Billy crystal gay

Conservatives screamed and gays held their breath when satirical soap opera Soap premiered on September 13, , thus introducing the nation to Jodie Dallas, a gay man played by then-unknown. This story first appeared in the June 14 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

[23]. Sterling K. All Rights Reserved. The actor touched a nerve with some comments he made about gay relationships on TV. By Ryan Gajewski. Crystal, who played a gay character on TV show Soap until , encountered intense criticism after he appeared to make homophobic remarks about LGBT sex scenes on TV during a panel discussion.

No, Billy Crystal/ William Edward Crystal isn’t gay. This led to complaints from religious groups, with the Roman Catholic Church calling for a boycott of products advertised on the show. Related Stories. They trusted him with the baby. Who Is Billy. June 17, am.

He just played the gay character Jodie Dallas in the satirical soap opera “Soap.” In real life, he married his high school sweetheart, Janice Goldfinger, on June 4, They are parents to two daughters- Jennifer, an accomplished actress, and Lindsay, a skilled producer.

Billy Crystal speaks on stage during the 'The Comedians' panel at the FX Winter TCA on Sunday. Click here to subscribe. But set aside the insane idea that Crystal — the first straight actor to play an openly gay TV role on “Soap” back when it was career-lethal and truly cutting edge — might be some sort of.

Crystal, who played one of the first openly gay characters on primetime television in Soap, was asked if playing gay was difficult for him at the time as well as his thoughts on what has happened. After ABC screened two episodes for local affiliates, a Newsweek report in June exaggerated its depictions of sexuality and misrepresented certain plot points, including a scene involving a woman proclaiming her love for a priest during confessional.

Soap premiered as planned, though its first season included an introductory disclaimer about adult themes. Crystal's earliest prominent role was as Jodie Dallas on Soap, one of the first unambiguously gay characters in the cast of an American television series. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day.

Soap made a splash even before its ABC debut in September Created by Susan Harris, who was later behind The Golden Girl s, it was a half-hour comedy lampooning daytime soap operas and centering on the eventful lives of two sisters, the affluent Jessica Tate Katherine Helmond and working-class Mary Campbell Cathryn Damon.

Senior Entertainment Reporter. Close the menu The Hollywood Reporter homepage.