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EXCLUSIVE! Wesley Eure of TV's "Land of the Lost" Comes Out
AE: I must say, you've had a fascinating life. I hope it feels that way to you, because just reading about you earlier and talking to you now, you've done it all. You must be pretty proud. Most of the emails I got were from guys. I have some emails that would just break your heart, they're so beautiful. Emails about guys coming out and understanding watching me, crushes, one guy said it changed his life. His email is so detailed, he's a very successful, professional guy now. I've just been honored. I'm so thrilled that people have been courageous enough to email me. You know, on the website I didn't even talk about my sexuality. I go to my computer and find more emails every day.
AE: I find that fascinating, that gay and bisexual men were relating to you on some level, that’s there was something about your presence that was reassuring or comforting enough that they trust you with telling you about their same-sex crushes. AE: Just between you and me, me too.
You can visit Wesley online here. For more about his experiences on Land of the Lost (including his Sleestak stories!), see the rest of my interview with Wesley here. Thanks to AfterElton.com reader Tony for the tip! Submitted by on Thu, 2009-06-04 00:01. |
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News, Reviews & Commentary on Gay and Bisexual Men in Entertainment and the Media
I had such a crush
Chapter and Verse
afhickman
Well, I don't remember this series (I was too fulfilled to watch television in the '70s), but I think Eure's comments go a long way towards explaining why some of us, of a certain age, are still sensitive on the subject of coming out. I agree that no one should be "outed"--I don't care whom they're seen in public holding hands with--until they're ready (like Mr. Eure) to stand up and make the announcement themselves. I know we live in different times--indeed, very confusing times--as regards sexuality. The recent debate about how many letters to include in the acronym (LGBTQ, etc.) demonstrates that. Met(e)rosexuals and gay-friendly young people do not hesitate to hold hands or appear intimate in public. I think, for the most part, the trend is a good one. But we shouldn't leap to conclusions about them. The most convinvcing gay character I've ever seen on screen--Ennis in "Brokeback"--was played by a straight actor, although we would all of us have been proud to include him among our ranks. I may have my own thoughts about Adam and Wentworth and others, but it's not my business to speak for celebrities, in any field, on the very intimate subject of their sexuality. It is not anyone's job to do so unless the celebrity, in this case Mr. Eure himself, gives them leave.
"The mountain has wings."
Land of the Lost
no idea...
i still have no idea who he is. no idea there was a tv show called 'land of the lost' - - only tv show i know from the 70's is 'brady bunch, partridge family' and a few variety shows (dean martin FTW)
interesting his partner use to play for the yankees...gay people in sports is still rare to see....um, know about.
this may sound stupid, but i guess i am just stupid in this area, so here goes - - he mentions closeted actors today and how he knows some...when he says closeted, does he mean "they have a girlfriend/wife, but goes out to be with men in private places" or "they're gay (but not with a woman), but their agents dont know, the public doesnt know, etc"
to me, its pretty pathetic that while NPH can be out and successful, someone like...well whoever else can't. i wonder if that is because they have a different PR team.
I know someone who is certain Elvis was gay. i ask why she thinks so and she says "liz, i've been on this earth longer than you, and by now, i just know these things"
Quite a Scoop. Excellent interview
No question that it was impossible for a young star his age to come out back then. Look what Disney did to Tommy Kirk, who wasn't even out but just trying to live his life as best he could. Eure's affair with Chamberlain had it been known would have destroyed the both of them.
Fascinating that he met Ross Hunter and Jacques Mapes and knows about the Closeted "A-Gay" world they lived in. Hunter eventually brought Mapes on as his associate producer for a number of projects including Lost Horizon --
or as I prefer to call it Larry Kramer's Lost Horizon.
Yet to the press Hunter insisted that he was "dating" Nancy Sinatra Sr. !
More reason to applaud the out performers of today like NPH, Cheyenne Jackson (who got a great review in the NYT today for his cabaret show with Michael Feinstein), Ellen, et. al. "Individual Choice" is a luxury none of us can afford in this economic and moral depression.
