Some 25 years
after his breakthrough role as a gay teen in Harvey
Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy, Matthew
Broderick still has queer appeal. Maybe it’s
because he and Nathan Lane were Broadway’s oddest
couple in the musical juggernaut The Producers. Or it
could be his 10-year marriage to the iconic Sarah
Jessica Parker. Either way, with his computer-animated
Bee Movie in theaters November 2 and a slew of
buzzworthy films slated for release, the 45-year-old
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off star shows
off his gay bona fides by dishing on past flops and
the gay icons in his life
Before Torch Song Trilogy, did anyone warn you of
the potential perils of accepting a gay role so
early in your career?
I had some agents telling me to be careful. I
just thought it was a hilarious part and never worried
about it. And to be totally honest, I hadn’t
gotten any other jobs, so it was a really great job to get.
When someone would mention to me, “But
it’s a gay character, blah blah blah,” I
was like, “Fuck you.” That play was a huge
deal when it opened. It was one of the most exciting
times of my career.
Ironically, you haven’t played another gay
character since. It seems to have had a reverse
effect. I don’t know why.
I think because Ferris Bueller came out and I got
turned into that.
Have you heard the gay rumor about yourself?
I used to hear it more, but I don’t really hear
it that much now -- I guess because nobody
who’s married and has children is gay.
[Laughs] Now that I’m old, I’ve had so
much other stuff happen to bother me that that
wouldn’t bother me anyway.
Did it ever bother you?
A little bit just when I was trying to score.
[Laughs] I’ve always had a lot of gay
friends, I grew up in a theater household, so
I’ve never been uncomfortable with that.
Which do you think fueled the rumors more: Torch
Song, your friendship with Nathan Lane, or
your little light green Vespa?
[Laughs] Maybe I am gay! It all sounds
suspicious to me. I sold my green Vespa, interestingly
enough, to a gay friend, [Hairspray lyricist]
Scott Whitman. I got a gray one. You think that’s
more butch?
A little. Now settle a bet. Who’s gayer: Nathan or
Harvey Fierstein?
Whatever I answer, one of them will be extremely angry
at me -- but I don’t know which way would be
worse for whom. They’re both very strong-willed
men. And very gay. [Laughs] I shouldn’t say
that, even. Strike that. They’re two of my
biggest influences, and I love them both!
The Producers was criticized for, if not being
homophobic, encouraging gay stereotypes. How do
you respond? With the Carmen Ghia and Roger De
Bris characters?
I always felt it was so outrageous and burlesque
that it was OK. It never offended me. And it was
almost all gay people [behind the show]!
So what’s it like to be married to such a huge gay icon?
It’s amazing. She always had a little bit of that
quality even before Sex and the City.
It’s an interesting phenomenon with women who
cross over like that. There’s a bit of a gay
community going on at our house, actually. There are a
lot of people who help her get her stunning looks
together, and I will say there’s a certain percentage
of them who are not straight.
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