Ryan Murphy pulls legends out of the closet in ‘Hollywood’

Ryan Murphy exposes the racism, hypocrisy and sexual discrimination that shaped the careers of major stars such as Rock Hudson (Jake Picking) and derailed the careers of others such as Anna May Wong (Michelle Krusiec) and Hattie McDaniel (Queen Latifah) in his new Netflix series “Hollywood.” Steeped in heavily researched history, the series introduces a fictitious storyline with invented characters to offer a picture of what might have been, had a more humane sensibility been allowed to flourish in 1947 — the year in which the story is set. Filmed in real-life locations such as the 101-year-old restaurant Musso & Frank Grill, “Hollywood” shows us the best and the worst of the movie industry.

Murphy, 54, spoke to The Post from his home in LA.

“Hollywood” re-creates Rock Hudson’s disastrous first screen test. Did it really take 27 takes to say one line?
Yes. The funny thing about Rock Hudson is that he was so insecure and so nervous. Back then, there were so many pictures made that he had the chance to build his self-confidence up. When he started out, he was filled with self-hatred as many gay people are and were. All of that takes a while to get rid of.

Did Hattie McDaniel really have an affair with Tallulah Bankhead?
Tallulah Bankhead (Paget Brewster of “Criminal Minds”) is on the record a couple of times talking about it. We don’t make a big deal out of the fact that Hattie or Tallulah were bisexual, but they were. It was just, that part of Hollywood was filled with shame. They just want you to be one thing. Out in public, they had to pretend to be just that person, but behind closed doors they were many things. I wanted to be true to that.

“The Big Bang Theory” fans will be shocked to see Jim Parsons as Rock Hudson’s creepy agent Henry Willson. Why did you cast him?
Henry Willson was one of the great monsters in Hollywood history. A true predator. He would go after the same type of guy and promise them stardom by forcing them to sleep with him. Or watch them sleep with other people. I wanted to cast an actor who was really a left-field, unexpected choice. Jim was nervous for a hot second and then he said, “The part’s too good. I have to do it.” I think this could be his Mary Tyler Moore moment, where she went from being America’s sweetheart to playing that monstrous mother in “Ordinary People.”

Jim Parsons as Henry Willson and Jake Picking as Rock Hudson in “Hollywood.”Netflix

Familiar faces from some of your other shows like Darren Criss are here, but I am seeing a lot of new faces. Was that a deliberate choice?
You know, it was. There were many parts and I found all of these people from auditions. I found Laura Harrier, who plays Camille. I found Samara Weaving, who plays Claire Wood, and Jake Picking. Jeremy Pope [who plays screenwriter Archie Coleman] had just come off being nominated for two Tony Awards. He still auditioned. He put himself on tape and I said, “That’s the guy.” So I flew to New York to meet him and hired him on the spot. He’s a great shining star.

Many of your fans are too young to remember some of the stars you focus on in “Hollywood.” What do you hope they take away from watching the series?
I’m hoping little fingers go on Google and learn about them. People can learn about these golden-era heroes and heroines — they are to me — and maybe they can watch some of their movies. And not just enjoy their work, but maybe also mourn what was never allowed to be.

“Hollywood” premieres Friday, May 1, on Netflix.