In an interview with LGBT glossy OUT,
actress Ann Dowd talked about her son, who recently came out gay.
Dowd, 62, has played supporting roles
in several films, including Lorenzo's Oil, Philadelphia
and Marley & Me, but is best known for her portrayal of
Aunt Lydia on the Hulu drama The Handmaid's Tale.
Last year, Dowd won an acting Emmy for
her portrayal of Aunt Lydia, and she has been nominated again this
year.
When asked whether she has gay friends,
Dowd answered that her son is gay.
“Oh, of course!” she
answered with a laugh. “Oh my god, my son just came out, as a
matter of fact. Yea, and he’s an adult with disabilities, so it was
extra challenging for him on a number of levels. It’s with great
relief that he realized. We couldn’t love him more if we tried.”
“I don’t know how else to say this,
but as if growing up isn’t hard enough, to have to come out and be
worried you’re not going to be accepted for who you are. I think
the gay population is among the strongest people in the entire world.
It takes tremendous courage, and I have tremendous respect,” she
added.
Dowd also said that she cried
throughout the filming of Philadelphia, one of the first
Hollywood films to tackle AIDS and homophobia.
“It was just tremendously moving and
real,” Dowd said. “And just the story, the heartbreak of it.”