Kate Winslet Says She Knows Four Gay Actors Who Haven’t Come Out Through Fear Of Backlash

Kate Winslet has said she knows ‘at least four actors’ who are hiding their sexuality out of ‘fear’ of coming out to the public.

The Dressmaker actor said that the unnamed people are worried that coming out would negatively affect their careers and that they’d lose out on film roles.

Winslet, 45, even detailed that a ‘well-known actor’ she knows recently told their agent that they were bisexual, but was advised to not to make this public.

Discussing the matter with The Sunday Times’ Culture magazine, she said, ‘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.’

Touching upon what the agent said to the bisexual actor she knows, Winslet explained:

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.

She further called out the film industry on its ‘judgment, discrimination and homophobia’.

The Titanic star’s comments come after the BAFTAs failed to nominate any openly gay actors for its largest categories, which Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, admitted she was ‘very disappointed’ about, MailOnline reported.

Winslet’s comments also come after the release of her film Ammonite where her character, Mary Anning, has a secret relationship with a woman, played by Saoirse Ronan.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Winslet said she’d never been asked so many sex-scene related questions until starring in Ammonite. 

She explained, ‘What I definitely found really striking is that people seem to talk about the love scenes in the film in ways that are much more focused, because it’s two women.’

‘And I’m telling you, with my hand on my heart, I have never been asked the same volume of questions about love scenes of a heterosexual nature – of which I have shot many in my life. And so that to me, that to me, that’s a conversation,’ Winslet added.

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