The Not-So-Secret Gay Life of Actor Roddy McDowell: 25 Years After His Tragic Death From Lung Cancer

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It's been over twenty-five years since actor/photographer Roddy McDowall died of lung cancer in 1998. McDowall, despite some career challenges, was one of that breed of rare former child actors who successfully transitioned into Hollywood adulthood. He was also, however, one of the industry's "openly closeted" actors, which came with its own sense of issues. This is his story.

A Closer Look

Roddy McDowall was born Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude on September 17, 1928, in London, England. In 1941, he appeared in movies like How Green Was My Valley and toured in vaudeville and summer stock before moving to New York in 1954.

The versatile performer was then featured in memorable Broadway productions, including Compulsion (1957) and The Fighting Cock (1959). The latter earned him a Supporting Actor Tony Award.

In 1963, he returned to the big screen in Cleopatra, which starred his dear friend Elizabeth Taylor.

Legendary Performances

In the 1960s and 1970s, Roddy McDowall made several TV-movies and guest-star appearances on shows like Batman (in which he played the Bookworm) Hotel (co-starring once more, with Elizabeth Taylor), and Rod Serling's double sci-fi/fantasy/horror mix of The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery.

In 1968, McDowall was cast in his benchmark simian role as Cornelius in the sci-fi cult classic Planet of the Apes. The film, written by Serling, was adapted in the mid-1970s as a weekly TV series, in which McDowall then played an ape named Galen.

Toward the close of his career, McDowall voiced characters in numerous animated series.

In the End

Roddy McDowall never publically acknowledged his sexual preferences. However, it was widely known within the industry that he had romantic relationships with men. Those included an early relationship with iconic actor Montgomery Clift.

Years later, McDowall died on October 3, 1998, at age 70, in his home in Studio City, CA. Four days after his passing, McDowall's body was cremated and his ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean off Los Angeles County.

Screenwriter Dennis Osborne was McDowall's caregiver in the final months of his life. Osborne was quoted as saying, "It was very peaceful. It was just as he wanted it. It was exactly the way he planned."