For those of us in the UK – that means being an Estate Agent.
When asked what advice he would give, RuPaul said, “get your real estate licence” – because it’s not likely you’ll be making enough for your rent, at least in the beginning.
RuPaul, who has been a drag queen since the 80s, has a career that spans films, music, podcasts and, of course, one of the world’s most popular reality TV shows, RuPaul’s Drag Race.
RuPaul’s career has spawned countless albums and singles. She has also starred in films. More recently she and Michelle Visage started the incredible popular What’s The Tee? Podcast
RuPaul went on to say that show business is a “hard business” and that you shouldn’t lose your head if you get a glimpse of fame. She told us, “Show business is a hard business. Most people see all the glamour and their names in the paper but that’s just such a small part of what it takes to maintain a career.
Sometimes it can feel like the world’s media is fixated on the achievements of the under 20s. The careers of those who are beyond the age of 25 don’t seem relevant, well we disagree.
Here are 10 gay and bisexual men whose careers totally bloomed after the age of 40, although some of them were already doing well before that!
Okay so RuPaul was already a star in his twenties, but, during the late 90s and 00s Ru’s career somewhat stalled. However the resurgence of Drag and more importantly, the part that Ru’s show Drag Race has played in giving drag its second wind puts Ru back on top.
Anderson Cooper, News Anchor and Reporter
Although Anderson has always been successful, thanks to his family line, (he’s an heir to the Vanderbilt empire) it wasn’t until he became the news anchor at CNN in 2003 that his star stock took off and he’s become steadily more and more successful since then. He’s now one of the most recognisable faces of news TV.
Bianca Del Rio, Drag Queen
CREDIT: kathclick / Bigstock
Bianca Del Rio / Roy Haylock was actually in his late 30s when his appearance and winning of RuPaul’s Drag Race made him a household name. Since turning 40 Roy and Bianca have been travelling the world performing in countless venues – Bianca even has her very own comedy feature-length movie, Hurricane Bianca.
We tread carefully here, as Giorgio hasn’t come out officially as gay or bisexual, but an interview in Vanity Fair in 2000 shed some light on his sexuality, when he said, “I have had women in my life. And sometimes men”.
Giorgio’s star was late rising. He showcased his first collection in 1975, when he was 41. Giorgio topped our richest list in 2015.
It wasn’t until the 80s that Calvin Klein clothing and the man himself became the fashion king that he is today, after all his company changed the way the world viewed underwear, anyone who has seen those Mark Walberg underwear pictures will know what we’re talking about. Although Calvin had success in his formative years, he was well into his 40s when it was arguably his underwear ranges and fragrances that turned his successes around.
Tim Cook became a household name when he took over the top job at Apple and he was into his 50s. He came out as gay in October 2014, becoming one of the most successful out CEOs in history.
Cyril Nri, Actor
CREDIT: Ben Blackall / Channel 4
Star of Channel 4’s Cucumber in 2015, Cyril, 54, starred in The Bill from 2002 until 2006. His career went astronomical again when he starred in Russell T Davies’ Cucumber making him a household name in the UK. SPOILER: His graphic murder in the show became one of the most talked about moments in queer TV history.
Harvey was known as one of life’s drifters, that is until he decided to go into politics in his mid-40s. Although only in the political arena for a few years before his murder at the age of 48, Harvey’s contribution to the LGBT movement has long been heralded as significant.
Dan Bucatinsky, Actor & TV Producer
In 2005 Dan helped bring The Comeback starring Lisa Kudrow to the world, cementing his position as a go-to producer in television. In 2013 he won a Primetime Emmy Award for his involvement in the hit TV drama Scandal.
Nick Denton Former (Gawker) Editor and Media Owner
Nick Denton, 49, was the founder of Gawker, which was one of the most powerful blog collectives on earth. In 2007 when he was 40 he entered the Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated worth of £140m. However, in 2016 Gawker ran into legal troubles and closed.
It seems that there’s a silver trend sweeping through celeb land. Men are going silver and it’s totally, utterly hot.
Whether it’s from a bottle, like Adam Lambert’s or natural like John Barrowman’s celebs are turning grey – well Silver to be more accurate and it’s hot.
Adam Lambert
Looks incredible with his hair like this. Adam is known for changing up his hair colour quite often.
The show’s popularity has not waned at all, in fact, the producers have said that series 9 of the show was “breaking rating records”. The show also won RuPaul an Emmy.
Speaking about the renewal RuPaul said,
“As we celebrate a Decade of Drag, we’ll continue to tell universal stories of the tenacity of the human spirit,
“Now more than ever, we rely on the power of love, laughter and creativity to combat fear and darkness.”
Chris McCarthy, President of VH1, MTV and Logo said,
“It’s been amazing to see the show get its highest season ever on a whole new night on a whole new network,” “We brought in a whole new set of audience that is loving the show.”
