Tommy Kirk

[danshane@bellsouth.net]

FABIO ASKS:

> I just heard about that and is only that I am curious about 
> know if is true. Is about an Disney animator fired in the 
> sixties from the studios because he was homosexual. Somebody 
> know about that. The name if I'm not wrong is Tommy Kirk 

AND I REPLY:

Tommy Kirk (who always preferred to be called Tom or Thomas) is an actor, not an animator.  He was indeed fired by Disney when he revealed his sexual preference, one of the first motion picture regulars to do so.  While often found himself cast in "campus comedies" like THE MONKEY'S UNCLE, THE SHAGGY DOG, and THE ABSENT MINDED PROFESSOR, his early roles for Disney were more serious and revealing of deep sensitivity on his part.  His standout performance was as young Travis in OLD YELLER.

His decision to publicly admit that he is gay limited his ability to find work at other studios in the 1960s.  He turned to drugs and alcohol for a while, but eventually cleaned up got involved with gay rights groups.  He seems to have patched up relations with the Disney company in recent days, and he appears in documentaries and contributed to commentaries on the DVD editions of SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON and OLD YELLER.

Dan