He was cast in the 1926 film Brown of Harvard and his performance solidified his screen persona as a wisecracking, arrogant leading man.

He quit acting in 1935 and started a successful interior design business with his life partner Jimmie Shields, and his work was widely patronized by friends in Hollywood.

[4] With his father recovered and employed, Haines returned to New York City in 1919, settling into the burgeoning gay community of Greenwich Village.

Talent scout Bijou Fernandez discovered Haines as part of the Goldwyn Pictures' "New Faces of 1922" contest, and the studio signed him to a $40-a-week contract (~$700 in 2022 terms).

Haines scored his first big personal success with Brown of Harvard (1926) opposite Jack Pickford and Mary Brian.

[14] Haines found box-office success with Little Annie Rooney (1925), co-starring Mary Pickford, and Show People (1928), costarring Marion Davies.

Among their early clients were friends such as Joan Crawford, Gloria Swanson, Carole Lombard, Marion Davies, and George Cukor.

After a neighbor accused the two of propositioning her son, about 30 local residents including members of a white supremacist group called "The White Legion" dragged the two men from their home in El Porto near the city of Manhattan Beach (this was before El Porto became a part of that city) and beat them.

[1][18] The incident was widely reported at the time, but the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office never brought charges against the attackers.

The child molestation accusations against Haines and Shields were unfounded and the case was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.

[21] The couple finally settled in the west Los Angeles community of Brentwood and their business prospered until their retirement in the early 1970s, except for a brief interruption when Haines served in World War II.

[22] Known for his impeccable taste in interior design and love for vintage pieces, Haines worked closely with his friend Joan Crawford — whom he teasingly called Cranberry — to renovate her Brentwood home.

His unconventional choice of an all-white decor for her living room caused a sensation and helped launch his interior design career, working for Carole Lombard next.

[24] Haines and Ted Graber designed the interiors of Walter and Leonore Annenberg's "Sunnylands" estate in Rancho Mirage.

Celebrities including Cameron Diaz, Courteney Cox, Anne Heche and Ellen DeGeneres purchased pieces of Haines' furniture in 1999.

[36] William Haines Designs remains in operation, with main offices in West Hollywood and an additional showroom in New York.

[37] In September 2023, Sunnylands Center & Gardens featured an exhibition titled "Variations to a Theme" dedicated to William Haines.

World of Wonder produced Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The Life of William Haines, which aired on American Movie Classics in 2001.

The play premiered at London's tiny Hen and Chickens theatre and quickly transferred to Battersea Arts Centre.

[41] In 2013 a musical adaptation of The Tailor-Made Man opened at London's Arts Theatre in the West End with pop star Faye Tozer (Steps) as Marion Davies and Mike McShane as Mayer.

In 1994, The Tailor-Made Man was chosen for a workshop TV production for Thames Television Masterpiece Pilot Showcase, directed by Golden Rose of Montreux winner Chris Bould.