‘Gay leading men would lack the same opportunities’: Jared Leto
Image: 'Suicide Squad' star Jared Leto has commented on how gay actors are treated in Hollywood.
HOLLYWOOD听won’t听allow gay leads the same opportunities as their straight counterparts, according to actor Jared Leto.
The controversial star听made the comments in a ,听while on the press junket听for his latest film Suicide Squad, where he steps into the shoes of the听villainous听Joker with a decidedly different interpretation.
“I definitely don鈥檛 think a gay leading man would have the same opportunities as a straight leading man,” Leto said.
“I don鈥檛 think that. Not for a single second.
“I don鈥檛 know if that鈥檚 offensive or not, but that鈥檚 my thought right now.”
In recent years Leto has made a name for himself in Hollywood as leading man material with strong takes on interesting characters.
He won an Oscar for his role in Dallas Buyers Club,听playing a trans character named听Rayon. LGBTI advocates had been critical that he was taking听a high profile role that could have gone to a trans actress.
The actor didn’t think that the lack of opportunities was fair, but put it down to听being听a听reality of the industry.
“It shouldn鈥檛 be that way. I don鈥檛 think you鈥檒l have as many opportunities. And I think you could say the same for minorities,” Leto said.
“Anyway, no, I think that this is still a very conservative business.”
There are many out actors working in Hollywood today and whether their sexualities impact their careers has been a point of much discussion. Rupert Everett has been quoted more than once stating his belief that being gay has stifled his career, while others听have dismissed it as essentially a non-issue.
Leto believed听that Americans would accept a gay lead in films, though — or he hoped they would at the very least.
Suicide Squad is now playing in cinemas across Australia.
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