Matt Bomer: "Coming Out as Gay Cost Me Opportunities in Hollywood"

Also, he can't act. But he is handsome.

He is incredibly hot

He's gorgeous but is not that talented. And the clock is ticking. Being gay is the least of his worries.

If it were a mass coming out, then it wouldn’t be so problematic. Not enough gays and lesbians who live in the public eye are willing to take that risk. They’re so Africa of what the frauen in Flyoverstan will say.

R4 you are so Africa

“They’re so Africa” will be a quote that I’ll be using IRL now.

Hold me, David. I'm Africa!

Generic looking white guy, zero presence on screen. But sure, he lost roles cause he’s gay.

Delusional. Everybody knew he was gay way before he came out because those gay kissing photos, where he looked like a bloated mess.

R2 Ugh, his looks are extreme overrated, just look up his old photos....

Can no one here give credit to this man for being authentic in an industry full of liars and fakes? He is far from generic looking, and I'm sure being honest about who he was did cost him opportunities.

Oh, please. He has no personality and was never going to be a movie star. He has 'Ken doll' good looks but there is nothing seductive about him on screen. I would argue that being gay has actually prolonged his career, thanks to the Ryan Murphy Industrial Complex.

He's a very mediocre actor.

You guys complaining about Matt Bomer's looks and talent are utterly insane. I daresay that those of you complaining have the taste level of lowcountry buzzards.

People here bitch about actors not coming out, yet most of the (wholly typical) responses here show why they shouldn't. All we need for the full quota is 'He can't act straight anyway'. And like Hollywood stars are all amazing actors.

The only time I watched his work was The Last Tycoon. He was absolutely terrible in it. His acting couldn't get any more clichéd.

Oh, I can’t believe that I made that typo. Deep shame.

R14 Such great looks, huh?

He’s quite the dish.

You are all full of shit and you know it. He’s gorgeous when he expresses anger or sadness. His resting face is the “I found gum!” People-pleasing variety that makes him appear stupid. You are evil and I believe every one of you would tell a sad story just to pretty him up if you ever met.

Maybe he auditioned for the wrong roles. He should have gone for crazy roles - he has very over-intense ("psycho" type) eyes. He would be perfect in Patrick Bateman ("American Psycho") type roles and in horror movies.

Oh wait... he's already cast in "American Horror Story"! Well, there you go - perfect casting! He found his genre and his niche.

Aren't we all, in some way, Africa?

He does have limited range, for sure. He's not a bad actor but White Collar was the thing that really fit his skillset, the charmer.

He has found little since that fit him as well. He should be doing the same sorts of things Nathan Fillion is doing. Nathan is a bit more earthy whereas Matt comes across a bit more elegant, but both can do the charming, rakish type. Nathan realized long ago he needed to work that small range and has done well. Matty, on the other hand, hasn't quite gotten the message.

How many gay actors have to say this for the straight worshippers on this forum to get it?

Still, we have people on this forum jumping to the defense of straight and closeted actors in every thread addressing this issue.

Saw him on broadway in BitB - he’s indeed very sexy and indeed not much of an actor; was his part made even smaller than in the original? After that first scene he mostly just hung around the set looking pretty.

So Africa

[quote]"Coming Out as Gay Cost Me Opportunities in Hollywood"

No, you're not particularly talented and despite being handsome, you're strangely sexless. That's what cost you acting gigs.

Matt Bomer gets more press on DL than he does anywhere else.

I don't understand - he's objectively extremely handsome and he's a talented enough actor, but you all call him average and not a good actor.

Well - we need to have a long discussion then about the following actors' looks and talent: Jeremy Renner, Mark Walhberg, Matt Damon, Bruce Willis, Ryan Gosling, John Cusack, Owen Wilson, Steve Buscemi, Shia LeBoeuf, etc.

None of them hold a candle to Matt in the looks department and hardly any are that much better of an actor.

They're all much better on screen. It's not always about acting, but that certain X factor aka "screen presence." Bomer has never had it, he's just pretty.

He would have made an excellent Christian Grey in that godawful adaptation of that godawful S&M fanfiction book inspired by that other godawful vampire book.

The irony is he's quite wholesome - but he has that oddly unsettling intense, cobalt, piercing, gleeful, stepfordy gaze that makes one wonder if he's so merry because he's hiding bodies in his Meneghini La Cambusa freezer...

Je suis Africa!

[quote]Delusional. Everybody knew he was gay way before he came out because those gay kissing photos, where he looked like a bloated mess.

Liar. The Frauen were in denial the whole time, and they're the ones who matter - they make or break a heartthrob's career. I've even seen a straight guy on Twitter express disappointment that Matt's gay, because "he was God's gift to women."

He has no star power. He is definitely not leading man material, not even for a stupid comic book franchise.

R30 - says you. I don't believe half of those actors have better screen presences, which is subjective and it all depends on the role. If you have big, dramatic or action roles, you can show more of what you have.

If by being gay, you are excluded from a) romantic leads and b) action because the studios don't think anyone would want to see a gay man in either of those roles, then you don't have the opportunity.

White Collar was very popular, if not critically acclaimed. He could have been on a path to do better films - particularly considering his husband.

[quote] I don't believe half of those actors have better screen presences, which is subjective and it all depends on the role.

Well Hollywood and the public disagree with you.

Look, Matt Bomer is never going to fuck you. You might as well give up.

Only a half truth. When every Ryan Murphy project and an expanded role on Will & Grace are your main source of fame, you have to squint. He should have said "Coming Out and Having Little Talent..."

He should have put out more.

I don't doubt that coming out closes some doors for actors. It's an open secret that many gay actors are pressured to remain closeted (particularly those going for A-List leading men careers) because there is still a mantra that "fags don't get work" in Hollywood. Let's get real here, though, actors like Bomer, Quinto, NPH, Parsons only came out because they were going to be outed anyway. In retrospect, yes, he probably does feel better coming out because no more hiding, no more having to say, "I don't talk about my personal life." But I do find it somewhat self-righteous to act like you made a sacrifice by coming out. That's not excusing Hollywood's homophobic attitude towards gay talent, but just keeping it real here. Coming out in Hollywood means relegating yourself to "character actor."

Bomer is attractive, but, yes, his range as an actor is relatively limited. Bomer often comes across as an actor whose ego is large than his talent, and he feels that is owed a bigger career.

