Michael Urie received hate mail while on ‘Ugly Betty’
The actor starred as gay fashion assistant Marc St James in the hit ABC show
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Michael Urie received hate mail while appearing on Ugly Betty.
The actor shot to fame as openly gay fashion assistant Marc St James in the hit show – which ended eight years ago after ABC pulled the plug – and although he was a relatively unknown actor at the time, Urie revealed he would get hate mail while on the show.
When asked if he had ever experienced any homophobic comments, Urie told The Daily Beast: “I was never called a name until I ha da little dog in Manhattan, when I was called a ‘f****t’ on the street.
“I got occasional hate mail when I was on Ugly Betty, but I never felt in any danger.
Urie – who is gay in real life – also went to say that he would never say no to playing a gay character in fear of being typecasted.
“When Ugly Betty started, I was a totally unknown actor,” he continued.
“There was a sense from people advising and representing me that if the show didn’t take off then it would be back to the drawing board, and I wouldn’t want to be pigeonholed as one type of gay person.
“I have never said no to a role because it was a gay role. It was such a silly idea. But it was a very real idea from very important people, that I could get typecast as gay.
“I remember thinking, ‘I know from the theatre that there’s a way to keep playing gay parts and not do the same thing over and over again’.
“I also knew a very clever casting director once told me, ‘You can’t get cast until you get typecast’.”