Not like you need another reason to celebrate, but it just wouldn’t be Pride Month if we didn’t celebrate the real heart and soul of the entertainment industry. That’s why The Hollywood Museum is joining the festivities by unveiling its latest exhibit, Reel to Real: Portrayals and Perceptions of Gays in Hollywood. Through September, the collection showcases how gays have been portrayed in Tinseltown, from early stereotypes to modern representations, through a collection of photos, costumes, props and imagery from film and television.
Hollywood is home to a large LGBT population, and the exhibit aims to shine a spotlight on some of the industry’s unsung heroes while paying homage to past and present LGBT icons. “Some of it is familiar, some of it people will learn about. The exhibit tells how we have progressed,” says Steve Nycklemoe, Director of Operations and one of the exhibit’s chief curators. “It celebrates 90 years of contribution, made by actors or characters that they’ve portrayed, going back to the 1920s. Some of the stars are very recognizable and people didn’t give it a second thought. But people are now learning they were a great talent but also part of the LGBT community, instrumental in many ways people didn’t realize.”
After opening last year to positive feedback and a rush of Facebook likes, Reel to Real is back by popular demand and will be a recurring, annual event. This year you can expect to see images of famous film and TV faces like Sean Hayes and Eric McCormack of Will and Grace, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet of Modern Family, Hilary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry and Sean Penn and James Franco from Milk, but there’s still plenty of room for surprises.
“Each year we have familiar undertones,” says Donelle Dadigan, founder of the Hollywood Museum and owner of the Max Factor Building, “but each year we also reveal new, never-before-seen items. There will be pieces from last year’s exhibit but other highlights that will be brand-new.” The eclectic array of Hollywood treasures are loaned to the museum for the duration of the exhibit, so no two years will be alike.
The collection is a trip down memory lane, but it also happens to be one of Hollywood’s best-dressed showcases, with costumes from the gay wedding on Days of Our Lives, Michael Douglas’ suit from Behind the Candelabra, a cocktail dress that belongs to Elizabeth Taylor and outfits worn by Sonny Bono and Cher.
Dadigan says there’s plenty to get excited about, whether you’re a first-timer or repeat museum visitor. “There isn’t one visitor who comes to the exhibit and doesn’t have at least one favorite character or show,” she says. There’s something for everyone to geek out on—film and history buffs included.
But beyond the pop culture storytelling, for Dadigan, Reel to Real is a chance to educate and entertain while reminding us how far we’ve come. “I’m an ex-school teacher, and my goal is always to educate. It’s exciting for us to educate the public while we entertain them with key storylines and key film and TV characters that they’ve known and grown to love. To be able to tell the story of the LGBT community and for it to be relevant while entertaining fans—hopefully we’ll educate and there will be more tolerance.”
Hoping to curate future exhibits that represent the wide range of work in the entertainment industry by members of the LGBT community, The Hollywood Museum encourages people to submit items for consideration. To submit an item, send an email to info@thehollywoodmuseum.com.