Rosie O’Donnell, the talk show host and comedian, has revealed how her character in the 1995 film, Now and Then, was originally written as a lesbian, but the studio censored her character’s sexuality. Despite her character’s gynaecologist role having a boyfriend in the film, O’Donnell revealed in a recent podcast that her character was supposed to be gay and that the studio removed every small detail that could accurately depict a gay woman.
In the podcast, “Now What?” with actor Brooke Shields, O’Donnell spoke about how even an innocent line about love between friends was removed. She said that during the film’s release, New Line Cinema made the decision to “take out that she’s gay.” O’Donnell’s character, Dr Roberta Martin, was the older version of Christina Ricci’s tomboy character in the coming-of-age classic about female friendship.
At the time of filming, O’Donnell was not out as a lesbian and neither was Ellen DeGeneres, who came out a few years later, nor was it common for gay characters to be depicted on TV and film. O’Donnell shared how her agent was concerned that taking the role would reveal her sexuality and limit her career opportunities. However, in 2002, she accepted a role on “Will & Grace” as a lesbian mom and came out publicly during a charity benefit.
Since then, O’Donnell has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, and her recent podcast, “Onward,” is the latest project in her ongoing work for representation and acceptance. In the podcast, she discusses her life experiences as she enters her sixties, and it features guests such as Shields and Dylan Mulvaney.
The censorship of O’Donnell’s character in “Now and Then” highlights the challenges and struggles that LGBTQ+ actors and characters still face in Hollywood. Despite progress over the years, Hollywood still has a long way to go in accurately representing all people and their stories.