Tommy Kirk, an actor who found fame in Disney films in the 1950’s and 1960’s has died aged 79. His career came to a grinding halt when the studio discovered he was gay.
Kirk’s television and film career began in the 1950’s appearing on a series of television programs including Gunsmoke, Big Town and Crossroads. His big break came when he was cast as Joe Hardy in a Disney television adaption of the popular Hardy Boys novels.
In 1957 he appeared as Travis Coates in the film Old Yeller an adventure story about a boy and his heroic dog. The film went on to become on of the most loved films by American audiences and has been proclaimed the best ‘boy and his dog’ film ever made.
He went on to star in many Disney movies including The Shaggy Dog, Swiss Family Robinson and The Absent-Minded Professor.
Kirk would later recall that his teenage years were very lonely and miserable because he had realised he was gay. In the early 1960’s he said he began to discover the places that other gay people met and he became more accepting of his sexuality.
In 1963 while filming The Misadventures of Merlyn Jones, Kirk began seeing a boy he met at a local swimming pool. Kirk was 21 years old at the time and the boy was 15. He was fired from the studio with founder Walt Disney personally dismissing him from his contract.
Kirk moved over to another studio appearing alongside Annette Funicello in Pajama Party which was a box office hit. When his final Disney film made it to theatres it was an unexpected hit, and despite having just fired Kirk, they asked him to return for a sequel The Monkey’s Uncle.
He continued working, but without the Disney brand, soon found himself getting parts in bad movies that bombed at the box office. In 1964 he was arrested on drugs charges, and while he was eventually acquitted he lost many film roles while the charges were pending.
As the 1960’s continued his challenges with drug use continued and he found it increasingly harder to get work. He got over his drug addiction in the mid-1970’s and gave up acting. He later spoke about not holding any grudges for his circumstance.
“I don’t blame anybody but myself and my drug abuse for my career going haywire. I’m not ashamed of being gay, never have been, and never will be. For that I make no apologies. I have no animosity toward anybody because the truth is, I wrecked my own career.” Â
In 2006 he returned to be inducted as a Disney Legend, appearing alongside his former co-stars Tim Considine and Kevin Corcoran who had appeared with him in many of his film roles.
Tommy Kirk died on September 28th in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 79 years old.
OIP Staff
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