[quote]It's an open secret that many gay actors are pressured to remain closeted (particularly those going for A-List leading men careers) because there is still a mantra that "fags don't get work" in Hollywood.

They're the ones who truly can pass for straight to the general public, like Bradley Cooper, Chris Pine and a few others. But yeah, Bomer, Quinto, NPH and Parsons were just a touch too fruity to hoodwink the public into thinking they were straight.

R36 - I didn't know you spoke for all of Hollywood AND the general public. Must be a lot of work.

Stereotypical or clockable gay actors are not going to be able to be have leading men or action hero careers. You have to be conventionally masculine and mainstream to get those roles

r41 who's a big star and who isn't? Hollywood and the public have decided.

R11 There is a lunatic who infests every Bomer thread on DL. It starts the majority of them, to showcase its Matt Bomer Derangement Syndrome. A longtime ago, Matt Bomer took a shit in its mouth and that shit looked better and smelled better than the lunatic swallowing it down and there began its sad journey.

R9, That's a bloated mess?

Bomer didn't want to come out R39 because he was afraid it would jeopardize his role on White Collar where he played a womanizer. Allegedly producers were also nervous that straight women wouldn't buy him in that role if he came out. He would have come out eventually. Although, when he married his husband in 2011, I think he must have known that would come out eventually.

R40 The gay community is good at clocking "family," but straight people, not so much. Straight woman, in particularly, tend to deny signs of a celebrity's queerness. I mean look at Shawn Mendes - not an actor I know - but he is so obviously gay, like, he looks like he'd practically shits cum on Monday morning after a weekend of getting slammed. But his adoring female fans won't hear of it, and Shawn is so scared that it will end his career. There are tons of actors that we know are probably gay (Cooper, Pine, Jackman) but people have their blinders on.

Isn't he married to a huge and powerful agent or something?

I mean if you can't get roles with that powerful husband then maybe it his your lack of screen presence/talent.

R43 - and you've missed the point once again. He's less of a star and had limited options since coming out.

Look, it's not like he said he would have had 4 Oscars by now - just that it has cost him opportunities. I believe him. It's true. That's all he is saying - and it's the same thing that has been said by the few gay men who have come out over the years.

In these times of visibility and justice, Hollywood is being pressured to hire more POC in everything - however, hiring out gay actors is still something that is OK and justified.

My scarf, it was Africa.

No, my scarf, it was Africa.

r46 definitely. Gay people have Cooper's, Pine's and Jackman's respective numbers but lots of straight people, esp. straight frauish women are totally clueless. They can only spot gay if the guy is flaming.

[quote]and you've missed the point once again. He's less of a star and had limited options since coming out.

He's not particularly talented and sexless.

R9, Who was he kissing?

It’s the insideous insurance industry!

They quiver at the thought a known practicing homosexual may OR may not fall on a dick at any mome on production property. Oh, the fluids!

R53 His gay boyfriend

He DID win an Emmy, after all, for The Normal Heart. Very few openly gay actors have accomplished that.

I too am So Africa

Well my preserves are APRICOT, Warren. And you're still vain!

I agree with r48. Bomer is very handsome and an okay actor; had he stayed in the closet, he probably would have been offered a few roles he missed out on. Doesn't mean he would have been a huge star or even a leading man, nor is he claiming that.

[quote]Isn't he married to a huge and powerful agent or something? I mean if you can't get roles with that powerful husband then maybe it his your lack of screen presence/talent.

He's married to a publicist and that publicist, Simon Halls, has represented Greg Berlanti and Ryan Murphy for DECADES. So yes, he is helping him book work since two of the projects that airing with him this year are produced by both of those men.

[quote]He DID win an Emmy, after all, for The Normal Heart.

Golden Globe but that was because he destroyed his looks.

[quote]He's not particularly talented and sexless.

He does have a limited range and he is pretty sexless but Hollywood is full of straight men like that. He could have easily been a James Marsden type. He could have been the boyfriend of the lead in any film in the past 20 years. No heavy lifting. Not exactly the star but still clear and present. The roads in Hollywood are paved with the Timothy Olyphants, Jake Webers and Bryan Greenbergs.

In another article about gays in Hollywood and the glass ceiling (it was a popular, non-gossipy mag). There was a section about gay actors not being considered for roles. There was some "war" movie that was going to be pretty big. Most of the cast were name actors. Apparently his name was brought up and then shot down because he was openly gay. It wasn't the subject of the article, it was just a little section of it. So I'm sure that happens a lot with him and other gay actors.

Yeah I dont get the folks on here what say he isnt sexy and/or incredibly attractive. Even in the pic R18 posted which isnt particularly flattering he is still obviously beautiful. Without a doubt his honesty might have cost him some opportunities, but I can totally get that it was worth it not having to live a lie. I'm a nobody and I came out early, real glad I did so I get where he's coming from. Having to bullshit all the time wears real thin

Bomer passes for straight about as well as he passes for gay. He seems asexual either way.

He's one of the most beautiful men I've ever seen in my life, but he's sexless in the same way I find Nicole Kidman sexless. There's something too icy and aloof about them to radiate any sexual heat.

He doesn't have much range, but he's never really embarrassed himself either. He's strictly middle of the road.

Wow! Matt’s father is hotter than him.

Yeah he’s a bit vanilla. However, he’s handsome and seems like a decent chap. I’d be proud to call him friend, and I wouldn’t kick him out of bed.

If Matt wanted a better career he show have shown his big cock!

Matt Bomer? More like Matt Boner to me!

FFA is Duckling still obsessed with finding his Authentic Self? You mean he hasn’t found it at the cosmetician’s office?

FFA is Duckling still obsessed with finding his Authentic Self? You mean he hasn’t found it at the cosmetician’s office?

I bless the rains down in Africa.

An argument could be made that coming out may have done the opposite of costing him opportunities, and that he possibly got some roles [italic]because[/italic] of the little bit of a buzz his coming out created.

FWIW, I thought he was pretty good in an underrated theatrical film that practically no one saw - Walking Out.

I don't but the argument that he couldn't have been a movie star. If Henry Cavill can be a movie star... If Zac Efron can be a movie star...

*don't buy

[Quote] he has that oddly unsettling intense, cobalt, piercing, gleeful, stepfordy gaze that makes one wonder if he's so merry because he's hiding bodies in his Meneghini La Cambusa freezer...

