Brick (played by Paul Newman) is one of the main characters of the 1958 dramatic Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, adapted from the Tennessee Williams play of the same name. Brick is a former high school football star who is plagued by the death of his best friend and teammate, Skipper — much to the chagrin of his wife, Maggie “The Cat”.
Cat is a fascinating product of the Hayes Code era of the Golden Age of Hollywood films, where mentions of homosexuality were violations of a moral code the studios had taken on. In the original play, it is revealed/assumed that Brick is gay and was in love with Skipper, with his wife calling him a homosexual at one point. Since that could not be used in the film adaptation, the ending of the film is changed, wherein Brick rewards Maggie’s bluff on his behalf with a sexual encounter, reigniting their passion after a long dry spell.
While Newman could not use the word “gay” in the script, his performance and inner emotional work portray Brick’s longing for his dead best friend. As such, it is safe to say that Brick is portrayed as bi in the film, which may stray from the original source material.