Jaye Davidson
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox person Jaye Davidson (born Alfred Amey; 21 March 1968) is an English model, fashion stylist, and retired actor. He made his acting debut as Dil in the thriller film The Crying Game (1992), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Following his breakthrough, he portrayed the villainous Ra in the commercially successful science fiction film Stargate (1994). Davidson retired from acting afterwards, disliking the fame that it brought him.
Life
Davidson was born in Riverside, California, in the United States. He was raised in Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, England.<ref>Celebrities with a connection to Borehamwood and Elstree - Borehamwood and Elstree Times - Discussion on Topix Template:Webarchive Retrieved 30 October 2016.</ref>Template:Failed verification His father is from Ghana and his mother is from England.<ref name="NYT" /> Davidson is gay. During his acting career, he said that his androgynous look alienated him within the gay community. He stated that gay men "love very masculine men. And I'm not a very masculine person. I'm reasonably thin. I have long hair, which isn't very popular with gay men".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2017, Davidson married Thomas Clarke.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Career
Davidson made his acting debut in the thriller film The Crying Game (1992).<ref name="auto"/><ref name="NYT">Template:Cite news</ref> The film's funders wanted director Neil Jordan to cast a woman to play the transvestite character Dil, believing that it would be impossible to find an androgynous male actor who could pass as female.<ref name="Watkins2017">Template:Cite news</ref> Nevertheless, Davidson--who had no prior professional acting experience--was invited to audition for The Crying Game after being discovered at a wrap party for Derek Jarman's Edward II.<ref name="auto5">Template:Cite magazine</ref> He was cast in the role of Dil.<ref name="auto6">Template:Cite news</ref> The film was a critical and commercial success.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It is known for a surprise plot twist: A love scene in which Dil undresses and main character Fergus (played by Stephen Rea) is surprised to find that Dil is male. The scene required full-frontal nudity on Davidson's part.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rea later said: "If Jaye hadn't been a completely convincing woman, my character would have looked stupid." When the film was released, Miramax requested that reviewers keep Davidson's gender a secret.<ref name="auto5"/>
For his work in The Crying Game, Davidson was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto2">Template:Cite web</ref> and for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1993.<ref name="auto3">Template:Cite web</ref> Davidson also received nominations for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actor<ref name="auto4">Template:Cite news</ref> and the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress in 1993.<ref name="auto4"/>
Davidson starred as Ra, an alien impersonating a god,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in the 1994 science fiction adventure film Stargate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was surprised when his request to be paid $1 million was accepted.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Davidson later retired from acting,<ref name="auto6"/> stating that he "genuinely hated the fame" he was receiving. He became more involved in modelling and has since worked on several high-profile photo shoots, in addition to working as a fashion stylist in Paris.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Crying Game | Dil | Neil Jordan | National Board of Review Award for Most Auspicious Debut<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nominated – National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto2"/> Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role<ref name="auto3"/> Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actor<ref name="auto4"/> Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress<ref name="auto4"/> |
| 1994 | Stargate | Ra | Roland Emmerich | |
| 1994 | Jiggery Pokery | Jo | Sophie Muller | Television film |
| 1995 | Catwalk | Himself | Robert Leacock | Documentary |
| 2009 | The Borghilde Project | Nazi photographer | Myles Grimsdale |
References
External links
- 1968 births
- 20th-century American LGBTQ people
- 20th-century English LGBTQ people
- 21st-century American LGBTQ people
- 21st-century English LGBTQ people
- African-American LGBTQ people
- African-American male actors
- African-American male models
- American emigrants to England
- American gay actors
- American male film actors
- American people of English descent
- American people of Ghanaian descent
- Black British LGBTQ people
- Black British male actors
- English gay actors
- English LGBTQ models
- English male film actors
- English male models
- English people of Ghanaian descent
- Gay models
- LGBTQ people from California
- Living people
- Male actors from Riverside, California
- Male models from California
- Models from Hertfordshire
- People from Borehamwood