In a recent interview, James Ivory notes that being openly gay in Hollywood is a recent development. The Oscar-winning screenwriter and veteran director says that being out in Hollywood as a “gay filmmaker” is a modern concept and a new idea.
In the recently released documentary “Merchant Ivory,” by director Stephen Soucy, Ivory discusses his life with his partner in the early 1990s. The documentary chronicles how Ivory and his late partner, Ismail Merchant, did not openly discuss their sexuality despite the success of Merchant Ivory Productions.
Ivory said, “When we were making all those films, and, you know, we made over 20 features together, that was not something that seemed all that important.” Ivory’s statement referred to his Merchant and screenwriter, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s, collaboration on award-winning films like “A Room with a View,” “Howards End,” and “T.”
Were Merchant and Ivory a Couple?
When Merchant Ivory Productions was making some of its biggest movies, Ivory said their focus was on storytelling and casting decisions. This decision kept their relationship relatively lowkey until the success of “Call Me by Your Name” in 2017.
ALSO READ: Allison Holker Finds Love Again a Year and a Half After Her Husband’s Death
During the movie’s release, Ivory told The New Yorker that being a publicly gay person in the 1980s and 1990s was unthinkable. After getting nominated three times in the Best Director category, Ivory secured his Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay in his career.
During a 2018 interview, Ivory stated that his choice to remain in the closet in the 1990s was a way of protecting his partner. “That is not something that an Indian Muslim would ever say publicly or in print. Ever!” Ivory said.
“You have to remember that Ismail was an Indian citizen living in Bombay, with a deeply conservative Muslim family there. It’s not the sort of thing he was going to broadcast.” He added, “Since we were so close and lived most of our lives together, I wasn’t about to undermine him.”
However, since his 2018 statement, James Ivory has been more vocal about speaking about his late partner, Merchant. In his 2021 autobiography, “Solid Ivory: Memoirs,” Ivory detailed his relationship with Merchant.
On Friday, August 30, 2024, Ivory’s movie “Merchant Ivory” premiered in select theaters in Los Angeles and New York City. In the documentary, Ivory tells Soucy to move on when discussing his life as a gay man in ’60s NYC.
Ivory said, “You just should have read my book when it came out. It wouldn’t be a shock.” In his memoir, the renowned filmmaker spoke of his relationship with Merchant and how he was his long-term life partner.
James Ivory and Merchant enjoyed a 44-year romantic and professional relationship that ended in 2005 with Merchant’s tragic death.
How Many Movies Did Merchant Ivory Make?
Between 1970 and 200, James Ivory collaborated closely with German writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and Indian producer Ismail Merchant on most of his films. The early Ivory films are based in India and heavily reference Satyajit Ray and Jean Renoir’s aesthetics.
Subsequently, Ivory filmed three New York stories and then focused on English literature, which catapulted him to global renown. During this period, the filmmaker directed over 30 movies, sometimes doubling as a screenwriter.
Ivory directed the 1985 motion picture version of the beloved E. M. Forster book “A Room with a View.” Subsequently, in 1987, Ivory directed another Forster adaptation titled “Maurice,” which was a love drama.
POLL—Should Laws Be Enacted To Protect LGBTQ+ Individuals From Workplace Discrimination?
The movie focuses on a gay couple who fall in love amid Edwardian England’s constrictive and constrained society. “Mr. & Mrs. Bridge,” which Jhabvala adapted from the books of Evan S. Connell, came after this in 1990.
Based on the critically acclaimed novel, Merchant Ivory began work on their third Forster adaptation, “Howards End,” in 1992. The movie would go on to star Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, Anthony Hopkins, and Vanessa Redgrave.
Ivory was the director of the 1995 movie “Jefferson in Paris,” which starred Gwyneth Paltrow as Patsy Jefferson and Nick Nolte as Thomas Jefferson. Subsequently, in 1996, Ivory directed the movie “Surviving Picasso,” which starred Anthony Hopkins as Pablo Picasso.
Ivory also directed Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2005 movie “The White Countess,” which starred Vanessa Redgrave. Ivory and Anthony Hopkins reunited in 2009 for the romantic drama “The City of Your Final Destination,” which also starred Laura Linney.
After Ismail Merchant passed away in 2005, the movie was the first Merchant Ivory project in which he did not participate.
How Did Merchant and Ivory Meet?
During a 2004 interview, James Ivory and Ismail Merchant playfully argued about their meeting in their Federal-style house in Claverack, New York. According to their stories, Ivory and Merchant met for the first time in 1961 while in Manhattan.
The couple met on the steps of the Indian Consulate in Manhattan during a screening of Ivory’s short documentary about Indian miniature paintings, “The Sword and the Flute.”
Speaking on their historic gay love story, their friend, Saeed Jaffrey said, “It’s chemistry. When I first introduced them to each other, I knew that the chemistry was there, and it has remained all through these years.”
WATCH: Which TikTok Skincare Hack Should You Save or Trash?
Ivory and producing partner Ismail Merchant began their partnership in the early 1960s and lasted until Merchant died in 2005. The two had been producing movies for almost forty years, frequently with their favorite friend and screenwriter, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who passed away in 2013.
However, the press only ever mentioned their personal lives in a subdued and polite manner.
What Is James Ivory’s Net Worth?
James Ivory is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter with an estimated net worth of $10 million. Ivory was born in Berkeley, California, in June 1928. The filmmaker is a principal in Merchant Ivory Productions and has collaborated frequently with Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and his late partner Ismail Merchant.
You Might Also Like:
Allison Holker Finds Love Again a Year and a Half After Her Husband’s Death
Air Mattress Comfort Made Easy: 7 Simple and Effective Tips
Nikki Glaser Named Golden Globe Awards 2025 Host, Promises an ‘Unforgettable’ Show
Boost Your Hair Growth With These Simple and Effective Oil Additions
Noel and Liam Gallagher End 15-Year Feud, Announce Oasis Reunion