This list details the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people who have been nominated for or received Academy Awards and/or cis-hetero actors who have been nominated for or won for playing queer characters. Individuals are identified as queer, though they may not have publicly or personally identified at the time of their nomination.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Confirmed individuals
Best Actor in a Leading RoleYearNameFilmRoleStatusActor's DemographicOut at the time?ObservationReference 1951Marlon Brando A Streetcar Named Desire Stanley Kowalski Cisgender Bisexual No Brando spoke more openly on his bisexuality later on in life, including a list of affairs he had with other celebrities, both men and women. On his greatest love affair, he [stated], “If Wally Cox had been a woman, I would have married him and we would have lived happily ever after.“1952 Viva Zapata! Emiliano Zapata Alec Guinness The Lavender Hill Mob Henry "Dutch" Holland Throughout his entire life, Guinness remained closeted to the public, but privately was known to have had a number of male lovers. Family and friends were aware of his bisexuality throughout his life, but never brought it up, as he was known to dislike talking about it. After his death, his close friends and family members confirmed he was bisexual. 1953Marlon Brando Julius Caesar Mark Antony (See note above) 1954 On the Waterfront Terry Malloy 1957 Sayonara Major Lloyd 'Ace' Gruver, USAF Alec Guinness The Bridge on the River Kwai Colonel Nicholson (See note above) 1968 Alan Bates The Fixer Yakov Bok Bates was attached to several men privately, behind the heterosexual marriage facade, such as ice skater, John Curry, and British TV sleuth, Peter Wyngarde. 1972 Marlon Brando The Godfather Vito Corleone (declined) Brando did not attend the ceremony, choosing instead to have himself represented by Sacheen Littlefeather (a.k.a. Maria Cruz), who identified as Apache Native American. She stated that Brando refused the award due to the poor treatment of American Indians in entertainment, as well as the recent Wounded Knee Occupation. Paul Winfield Sounder Nathan Lee Morgan Cisgender Homosexual Yes First Black gay actor nominated in an acting category. In relationship with architect Charles Gillan Jr., until his 2002 death. Also, he was the first openly gay actor to be nominated for Best Actor and the first openly gay actor nominated in any category to have been out on their own terms. 1973 Marlon Brando Last Tango in Paris Paul Cisgender Bisexual No (See note above) 1984 Tom Hulce Amadeus Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Cisgender Homosexual In an interview with Seattle Gay News, Tom Hulce acknowledged his status as a gay actor, although he emphasized the word "actor" is less applicable due to inactivity. 1994 Nigel Hawthorne The Madness of King George King George III of the United Kingdom Yes (outed) Hawthorne was outed as gay in 1995 due to the attention his nomination at the 67th Academy Awards had gathered, but nonetheless he attended the ceremony with his long-time partner Trevor Bentham. He also spoke openly about his sexuality in interviews and in his autobiography Straight Face. 1998 Ian McKellen Gods and Monsters James Whale Yes For each of his nominations (Gods and Monsters in 1998 and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001), the star said he had speeches prepared beginning with the line: "'I’m proud to be the first openly gay man to win the Oscar.' I’ve had to put it back in my pocket twice." 1999 Kevin Spacey American Beauty Lester Burnham No Spacey came out as a gay man in his statement addressing a sexual misconduct accusation by actor Anthony Rapp in 2017. 2023Colman Domingo Rustin Bayard Rustin YesFirst openly gay Black and Afro-Latino actor to be nominated for Best Actor. 2024 Sing SingJohn "Divine G" Whitfield
Speculated to be LGBTQ The following list is composed of actors who have been claimed to be LGBT by others. They have been outed by a third party either while alive or after their death. However, they never publicly came out.
Best Actor in a Leading RoleYearNameFilmRoleStatusAlleged DemographicReference 1933 Charles Laughton The Private Life of Henry VIII King Henry VIII of England Bisexual 1935 Mutiny on the Bounty Vice-Admiral William Bligh 1936 Spencer Tracy San Francisco Father Tim Mullin Gay or Bisexual 1937 Captains Courageous Manuel Fidello 1938 Boys Town (Monsignor) Father Edward J. Flanagan 1941 Cary Grant Penny Serenade Roger Adams 1942 Monty Woolley The Pied Piper Howard Gay 1944 Cary Grant None but the Lonely Heart Ernie Mott Gay or Bisexual 1947 Michael Redgrave Mourning Becomes Electra Orin Mannon Bisexual 1948 Montgomery Clift The Search Ralph 'Steve' Stevenson Clifton Webb Sitting Pretty Lynn Aloysius Belvedere Gay 1950 Spencer Tracy Father of the Bride Stanley T. Banks Gay or Bisexual 1951 Montgomery Clift A Place in the Sun George Eastman Bisexual 1953 From Here to Eternity Pvt. Robert E. Lee 'Prew' Prewitt 1955 James Dean East of Eden Caleb Trask Gay or Bisexual Spencer Tracy Bad Day at Black Rock John J. Macreedy 1956 James Dean Giant Jett Rink Rock Hudson Jordan 'Bick' Benedict, Jr. Gay 1957 Charles Laughton Witness for the Prosecution Sir Wilfrid Robarts, Q.C. Bisexual 1958Spencer Tracy The Old Man and the Sea The Old Man (Narrator) Gay or Bisexual 1960 Inherit the Wind Henry Drummond 1961 Judgment at Nuremberg Chief Judge Dan Haywood 1967 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? Matt Drayton