Deleted for violating user guidelines.
What on earth are you talking about--
Deleted for violating user guidelines.
"Beowulf" is a fake name, dear
To Be Fair...
To be fair--not that that always stops people--Beowulf is a real name.
Whether or not it might be applied to this particular person could be a matter of some small debate, but it's still a real name. I know at least one currently-living male of this name, who normally goes by 'Beo'.
Regardless, it's certainly no less real of a name than Marilyn Monroe. :)
Gar vethed e-chunen; go hon bedithon na meth.
How did I miss
He has 330 posts after his user name "David E is a Fraud!" Alas, I could only wish that my detractors were so honest in naming themselves. While I would guess that you have an ego that rivals the stars you write about, which perhaps explains your own adulation and empathy with those stars, you seem to be missing the grace that many of those stars possess. I am asking you to step back from your holy self and take a gander.
The commenter is up front about his animosity. That's refreshing from my perspective. And it is a tribute. But why does that tribute bother you and why do your ruffled feathers come as no surprise?
David E is a Fraud! accused you of using double standards when you "applaud being 'closeted'". He may be right. I will never know, because you chose to ignore that charge and instead delved into what? His veracity. "O nameless one?" That's weak and it makes me feel smug and comfortable for a reason. Like your detracter, there's really only one persons opinion on this site that has stung me or made me pause for an extended time. And that is yours. I am conflicted. I feel delighted and sad. Sad that you would defend a stupid slight over defending your better opinion.
And I'm disappointed in myself, because I wanted to believed your actual opinion mattered more then what irascible people had to say about you.
Where do I applaud the closeted?
your asking the wrong one
So where's you "ready answer"?
tyrone power...
i knew the name rang a bell.
I have a lana turner book by her daughter and there is like a whole section dedicated to how Tyrone was the love of lana's life.
was just on wikipedia..and it mentions the rumors of him being gay/bi...and it seems everyone who knew him says it is completely false. lana said "he was all man" (nice. tsk)
guess it is one of those things we'll never know for sure.
Ty was Bi and everyone knows for sure
well...
from what i have read, it seems not everyone does know.
seems very conflicting, unlike talking about rock hudson, where i dont think anyone has ever denied his sexuality. if he was bi, he hid it really damn well.
Lana Turner?
Lana Turner isn't exactly a reliable source. It would've hurt her image had Tyrone Power been revealed as bi (less than "all man"). Same goes for his kids who were trying to "protect" his image.
While I don't buy into revisionist history that eventually turns all dead celebrities into gay icons (Elvis Presley? Seriously?), the reports about Tyrone Power go way back to his early days in Hollywood when he was much more open about his sexuality.
my mistake...
I just went back and realized i missed a section on the wikipedia page. my bad.
it seems most of the women he was with had no idea or a hint of his supposed sexuality, whereas most men "knew"
this part cracked me up --> "William Martin, Tyrone's cousin and close boyhood friend, who also lived with Tyrone in Hollywood from 1936 to 1939, always maintained that such rumours were completely preposterous. "If Ty became bisexual, it happened after 1939"
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Why do "SOOO Sadden" You?
Kudos
Awesome comment
I agree with you. Now if I only had seen Land of the lost!
Eric
Thanks!
Thanks for the compliment! And now I feel old... ;-)
Pick it up on NetFlix. It is a campfest worth your time for a few episodes. My favorite though was still the Sleestaks though.
what suprises me
Those Eyes
Great interview, Brent! Like every other gay guy who grew up in the 70s, I had a total crush on Will Marshall, aka "Wesley." (How could I forget he went by ONE name?) I've actually known he's gay for quite some time now. A few years back, my best friend had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Eure while vacationing in Palm Springs, where he learned he's "one of us." I was SO jealous...but the news was MOST welcome!
