Though actor Tom Hardy bristled at Daily Xtra’s questions about sexuality during a press conference at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept 13, 2015, touching off a media firestorm — other actors have embraced our questions at TIFF, and even welcomed the opportunity to shine a spotlight on sexuality and gender identity.
As Canada’s gay and lesbian news source, we feel it’s our responsibility to examine sexuality and the ways in which it’s portrayed on screen, especially once it’s in the public eye.”
— A post co-written by Robin Perelle and Kevin O’Keefe on Daily Xtra‘s website to defend its widely-derided novice reporter Graeme Coleman timidly asking Legend star Tom Hardy about a 2008 interview he gave to Attitude magazine and using examples of other celebs such as Evan Rachel Wood who’ve answered the question as evidence. Watch the super-awkawrd exchange between Hardy and Coleman below.
https://youtu.be/95tpHrDklwE
José Ramón Chavira
Blah, I’m sort of tired of every media outlet questioning people’s sexual orientation. Back the eff down. It’s no one’s business.
Stan Schulz
Straight guys don’t talk about the gay sex they use to have. This guy’s getting famous now and wants to erase the things he said before.
Donnie Wacasey
I say unless you are married or in a relationship with Tom, STFU. Tom, if you are, darling come to mummy.
James Williams
No it’s not let them come out on their own like you would anyone
Ralph Jaeger
You know he made it very clear in the original interview, which I read, that he had been a kid and fooled around and decided that gay sex wasn’t for him. I believe him.
n900mixalot
He’s probably sick of the questions but all he needs to say is, “You mustn’t be afraid to dream bigger, darling.” Shivers up and down my SPINE when he said that.
Billy Budd
The reporter is full of bull. It is all bull. Bull I say.
Glücklich
@José Ramón Chavira:
Really.
Somehow I glossed over the part about his remarks dating back to *2008*. MOVE. THE FUCK. ON. ALREADY.
The Holy Bible is Not Against Homosexuality
I love the way Tom shut him down! Boom!
Billy Budd
He already said everything about it. They are just trying to piss him off.
Bisexual-Transwoman
Tom Hardy has already been out as bisexual for awhile now.
Xzamilio
I thought he made it clear that he experimented when he was younger and found it wasn’t for him. How many people have experimented when they were younger? Hell, I messed around with girls in my 20’s… still gay, even though my two times with a woman weren’t that bad.
Xzamilio
By two times I mean “relationship”… I had sex with them more than twice. But to be honest, the first relationship, I was compelled to get in to hide being gay, but the second was to see if maybe I was possibly bisexual. I’m not… gay as a cucumber/banana. Sexuality can be hella confusing, especially with environments around you stringently relying on heteronormative roles. I can easily see Tom Hardy being straight with some gay tendencies but nothing that would compel him to completely go all the way. Or maybe he has… I just don’t care enough to scrutinize one interview he did years ago that honestly wasn’t as ambiguous as some are letting on…
Milton Appleby
Personal questions about sexuality have no relevance when promoting a film. Those questions are better suited for one on one interviews. The reporter was only aiming for tabloid fodder. It shows the integrity of that outlet.
jwtraveler
“Do you find it difficult for celebrities to talk about their sexuality?”
Perhaps this question means something in Canadian English, but it doesn’t make sense to this American English teacher and apparently not to the British Tom Hardy either. I think the boy asking the question needs to go back to college.
Cole Cross
Fucking reporters! Jesus h Christ their like a dog with an old bone !
Cole Cross
I played doctor doctor with both boys and girls as a kid doesn’t make me straight. Dirt sells papers or ad space
martinbakman
For me, invention of words like “cringe-inducing” is ………”cringe-inducing”. It literally makes my head explode. SPLATTTTTTTT.
David Anas
The best answer I have ever heard …
Ives Meagher
Tom hardy shut it down!…good for him,lol.
Jaime Enrique Sibauste
Who cares…
Sidney Davies
His sexuality is no one elses business.
Gourmandises
I really don’t understand why some gay media outlets have a constant desire to question another man’s sexuality or to cast doubt as to whether a man is straight or not. These gay rumors that they start are getting pretty tiresome and they sure as hell aren’t doing us any favors. No wonder so many straight men have trepidation about being in the company of gay men. It’s almost as if some of these gays are trying to recruit them and won’t take no for an answer!
