crimsen on the Netflix series, "Thirteen Reasons Why."
Robert's love of acting and performing began at an early age. He started doing television commercials and joined the Screen Actors Guild at the age of ten in his home state of Florida. He attended undergrad at the University of Pennsylvania and law school at Georgetown University. While studying, he never gave up on his artistic passions and took part in numerous singing groups and theatrical productions. Interestingly, it was his career as an attorney that brought him to Los Angeles when he accepted a position with the world's then largest law firm, Baker & McKenzie. In a twist of fate, the firm's Los Angeles office was closed soon after. Taking that as a sign, he made the decision to focus all of his time on the entertainment business.
Robert's experiences in Hollywood are not limited to performing. He was a producing partner in the production company, Mythgarden. Its feature film, "Save Me," which stars Robert along with Judith Light and Chad Allen, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Robert also co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in the Netflix-distributed period drama "Milada," the true story of Czech heroine Milada Horakova, who was, in 1950, the first woman executed in Czech history by the Communist government. In addition, Robert has completed the first draft of his first novel and, with a writing partner, is developing television projects and penning screenplays.
While he has given time to a number of philanthropic and political causes, such as HRC (by which he was given their National Equality Award), GLAAD (by which he was given their Davidson/Valentini Award for the promotion of equal rights in the community), and Lambda Legal, Robert's "torch issue" has been that of aging in the gay community. He's supported such organizations as SAGE (Senior Advocacy for GLBT Elders), which named him their first Honorary Elder, and GLEH (Gay and Lesbian Elder Housing), for which he served as a Board Member, and has been committed to addressing the community's collective challenge of growing old, alone. In 2016, Robert received the ADL Heroes Award from the Anti-Defamation League for his work on behalf of the LGBT and aging communities.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Farley Earle Granger was born in 1925 in San Jose, California, to Eva (Hopkins) and Farley Earle Granger, who owned an automobile dealership. Right out of high school, he was brought to the attention of movie producer Samuel Goldwyn, who cast him in a small role in The North Star (1943). He followed it up with a much bigger part in The Purple Heart (1944) and then joined the army. After his release he had to wait until Nicholas Ray cast him in the low-budget RKO classic They Live by Night (1948) with Cathy O'Donnell, and then he was recalled by Goldwyn, who signed him to a five-year contract. He then made Rope (1948) for Alfred Hitchcock and followed up for Goldwyn with Enchantment (1948) with David Niven, Evelyn Keyes and Teresa Wright. Other roles followed, including Roseanna McCoy (1949) with Joan Evans, Our Very Own (1950) with Ann Blyth and Side Street (1949), again with Cathy O'Donnell. He returned to Hitchcock for the best role of his career, as the socialite tennis champ embroiled in a murder plot by psychotic Robert Walker in Strangers on a Train (1951). He then appeared in O. Henry's Full House (1952) with Jeanne Crain, Hans Christian Andersen (1952) with Danny Kaye, The Story of Three Loves (1953) with Leslie Caron and Small Town Girl (1953) with Jane Powell. He went to Italy to make Senso (1954) for Luchino Visconti with Alida Valli, one of his best films. He did a Broadway play in 1955, "The Carefree Tree", and then returned to films in The Naked Street (1955) with Anthony Quinn and Anne Bancroft and The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955) with Joan Collins and Ray Milland. Over the next ten years Granger worked extensively on television and the stage, mainly in stock, and returned to films in Rogue's Gallery (1968) with Dennis Morgan. He then returned to Italy, where he made a series of films, including The Challengers (1970) with 'Anne Baxter (I)', The Man Called Noon (1973) with Richard Crenna and Arnold (1973) with Stella Stevens. More recent films include The Prowler (1981), Death Mask (1984), The Imagemaker (1986) and The Next Big Thing (2001). Since the 1950s he has continued to work frequently on American television and, in 1980, returned to Broadway and appeared in Ira Levin's successful play "Deathtrap". In 2007 he published his autobiography, "Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway" with Robert Calhoun. A longtime resident of New York, Granger has recently appeared in several documentaries discussing Hollywood and, often, specifically Alfred Hitchcock.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Brian Lane Green is a Tony Award nominated actor for the Broadway musical "Starmites" and has appeared on Broadway in Cy Coleman's "The Life" and as Huck Finn in "Big River." He has also toured nationally and internationally in major marquee roles including "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." As a series regular on three Daytime TV soaps and with lead roles in the independent and cult film favorites "Circuit" and "Friends and Family." Brian has a strong fan base following. Currently, Brian is creating several projects for stage and screen, including a series of historical narratives with producing partner Ian Eugene Ryan. He conceived and directed "The Sedaka Show" and co-wrote the song "I Would Never Leave You" for the Tony Award winning show "Liza's At the Palace." Brian is often consulted for directing, writing and composing, and he is a favorite of many Grammy winning composers for his own performing renditions of standards and top hits. He has produced two albums, writing several of the cuts, and has won awards for his original music.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Van Hansis was born on 25 September 1981 in North Adams, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for As the World Turns (1956), Eastsiders (2012) and Kiss Me, Kill Me (2015).- Editor
- Actor
- Producer
Wayne Hudgins was born on 19 June 1950 in Amarillo, Texas, USA. He was an editor and actor, known for Will Rogers: Look Back in Laughter (1987), Cinderella Liberty (1973) and As the World Turns (1956). He died on 18 December 1997 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Born in Rome, New York - where he grew up and graduated from Rome Catholic High School, in 1972. Paul received a bachelor's degree from Boston's Northeastern College with a major in drama and the arts. He appeared on Broadway, Film and Television. He was in the original Broadway cast of 'Torch Song Trilogy', appearing in a smaller part for the film version. His two brothers Bill and Jim live on the East Coast. He was a talented, wonderful person - who finally lost a long battle with depression and addiction on August 6, 2001. He tried very, very hard and was an inspiration to those who knew him.
- Paul Keenan was born on 10 December 1955 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Dynasty (1981), Honky Tonk Freeway (1981) and Days of Our Lives (1965). He died on 11 December 1986 in Canton, Massachusetts, USA.
- Christian Jules Le Blanc was born on August 25, 1958 in North Carolina, USA. He is the son of Major Andre Victor Le Blanc (a veteran) and Alice Le Blanc. He grew up in a large family, being the second eldest of eight children. As a teen, he attended Jesuit High School and later went on to receive a BA degree from Tulane University (Louisiana, USA), majoring in ancient history and pre-med. Before pursuing an acting career, he had planned to spend his life working in the medical field.
Christian made his screen debut in a commercial for Barq's Root Beer. He's most known for his work on In the Heat of the Night (1988) and for playing lawyer Michael Baldwin, on The Young and the Restless (1973). A man of many skills, he is also an award-winning artist and has MC'd and hosted numerous events for charities and other organizations. He has been with his husband, a yoga instructor named Sid Montz, since 1993. - Music Artist
- Music Department
- Actor
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ricky initiated his singing career in the Latin all boy-band group Menudo. After leaving the group, he moved to New York to study acting. After finishing his studies, he relocated to Mexico where he performed as actor in "Mama ama el Rock", "Alcanzar una Estrella II". In 1991, he began to focus his career as a soloist singer, eventually becoming an international superstar with the release of his self-titled English language album in 1996.- Gregg Marx was born on 3 April 1955 in Hollywood, California, USA. He is an actor, known for As the World Turns (1956), Days of Our Lives (1965) and Hotel (1983).