Remembering a Hollywood Heartthrob
THE DAMN YANKEES STAR LIVED LIFE ON HIS TERMS — WITHOUT REGRETS
In 2015, former Hollywood hunk Tab Hunter talked to Closer about his life and career, saying, “We’re all on a journey, and hopefully along the way, we’re able to say thank you and be as positive as we can be.” That summed up the lifelong attitude of the popular actor and singer, who died from cardiac arrest on July 8 at age 86.
California-handsome and athletic, Tab (born Arthur Andrew Kelm) rose to fame after winning a key role in 1955’s Battle Cry over James Dean and Paul Newman. He fit smoothly into Hollywood’s studio system, where mogul Jack Warner shaped him into a star. “They made me the allAmerican boy,” Tab recalled.
Along the way, he played leading men opposite sirens like Sophia Loren, and Warner Bros. adapted Damn Yankees just for him. He hung out with friends like Natalie Wood and Debbie Reynolds, and had a three-year relationship with Psycho’s Anthony Perkins.
Tab didn’t reveal his homosexuality — “I’m a pretty private person,” he told Closer — until 2005, when he published his autobiography, Tab Hunter Confidential. “I don’t want someone else putting a spin on my life,” Tab explained. “I figured, get it from the horse’s mouth.”
He had no regrets. “I lived the life I wanted,” he told Closer. “It’s been a great ride.”
— Lisa Chambers, with reporting by Ilyssa Panitz