Straight actors have often received recognition from the Academy Awards for their portrayals of gay characters, but openly LGBTQ actors receiving such recognition have been few and far between. However, this year, that list has expanded with the nominations of Colman Domingo and Jodie Foster.
Domingo has been nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of the title character in the Netflix biopic “Rustin,” which tells the story of Bayard Rustin, a gay Black civil rights leader and advisor to Martin Luther King Jr. Domingo’s fellow nominee in the category is Bradley Cooper, a straight actor who played legendary composer Leonard Bernstein in the Netflix film “Maestro,” a role that explored Bernstein’s relationships with both men and women.
Foster, who has previously won two Academy Awards and been nominated for three others, received a nomination this year for her supporting role in “Nyad,” another Netflix biopic. In the film, Foster portrays Bonnie Stoll, a real-life lesbian who acted as friend and coach to long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad. Additionally, Annette Bening, who has been married to Warren Beatty for over 30 years, received a nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of an outspoken lesbian swimmer in the same film.
According to The New York Times, Domingo is only the second openly gay man to receive an Oscar nomination for playing a gay character. The first was Ian McKellen, who was nominated in 1999 for his leading role in “Gods and Monsters.” However, McKellen lost the award that year to Roberto Benigni.
While the number of seemingly straight male actors receiving Oscar nominations for playing gay characters is considerable, openly queer women have also been recognized for their portrayals of straight characters. Lily Gladstone has received an Oscar nomination this year for her leading role in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and in 2022, Ariana DeBose and Kristen Stewart both received nominations, with DeBose winning the Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in “West Side Story.” Additionally, several seemingly straight actresses have been nominated and even won Oscars for their portrayals of queer women, including Charlize Theron for “Monster” in 2003 and Olivia Colman for “The Favourite” in 2018. However, Foster’s nomination marks the first time an openly gay woman has been recognized for playing an explicitly gay character.
If Foster wins in March, she will enter an exclusive club of actors who have won three Oscars. Currently, this list includes only six people: Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Ingrid Bergman, Daniel Day-Lewis, Frances McDormand, and Walter Brennan. The only actor to have won four Oscars is Katharine Hepburn.
This year’s nominations for openly LGBTQ actors highlight the strides being made in representation and diversity within the film industry. It is a significant step forward in recognizing the talent and contributions of LGBTQ actors and further breaking down barriers. Congratulations to Jodie Foster and Colman Domingo for their historic nominations!