Nicholas Snow's Notes From The World: Walking the Pink Carpet—Jason Stuart, Out Actor in Hollywood

Some of the participants at the Screen Actors Guild "Out in Hollywood III: The Rise of the Gay Actor" panel including Bryan Batt (Mad Men), Jonathan Slavin (Better Off Ted), Wilson Cruz (He’s Just Not Into You), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Jason Stuart (The Closer), and Candis Cayne (Dirty Sexy Money). Photo by Jason Putman.

Nicholas Snow's Notes From The World: Walking the Pink Carpet—Jason Stuart, Out Actor in Hollywood

Rumor has it that a so-called “velvet mafia” exists in Hollywood, comprised of some of the most powerful gay men in the entertainment industry. Long after these rumors surfaced, alleged members publicly acknowledged their gayness while others remain tightly in the closet with very public wives and girlfriends. Decades ago some entertainers came out, putting their careers on the line to express their truth. One of these entertainers, comedian and actor Jason Stuart, is more famous than ever, and currently the chairperson of the National LGBT Actors Committee of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), which celebrated October 2009 as Diversity Awareness Month.

Special SAG programming in October included among other offerings a special panel entitled Out in Hollywood III: The Rise of the LGBT Actor on which Jason appeared, and the union, along with Jason, had an official contingent in the October 11th Equality March on Washington. As someone who appeared on television throughout most of the 90’s on my own TV show (Tinseltown’s Queer!), intent on strengthening the relationship between the LGBT civil rights movement and the entertainment industry, I am excited to file this progress report!

In September when announcing the October diversity month celebrations then SAG Interim National Executive Director David White explained, “Screen Actors Guild historically and consistently has strived for fairness and diversity both within our Guild and the industry at large. We are continuously working to make a difference toward a more representational multicultural community. I encourage all of our friends in the creative community to work toward a more diverse and accurate media landscape…”

In fact, for over a decade now, “The SAG Pension & Health plan has offered health coverage to certified same-sex domestic partners (or same-sex legal spouse) of a participant or member. “ They continued, “If a participant also has life insurance through the plan, the participant can, of course, assign the benefits of life insurance to a domestic partner.” Even bucking still-existing Federal discrimination, SAG added, “The pension is a defined benefit plan which is governed under the federal government’s Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), an act which does not currently recognize same-sex partners, but there are options that a participant can elect that would provide the pension benefits to a domestic partner.”

Jason Stuart and Screen Actors Guild colleagues march on Washington. Photo by Daniel Remoine.

As an out performer, the road for Jason has not always been easy, but sometimes, simply being out has brought him huge applause. During the 1993 Coming Out Comedy Tour, Jason explained, “Fans would give me standing O’s before I said a word. That was the power of being out when very few comedians were.” He also has fond memories of performing at many of the Human Rights Campaign gala dinners where, as he explained, “I could meet so many out leaders who have made such a difference in my life.”

About 200 people attended the recent SAG Out Actors panel where, as Jason explained, a consensus was that being out is better but not always easy. “I can’t speak for others but I believe that our work will change people’s lives as others who have been out have changed mine,” said Jason.

Jason admires many entertainers who are true to themselves regardless of whether they are straight, gay or in-between, including “Whoopi Goldberg, Barbra Streisand, Bruce Vilanch, Wilson Cruz and Philip Seymour Hoffman to name a few. These are actors who have always been who they are and the work has come to them. This is my hope as an artist, to be a good actor, and that the work will find me.”

Describing his most rewarding acting roles so far, Jason explained, “I did a play in 2007 where I played a guy who lost his lover to suicide. I had this scene where I asked God, ‘why has this happened to me?’ I was really asking, ‘Why do I not have a good man in my life?!’ I also played the Vincent Price role in a remake of Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Pit and the Pendulum.’ It was my first real villain character and I got to be British. And lastly I recently guest starred on ‘The Closer’ playing this New York straight guy who finds a dead body.” He has also played the gay shrink on ABC’s My Wife & Kids, among many other roles.

About what professional gig has paid him the most, he responded, “Wow, I think it was ‘The Closer’ but my dad told me to never talk about money. And once, I got a lot to perform at a supper club in Chicago from a man who said he just wanted to ‘take me away from all of this.’ Well, that didn’t work out,” Jason laughed.

So, what still needs to change about Hollywood from Jason’s perspective?

He exclaimed, “A TV series for me!” On a more serious note, he revealed, “I think we need to stop thinking actors are limited and be more open to all types of actors playing roles. Twenty-five years ago if a black actress played a judge it would be a very special episode. Now it’s the norm. The powers that be need to be more creative and stop trying to figure out what the public wants. Create!”

At what point in his life has Jason felt the most hopeless?

“Last Thursday after an audition,” he laughed. He added, “Doing a gig in a Casino in San Marino when the audience looked like they could kill me,” and “for a minute when I read the Out 100 in Out Magazine and I was not in it again. But then I just move on and know it’s about the work and the love I have for it… My hope is that one day I will work on the film that will reach folks in the same way I was reached as a kid, and change someone’s way of looking at the world.”

For more on Jason’s exciting career, visit www.JasonStuart.com, and for more information about SAG’s great work, visit www.SAG.org.



Nicholas Snow's Notes From The World

Nicholas Snow

This column presents stories of courage, strength and hope of individuals worldwide who are passionately involved in the struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered civil rights as well as the battle against HIV/AIDS, demonstrating how these issues are inseparable from the overall fight for human rights for everyone. In addition, the column infuses travel and entertainment reporting into the mix to not only celebrate the freedoms that exist for many of us, but to contrast these freedoms against the dark realities of individuals living in more oppressed situations where sometimes their very lives are at risk. More columns...


The Action Equals Life World Service Project

ActionEqualsLife.com is bringing people from all walks of life together who share the common goals of creating HIV/AIDS Awareness; supporting the worldwide fight for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people; and supporting human rights in general. Please create a profile at ActionEqualsLife.com.

Media Partners


This column, Nicholas Snow's Notes From The World, was conceived out of a longtime collaboration between Nicholas Snow, editor/mentor Mona de Crinis, and The Bottom Line Magazine in Southern California, the "anchor publication" of the print version of this column.

For information on how your media outlet (newspaper, magazine or web site) may secure rights to carry this column (and become a media partner with the NotesFromTheWorld.com family of web sites) please email Nicholas Snow directly at Orbit@NotesFromTheWorld.com. Our debut media partners are acknowledged in the above gallery.

Masthead photo of Nicholas Snow credit/copyright Kevyn Major Howard