Jeremy Kinser's got a fascinating remembrance of gay actor Gene Anthony Ray, known to us all as Leroy Johnson in the 1980 film Fame.
Ray stole his first scene in the movie like so:
Clad in barely-there satin shorts and a sleeveless shirt pulled behind his head to accentuate his flawless torso, Ray electrified audiences with his sultry dancing. “What do you call that?” a teacher asks the instructor played by Debbie Allen as they take in Leroy’s suggestive moves. Allen, no slouch on the dance floor herself, instinctively replied, “Wicked!” Movie viewers couldn’t help but agree.
Kinser's remembrance is biographically complete, including details about his family life and his slide into drugs and eventually ill health.
He was iconic for many but couldn't make a living—but we do, at least, remember his name.
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