The King. The Cool. Peter Wyngarde.

Peter Wyngarde (1927 - 2018) was "Jason King" but also Jan Wicziewsky, a gay Polish army lieutenant in one of the first ever gay television dramas ("South"). The milestone in gay cultural history screened in 1959, at a time homosexuality was illegal in the UK. In the acting world it was well-known that Wyngarde was gay, to the general public it was a "closely guarded secret" (via).



"I think you have to give Wyngarde a massive pat on the back in terms of the bravery in taking this role. There were quite bad reactions from some of the press."
Simon McCallum

"I do NOT see anything attractive in the agonies and ecstasies of a pervert, especially in close-up in my living room. This is not prudishness. There are some indecencies in life that are best left covered up."
review from the Daily Sketch's critic

"Watching it does remind you how brave he was at the time to take this role and the way the subject is dealt with is incredibly brave."
Simon McCallum



images via and via