Jonathan Bailey Feared Being Gay 'Would Be a Hindrance' to His Career
Bailey said he once saw being gay as a career risk and later chose not to hide his identity, citing limits for queer actors.
- Jonathan Bailey, the 38-year-old actor, revealed at the inaugural Elton John Impact Awards that he initially feared being openly gay "would be a hindrance" to his career.
- Despite concerns about the "limits of queer actors," Bailey decided he was "willing to take that risk" to remain his authentic self rather than hide his sexuality.
- Seeing gay love stories in films like 2005's Brokeback Mountain provided crucial representation for Bailey, who admitted he "changed my thesis" to revisit the film about 15 times.
- Bailey expressed hope that the next generation can "harness the joy" in their stories, warning that "there's a real threat that things can slip" for queer actors.
- The Elton John Impact Awards, hosted by Billy Porter and Elvis Duran, celebrated trailblazing LGBTQ+ figures including Laverne Cox and Billie Jean King, fostering generational community connections.
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Out Magazine
Gay Pride - LGBT & Queer VoicesJonathan Bailey knew being gay could hurt his career, but he held his 'boyfriend's hand' anyway
Jonathan Bailey refused to live in the closet for the sake of his career.When the Wicked star was first starting out as an actor, he feared being openly gay "would be a hindrance" to his career, but he was willing to "take that risk.""I was well aware [of] the possibilities and the limits of queer actors and what that means to an audience and whether that bleeds into commerce and how that affects it," Bailey said, reports The New Zealand Herald.…
The star of the cult TV series "Bridgerton" and of the movie "Wicked" Jonathan Bailey, spoke of his coming out during the first edition of the Elton John Impact Awards. Bailey spoke with Elton John about his journey, from the awareness of his homosexuality to the awareness of the possible impact on his acting career: "I would never have given up on holding my boyfriend's hand on the street." During the chat, John asked Bailey if he had ever felt…
Jonathan Bailey admits he thought being gay would be 'hindrance to career'
Jonathan Bailey has shared that he originally thought being gay would be a “hindrance” to his career, but he was “willing to take that risk” to be his authentic self. Speaking on 1 June at the inaugural Elton John Impact Awards, which honours LGBTQ+ community members and allies, he said: “I was well aware that [of] the possibilities and the limits of queer actors and what that means to an audience and whether that bleeds into commerce and how th…
Jonathan Bailey Opens Up Being Confident in Coming Out: “I Wasn’t Gonna Not Hold My Boyfriend’s Hand in the Street”
Talking to Elton John for the inaugural Elton John Impact Awards, the 'Wicked' star shares his journey from realizing he was gay to becoming aware of the possible impact on his acting career.
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