The Thomas Tryon Tragedy
The actor who portrayed Scott Breckenridge in 1966 (when he was 40 years old, playing a man who was 35 by episode canon), was a fascinating man who would have been worth knowing. He was well educated, literate (in fact, became a very successful writer), and evidently sensitive enough to have been made "physically ill" by Otto Preminger during the filming of 'The Cardinal.' (There is an oft-repeated tale of Preminger firing him on the set in front of the actor's parents, then re-hiring him once he believes Tryon to have been suitably traumatized.)
Tryon's film (and television) career was under the name "Tom Tryon." He started using Thomas when he had his first successful novel--'The Other'--published. The official Tryon website refers to him as "Tom," so this might be the name he used in private.
Tryon, born in 1926 in Connecticutt, had a father who co-owned a prestigious store in Connecticut (but not a silent film star, as is often reported); he was in the Navy in the Pacific Theater of WWII from '43-46, then entered Yale and graduated with a BA in 1949. His art degree landed him a job designing sets, and was encouraged to try acting by Noel Coward's partner, Gertrude Lawrence. In 1952 he made his Broadway debut dancing in the chorus of a musical. He moved to Hollywood in '55, then made his film debut in '56. He spent more than a dozen years in movies and television, before starting to write in the late 60s (after seeing 'Rosemary's Baby,' which inspired him to enter the horror genre). 'The Other' was published in 1971 and became a bestseller.
Tryon was said to write for up to ten hours a day in pencil on legal yellow pads before finally graduating to the iconic IBM Selectric. He ended up with a good body of work, including a lengthy 'masterpiece' that was broken into four parts, two of which were published posthumously.
Artsy, sensitive, intelligent and Ivy-league, Tryon was also a closeted homosexual. Being a public figure with two careers (acting and writing) that could have been affected by his sexuality, he tried to keep his relationships private. One that's known was with a (very handsome) actor-turned-interior-decorator Clive Clerk, who was in the original 'A Chorus Line' on Broadway. Clerk evidently decorated Tryon's Central Park West apartment (which was featured in Architectural Digest). They were together in the 70s, evidently.
The most famous relationship was chronicled in the biography of porn star Casey Donovan (not to be confused with the Australian American Idol winner of the same name). This was short-lived (1973-77), supposedly because of Donovan's notoriety and Tryon's fear of being outed. (It also is reported in some places to have overlapped the Clerk relationship.) Donovan is credited with helping Tryon finish his novel 'Crowned Heads' by typing revisions and offering suggestions. Donovan ironically went on to make a couple movies and public service messages about safe sex in the early 80s, evidently not following his own advice or being fatalistic enough to believe it was too late to change, because he died of AIDs in 1987.
Thomas Tryon died in 1991 of stomach cancer which had metastasized into the spine, according to reports.
Whether Tryon kept a journal or wrote of his own issues with his sexuality and his private lifestyle is unknown. Was he happy and satisfied with the way he lived? Did he ever let his parents know, or did they even have the kind of relationship that allowed for such intimate topics? He evidently never attempted to fake a heterosexual marriage, or even a serious relationship. His sexual orientation must have been well-known, probably one of the reasons he was harrassed by dictators like Preminger. He was well-spoken and extremely handsome, with a deep voice and strong features. But just how 'masculine' he was in person is a matter of opinion and probably lost in the murky annals of the celluloid closet. Those closest to him evidently cared enough to respect his privacy even after death, as he would have wanted. So we'll probably never have much more insight into Tryon than what we can infer from second-hand accounts and impressions.
Tryon's film (and television) career was under the name "Tom Tryon." He started using Thomas when he had his first successful novel--'The Other'--published. The official Tryon website refers to him as "Tom," so this might be the name he used in private.
Tryon, born in 1926 in Connecticutt, had a father who co-owned a prestigious store in Connecticut (but not a silent film star, as is often reported); he was in the Navy in the Pacific Theater of WWII from '43-46, then entered Yale and graduated with a BA in 1949. His art degree landed him a job designing sets, and was encouraged to try acting by Noel Coward's partner, Gertrude Lawrence. In 1952 he made his Broadway debut dancing in the chorus of a musical. He moved to Hollywood in '55, then made his film debut in '56. He spent more than a dozen years in movies and television, before starting to write in the late 60s (after seeing 'Rosemary's Baby,' which inspired him to enter the horror genre). 'The Other' was published in 1971 and became a bestseller.
Tryon was said to write for up to ten hours a day in pencil on legal yellow pads before finally graduating to the iconic IBM Selectric. He ended up with a good body of work, including a lengthy 'masterpiece' that was broken into four parts, two of which were published posthumously.
Artsy, sensitive, intelligent and Ivy-league, Tryon was also a closeted homosexual. Being a public figure with two careers (acting and writing) that could have been affected by his sexuality, he tried to keep his relationships private. One that's known was with a (very handsome) actor-turned-interior-decorator Clive Clerk, who was in the original 'A Chorus Line' on Broadway. Clerk evidently decorated Tryon's Central Park West apartment (which was featured in Architectural Digest). They were together in the 70s, evidently.
The most famous relationship was chronicled in the biography of porn star Casey Donovan (not to be confused with the Australian American Idol winner of the same name). This was short-lived (1973-77), supposedly because of Donovan's notoriety and Tryon's fear of being outed. (It also is reported in some places to have overlapped the Clerk relationship.) Donovan is credited with helping Tryon finish his novel 'Crowned Heads' by typing revisions and offering suggestions. Donovan ironically went on to make a couple movies and public service messages about safe sex in the early 80s, evidently not following his own advice or being fatalistic enough to believe it was too late to change, because he died of AIDs in 1987.
Thomas Tryon died in 1991 of stomach cancer which had metastasized into the spine, according to reports.
Whether Tryon kept a journal or wrote of his own issues with his sexuality and his private lifestyle is unknown. Was he happy and satisfied with the way he lived? Did he ever let his parents know, or did they even have the kind of relationship that allowed for such intimate topics? He evidently never attempted to fake a heterosexual marriage, or even a serious relationship. His sexual orientation must have been well-known, probably one of the reasons he was harrassed by dictators like Preminger. He was well-spoken and extremely handsome, with a deep voice and strong features. But just how 'masculine' he was in person is a matter of opinion and probably lost in the murky annals of the celluloid closet. Those closest to him evidently cared enough to respect his privacy even after death, as he would have wanted. So we'll probably never have much more insight into Tryon than what we can infer from second-hand accounts and impressions.