Out
actor Zachary Quinto told The New York Times that being out
has led to fewer opportunities in Hollywood.
The
39-year-old Quinto came out gay in 2011 while discussing his role as
a gay man in the off-Broadway revival of Tony Kushner's
groundbreaking AIDS drama Angels in America.
Quinto
called the role his most rewarding, then
casually added: “At the same time as a gay man, it made me feel
like there's still so much work to be done, and there's still so many
things that need to be looked at and addressed.”
The
Times paired Quinto with Audra McDonald for an interview that
touched on the advocacy both do for kids at risk.
When
asked whether he feels boxed in as a gay man as it relates to his
career, Quinto noted that Hollywood prefers its leading men to be
straight.
“After
I came out in 2011, I gave a lot of interviews saying I've never
worked more and how it hadn't adversely affected my career. And I
believe that,” Quinto said. “But I also believe that I would
have had more mainstream Hollywood opportunities if I were straight
or didn't come out. I haven't allowed it to limit me, but I think
there's an inherent resistance to gay men in Hollywood. Which isn't
to take anything away from the mind-blowing progress since I got out
of school.”
“What
kind of resistance?”
“It's not explicit. It’s
more a matter of opportunities. Lists of actors being considered for
roles that I have to fight to get onto or that I won’t be on
altogether. This isn’t a complaint. I’ve come to accept my
journey. It’s just an observation. But what can you do? You keep
doing the work,” he answered.