List of straight characters played by gay actors, loosely ranked by fame and popularity. One of the great things about being an actor is you can play characters that are different from yourself. Several gay actors are famous for playing well-known straight characters in film and on television. One gay actor is best known for playing a lady-loving lawyer on a sitcom.
Who is the most famous gay actor who has played straight characters? Neil Patrick Harris tops our list. The "Doogie Howser, M.D." star has twins with his partner, David Burtka. Ironically, he plays one of the biggest fictional womanizers in TV history as Barney Stinson on "How I Met Your Mother." Likewise, Portia de Rossi played promiscuous Lindsay Bluth Funke on "Arrested Development," while in real life, the actress has been married to Ellen DeGeneres since 2008.
Mike Brady, one of the most famous TV dads, was played by gay actor Robert Reed. On "Family Ties," matriarch Elyse Keaton was played by Meredith Baxter, who came out as a lesbian in 2009. Other straight characters played by LGBT actors include Sheldon Cooper from "The Big Bang Theory" and Miranda Hobbes from "Sex and the City."
Do you think that it is difficult for gay actors to find credible roles as straight characters? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
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Barney Stinson
Actor Neil Patrick Harris is openly gay. He came out in 2006, saying, "I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love." He plays notorious womanizer Barney Stinson on "How I Met Your Mother."
George O'Malley
Openly gay actor T.R. Knight played the straight character Dr. George O'Malley on "Grey's Anatomy." Notably, Knight's "Grey's" co-star Isaiah Washington was fired after he used a homophobic slur. He married his partner, Patrick Leahy, in 2013.
Martin Crane
John Mahoney does not speak publicly about his personal life, but it is widely accepted that the actor is gay. He has played many straight characters in his career, including twice-married Martin Crane on "Frasier."
Michael Scofield
Openly gay actor Wentworth Miller played the straight character Michael Scofield on the show "Prison Break." Miller came out in 2013 by posting an open letter on the GLAAD website in which he declined to attend a Russian film festival because of their anti-gay laws.
Niles Crane
David Hyde Pierce played the Niles Crane on "Frasier" from 1993-2004. By the end of the series, Dr. Crane was married with a son. Pierce publicly came out in 2007. He married his partner of over 20 years, Brian Hargrove, in 2008.
Lindsay Bluth Fünke
Portia de Rossi married talk show host Ellen Degeneres in 2008. She has played several straight characters, including promiscuous-but-married Lindsay Bluth Funke on "Arrested Development."
Sheldon Cooper
Jim Parsons has played several socially awkward heterosexual characters, including Sheldon Cooper on "The Big Bang Theory," who has been in a relationship with Amy Farrah Fowler for several seasons. Cooper has been in a relationship with Todd Spiewak for over 10 years.
Darlene Conner
Openly gay actress Sara Gilbert has played several straight characters, including Darlene Conner on "Roseanne." By the end of that series, Darlene was married. She is currently engaged to 4 Non Blondes frontwoman Linda Perry.
Miranda Hobbes
Cynthia Nixon is best known for playing Miranda Hobbes on "Sex and the City." She married her partner, Christine Marinoni, in 2012.
Mike Brady
Robert Reed is best known for playing Mike Brady on "The Brady Bunch." Reed was gay, and although most people knew it, he chose not to discuss his sexuality. Sadly, Reed died of colon cancer in 1992. He was also HIV positive.