Wesley Eure, best known for his role in the 1970s Saturday morning children’s program Land of the Lost and his decade-long stint on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, recently shared candid reflections on his journey as a gay actor in Hollywood. In a revealing interview with Brent Hartinger, Eure opened up about navigating life in the closet and a significant past relationship with fellow actor Richard Chamberlain.
Eure’s interview provides a glimpse into the pressures faced by actors in previous decades, particularly regarding their sexuality. He recounted a period of intense anxiety when he believed he was about to be forcibly outed by tabloid magazines. This fear stemmed from a past romantic relationship with Richard Chamberlain, long before Chamberlain publicly acknowledged his own sexuality.
Recalling the relationship, Eure stated, “Richard Chamberlain and I were boyfriends for a year, before he met Martin [Rabbett, his long-term partner]. We lived together, he was at my place. We broke up. He met Martin, who he’s with now for all these years. He’s talked about it, or else I wouldn’t. It’s great for him. It broke my heart. I was destroyed. I was a kid, and he was a much older guy.”
The threat of being outed surfaced when a tabloid journalist approached Eure under false pretenses. “I was starring in a play, and somebody said, ‘There’s a magazine guy who wants to talk to you.’ And I said, ‘Great. Bring him to the dressing room after the show.'” The encounter quickly turned uncomfortable as the journalist directly questioned Eure about Richard Chamberlain’s sexuality, revealing that Chamberlain was rumored to have come out in a Paris magazine.
Eure skillfully dodged the intrusive questions, responding diplomatically and avoiding confirming or denying anything about his own or Chamberlain’s personal life. Despite his careful responses, the experience left him deeply shaken. “I remember when they left my heart was beating so fast and I was terrified.”
His fears escalated the following week when tabloids ran sensational headlines about Richard Chamberlain. “The next week, it was all over the tabloids. The Enquirer, The Globe, everyone’s cover was Richard.” Panic-stricken, Eure reached out to a friend within the National Enquirer to intervene and prevent his own name from being dragged into the unfolding story. Fortunately, his friend was able to “squelch” any potential outing.
Eure vividly described the relief he felt when the gossip magazines hit newsstands. “I remember that weekend, when the gossip papers came out in the grocery stores, I went to the store in Florida and I was shaking, and I grabbed one, and sure enough, on every couple was, ‘Richard Chamberlain is gay.'” He meticulously searched the articles, ensuring his name was absent, a moment of profound relief after intense fear.
Photo credit: Valerie Macon/Getty Images
Reflecting on this challenging period, Wesley Eure expressed admiration for Richard Chamberlain’s later decision to come out publicly and build a life with his partner Martin Rabbett. He also drew a contrast with contemporary times, noting the positive example of Neil Patrick Harris, whose coming out did not negatively impact his career. However, Eure emphasized that the underlying fear he experienced remains a reality for many, even today. “It was that kind of fear. It’s immobilizing. It was a horrible experience, and I’m certainly very, very proud of Richard with his book and what he wrote, and he’s had a great life with Martin, and he’s a terrific guy, an amazing man. But that’s the kind of fear that existed, and still exists today. As much as we can come out, as much as we say it’s okay. Neil Patrick Harris came out and it didn’t hurt him, but that was a choice he made.” Eure’s story serves as a powerful reminder of the evolution of LGBTQ+ acceptance in Hollywood and the courage it took for individuals to live authentically in the face of societal pressures.
