Roy Cohn was a man that wore a lot of different, often controversial hats. He was a lawyer that prosecuted the infamous “atomic spies” case, resulting in the executions of the married couple at the center. Cohn was also a prominent political figure, sometimes serving as a mentor for folks like Donald Trump. And perhaps most surprising is the fact that Roy Cohn was a gay man who closely guarded his sexuality. This fact serves as a crucial part of the upcoming HBO documentary, “Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn.”
With ‘Bully. Coward. Victim.’ arriving on HBO tomorrow, we’re happy to give our readers a chance to watch an exclusive clip from the film featuring iconic filmmaker John Waters talking about his knowledge of Cohn’s sexuality and the political figure’s penchant for hanging out in Provincetown, a place where Cohn was able to be his true self—much to the chagrin of the other folks there.
As seen in the clip, Waters tells the story about how Cohn definitely was having fun in Provincetown, but some of the locals weren’t a fan of the man’s politics and decided to play some disgusting pranks. And for as disgusting as the pranks were, Waters says he would have done worse. Given Waters is probably best known for films like “Pink Flamingos” and “Female Trouble,” one can probably say with certainty that the filmmaker isn’t lying.
“Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn” arrives on HBO on June 18. You can watch the exclusive clip featuring Waters below.
Here’s the synopsis:
BULLY. COWARD. VICTIM. THE STORY OF ROY COHN takes an unflinching look at the life and death of infamous attorney Roy Cohn, who first gained prominence by prosecuting Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in what came to be known as the “atomic spies” case. Director Ivy Meeropol brings a unique perspective as the granddaughter of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg; having spent much of her life feeling both repelled and fascinated by the man who prosecuted her grandparents, obtained their convictions in federal court and then insisted on their executions.