Closeted types, even the formerly closeted, often have a nervy quality that should serve them well if they were to re-enact the oeuvre of Tony Perkins...

[quote]If Henry Cavill can be a movie star... If Zac Efron can be a movie star...

Henry Cavill has some on-screen heat, he's not a blank slate. Efron was just panty-moistening fingerbanging material for teen girls and when that was over, so was his movie career.

Matt Bomer >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Henry Cavill, who truly bores me, post-Tudors.

Bomer is not a great talent but he's not a blank slate. He was best utilised in "The Normal Heart."

Bomer is soft little duckling, little duckling cannot be movie star in Hollywood. He had as good a run as he could have given his duckling limitations.

If Bomer had a particularly big ego, he wouldn't have agreed to play Donald in "The Boys In the Band." He would have made more sense as the photographer.

A Golden Globe is still very prestigious.

He's a much better actor than Bradley Cooper. He should have done the movie with Gaga. He can sing good as well.

[Quote] A Golden Globe is still very prestigious.

No it's not.

Uh-huh

[quote]If Bomer had a particularly big ego, he wouldn't have agreed to play Donald in "The Boys In the Band."

Or maybe had absolutely nothing else to do and took it because of that?

Then again the press surrounding it, no matter how little he even did there, was a boost to everyone's career involved.

[quote]An argument could be made that coming out may have done the opposite of costing him opportunities, and that he possibly got some roles because of the little bit of a buzz his coming out created.

You basically just said, "He could have dated Beyonce but instead he married Solange."

He has also said many times he doesn't actually get many scripts at all. He doesn't even hide it which is kinda' sad.

Independent movies are the only movies that seem to let him be a lead but I'm sure he's not making much money from doing them.

I did run across an interview where he said he wrote a script and sold it recently and that he is FINALLY realizing that if he wants to get cast in the roles he wants to be in then he's got to produce them and write them himself.

Good luck to him.

r81, why did you post a picture of a scary ventriloquist's dummy on a Matt Bomer thread?

[quote] A Golden Globe is still very prestigious.

Thank you r79, I needed that laugh today.

He is pretty but I've never seen him in a role that made an impression. But I've only seen him in Ryan Murphy stuff. I think he is saying when he came out all other potential opportunities went away. I can see that.

[Quote] He has also said many times he doesn't actually get many scripts at all. He doesn't even hide it which is kinda' sad.

Colton Haynes said a similar thing about auditions. Say what you like about his talent but if he was getting in the room for all kinds of projects and then suddenly he's not while still in his twenties...

R80, I cherish mine.

R79, A Golden Globe Award is about as respected as a People's Choice Award.

Right now, all the awards are becoming less relevant. Even the Oscar has become a joke.

He’s as bland and synthetic as any Sears men’s shop model from 1984. If anything has kept him from becoming a bigger star, it’s that.

Being better than Danny Pintauro is still not enough to technically qualify as good or else I would be an EGOT by now.

NBC should reboot Remington Steele with him as a gay RS alongside a really charismatic straight female co-star (the exact opposite of the original show's dynamic).

That's his best hope at this point.

[quote] Can no one here give credit to this man for being authentic in an industry full of liars and fakes?

I certainly do.

But I still don't believe that claim he made that the OP is quoting is correct. He has had the best possible career he could have had given his level of talent.

Jonathan Groff could make this claim and i would believe it, because he's an enormously talented actor and singer. But Bomer is just an exceptionally pretty man with a great body but only a modicum of talent. I am glad that there is an out actor as handsome as Bomer is, but I still don't believe his claim.

There's a Matt Bomer obsessive who's been on this site for years. He's like a crazy stan-level fan and wishes Bomer would be a huge megastar.

I would barely even know who Bomer was if not for DL.

R91: Disney owns the rights to that show because the Fox deal also gave them the MTM back catalog. Be careful what you wish for.

But how, exactly, would he have stayed in the closet?

Someone said you can hide marriage in California.

[quote]But I still don't believe that claim he made that the OP is quoting is correct. He has had the best possible career he could have had given his level of talent.

Keanu Reeves, one of the most successful but still one of the worst actors out there would like to have a word with you. Chris Hemsworth is in the same category. I mean he's an okay actor but really he doesn't do anything at all other than carry around a hammer, grunt and say his lines with an accent.

He went from being booked to play Superman (Brett Ratner didn't care if he was gay but you know damn well DC would have never let that go forward) to being killed off in the first few seconds of Magnificent Seven after carrying his own show for years.

And how many producers are casting openly gay men as the leads on their shows or in their movies? Not many. Not even Greg Berlanti has.

[quote]But how, exactly, would he have stayed in the closet?

The same way Tom Hardy, John Travolta, Gillian Anderson, Queen Latifah & many others did.

Deny all of it, if someone sees you do something ignore it, say it was in the past, play the pronoun game, if someone snaps photos of you with someone get a publicist to pull them all, (Remember Colton having his publicist do that with his XY photoshoot?) threaten the person and fake date a woman who is also your best friend so you can pop out some kids and appear as straight as possible while sleeping with men or women on the side. Or just live with someone, travel around with someone and be with someone but don't marry them and don't talk about it publicly or answer any questions about it. Hell, he married a publicist who used to rep Bryan fucking Singer that reporters fear. No one was going to ask him point blank.

He was doing fine with the pics out and with people who work in entertainment knowing but once he said it out loud on camera it was a whole different ball game and as he said even people in the industry who he thought would have his back, who were also gay, didn't want to see him for roles after that.

Bomer didn't have the choice to remain closeted. He was married to a man and they have children. He was going to have to come out.

[quote]He went from being booked to play Superman (Brett Ratner didn't care if he was gay but you know damn well DC would have never let that go forward) to being killed off in the first few seconds of Magnificent Seven after carrying his own show for years.

Yes! Playing Superman in the movies will ensure a huge career for everyone!

R99 it will give you chance to end up on a CW show.

[quote]Disney owns the rights to that show because the Fox deal also gave them the MTM back catalog. Be careful what you wish for

NO. Will someone please help me buy this back catalog?

This is why The White Shadow and Phyllis aren't streaming anywhere, and the MTM Show has never been properly digitally restored!

Fuck you, Disney!

DL is once again hilarious.