Well, basically shiz hit the fan. It sent lovers of the programme into a tailspin.
Michelle Visage, ever the voice of reason, was quick to smooth over the fears of fans saying that fans were taking RuPaul’s words too seriously and explained that the tweet was “meant to make you go deeper”.
She said,
“You kids take EVERYTHING seriously. You can’t do that. You listen to the podcast, you know @RuPaul goes deeper than surface”.
RuPaul himself didn’t comment any further on the tweet or what he meant by it. He has kept mostly a low profile on social media, since the inauguration of Donald Trump, just using his account to retweet and promote the podcast that he and Michelle Visage make together.
Before the Tweet which sent fans into turmoil he tweeted,
“Been mostly silent on social. I try to use it for lightness and positivity, but here lately, I got nothin’
“Mostly disappointed that humanity hasn’t evolved further in our lifetime.”
Been mostly silent on social. I try to use it for lightness and positivity, but here lately, I got nothin’. pic.twitter.com/rQuevMBEvA
What makes a gay icon I hear you ask? Well, there’s not actually a specific set of rules, if someone is an icon, it rarely needs to be said, it’s just known. But there are some celebrities who try desperately hard to obtain the status, and they are laughed at for the most part. I’ll start with these cases first. The ones who so desperately crave a “YAAAASSSS QUEEN” off the gay community, but mostly fall short. A gay icon is created without the need for effort. For the list, I’ll be concentrating on the icons who are currently alive, with an honour roll of icons past at the end.
1. Any member of the Kardashian/Jenner clan.
There I said it, I can hear the wails of anger already. To some, they are the epitome of an icon, but to most, they are shallow, money-hungry, low rent TV reality stars who only got famous after one of them slept with Brandy’s brother and had the tape “leaked”. No one can actually point out specifically what they do. They are famous, merely for being famous. The only good thing they have going for them is they know exactly how to exploit that. Not even Caitlyn Jenner can rescue them. Her “struggles” with coming out as transgender are so far removed from the actual hell that transgender people go through that she is almost universally hated by the LGBT community. These are not people to look up to.
2. Tori Spelling
When someone feels the need to boast about their gay icon status, they are not a gay icon. While a vocal supporter of the gay community, she is far removed from icon status. Having her friends tell her she’s a gay icon doesn’t count. She’s not exactly well known, and it’s unlikely she could command much of a crowd at any event. Yeah, she used to be in Beverly Hills 90210, but who really gives a shit?
3. Katie Hopkins
Oh, Ms Hopkins, you may want to be a gay icon, but this you never shall be. While some gays may like your no nonsense mouth, to most you’re just a loud mouthed harridan who revels in spewing vitriol and trying to be as controversial as possible. It takes class to be an icon, and Katie Hopkins is severely lacking in that. You need a certain gravitas to be able to pull off being a bitch and still be beloved.
4. Perez Hilton
His disgraceful Celebrity Big Brother stint pretty much destroyed any small hope he had of achieving icon status. Gossip monger by trade, he has always tried much too hard to be a gay icon, and it comes across as crass and disingenuous. He has a knack for really pissing people off, and like Ms Hopkins, he doesn’t have the proper qualifications for being bitchy and getting away with it
5. Milo Yiannopoulos
An avid Trump supporter and self-proclaimed “dangerous faggot” Yiannopoulos tries to shock and offend as much as possible and has said incredibly offensive things about transgender people. He is the ultimate in petulant, self-obsessed, narcissistic, nasty, vindictive and hateful gays. And while some people may agree with some of the things he says, he comes across as smarmy and greasy.
6. Nick Jonas
Yes, he’s got a hot body, and a bulge for days, but being a gay tease does not an icon make. People are starting to see through the blatant attempt to appeal to the gay community by posing in very little clothing and playing TV roles that involve man on man action, I’m half expecting his nudes to “leak” at some point when he needs a boost of gay male interest in an upcoming project.
7. Miley Cyrus
Her post-Hannah Montana days shenanigans were mildly entertaining at first, but then it all became rather desperate looking and uncomfortable. She fell out of favour fairly quickly with gay fans, and she never really achieved the status of icon in the first place, despite being an advocate for LGBT rights. She seemed to be desperate for the gays to love her and it riled a lot of people.
And now for some of the true gay icons. In no particular order. This is a difficult list to narrow down because many people are considered gay icons. But there are some who stand out above the rest as the ultimate in enduring gay icons. You can’t hear their name without thinking “gay icon”
CREDIT: kathclick /BigStock
1. Dolly Parton
The queen of cheap and tacky, but amazing with it. Her look, her quirky southern charm, her infamous ahem assets and her attitude are forever endearing to the community. There will always be a Dolly tune you can rock out to, or find solace in. She is a true icon without having to be boastful. She is grateful and loving and supportive. That makes us love Ms Parton.
