Was richard deacon gay

Richard Deacon was Mel Cooley, Brady’s brother-in-law and the show’s pompous, prissy—“unctuous”—producer. Mel Cooley kissed Alan Brady’s ass, while serving as the constant butt of jokes and insults by gag writer Buddy Sorrell (played by Morey Amsterdam).

According to academic writers David L. Smith and Sean Griffin, Deacon was gay, and was among "a number of actors and actresses who were closeted homosexuals" working in Hollywood and often employed in Disney films. [17][18].

Whether Richard Deacon played straight, and was gay in real life never mattered to his countless fans, many of whom continue to herald his beloved performances as Mel Cooley, Fred Rutherford, among his many others of the small and big screens.

Deacon was a life-long bachelor. He was a closeted gay man who had to keep his sexual orientation secret to keep his options open to work for companies like Disney. He was also a gourmet chef. In the s, he hosted a Canadian cooking show about microwave cooking, writing a book that sold almost two million copies.

THE STRAIGHT MAN Richard Deacon was the straight man. “As a straight man, I’m hired for my buttoned-down quality,” he told author Boze Hadleigh. “I’m nearly always an executive of some sort, in suit and tie, and somebody always pricks my bubble of dignity. I’ve been called every adjective — smug, lugubrious, unctuous, bland, you.

Richard Lewis Deacon (May 14, [2][3] – August 8, ) was an American television and motion picture actor, [4] best known for playing supporting roles in television shows such as The Dick Van Dyke Show, [5] Leave It to Beaver, [6] and The Jack Benny Program,[7] along with minor roles in films such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers (

Actor Richard Deacon found fame on classic TV sitcoms such as The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS, ), on which he played Mel Cooley, and Leave it to Beave.

Richard Lewis Deacon (May 14, [2] [3] – August 8, ) was an American television and motion picture actor, [4] best known for playing supporting roles in television shows such as The Dick Van Dyke Show, [5] Leave It To Beaver, [6] and The Jack Benny Program [7] along with minor roles in films such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers () [8] and Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (). [9.