Matt Bomer is great looking and a good, solid actor. I’d LOVE to see the list of “great actors” from the posters here calling him mediocre or less than average.

The truth is that you call just about EVERYONE mediocre.

Well, Finn Wittrock is a stronger actor than Bomer. Witrrock should have played Bomer's role in AHS: Hotel. He would have given Kathy Bates a strong partner off which to play. Bomer would have been more believable as the model character Wittrock played.

Denis O'Hare is a stronger actor than Bomer, too.

All he needs is to be a headliner in a marvel/Disney flick. So far he’s only know as playing a stripper

[quote]Yes! Playing Superman in the movies will ensure a huge career for everyone!

No, not the Brandon Routh one.

He had "Man of Steel," beat out Brendan Fraser and tested with Amy Adams. Ratner booked him. Left, then Snyder took over.

Zack Snyder kept Amy Adams and bounced him out of there and replacing him with Henry Cavill who he is always compared to.

That had to sting.

Bomer lost the role to a heterosexual?

Bomer auditioned for a Superman movie in the early 2000s that was never made. He was never in the running for Superman Returns or Man of Steel.

[quote] Way back in the distant past (aka the early ‘00s), Bomer was cast as the Man of Steel in a film that was to be helmed by Rush Hour and X-Men: The Last Stand director, Brett Ratner from a script written by none other than JJ Abrams. What a killer team!

[quote]Bomer discussed a bit of the audition process. Amy Adams was up for the role of his love interest, Lois Lane and had even screen-tested with her outfitted in the full Superman gear (where can we get our hands on that video or even stills of that?). He also revealed that he beat out Brendan Fraser and the late Paul Walker for the role.

[quote]“Brett chose me for the project and then it all fell apart,” Bomer explained. “It was a very lengthy process to get the role, I think it was over the course of three months because I went in in a cattle call. It sort of evolved from there.”

[quote]However, it obviously was not meant to be. “It was a month of, ‘Okay, looks like this is going to happen’. And then it slowly fell apart,” he added. “I have zero regrets about that, I feel like I’ve gotten to do such a rich array of roles in so many different things. I haven’t been too locked in… I mean that’s a very iconic role to portray, to suddenly be that character in everyone’s minds forever.”

[quote]With Superman Returns and Man of Steel both produced after the event, was Bomer’s Superman flick along a similar vein to these later films? Interestingly, they are “completely different.” Abrams’ script “focused on him much more when he was younger and in college, it was very light-hearted in many ways,” Bomer recalled. From the sound of it, it was more along the lines of Smallville or a similar tone to Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher’s Lois & Clark than the later films.

#OscarsSoStraight

Once you are out, your career is over, at least in the at least in leading man capacity. Matt's right and should go the route of Reese Witherspoon. Find books/create content that you can star in and basically play yourself 100 different ways. He actually might have been a better choice for 50 Shades of Gray. Even though it was a steaming pile of shit, he would have been better than Dornan who didn't look the part. That was one film in particular that he was up for but was not cast for being out.

[quote]Also, he can't act. But he is handsome.

Neither can Henry Cavill, but it doesn’t stop him from getting roles. The difference? Henry is willing to stay closeted.

Matt will always have my total respect for coming out.

Can *you* imagine Bomer with a wife or girlfriend? I can't.

Well that's just great R108. Now I know what Bomer looks like on the toilet.

Bomer had agreed to appear as the celebrity chairman at the annual AIDS Walk in Milwaukee a couple of years ago, but pulled out at the last minute citing a conflict.

He sent them some t-shirts as consolation.

r38 He put out plenty.

They were definitely fucking at the time.

R113 these?

R86 Except Colton got fat from eating too much, and his looks were the only reason why you would cast or watch him at all.....

R109 Jamie Dornan is a much better looking man who worked as successful model long before getting any acting roles. He did bluechip compaigns and prestigious magazines. Matt could never.

If he came out of his undies a bit more often and gave us something to enjoy, he might have more of a career to speak of..

Boo hoo Matt, coming out as gay cost me an opportunity in the military.

Why has he never shown cock?

I don't care. He deserves pain and suffering for being beautiful. Ugly people suffer while he thrives!!!

He's the kind of marginally talented, blandly good looking actor I wouldn't know w/o his deranged fan. He seems to be a Tab Hunter for our time, except Hunter was a bigger store with arguable as little talent. Bomer? He's lucky he still gets pretty boy roles. He doesn't seem like a candidate for character parts or voice work---he probably should get himeself a real estate license.

The public doesn't want to think of their actors with dicks up their bums

[quote]Boo hoo Matt, coming out as gay cost me an opportunity in the military.

Why did you want to have anything to do with the military? Not a party I wanted an invite to.

R117 you left out the part where he's also an addict.

Ah, R125 thanks for your supportive and intelligent insight. If only I knew you when I was 21. I would have asked you whether joining the military to pursue an education and a career was a party you wanted an invite to.

This thread is DL in a nutshell. "Come out , come out, come out !!" XY come out . "Boring " "Untalented has been" " Everybody already knew "

There was someone on here who admitted they only follow suspected gay stars on social media until they come out. And then they unfollow. That is some funny shit. And awful.

Why are people saying he can’t play straight? I’ve seen him play straight pretty well.

Meanwhile, Hollywood continues to overwhelmingly cast straight/closeted actors unconvincingly in gay roles and these same people fawn over them and rush to their defense.

I’m so tired of the idiots on this forum who defend Hollywood’s bullshit.

Did he get a nose job or other plastic surgery? His nose in that first kissing pic looks totally different.

Matt was expecting big things from that independent film where his character befriended that Latino guy.

Yes he got a nose job when he went to Hollywood.

Matt could have played that beautiful prostitute who tries to pick up George (Colin Firth) in A Single Man. It can't have taken longer than 1 day to shoot.

Duckling always plays prostitutes.

I guess Amy Adams was involved with his Superman and the one that eventually was made much later on. Good for her it ended up that way.

[quote]They were definitely fucking at the time.

Tuc Watkins said he was fucking Andrew Rannells during the run of the show and anyone that was actually around them knew it. Glad it turned into a long term relationship for them both & Tuc has a dad for his kids.

[quote]Even though it was a steaming pile of shit, he would have been better than Dornan who didn't look the part. That was one film in particular that he was up for but was not cast for being out.