2. Sir Ian McKellan
Come on people, he’s Gandalf and Magneto, and a massive advocate for the gay community. He’s the true stately homo, with dignity and class, and his bromance with Captain Picard makes the nerd in us scream with excitement. He also loves attending Pride events, and has been known to be found at 3am outside a club, smoking and hobnobbing with fans. A proper British institution.
3. Cher
The big kahuna herself, and when the apocalypse happens, there will be only three things left, Cockroaches, Twinkies and Cher. Not much needs to be said as to why she is a gay icon. She’s bitchy, fabulous and a drag queen’s dream. Her costumes, stage performances and films and TV appearances bring out the queen in all of us. Plus she’s so famous she doesn’t need to know how to order pizza (according to Kathy Griffin) and no one cares. She is one of the ultimate gay icons. She’s Cher bitch!!
4. Betty White
If there’s anything better than sliced bread (she was born before it was even invented) it’s the only remaining Golden Girl herself, Betty White. She’s the matriarch of gay icons, and at 95, she is still rocking and beloved by all. There really isn’t anything bad you can say about this woman, and long may she continue to entertain us. And as the younger generation find out about The Golden Girls, they too will fall in love with Rose Nylund.
5. RuPaul
The drag mother himself, RuPaul has entertained fans for many years. Never one to mince words, RuPaul found fame in 1993 after the song “Supermodel” came out, but it was 2009 that saw his star truly rise when a little show called RuPaul’s Drag Race came thundering onto our screens, and nearly 9 seasons later the show goes from strength to strength, and also reintroduced us to RuPaul’s cohort, Michelle Visage, who is somewhat of a gay icon herself, due to her unwavering vocal support of a community who took her to their hearts.
6. Ellen DeGeneres
Her reminder of “be kind to one another” strikes a chord in the community and her warmth and generosity towards others can only make people smile. She rose from a little-known stand-up comedian to one of the most watched women on TV. People love Ellen, and her gay icon status is very much deserved. She doesn’t take herself seriously and proves that it’s OK to be gay and live a normal life without shame or guilt. A truly inspirational woman.
7. Stephen Fry
I would be hard pushed not to put bitingly witty, intelligent, charming and all round fabulous person Stephen Fry on this list. From the days of Blackadder to the presenter of QI, Fry has been an icon for a long time. He has been voted numerous times as an ultimate gay icon and it’s not hard to see why. His eloquent way of speaking and conducting himself appeals to many fans alike.
8. Madonna
Anyone who can bring voguing into the mainstream deserves a place among the icons. The Queen of Pop and reinvention herself has been popular for 30 years, and to this day still commands massive crowds. Gay fans flocked to Madonna and her ridiculously catchy dance tunes will still get many a gay on the dance floor, and while she may not be as popular as she once, there’s still only one Madonna.
9. Diana Ross
With a gay anthem like “I’m coming out” Diana Ross with all her glittery outfits, and diva-like behaviour screams gay icon. Having a career that’s lasted since God’s dog was a puppy also helps. She’s also probably the only woman to shut down West Hollywood so she could film a music video with RuPaul and 200 drag queens. Gay Icon certified.
10. Bette Midler
Miss Midler was performing in gay venues in the 70s after seeing the positive reaction from the LGBT crowd, and then in 1993, she achieved gay cult status as Winifred Sanderson in Hocus Pocus. Her glittery stage presence and music is always a hit amongst the gay crowd, and while occasionally she has put foot in mouth, her iconic status cannot be refuted.
Some of you may ask why I haven’t included people like Britney, Beyonce or Lady Gaga, Well I’ll explain. The icons I chose have been talking points for a very long time, and I can see them still being talked about long after they are no longer with us. Gaga et al, still have a way to go before true icon status is achieved, and while they have an icon-like following, in my eyes they aren’t legendary…yet!
Honour roll of past gay icons
Carrie Fisher
Joan Rivers
Bette Davies
Joan Crawford
David Bowie
Bea Arthur
Quentin Crisp
Divine
Judy Garland
Donna Summer
Harvey Milk
Marsha P Johnson
James Dean
Marlon Brando
Marlene Dietrich
Lucille Ball
Freddie Mercury
George Michael
Whitney Houston
Alan Turing
Marilyn Monroe
Mae West
Jackie Onassis
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, it’s management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
So with less than a week away from the US election where either Clinton or Trump will become America’s Next Top President… we’re wondering where some LGBT celebs stand politically speaking…
So which way are the world’s most popular LGBT celebrities voting? We’ve been checking what they’ve been saying and the hints they’ve been dropping.
RuPaul – queen of Drag queens just landed himself an EMMY for Outstanding Host in his show RuPaul’s Drag Race, beating out the stiff competition from Ryan Seacrest, Jane Lynch, Steve Harvey and Heidi Klum.
