Tommy Kirk

I consider my teenage years as being desperately unhappy.

I'm not ashamed of being gay, never have been and never will be. For that I have no apologies.

Disney was a family film studio. I was supposed to be their young, leading man. After they found out I was involved with someone, that was the end of Disney.

Eventually I became involved with somebody, and I was fired.

I said, to hell with the whole thing, to hell with show business. I'm gonna make a new life for myself, and I got off drugs, completely kicked all that stuff.

I started my own little carpet and upholstery cleaning business. I've done it for 20 years. I live well.

I want to be remembered for Swiss Family Robinson and Old Yeller. I think Swiss is probably my favorite film.

When I was about 17 or 18, I finally admitted to myself that I wasn't going to change. I didn't know what the consequences would be, but I had the definite feeling that it was going to wreck my Disney career.

After I was fired from Disney, I did some of the worst movies ever made and I got professionally involved with a manager who said it didn't matter what you did as long as you kept working. I wound up completely broke.

After I was fired from Disney, I did some of the worst movies ever made.