He admitted he was asked about being in 50 Shades by someone involved with it & with the amount of straight women that read and write fanfic (since that was one) I'm sure if he was interested they probably would have cast him.

[quote] He doesn't seem like a candidate for character parts or voice work---

He has done both.

But between that one movie about the Latino immigrant (in this climate!) and that one where he played a trans woman - he seems to make terrible choices. He did the right thing playing a serial killer in that Bill Pullman show and guest starring on Will & Grace doing comedy even if he clearly quit it early since that allowed him to do something new.

He's said that "coming out as gay cost me opp--blahblahblah" multiple times over the years. I have idea why this thread is getting traction. Until he finally names names there's nothing new here.

[Quote] & Tuc has a dad for his kids.

Did you write that with a straight face?

Duckling and Andrew Rannells carried on a flagrant affair during BoTB Broadway run. Whether Rannells and Watkins were seeing each other as well at the same time is irrelevant.

They seem pretty happy R137 even if you have been doubting they are for years now.

[Quote] They seem pretty happy [R137] even if you have been doubting they are for years now.

What? Tuc is a man. The kids have a dad. Tuc Watkins.

R140, they're both dads when they're both men.

Lady, I'm not sure what suburb you crawled out of but you best leave that kinda thinking there.

[Quote] they're both dads when they're both men.

Is that a label they've put out there? The man you're father is dating ain't necessarily your pa.

*your father

R98 Jodie Foster was in the same position and she came out when she wanted

It's such a pity. He was in line to become the next Brad Pitt or Tom, but the truth is he didn't want it enough; he wasn't ambitious enough.

Brad Pitt is an addict. And Cruise is too, as a Scientologist. Bomer is better off as he is.

But Jodie hasn’t really made a lot of films since coming out. What’s she done, really?

Jodie wasn't married, though, when she started a family.

Jodie should start making amends by giving Glenn back her Oscar.

LOL!@R149

Bi actors that are conventionally masculine have the best chance of being a big leading man or action hero star. Think a bi Luke Evans or Dwayne Johnson.

What's your basis for that statement?

It’s a shame it cost him jobs. But I seriously admire him for not bearding up and staying in the public closet.

I want actors to do what I want.

R147, have you seen that lady's filmography? The world doesn't need another Jodie Foster film.

I feel it is time to kick back and enjoy herself. She's achieved enough

R151

Dwayne Johnson? The Rock Dwayne Johnson is bi? Since when?

R148, she was 'married' in my eyes. At that point she had been living with her long time partner for years and gay marriage didn't exist.

R156, I didn’t say Dwayne Is bi. I said a bi actor that has his persona or demeanor could be a successful star

I swear I have always thought that when an actor comes out as gay all he's really doing is advertising for more dick.

Don’t be ignorant dude

[quote]The public doesn't want to think of their actors with dicks up their bums

Speak for yourself!

They need to be total exclusive Alpha Tops.

R158, I still don't think so. It's not about reality or what people can see but about perception.

Matt Bomer is a straight-acting man that could pass for heterosexual any day. The only reason he is perceived as gay is because he opened his big mouth and came out, so perception about him changed.

This explains why Logan Lerman continues his straight life.

Wow, the blatant homophobia on this forum.

Fuck straight people.

He should teach David Muir how to come out.

[quote]The only reason he is perceived as gay is because he opened his big mouth and came out, so perception about him changed.

He also broke the rule that some of his other gay co-stars mentioned in the past: you can't play gay every role. You have to go back and forth.

Now when I see that he's doing something I immediately know that character is probably going to be gay & I'm sure casting people know it too. He's pigeonholing himself because he refuses to wait for something to come along and seems to take anyjob.

I consider myself fortunate that I am not gay.

You have to come out as gay vague or bi. Full-on gay will restrict your career

Fuck straight people. Fuck the straight/“masculine” wiorshippers on this forum. Y’all suck.

Why come out at all R169? Where does this obsession for actors' private lives comes from? Keanu Reeves is pretty vague about his private life, and no one really cares.

R171

You have no place on a gay forum. Fuck you. You sound just like those homophobes who are uncomfortable with gay people being out and visible. Probably because you are one or are a self-hater. Fuck off.

Don’t blame “missed opportunities” Just on coming out, Matthew. You I have to come to grips with the fact that you just can’t act.

Ben Whishaw can simulate chemistry with a woman. Matt Bomer cannot.

Rule #1 . . . Find yourself a good beard, mate.

R172, unfortunately, the reality in the US is that if you are gay and work in entertainment you can't be out and about. I don't make the rules and I dislike this state of affairs but it seems things have not changed one bit. I admire Matt Bomer's attitude and the fact that he is in a solid relationship as well as many others. However, I'm surprised at the fact that some others have managed to escaped scrutiny and I wonder why that is.

R174, not really true, in White Collar he had very good chemistry in all his sex scenes

Years ago, I watched Matt Bomer play Play basketball on a reality TV show with other celebrities and athletes. It was clear that he has a lot of athletic ability and is comfortable playing team sports. I just learned that his dad was a good big football player, so that explains the natural athleticism.

Matt Bomer in White Collar

Bomer played football as a kid.

he's gorgeous and a decent actor. He's a shade on the wooden side, but he would have made a great Superman. That English mushmouth Cavill has all but ruined the role.

Yep, you can tell he is a natural jock. When he hoops, he really pours on the swag.

Yes, that clip proves he can kiss a woman. Sorry, no sizzle there.

Bitch, please.

So sick of all those VERY modestly talented gay actors who do these kinds of interviews implying they could have been Olivier or Tom Cruise if they had just stayed in the closet!!!

Uh, no.

In Bomer's case, being gay made him MORE interesting. He's not a good actor; he's only "pretty" and coming out gave him a bit of advantage in getting cast in things over all the other modestly talented but pretty actors in Hollywood.

didn’t matt fuck alexandra dadario in white collar?

He's in his forties, his career isn't going to get any better.

r185 That doesn't prove anything.

Beautiful eyes, great jawline, forehead like a beluga whale. I have yet to see him in a role where the character was even slightly interesting,

Well he’s a better actor than Jonathan Groff, and that’s not saying much.

No he's not. Groff is better.

[quote]The public doesn't want to think of their actors with dicks up their bums

I like thinking of Jake and Tom, or Timmy and Armie, with their dicks up each other's bums.

