Kate Winslet says she knows “at least four” gay actors – both starting out and well-known – who have avoided coming out for fear of being typecast.
The Titanic star claimed there is a “widespread” issue of actors too afraid of revealing their sexuality in Hollywood for the impact it may have on their careers.
The star, who played British palaeontologist Mary Anning alongside Saoirse Ronan in Ammonite, added the problem goes further than straight actors taking LGBTQ+ roles.
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Winslet told The Sunday Times: “I cannot tell you the number of young actors I know – some well known, some starting out – who are terrified their sexuality will be revealed and that it will stand in the way of their being cast in straight roles,” she said, going to detail an example of a star who was encouraged to keep their sexuality private.
“A well-known actor has just got an American agent and the agent said, ‘I understand you are bisexual. I wouldn’t publicise that.’ I can think of at least four actors absolutely hiding their sexuality. It’s painful. Because they fear being found out. And that’s what they say. ‘I don’t want to be found out.’”
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She went on to say it should be “almost illegal”, commenting on her own experience playing a gay character.
“Hollywood has to drop that dated cr*p of, ‘Can he play straight because, apparently, he’s gay?’”
“That should be almost illegal,” she said, adding: “You would not believe how widespread it is. And it can’t just be distilled to the question about gay actors playing gay parts. Because actors, in some cases, are choosing not to come out for personal reasons. And it’s nobody’s business. Perhaps privacy. Perhaps conditioning and shame.”
She went on: “We could have had a conversation about how I feel about playing a lesbian and possibly taking that role from somebody.
“But I’m done with not being honest about what my real opinions are, and I know the part was never offered to anybody else. In taking this part I had an opportunity to bring an LGBTQ story into living rooms.”
Winslet’s role in biopic Ammonite was reportedly criticised by relatives of real-life fossil hunter Mary Anning when it first began filming due to the ‘unconfirmed’ portrait of her sexuality.
Anning never married, but a report in theTelegraph suggested her distant relatives were at odds over the film’s central relationship, a romance between Anning and Charlotte Murchison, played by Saoirse Ronan.
Barbara Anning was quoted as saying: “I do not believe there is any evidence to back up portraying her as a gay woman.” She added: “Do the filmmakers have to resort to using unconfirmed aspects to somebody’s sexuality to make an already remarkable story sensational? This adds nothing to her story.”
Another relative, Lorraine Anning, however, was supportive of the film: “To be honest, it doesn’t matter; as long as it’s well presented and tastefully done and in the spirit of Mary Anning, then I think it’s brilliant.”
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