In a recent interview, actress Kate
Winslet said that she knows of “at least four actors” who are
afraid to come out.
Winslet is currently promoting her
latest film, Ammonite, which just opened in the UK.
Speaking with The Time's Culture
magazine, Winslet said that she knows actors who believe being out
will hurt their careers.
"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. Now that's fucked
up," Winslet
said.
"I'm telling you. A well-known
actor has just got an American agent and the agent said, 'I
understand you are bisexual. I wouldn't publicize that.' I can think
of at least four actors absolutely hiding their sexuality," she
said. "It's painful. Because they fear being found out. And
that's what they say. 'I don't want to be found out.'"
In Ammonite, Winslet plays
paleontologist Mary Anning, who has a speculative romantic affair
with geologist Charlotte Murchison, played by Saoirse Ronan. The
historical characters were not known to be gay.
Winslet, who is best known for her role
in Titanic, also was asked about straight actors playing gay
characters and defended her lesbian roles, saying that star power is
needed to get the projects off the ground.
"A conversation about straight
actors in gay roles is incredibly important," Winslet said. "I
hope there will come a time when it is automatic that [gay] actors
get those parts and you wouldn't have to put punchy film stars in to
get it made."
"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,” she said.