[quote]The public doesn't want to think of their actors with dicks up their bums

I do! All the time! I am the public.

[quote]He would have made an excellent Christian Grey

Isn't Christian Grey supposed to have a "dark edge?" Bomer is entirely sans edge.

R163. Nope he has gay face and as a straight woman I could still tell he is gay. Even he did not come out, his female partner will always look like his beard. Most of the gay actors and closeted ones can't generate authentic sexual chemistry with women on screen. The awkwardness is very obvious.

[Quote] as a straight woman's gay lapdog

Fixed.

There are hundreds of thousands of attractive and talented actors vying for jobs in Hollywood, which is about as shallow and superficial a work environment that exists. Matt Bomer is "pretty" but his range is limited but his ego is enormous. He'd rather believe it's his sexuality than his lack of talent, which would be more devastating to his ego. He's a pretty boy who got work first and foremost because he's pretty. Henry Cavill is most likely closted, more muscled, and other than playing Superman (and getting fired from the role) and doesn't have a better career.

Hollywood whores get no sympathy from me.

He is more proof that non-Jewish gay white men are the str8 people of gay people.

[quote] He is more proof that non-Jewish gay white men are the str8 people of gay people.

Huh?

R196, he had a hit tv show. Don’t even. The minute he came out everything dried up beyond Ryan Murphy and Magic Mike. If he had been straight he’d be playing Superman by now.

The world views openly gay men much differently than other men. Entertainment is not some alternative universe wherein this fact does not operate.

I see his career another way— coming out granted him more opportunities than he would have had before.

[quote]Coming Out as Gay Cost Me Opportunities in Hollywood

Having No Talent Cost Me Opportunities in Hollywood

There, Matt. Fixed that for you.

Love you r149. Love you bunches.

He clearly lost the Superman role because he was gay. And once he was out he didn't get propositions for superhero roles anymore, until Doom Patrol. Anyone who thinks being gay has no consequences on a Hollywood career is deluded.

Dream on, R199. What a delusion.

First of all, he came out in 2012. R201 is right. Before that, other than White Collar, he had a supporting role on a TV show and a soap. He's still working at relatively the same level. He got Magic Mike after he came out, and everyone int that film who is straight, including the film's star Channing Tatum has not had a huge career either. He's ABOVE their level in most respects. .As for the idea he was going to play Superman, that's a delusion. He was the voice of the cartoon. Matt Bomer as Superman carrying a blockbuster is absurd - it's fine if you want to jerk off to that idea, but professionally there was no realistic chance he was going to get that role other than through his connections. Cavill couldn't succeed with it and he's a better actor and couldn't keep the part.

His "problem" is that he's better looking than he is an actor. Hollywood's homophobia aside, it's full of guys with model looks who are mediocre actors. Matt Bomer is expendable and interchangeable.

And R200, if you still think you can generalize about "the world", I feel sorry for you. Matt Bomer has gotten roles for his looks and moderate talent, so maybe he was vulnerable in Hollywood where projections are based on assumptions about how many women make up his audience and homophobes would hate him.

Andrew Scott has hit series for his talent – Sherlock, Fleabag, His Dark Materials, and now he's playng Ripley. Matt Bomer would probably LOVED to have played any of those roles. But his "competition" in all of them is an out gay man.

r204, prove it. DL and Hollywood buzz (generated by his team) don't count as evidence.

He was good in Walking Out. He was amazing in The Sinner. He has range, but didn't have many opportunities to show it.

He is a good actor but I don't think he has ever had a great role to challenge him and for us to determine if he is a good actor.

And I do agree that 'coming out' particularly at a youngish age (20s to 40s) does harm your career. Rupert Everett is another example of this.

For character actors it doesn't matter as much but for anybody wanting a leading man career coming out is not the way to go.

Of course it hurts one’s career. It’s irrational to deny that fact

Well, I see the obnoxious Duckling Troll is still alive and kicking. I’m surprised at the general lack of support for Matt on this thread, though. I think he’s gorgeous, a good actor, and a genuinely nice guy. On the other hand, he’s had steady work in a variety of roles and not everyone can be a mega superstar. Coming out made him happy personally and that’s important, too.

Remember when he was in talks for a Monty Clift biopic?

I like white boys but he doesn't do a thing for me.

The BS excuses in this thread to attack one of the only openly gay actors.

Fuck this shit.

He's not one of the only openly gay actors, R213. There are actually many. Google and IMDb lists may be back in the days when Lance Bass had to be used to make a list, but we are way past that.

Even Matt knows he's not talking about the profession and the world. It's Hollywood he claims he lost "opportunities" in. He's that kind of actor. If he'd name ONE role where he clearly lost it or was told he wasn't going to be hired because he came out, I'd absolutely say that was wrong.

He lives a privileged life and is a working actor. He's not extraordinay and I know many talented actors who didn't get opportunities because they lacked connections. And gay actors asked to be closeted but didn't and who have kept working and those who tried to get work any way they could and didn't get there DESPITE being closeted (and still being closeted). Matt is part of the "in crowd". If he doesn't want to make a real claim, it's because it's gossip or he's protecting his friends and position.

[quote]He's still working at relatively the same level.

He shouldn't be working on the same level as he did when he had his own tv series. He should have done better.

And it's incredibly strange to say that Channing Tatum hasn't had a great career or even the same one. 21 and 22 Jump Street are both projects that probably made more than anything Matt Bomer has ever done. Never mind the fact that the guy was producing Magic Mike which Matt Bomer and the others were on. It was his Channing's project. That's just silly.

[quote]Matt Bomer as Superman carrying a blockbuster is absurd -

But he was going to Blanche! He was going to!

And saying Cavill couldn't succeed with it AFTER he did Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Justice League is -- do you know how big those films were? Do you know how much they made? Cavill is also on his second TV series with the Witcher after spending years on The Tudors.

I don't think Matt Bomer is a great actor either (I think he's just ok) but you don't have to stretch to make some point that you're not quite making. I do think his looks actually hurt him in some ways. He is "too" good looking and it makes him intimidating to straight men, it's distracting and it's harder to see him playing gritty roles.

[quote]Andrew Scott has hit series for his talent – Sherlock, Fleabag, His Dark Materials, and now he's playng Ripley.

