Hollywood, AIDS and Reality

With the recent AIDS-related deaths in the entertainment community of Anthony Perkins and Brad Davis, we have all been saddened by the knowledge that these men lived in fear of the very community that had embraced them when in health. In recent weeks, I have been faced with an episode of the hypocrisy of our community in relation to this disease.

Like Messrs. Perkins and Davis, I too am an actor. I read for a proposed film with an AIDS theme. The part was of a severely infected AIDS victim, and as many actors do, I prepared for the part by altering my appearance with makeup and costume.

Later, my agent received a call from the casting director expressing concern for my sickly appearance. When assured by my agent of my health, that I was attempting assiduously to portray the role, the casting director replied, “Then what he did was in poor taste,” and that I would not be considered for the part.

Clearly my appearance frightened this person, and the immediate response was rejection and denial. Perhaps it was due to the person’s embarrassment--that of all people, this person could not tell that what I was doing was a performance, and the inability to perceive this revealed too clearly a lack of professional expertise.

In any event this behavior poses two questions: (1) Is the glamorized Hollywood community in denial itself over the critical social issues of our day? (2) Does that denial lead to hypocrisy, such that we set out to make a movie about AIDS and without thought ban from participation those who come too close to the truth or who might be afflicted, be they actors, directors, cinematographers, etc.?

Here possibly, in the making of this movie, is a small instance where we can do something productive, enlightening, maybe even healing for our society. But we will fail if we continue to applaud the red ribbons on our lapels but practice hypocrisy when it comes to truth and, yes, jobs.

BARON KELLY

Los Angeles