Performances of LGBTQ Characters Nominated for or Awarded Best Actor in a Leading Role Performances of LGBTQ Characters Nominated for or Awarded Best Actor in a Leading RoleYearFilmRoleCharacter's DemographicActorActor's DemographicStatusReferences 1958 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 'Brick' Pollitt Bi-curious Paul Newman Cisgender Heterosexual 1962 Lawrence of Arabia T. E. Lawrence Unknown Peter O'Toole 1971 Sunday Bloody Sunday Dr. Daniel Hirsh Gay Peter Finch 1975 Dog Day Afternoon Sonny Wortzik Bisexual Al Pacino 1977 A Special Day Gabriele Gay Marcello Mastroianni 1983 The Dresser Norman Tom Courtenay 1985 Kiss of the Spider Woman Luis Molina Gay (& Genderqueer) William Hurt 1993 Philadelphia Andrew 'Andy' Beckett Gay Tom Hanks 1998 Gods and Monsters James Whale Ian McKellen Cisgender Homosexual 2000 Before Night Falls Reinaldo Arenas Javier BardemCisgender Heterosexual 2005 Brokeback Mountain Ennis Del Mar Gay or Bisexual Heath Ledger Capote Truman Capote Gay Philip Seymour Hoffman 2008 Milk Harvey Milk Sean Penn 2009 A Single Man George Falconer Colin Firth 2014 The Imitation Game Alan Turing Benedict Cumberbatch 2015 The Danish Girl Lili Elbe Transgender woman Eddie Redmayne 2017 Call Me by Your Name Elio Perlman Bisexual Timothée Chalamet 2018 Bohemian Rhapsody Freddie Mercury Rami Malek 2019 Pain and Glory Salvador Mallo Gay Antonio Banderas 2021 The Power of the Dog Phil Burbank Queer Benedict Cumberbatch 2022 The Whale Charlie Gay Brendan Fraser 2023 Maestro Leonard Bernstein Bisexual Bradley Cooper Rustin Bayard Rustin Gay Colman Domingo CisgenderHomosexual 2025 Blue Moon Lorenz Hart Bisexual Ethan Hawke CisgenderHeterosexual
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Confirmed individuals
Best Actress in a Leading RoleYearNameFilmRoleStatusActor's DemographicOut at the time?ObservationReference 1930/31 Marlene Dietrich Morocco Mademoiselle Amy Jolly Cisgender Bisexual No Morocco marks the first time in cinema history that two women share a kiss on screen (Dietrich and an uncredited actress). 1981 Susan Sarandon Atlantic City Sally Matthews 1988 Jodie Foster The Accused Sarah Tobias Cisgender Lesbian Foster has acknowledged her romantic relationships with women, but has not identified as a specific sexuality. Foster is the only openly queer woman to win two acting Oscars. 1991 The Silence of the Lambs Clarice Starling Susan SarandonThelma & LouiseLouise Sawyer Cisgender Bisexual 1992 Lorenzo's Oil Michaela Odone 1994 Jodie Foster Nell Nell Kellty Cisgender Lesbian Susan Sarandon The Client Regina "Reggie" Love Cisgender Bisexual 1995 Dead Man Walking Sister Helen Prejean 2007 Elliot Page(as Ellen Page) Juno Juno MacGuff Transgender Non-Binary & Queer Assigned female at birth, Page was nominated in the Leading Actress category before publicly coming out as transgender a decade later. 2008 Angelina Jolie Changeling Christine Collins Cisgender Bisexual Yes 2018Olivia ColmanThe FavouriteQueen AnneNon-BinaryNo Lady Gaga A Star Is Born Ally Maine Cisgender BisexualYes 2019 Cynthia Erivo Harriet Harriet Tubman No 2021Olivia ColmanThe Lost DaughterLeda CarusoNon-BinaryNo Kristen Stewart Spencer Diana, Princess of Wales Cisgender Bisexual Yes 2023 Lily Gladstone Killers of the Flower Moon Mollie Burkhart Non-Binary Queer Yes 2024Karla Sofía GascónEmilia PérezEmilia Pérez/ManitasTransgenderYesFirst openly transgender person to be nominated for an acting Oscar Cynthia Erivo Wicked Elphaba Thropp Cisgender Bisexual Yes
Speculated to be LGBTQ The following list is composed of actresses who have been claimed to be LGBT by others. They have been outed by a third party either while alive or after their death. However, they never publicly came out.
Academy Award for Best ActressYearNameFilmRoleStatusAlleged demographicReference 1927/28 Janet Gaynor 7th Heaven Diane rowspan="3" Lesbian or Bisexual Street Angel Angela Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans The Wife 1929/30 Greta Garbo Anna Christie Anna Christie rowspan="2" "Spirit of Garbo". Laramie, Moon (2018). Spirit of Garbo. London: Martin Firrell Company Ltd. , p. 43. "Spirit of Garbo". Laramie, Moon (2018). Spirit of Garbo. London: Martin Firrell Company Ltd. , p. 129-132. Romance Rita Cavallini 1932/33 Katharine Hepburn Morning Glory Eva Lovelace 1935 Alice Adams Alice Adams 1937 Greta Garbo Camille Marguerite Gautier Janet Gaynor A Star Is Born Esther Blodgett /Vicki Lester 1939 Greta Garbo Ninotchka Nina Ivanovna 'Ninotchka' Yakushova 1940 Katharine Hepburn The Philadelphia Story Tracy Samantha Lord 1942 Woman of the Year Tess Harding 1951 The African Queen Rose Sayer 1955 Summertime Jane Hudson 1956 The Rainmaker Lizzie Curry 1959 Suddenly, Last Summer Catherine Holly 1962 Long Day's Journey into Night Mary Tyrone 1967 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? Christina Drayton 1968 The Lion in Winter Eleanor of Aquitaine 1981 On Golden Pond Ethel Thayer
Performances of LGBTQ Characters Nominated for or Awarded Best Actress in a Leading Role