Hollywood director and producer fought for marriage equality behind the scenes
He has been slandered with false accusations of sexual misconduct with minors for years from America's conservative right and vicious lawyers, but he was eventually cleared of all charges. Hollywood's visionary director Bryan Singer is no stranger to controversy, but he keeps fighting and sending messages with his movies.
The 51-year-old American movie maker, who is openly bisexual, produces virtually all the work he directs. He founded Bat Hat Harry Productions in the 1990s, with its first movie The Usual Suspects (1995) an instant cult hit. Since 2004, Singer's production company has been making the blockbuster TV series Dr House, but it is perhaps his X-Men movie series that carry his LGBT message best.
As actor Ian McKellen told Buzzfeed: I was sold it by Bryan who said, Mutants are like gays. They're cast out by society for no good reason. McKellen added that according to Marvel, the comic books publisher, a large demographic of X-Men readers consists of young Jewish people, young black people and young gay people who may feel a little bit like mutants.
Away from the screens big and small, Singer has used his private fortune to fight for LGBT rights, in particular marriage equality. While he never sought to publicise his support, the alt-right and religious conservatives got wind of it and started a vicious smear campaign. Singer, among several other Hollywood insiders, was in 2014 wrongly accused by failed actor Michael Egan of sexually molesting him as a teenager.
Not only was his case thrown out, Egan was a year later served a two-year prison sentence for security fraud, according to TMZ. The one-time Hollywood hopeful defrauded at least 14 people out of $300,000, and while using it for his personal benefit, he never paid his lawyer in the Singer trial.
The director, in the meantime, has been busy making movies to carry his message of inspiration for those who don't conform to conservative norms. His latest project: a biopic on the late Freddie Mercury, the iconic frontman of rock band Queen. The flamboyant gay singer died of AIDS in 1991. The movie is made with full support by Mercury's former band mates, including guitarist Brian May, not least because Singer is a huge fan of Mercury. Given the stellar line-up recruited for the movie, including Rami Malek to play the lead, Singer might even produce an Oscar-winner in Mercury's honour.
Rami Malek is lucky to join the group of those whose careers have been touched by Singer. Among them: Christopher Nolan. The Interstellar director was influenced by The Usual Suspects when he was still in college. The use of flashbacks and surprise twists and endings have become a staple in Nolan's movies, just like in his idol's.
Fans of Singer are used to watching closely, perhaps it's time to look at his impressive off-screen track record as well - and marvel.