Let's get something straight: Andrew is a fantastic actor but a supporting role on Sherlock for 8 episodes, a supporting role on 6 episodes of Fleabag, and a small role on a couple of episodes of His Dark Materials ... see I actually watched all of these shows. He was fantastic but he was easily replaceable because he wasn't the main draw and he wasn't carrying these shows.

Oh! Andrew Scott had a supporting role in Handsome Devil directed and written by John Butler which I saw.

And Matt Bomer was in a movie called Papi Chulo ... directed and written by John Butler.

The difference Matt Bomer carried that movie. Andrew Scott was a minor part of his. (Still good and I was happy to see him.)

[quote]so maybe he was vulnerable in Hollywood where projections are based on assumptions about how many women make up his audience and homophobes would hate him.

And this is the point Matt Bomer is likely trying to make.

[quote]If he'd name ONE role where he clearly lost it or was told he wasn't going to be hired because he came out, I'd absolutely say that was wrong.

And get blacklisted? I wish he'd be more specific as well but it makes sense that he won't be. He alludes to roles he didn't get and people who turned their back on him.

I will give you that he has a better career than probably any other out gay actor has in history and he didn't have to wait until he was older like Sir Ian and it's not based on one massive hit series like Jim Parsons. However gay productions are NOT viewed the same as straight productions. Movies are still viewed as more prestigious than TV shows. So I don't begrudge him for thinking if he is doing this well as a gay actor that he could have done better as a straight one.

There was a meme with him on Twitter that became massive comparing the actors of American Horror Story. It was pretty huge. The thing is that the kids (black, white, all shades) responding to it didn't recognize the other actors on there as much as they recognized Matt Bomer. "What do you mean you don't know who that is! That's White Collar!" "That's the dude from White Collar!" "You will not disrespect Matt Bomer from White Collar!" His biggest straight role is still the one people remember & and hasn't done a damn thing since then 2014 that has topped it for people who aren't fans of his and who aren't gay or those 50 year old women that seem to follow him around everywhere.

Ben Whishaw has a better resume than Matt Bomer. 100%.

Matt Bomer coming out didn't not lead him to roles he wouldn't otherwise get. Ryan Murphy does hire heterosexuals, or those at least claim it, ya know.

*didn't lead him

Maybe. The key is to be credible as a regular guy

Does NPH get screen offers? He had a small role in GONE GIRL as a straight man, a smaller role than Tyler Perry had...

Too bad The Last Tycoon wasn’t better written. It had a good premise, but was kind of a mess. Maybe it would have gotten better if it had been renewed for another season. I don’t think it was Matt’s fault it didn’t succeed.

Exactly, R216.

The Walt Disney company cast him as a STRAIGHT man in a big budget musical sequel of a children's story. Years AFTER he came out. Every time we bring Ben up, it's dismissed as Ben has a terrible career (he doesn't), Ben is typecast in gay roles. (He embraces them, but he does more.). And so on.

There are hundreds thousands of actors, straight and gay, who don't get the chances.

When Matt Bomer offers up real proof that being out was even one factor for him being turned down for a major role that would launched his career even higher, this discussion has merit. Otherwise, I will continue to believe that his pairing up with an extremely influential may have been true love but may have been what kept in the inner circle and led to him having many roles he wouldn't have gotten because of his lack of true talent. In fact, I will believe until there's proof otherwise that Simon Halls and other publicists were behind the story that Matt was being "highly considered" for big roles just to make people in Hollywood think so. And I don't believe for a second Matt would've come out if he believed he was close to getting it – with the knowledge he had and publicist he was married to.

The R217's whining about this aside, Bomer is a 40-something man who is working about the same level as he was back then. Claiming he lost roles and his career suffered is speculation.

[Quote] The Walt Disney company cast him as a STRAIGHT man in a big budget musical sequel of a children's story.

Hollywood has given up on making Whishaw a leading man, though they already had by the time he came out. I haven't seen Whishaw in anything like "The Hour" since he came out.

It's hardly not credible that Matt Bomer has lost out on, say, a "Supernatural" type show since coming out. He knows better than those of us commenting.

I'm sure Bomer is correct but IMO he made the right decision anyway. Also he's in a LTR with a well-employed guy so I think they have a good long-term situation.

Yes, I think Bomer is better off. It would be fucked up to make your kids help you stay in the closet to teachers, schoolfriends etc.

It's not just a rumour. He was cast by Brett Ratner in 2002 for a superman project, on a script by J J Abrams. He did screen tests and everything. He used to be evasive on the subject, saying that he was okay with losing the role, that he had other opportunities, etc. Recently he explained that there were changes in the team, and some new people didn't want him anymore when they found out he was gay. It was a pretty big shock for him and it made him feel like he didn't have a place there because of who he was. He mentioned going to therapy after that.

It’s more important to have a happy life, even if you have to make some career sacrifices.

Yes, being openly gay has costs. Just as being closeted does

R205 is an idiot. Ignore.

R223, Europeans can be out. American men cannot in Hollywood.

European men are automatically thought of as less manly, not macho

These threads always go around in same circles. “Why isn’t Matt Bomer more famous.” Bitch bitch bitch.

Let me break the points down so we can settle this once and for all.

1) Is not exceptionally talented actor. True, however, many successful people in Hollywood are not exceptional talents.

2) Pretty-boy looks hurt career as he got older. This probably has the most truth to it, this is what I call the ‘Jeffrey Hunter problem’ after the tragic actor who most notoriously was turned down for the role of Mike Brady for being too good looking. However some pretty actors have managed to find a niche through outside the box casting and experimentation, James Marsden probably being the best example off the top of my head. Which brings me to my next point,

3) Is soft, retarded duckling of a man who simply relies on ancient husband’s connections to continue working in show business rather than stepping out of his nest and trying something new, and further perpetuates duckling image with pampered househusband social media posts. You don’t think people in Hollywood talk about how ridiculous he has become?

R45, I was gonna say the same thing.

R9 must be a blind bitch, a bloated messed up one at that.

Go suck a duck R233. You’re as tiresome as you always have been, troll.

R216, Ben is British and Andrew Scott Irish. Europe is different; in European countries you can be a gay actor/actress no one cares. I'm not saying those countries are perfect or that there's no discrimination but the approach is different.

R228

[quote] It’s more important to have a happy life, even if you have to make some career sacrifices.