Totally taken aback by his win, RuPaul said to E! News ,”I’m in a state of shock right now. I really did not expect this!”
The show RuPaul’s Drag Race has been broadcasting since 2009 – and has just been green-lit for it’s 9TH SERIES and has become one of the world’s most visible LGBT programmes.
RuPaul must be laughing all the way to the bank, hunties…
CREDIT: Photography Mathu Andersen
Drag Race Season 9 has officially been greenlit by Logo. More queens, more dramz..
And it’s no wonder – speaking to THEGAYUK a past sponsor (who didn’t want to be named) confirmed that being attached to the show in anyway is very lucrative for business.
The insider told us,
“The viewing figures might be smaller than your normal reality TV show, but boy is that audience engaged. We were only involved for a short while, but the pick up in business was phenomenal”.
In a press release the show’s producers said that the “…season premiere saw a ratings spike of nearly 20% from last season’s kickoff among P18-49 (348,000 viewers) and now ranks as one of the most watched debuts in the show’s history.
Sometimes it can feel like the world’s media is fixated on the achievements of the under 20s. The careers of those who are beyond the age of 25 don’t seem relevant, well we disagree.
Here’s 10 gay and bisexual men whose careers took off after the age of 40, although some of them were already doing well before that!
RuPaul
TV star, Drag Queen and Recording Artist
Okay so RuPaul was already a star in his twenties, but, during the late 90s and 00s Ru’s career somewhat stalled. However the resurgence of Drag and more importantly, the part that Ru’s show Drag Race has played in giving drag its second wind puts Ru back on top.
Anderson Cooper
News Anchor and Reporter
Although Anderson has always been successful, thanks to his family, it wasn’t until he became the news anchor at CNN in 2003 that his star stock took off and he’s become steadily more and more successful since then. He’s now one of the most recognisable faces of news TV.
Bianca Del Rio
Drag Queen
Bianca Del Rio / Roy Haylock was actually in his late 30s when his appearance and winning of RuPaul’s Drag Race made him a household name. Since turning 40 Roy and Bianca have been travelling the world performing in countless venues – he even has a film coming out…
Giorgio Armani
Fashion Designer
We tread carefully here, as Giorgio hasn’t come out officially as gay or bisexual, but an interview in Vanity Fair in 2000 shed some light on his sexuality, when he said, “I have had women in my life. And sometimes men”. Giorgio’s star was late rising. He showcased his first collected in 1975, when he was 41. Giorgio topped our 2015 Richest list.
Embed from Getty Images
Calvin Klein
Fashion designer
Fashion DesignerIt wasn’t until the 80s that Calvin Klein clothing and the man himself became the fashion king that it is today, after his company changed the way the world viewed underwear. Although Calvin had success in his formative years, he was well into his 40s when it was arguably his underwear ranges and fragrances that turned his successes around.
Tim Cook became a household name when he took over the top job at Apple and he was into his 50s. He came out as gay in October 2014, becoming one of the most successful out CEOs in history.
Cyril Nri
Actor
Star of Channel 4’s Cucumber in 2015, Cyril, 54, starred in The Bill from 2002 until 2006. His career went astronomical again when he starred in Russell T Davies’ Cucumber making him a household name in the UK. His graphic murder in the showcase became one of the most talked about moments in queer TV history.
Harvey Milk
Politician
Harvey was known as one of life’s drifters, that is until he decided to go into politics in his mid 40s. Although only in the political arena for a few years, before his murder at the age of 48, Harvey’s contribution to the LGBT movement has long been heralded as significant.
Dan Bucatinsky (The Comeback)
TV Producer and Actor
In 2005 Dan helped bring The Comeback starring Lisa Kudrow to the world, cementing his position as a go to producer in television. In 2013 he won a Primetime Emmy Award for his involvement in the hit TV drama Scandal.
Nick Denton, 49, is the founder of Gawker, one of the most powerful blog collectives on earth. In 2007 when he was 40 he entered the Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated worth of £140m.
If you’re not listening to Podcasts yet then maybe you need to start.
Free from the usual restrictions of mainstream media and free to users of iTunes these are voices how you’re meant to hear them. These are our top choices. Browse the iTunes store for thousands of hours of content. Just plug your earbuds in and make some new friends
World famous Ru Paul and best gal pal Michelle Visage spill the T in their weekly podcast. Brilliant insights into their early careers and ongoing projects. Michelle Visage literally shines in the podcast.
Real life couple Fausto and Marc talk about everything gay, hot or otherwise in their 5-times weekly podcast, with special guests which have included George Takei, Carol Channing and most of the RuPaul Drag Race gals…
Vera is the alter-ego of a real life (famous) voice actor, but no-one’s been able to find out who he is yet. Insightful, delightful and on halloween his husband and him are frightful. Catch up with Vera and his conscience once a week on Fridays.
