does anyone know anything about actor berry robbins ( he was in the movie bless the beasts and the children)

Question

which came out in 1972. i know he died of aids in 1986, but what i want to know is if anyone knew if he was gay or got it from bad blood.

Answer 1

This is all IMD has on Barry Robins:
Biography for
Barry Robins

Mini biography
Brooklyn born US actor who attained minor cult status through his portrayal of troubled teenager "Cotton" leading a group of other teen misfits to release caged buffalo's earmarked for shooting in the film Bless the Beasts & Children (1971) based upon the Glendon Swarthout novel of the same name.

His other work was restricted to a handful of appearances in several TV shows and telemovies.

Died from AIDS related illness on April 1, 1986.


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IMDb mini-biography by
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Trivia
The first comment of the film "Bless the Beasts and Children", in which Barry Robins has the title role, is by his sister Elisabeth. It is titled "Symbolism and personal ties to this movie", and is date 12 October 2003. It gives some interesting data about his life and especially his death, in 1986, from AIDS, a disease not yet well known at the time.

His sister is a dance therapist for people with disabilities and founder of MAD Theatre of Tampa, a company of actors with disabilities.

Answer 2

Barry Robbins

Answer 3

Extract from a comment made by Barry's sister, Elizabeth Robins, on the IMDb website: "The irony was that what surrounded his death was also that he was an "outcast", "different from others", "a societal reject" - similar to the character he played and the theme of Bless the Beasts. In 1986 Barry died from complications from the AIDS virus. It was pretty early on when people were diagnosed with this, so me and my mother told everyone it was cancer - fearful of their reaction at that time. But the true ending of the movie wasn't just that someone died. It is that he did what he believed in despite all odds. Even at seven I could see the triumph as the buffalo were set free. He did it! He accomplished his goal! And you know what? In my brother's life that ended too soon...he, too, accomplished his goal. He was an amazing actor and an amazing person who touched the lives of everyone who knew him." (Source #1)

It's impossible to find a statement to the effect that Barry Robins was gay, but in various statements his sister Elizabeth has made, including the one above, she speaks of the stigma that was attached to the AIDS virus at the time of her brother's death and of how nice it was of another writer to be discreet regarding Barry's death, as he probably knew her brother had died of an AIDS-related illness. (Source #2)

That suggests to me that Barry must have been gay, otherwise the family would probably not have felt it necessary to pretend he had died of cancer. However, I fail to see what is important about the answer to this question. What does it matter how he contracted the disease, if he was a good, loving person?

Answer 4

I don't know that answer to that question but I absolutely loved that movie!