I disagree it is more important to be able to choose between a fulfilling career or a happy life. In an ideal world it should not have been mutually exclusive. Matt should have been able to have that choice if he wanted it. Unfortunately, it is a fact that HW would not allow that if you belong to certain groups (i.e. gays, lesbians, women, ethnic minorities, etc...). And although they are trying to change that, there is a long way to go.

"He's a cocksucking pretty girlieman."

DL fave Andrew Scott IS playing DL fave Tom Ripley! Thanks for that bit of info, R105.

Sorry, I meant R205.

FF R233. Annoying troll pollutes every Bomer thread with tiresome duckling meme.

[quote]he had a hit tv show.

He had a basic cable show that 99% of the population didn't watch. It was hardly a huge hit. He's a pretty face but totally sexless in a Ken doll kind of way, and his talent is limited. He only got cast for his looks, and now that he's in his forties he's not going to get as much work.

Best roles?

I bet Quinto lost more work than Bomer.

Even if Quinto were straight he would be hard to cast.

Quinto used to be able to generate some heat on the screen. I don't know about nowadays.

Quinto just comes across as really strange.

Yes he got too strange, Quinto, but when he was young he was promising and interesting on screen.

Quinto has three big budget Star Trek movies under his belt.

That tranny movie with Mark Ruffalo was just fucking embarrassing. Worse than [italic]Myra Breckinridge[/italic] and [italic]Glen or Glenda[/italic] put together.

Yes good for Quinto, but that's not many for 43. Seems to me he could have starred in a couple of hits as the lead.

[quote] He clearly lost the Superman role because he was gay.

I AM NOT GAY!! WHY DO PEOPLE THINK I AM???

Oh, you're not talking about me. Never mind. It's just that..... Never mind.

R250, you mean the 'Normal Heart'?

R250 means ‘Anything’

[quote]If it were a mass coming out, then it wouldn’t be so problematic.

Uh, no. If there were a "mass coming out" there would be a mass of underemployed out gay actors and a mass of opportunities for straight and closeted new hires. Get real!

He's just not that talented and quite bland.

[quote]Yes good for Quinto, but that's not many for 43

Name another openly gay actor with 3 blockbuster movies at 43?

Very few straight actors even make it to that number.

He is lucky that he was so perfect to play Spock that people were throwing around his name as soon as the film was announced.

Star Trek movies were an ensemble cast, Quinto wasn't carrying the whole thing. He's not Chris Evans or Cumberbatch FFS.

There's something strange and creepy about him.

R258. Quinto is creepy looking that I won't pay money to watch him in a movie. Gross to think some of you guys actually think he should have been a leading man.

Wait until you see Quinto in BITB. Talk about creepy!

R258, An "ensemble" of 3 people. That was all Pine, Quinto and Saldana. Anyone else was icing. They're the ones front and center on the posters. They're the ones that had to do every single press appearance. He was a lead. The end.

R260, it's cute you think people are going to watch that shit. Elder gays on here can't even decide if they want to see it again.

Pine was actually the one who sold the movie. And this was also a movie with well-established characters, it really didn't matter who played them, ultimately.

I can't believe you think Star Trek was a hit solely because of Quinto. He also hasn't done any high-profile movies since. He's not a bad actor, but he is VERY niche. And as has already been stated, kind of skeevy.

Matt Bomer is very handsome and good-looking.

R217 that was an incredibly twisted sentence.

Quinto is about as far from leading man good looks as anyone can get. He looks like an insane person. He has crazyface.

I saw him filming on the street in TriBeCa year ago. I’ve seen other celebs here and there and am always taken aback by how small and thin they are, but none have ever truly surprised me with their beauty until him. He had the most chiseled jawline I’ve ever seen.

[Quote] Is soft, retarded duckling of a man who simply relies on ancient husband’s connections to continue working in show business rather than stepping out of his nest and trying something new, and further perpetuates duckling image with pampered househusband social media posts.

He has definitely stepped out of his comfort zone. He played a heroin addict in AHS: Hotel. (Did he play it well? No.)

I haven't seen his latest series but it's been discussed here and again, it seems like a departure.

I think the roles he's really lost out on are the rom-coms. He was very likely up for those kinds of movie roles.

He’s an awful actor. He’s lucky he’s got the husband he’s got or he’d still be a waiter at some hotel restaurant.

If Halls could get someone a career, David Burtka would have one.

R265, Have chiseled jawlines become the gold standard when rating men's looks these days?

I'm seeing them mentioned quite often lately.

Matt Bomer is a Stepford Gay.

[Quote] There's something strange and creepy about him.

That's why he was a good fit for Sylar.

You people do realize it's entirely possible that he's a mediocre, too-pretty actor AND he lost some roles because he came out?

[quote] However some pretty actors have managed to find a niche through outside the box casting and experimentation, James Marsden probably being the best example off the top of my head

Gross. What is with the DL obsession with James Marsden? He's got cheesy, used-car-salesman face if you ask me.

It's not a DL obsession. Marsden's fan is dedicated, I'll gibe him that.

The only time I found Bomer remotely believable in a role was on Guiding Light. He played a WASPY, pretty boy psychopath, and was quite convincing.

He should go for Dexter-type of roles.

Bomer does look like a gorgeous aspire or sociopath. Its the cold stare.

I bought Quinto into the conversation as a comparison. They are the same age and had the same training and both had about equal buzz of bigger things to come and then.... Still, they are our gay stars. Kinda big. Kinda movie stars.

As mentioned above, they have their shortcomings that are not about them being gay. AND, they didn't get cast in as many roles because the money doesn't want a gay actor.

It is what it is.

I have mad respect for them for coming out.

I've never seen "Heroes" but it was a big, buzzy series. "White Collar" never had that kind of buzz.

R277 Heroes went downhill very quickly. And don't get me started on the unnecessary reboot.

By the way, the four handsome wanna be stars in Magic Mike didn't happen. Manganiello, Bomer, Pettyfer and Rodriguez. OK Rodriguez was a TV star doing a movie one off or two. The first three - plastically perfect but not great actors, lacking some kind of charisma. Tatum was a step lower on the looks but he had a lot of charisma in all those popcorn movies.

The first Magic Mike movie did not show off any of the actors favorably outside of Tatum and McConaughey. They were just bodies for hire. Marsden was offered Bomer's part but he turned it down because it was too insignificant.

R279 well Pettyfer isn't so shocking because he's an asshole.