Many beloved stars from Hollywood's Golden Age lived queer lives, often hidden from the public due to societal pressures. Here are 15 iconic actors and actresses who were part of the LGBTQ+ community, as documented by historical accounts and interviews.
Marlon Brando and Wally Cox
Marlon Brando told a journalist in the 1970s, "Like a large number of men, I, too, have had homosexual experiences, and I am not ashamed." He reportedly had encounters with many famous men, and his close friendship with actor Wally Cox is speculated to have been romantic. Brando was described as "very possessive" of Cox, and after Cox's premature death, Brando carried his ashes and later arranged for his own ashes to be scattered with Cox's.
Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo
Marlene Dietrich was fluid in gender presentation and sexuality. Married to director Rudolf Sieber for over 50 years, they had an open marriage, and Dietrich had affairs with both men and women, referring to closeted queer female actors as her "sewing circle." One of her rumored lovers was Greta Garbo, who never married and had affairs with men and women, including a long-term on-again, off-again relationship with lesbian writer Mercedes de Acosta.
Rock Hudson's Hidden Life
Rock Hudson's homosexuality was an open secret. When Confidential magazine threatened to out him in 1955, his agent bribed them with gossip about other clients and arranged a quick marriage to his secretary, Phyllis Gates. During their divorce, Gates allegedly blackmailed Hudson with secretly recorded audio alluding to his relationships with men.
Anthony Perkins and Tab Hunter
Psycho star Anthony Perkins was gay and had private relationships with Hollywood men, including Tab Hunter. Perkins later attempted conversion therapy and married Berry Berenson in 1973, who kept his sexuality secret. Tab Hunter, a heartthrob, dated Perkins in the 1950s, often going on double dates with women before going home together. Hunter later came out publicly in 2005 and married producer Allan Glaser, staying together for over 30 years until his death in 2018.
James Dean and Sal Mineo
James Dean's sexuality was subject to speculation. When asked if he was gay, he said, "I'm not a homosexual, but I'm not going through life with one hand tied behind my back." In Rebel Without a Cause, he embraced queer subtext and advised co-star Sal Mineo to do the same. Mineo was openly bisexual in a 1972 interview, discussing his relationship with acting coach Courtney Burr III, whom he was with until his death in 1976.
Montgomery Clift
Montgomery Clift was gay and closeted publicly but open to those close to him, including Elizabeth Taylor, who confirmed his sexuality in 2000, long after his 1966 death.
Cesar Romero and Clifton Webb
Cesar Romero, known for The Cisco Kid and the Joker in Batman, is believed to have been gay. Writer Samuel Garza Bernstein claims Romero was privately openly gay, with his friendships with women mistaken for romances. Similarly, Clifton Webb never came out, but his Titanic co-star Robert Wagner stated in his autobiography that Webb was gay.
Barbara Stanwyck and Tallulah Bankhead
Barbara Stanwyck is speculated to have been queer, described by Clifton Webb as his "favorite American lesbian." Her longest relationship was with best friend and publicist Helen Ferguson. Tallulah Bankhead openly discussed her affairs with men and women, calling herself "ambisextrous."
Farley Granger and William Haines
Farley Granger never concealed his bisexuality, writing in his autobiography, "I was never ashamed... I have loved men. I have loved women." William Haines was one of the first openly gay actors in Hollywood, living with his boyfriend Jimmie Shields at the height of his fame. When MGM head Louis B. Mayer demanded he break up with Shields and marry a woman, Haines refused and was fired.