DRAMA QUEERS! by Frank Anthony Polito
Kensington Books/June 2009
www.dramaqueers.net
He was my first crush!
My very first one! And that show is my favorite show from childhood. As a matter of fact I re-watch them every once in a while. I've been watching them over the last couple of weeks. This is where my obsession with dinosaurs started, and it still lasts to this day. I have shelves of dinosaur books (fiction and non-fiction), movies and toys. It's also what got me into science fiction. I think I knew he way gay the very first time I watched the DVD sets, the interviews with Wesley and Kathy. I tried to convince the boyfriend, and now I'm e-mailing him a link, with an 'I told you so!' attatched to it.
“America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.” Oscar Wilde
Let's try keeping things in proportion
afhickman
Tyrone Power gay? How could anyone this pretty not be gay?
His service as a pilot in World War II aged him badly, and he died young, but he was a stunner in films like "Johnny Apollo" (1938) and "The Mark of Zorro" (1940).
"The mountain has wings."
He is particualrly
Crushes
At that time, of course, I thought Wesley was very cute and if he hadn't been in such a puerile piece of crap, I would have paid more attention to him. But, my chickenhawk running buddy would not go out of the house until he caught the latest episode of Land of the Lost. Wes was one of his many fixations, along with the ill-fated Jack Wild on Pufnstuff.
I am so proud of you, Wes, for speaking out, however late. Those of us who were coming out back then (and before) totally understand. Even today, it can be death to some people's careers to come out when they live in the public eye.
Congratulations and thanks for sharing with us.
puerile piece of crap?
He was the only reason
Wesley Eure was the one and only reason I watched Land of the Lost. I was also a Days of our Lives fan, and I remember what a sad day it was when I tuned in and found out that the role of Mike Horton was now being played by another actor - a sad day indeed.
I wish I had known about Wesley when the voting was open for Ladies Choice Hot Gay men - he would have been on my list. Especially after reading this line in his interview:
"John, if I'm going to die by taking care of you, it would be my honor." So when he passed away, I was holding him.
Amazing.
Dreamy!
OMG!!! I had such a crush on Wesley back in the 70's!! He was so dreamy!!!
If I'd known there were such hot gay guys back then I wouldn't have waited til the 90's to come out!!!!
I still find it somewhat
I still find it somewhat perplexing when an actor claims that being outed would "destroy" their career. Does Hollywood really believe that an audience can't separate the actor from the role they're playing?
It just sounds like a big cop-out to me.
Darwin Porter's newest book on Merv Griffin is a fascinating study on the inner workings of Hollywood and how they paired up gay stars with Hollywood starlets by fabricating stories and having gay actors escort these starlets to high-profile parties.
Tyrone Power's name is brought up more than once.
I had never seen this show
I had never seen this show when it first aired (mainly because I was past the kid-watching-Saturday shows stage). But when I first came to L.A., I would go to the gym at the YMCA in Hollywood and some of the guys there would warn me about Syd Kroft and what a lech he was.
Anyways, today, I decide to catch up on all the hoopla and watch the marathon on SciFi (ScYFY?) and the first episode I watch is "Time Lost" written by Tom Swale, an old friend of mine (and former BF of my ex). I knew he and his writing partner knew the Krofts, but I didn't know they had written for him. What a gay show that must have been.
BTW, Uncle Jack was a dream "Daddy"!
Wesley Eure must have been
Thank you for the Wesley Eure Interview!!!
At one point back in the 1970's, it was a delight to watch Wesley on DOOL during the week and LOOL on Saturday mornings, all on NBC.
Wesley, if you should spy this, thank you so much and it's good to see you after all this time again and you're doing very well. Considering what is about to transpire on the other Sony Pictures soap, The Young & The Restless, I dream the Days producers will try to top it and get you and the other sexy actor who played Michael Horton (Michael T. Weiss, who later went on to star in The Pretender) back to send the faltering series off in style.
It's Kaye Ballard
Wesley