Chamberlain advises gay actors to stay in the closet

Gay rights activists have long pushed for closeted lesbian sand gays to come out of the closet and cease hiding their sexuality from family, friends and co workers. Owning up to one’s sexual identity in public would strike a blow for mental health,  advocates argue while also helping to remove lingering social stereotypes and stigmas that keep gays in the closet. So when a renowned gay actor advises other gay actors to stay in the closet, the message probably won’t be welcomed  warmly by the “come out” crowd.

Richard Chamberlain perhaps best known for his role in the”The Thorn Birds” and the 60s television series “Dr. Kildare” as the suave young doctor on one of TV’s first medical shows.He continues to enjoy a thriving career, which has span over the past 60 years. When The Advocate’s, Brandon Voss asked about the status of fellow gay actors who have not yet come out,Chamberlain said the issue was “complicated” one, but went on to advise secretly homosexual actors to keep their sexuality, well, a secret.”There’s still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. It’s regrettable, it’s stupid, it’s heartless, and it’s immoral, but there it is,”said Chamberlain, who currently stars as the HIV-positive love interest of a male character on ABC’s “Brothers & Sisters.” For an actor to be working is a kind of miracle, because most actors aren’t, so it’s just silly for a working actor to say, ‘Oh, I don’t care if anybody knows I’m gay’ especially if you’re a leading man. Personally, I wouldn’t advise a gay leading man type actor to come out.”Chamberlain came out of the closet  just seven years ago, in a autobiography titled “Shattered Love.” Chamberlain wrote that he was coming out now rather than at an earlier point in his career because he was now free to “talk about it now because I’m not afraid any more.

I am not a romantic leading man any more,so I don’t need to nurture that public image any more.”