Doug Savant, a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, is now sharing a deeply personal and behind-the-scenes story about his gay character on Melrose Place. This incident sheds light on the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ actors during a specific era.

Uncovering the Hidden Struggles of a Gay Character on Melrose Place

Challenges of Having a Gay Character in the '90s

In a Nov. 20 episode of the Still The Place podcast, Savant, along with co-hosts Laura Leighton, Courtney Thorne-Smith, and Daphne Zuniga, opened up about the difficulties of portraying a gay character on a popular show. Savant, who is 60 years old, recounted an instance where there was pushback from another actor. He wanted to show his character Matt Fielding behaving against his better judgment by stealing a kiss on the cheek with another character. However, the other actor was extremely uncomfortable, stating that it wasn't in the script and they shouldn't do it. This incident revealed the discomfort and hesitation surrounding gay storylines in that era.Moreover, Savant explained that the network wanted to keep his character "palatable" by minimizing his gay storyline and emphasizing that he was straight in real life. This shows the pressure and limitations faced by LGBTQ+ actors in terms of the storylines they could portray.

The Network's Constraints and Storyline Choices

Savant further detailed how the network's concerns about advertisers and societal norms influenced the available storylines. They were only comfortable touching on certain topics such as gay bashing and a kid coming out to his parents. This limited the creative freedom of the show and the actors.For example, when Thorne-Smith asked if Savant was allowed to show any affection with male interests on the show, he replied that generally, the answer was no. They had to be cautious as the networks didn't feel safe dealing with such content. However, there were subtle moments like holding hands underneath the table between his character Matt and Jason Beghe's Jeffrey Lindley, a closeted Navy Lieutenant. But even these moments had to be away from public consumption due to the context of the military and the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.This behind-the-scenes conflict highlights the complex and often challenging environment that LGBTQ+ actors had to navigate during that time, and how it affected the portrayal and development of their characters.