Tab Hunter, Rock Hudson & Montgomery Clift: Gays name their all-time celebrity crushes & spill gay Hollywood secrets
Queerty readers named their all-time favorite Hollywood crushes...
Mark
With the 2026 Queerties open for voting, we thought it was the perfect time to ask our loyal readers a classic gay prompts: who’s your celebrity crush?!
To narrow the playing field, we specified we were talking about gay celebrity crushes. Most responders obliged, though some offered action heroes such as Bruce Lee and ’70s star Lee Majors. Sorry, not gay, even though we wish they were!
As for the gay celebs offered, many of them were Hollywood stars in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, when out figures were rare. Over the ensuing decades, we’ve learned more about their identities, which they were forced to keep hidden.
Still, the whispers persisted. We are proud to claim these hunks as part of the team!
How about we take this to the next level?
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Here’s what Queerty readers had to say…
Who’s your all-time gay celebrity crush and why?
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“None since I was a child, because it’s OK to appreciate a good looking person and their talent as an adult (though celebrity is not the same as ability or even good looks), but anything close to a crush is pretty egotistical. Besides, a celebrity is often famous for something long forgotten about.” — Gabriel in San Antonio
We have a contrarian in the house! While we’re not sure about the claim that crushing after celebrities is egotistical, we recognize it is often futile. Still, we would like to be indulged. Onto the next…
“Matt Bomer, no explanation needed.” — Mneera in Germany
Now we’re talking. We would follow the Fellow Travelers star anywhere, especially to a beach on Fire Island.
“Neil PATRICK Harris. Funny, musical, talented and duh gorgeous.” — Frank in Fairfield, Connecticut
We love NPH! A Tony and Emmy winner, the father of two is a bonafide acting star. He’s also a trailblazer. After dating actress Christine Taylor, he publicly came out as gay in 2006. He was named one of Time‘s Most 100 influential people in 2010.
“Montgomery Clift. Beautiful body and great actor.” — Dennis in Salt Lake City
“For the classics, it was always Montgomery Clift. What a good looking man!” — C in California
“Montgomery Clift. My God, just Google him.” — Carlos in Germany
OK… fine! A four-time Oscar nominee who died at 45, Clift was a heartthrob of his era. He also lived a tragic life wrought with addiction. “Clift’s sexuality, like those other ’50s idols Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter, was carefully concealed from the public,” writes Vanity Fair. “But that didn’t mean that the gossip press didn’t hint at something different, something queer, in the broadest sense of the word, about him.”
Posthumously, there’s been debate about Clift’s identity. Two decorated biographers revealed in the ’70s he was gay, while his brother said he was bi. While his sexuality remains ambiguous, one thing is for certain.
He was an attractive guy indeed.
“Rock Hudson. As a kid, I thought he was the most handsome man on the planet.” — Michael in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
“Rock Hudson. It was different growing up in a time when the word ‘out’ didn’t even exist in the vocabulary. We’re talking about a decade before Stonewall, so everything was really in secret. Even crushes. Rock Hudson was a universal star. He was in movies even your mother would take you to see. To a 12-year-old kid from Texas, who had no idea what was going on with himself, seeing a movie like Pillow Talk was electrifying.” — Milton in New York City
Since he was mentioned, let’s talk about Rock Hudson The most famous male lead of his generation was also the most handsome.
Though his identity was hidden from the public, the silver screen idol’s sexuality was an open secret in Hollywood.
“Tie between Tab Hunter and Tony Perkins. For a brief period they were in a relationship; what I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall of THAT hotel room!” — Roger in Palm Springs
Much like Hudson and Clift, Tab Hunter was a closeted Hollywood heartthrob in the ’50s and ’60s. Unlike them, he received the chance to tell his own story. He publicly came out as gay in his 2005 memoir.
And yes, Hunter and Tony Perkins did secretly date (Perkins passed away in 1992 due to complications from AIDS). They would’ve been a true Hollywood power couple, that’s for sure.
“Richard Chamberlain as Dr. Kildare. I was 11 and found out he best inspired my imagination.” — Mark in San Diego
“For me it’s the wonderfully handsome and talented RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN. I first saw him as a teenager in the television mini-series Shogun. It was love at first sight. I wrote him a rather gushing fan letter full of admiration and praising his masterful acting skills. I told him he was the most handsome/ beautiful man that I had ever seen. I told him that someday I hoped to have a boyfriend that was just him in every single way. I end my letter with the words, ‘Thank you dear Sir most kindly Yuri age 15.’ Two months later, I received my photo with inspiration plus a three-page handwritten letter thanking me for my devotion. It’s my most prized possession. That’s why he will always be my most favorite star and all-time crush. I never ever found a boyfriend/lover that looked like him but it’s never too late for a miracle right?” — Yuri in Tucson, Arizona
A teen idol, Chamberlain worked as an actor for 60 years. Living until 90, “Dr. Kildare” publicly came out in 2003, and even appeared in some queer projects, including Will & Grace. Read more about the “king of the miniseries” here…
“Sal Mineo. Did you see his body and his acting chops in the awful Who Killed Teddy Bear?!” — John in Massachusetts
Now we’re going way back! Sal Mineo was nominated for his first Academy Award in 1955 when he was just 17 for co-starring in Rebel Without a Cause with fellow heartthrob James Dean. Despite his cute face, the Italian actor was typecast during his acting career. He publicly came out as bi in 1972.
“The construction man in the Village People group. He’s so cute and hot.” — Michael in Federal Way, Washington
There is no confirmation that David Hobo is gay. But we’re putting him on this list, because the Village People now apparently back Tr*mp and refuse to acknowledge their very obvious gay undertones. So we will!
“David Bowie because he showed me I was bi.”— Lilith in California
Bowie was always candid. “A gorgeously effeminate boy,” the British music legend publicly came out as bi in 1972. Though he later decried his declaration as the “biggest mistake” he ever made, he affirmed his bi identity later in life.
“Christopher Atkins, so cute in Blue Lagoon!” — Sam in Ashland, Oregon
Though Atkins never identified as gay, his unclothed appearance in Blue Lagoon represents a groundbreaking moment in gay cultural lore. The actor helped an entire generation of gays realize their attraction to the male physique. That’s true allyship!
“Nyle DiMarco. He’s BEAUTIFUL!” — Sebastian in Staten Island
We would expect nothing less from a winner of America’s Top Model. Woof Daddy! The first deaf winner in show history, DiMarco is an inspiration to many.
“Ben Whishaw. Over his career as an actor, he’s had such a range of roles and performances with many different hair styles showing off his versatility with short and long styles, clean shaven and stubbly. There’s something about his energy and persona that comes through regardless of how he’s styled. He’s cuteness personified. And as an out actor, he’s made a positive impact in an industry that does not always embrace LGBTQ+ performers fully. Doing good work while looking good.” — Michael in Tucson, Arizona
The English actor is best known for his role in James Bond films, which is fitting, because we’re always down to spy on his good looks.
“Alan Cumming. He hit icon status with his legendary performance in Cabaret, but that’s just part of it. Years ago, before a presidential election, I dropped by Eastern Bloc, a NYC bar he co-owned [which is now called Club Cumming]. And there he was, sitting at a table, registering people to vote. Of course I took him up on the offer, if only to talk with him for a minute. But then when I stood up to leave, he thanked me for registering and gave me a gift set of Cumming, his fragrance. Handsome, fun, classy, smart, politically active and generous. That’s a hard bar to top.” — Roman in Berlin
The Scottish actor and Traitors host may represent a hard bar to top. Though we would like to try!
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