The LGBT+ community has fought hard for their rights to be recognized and for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, to be able to live freely and safely without being attacked or discriminated in any way. However, we must recognize the sad reality and this is that many people still feel the need to hide who they are in order to succeed in their lives or even just to be safe.
We might think that the entertainment world is exempt from this and that, in general, people in this field are more open-minded. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and the experience of actor Jonathan Bailey, the protagonist of the second season of Bridgertonproves it.
Although he is the lead actor in one of the most successful Netflix series today, Jonathan’s start in the industry was not all hunky-dory. You see, the actor is gay and when he was still new to show business he was given advice that greatly affected his way of seeing things.
I was told that there are two things no one needs to know: if you’re an alcoholic or if you’re gay. All it takes is for a person in a position of power to say that and it spreads. So yeah, of course I thought that. Of course I thought that to be happy I needed to be straight.
For a first-time actor, those words represented a strong reminder inside his mind all the time. The saddest thing is that he not only applied it in his professional life, but, as he himself said, he came to believe that his sexuality could be an impediment not only to his success as an actor, but also to be happy.
However, hiding who you are isn’t a task that many people tolerate for long, and Jonathan found that living authentically is far more valuable than any role in any movie.
It got to a point where I thought, ‘Fuck this. I’d rather hold hands with my boyfriend in public or be able to have a normal Tinder profile without worrying than get a part.
Open secrets in Hollywood
Jonathan’s career was still in its early stages when he decided that he would not hide his sexuality and speaking to Ian McKellen, another actor who has opened up about his sexuality, he said he was very surprised that, on many occasions, they are the same actors. gay who think that it is necessary to be more reserved regarding their sexual orientation.
In this day and age, the most conservative conversations I’ve had about being honest about my sexuality have been with gay men in the industry. I feel like there is a deep-seated feeling of shame between them.