Kate Winslet claims to know ‘at least four’ actors ‘hiding their sexuality’ due to ‘homophobia’ in Hollywood

Kate Winslet is setting her sights on exposing homophobia in Hollywood.

The Academy Award-winning actress revealed in a new interview that there are several well-known actors who are afraid to publicly reveal their sexuality because they are “terrified” of how coming out will impact their careers.

Speaking to The Sunday Times magazine, the “Titanic” star said a climate of “fear” still weighs heavily on some LGBT+ actors and said she knows “at least four actors” who are afraid of no longer being cast in lead roles should they publicly embrace their sexuality.

“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,” Winslet shared.

“I can think of at least four actors absolutely hiding their sexuality,” she furthered. “It’s painful. Because they fear being found out.’”

When describing how to change that negative culture and make the seemingly liberal industry “more open,” Winslet said that a way to help closeted actors is to speak up and out about the stigma that targets “men more than anything.”

“Hollywood has to drop that dated crap of, ‘Can he play straight because, apparently, he’s gay?’... That should be almost illegal. You would not believe how widespread it is,” the 45-year-old former Woody Allen and Roman Polanski film star said. “And it can’t just be distilled to the question about gay actors playing gay parts. Because actors, in some cases, are choosing not to come out for personal reasons. And it’s nobody’s business. Perhaps privacy. Perhaps conditioning and shame.”

“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.’ ” she revealed.

Believing that Hollywood needs a #MeToo-style movement for the LGBTQ+ community so that there is “less judgment, discrimination and homophobia,” Winslet encourages: “More people to speak the way I am.”

The British thespian is currently starring in Francis Lee’s “Ammonite,” a romantic drama about British paleontologist Mary Anning and her lover, Charlotte Murchison (played by Saoirse Ronan).

“A conversation about straight actors in gay roles is incredibly important,” she 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.”

She added, “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.”