Stephen Mole
Why on earth should this man’s sexuality be anyone’s business but his own?
stranded
@Ralph Jaeger: Exactly. He’s talked about the subject pretty clearly, but because he’s an actor, gorgeous and straight identifying, the media wants to harp on the subject of his sexuality. He doesn’t want to be a spokesperson for sexual experimentation or bisexuality. I think it’s ironic. The reporter asked Hardy if he thought it was more difficult for celebrities to talk about sexuality. It is, because once you say anything, the subject comes up over and over again. Plus, the reporter sounded like he had no balls. Hardy was a prickly bitch, and the reporter should have stuck to his guns, but he kind of got intimidated.
Louis
God I swear the responses here just get sadder and sadder and sadder your attitudes are absolutely no different then any kid in school nowadays being told to keep their sexuality to themselves and that its too personal and that it should be kept behind closed doors etc…
You people….I swear are so ridiculous.
Cue pretentious responses in 3 2 1…as usual.
If you want to continue to make this out as TOO personal when other actors have been nothing but gracious kind and forth coming as in regards to their true support of our community and compassion and love for us as human beings then be my guest.
But stop already acting like you people are above this and that this reporter is the scum of the earth for asking a question that offends your own obvious sensitive sensibilities.
Its amazing that the most intolerance comes from the LGBT community when we are supposed to be the ones MORE tolerant and respecting of one another.
What a joke that continues to prove itself to be with these attitudes and responses here….over and over again.
People also keep attempting to mock those who refer to Tom Hardys interview years ago yet it is relevant to this discussion considering hes no where near this loving saint so many of you attempt to paint him as .
His response years ago of not fucking another man in the ass was highly insulting crude and demeaning to our community yet once again here come the white knights defending his honor simply because hes a nice looking man.
There is such a thing called tact and Tom Hardy lacks this concept .
Smh as usual.
Louis
By the way cringe inducing? Really Queerty?
What an insult that one statement was as if to say we are supposed to be puritans who are repressed and have an issue with the spectrum of our OWN sexuality as human beings.
I swear these attitudes are what forces people back into the closets especially when the people who should be more open and expressive and hold themselves higher in regards to their integrity value and self worth as human beings treat it as if its some dirty little secret that shouldn’t be talked about.
Fox News is that you? Smh.
I can also bet you on that very video this site posted there are many and I do mean many homophobic comments directed towards us just because a gay interviewer asked this question and of course the ones who said the stuff they said here and mocked those who had an issue with how Hardy responded to this question…would also defend THEM.
Some people I swear.
Dakotahgeo
Fuck you, Tom Hardy! What are you ashamed of? You’re certainly not good looking enough to be a smart ass!
Chris
Just like the reporter had a “right” to ask the question, Hardy had the “right” to shut him down.
My own take is that he’d already answered these questions and, since his days of experimenting, he’s been married twice and produced two kids one of whose mother had not married him. What is more, there is no evidence anywhere of his having been with men since his youth. IMHO there is nothing ambiguous about his actions; he may be bi, but he’s bi just off the not-100%-hetero side of things.
Chance Baker
It’s none of their business. If he wants you in his personal business, let him start that conversation.
Brian
When you’re a male actor whose latest movie has made about 370 million dollars world-wide (Mad Max: Fury Road), the last thing you want to do is to identify as same-sex attracted, even if only in fraction form. That’s because you are now a major movie star. Major movie stars of the male variety must never identify as same-sex attracted if they want to keep their star shining and the cash coming.
Face it – Hollywood was invented to create big movie stars who would appeal to the masses and bring money to the studios. This requires creation of fantasy. The fantasy is that male actors appeal to the romantic/sexual notions of women and the “I wanna be like him” notions of men.
If a male actor is identified as same-sex attracted, it destroys a female viewer’s sense of romantic “ownership” of him. One of the consequences of this is that male viewers no longer wish to be like him.
Brian
Whatever happened to the day when your sex life was your private business? The gay media – in all its shades of lameness – is obsessed with making the private public. It is obsessed with identity politics.
Just be happy that Tom Hardy is not afraid to play same-sex attracted roles. What has Brad Pitt ever done in this regard?
Cam
@José Ramón Chavira: said… “I’m sort of tired of every media outlet questioning people’s sexual orientation. Back the eff down. It’s no one’s business.”
__________________-
So in other words, you think anything gay is a dirty shameful secret that must be hidden and asking about is the same as asking them to show you their sex tapes?
Sounds like you have some issues about LGBT’s
Cam
@Brian: Said….”Whatever happened to the day when your sex life was your private business?”
_________________________
That is how you can tell who the self hating gays are. The people who think asking Bisexual, Lesbian or Gay star if they have a significant other is asking them about their sex life.
When somebody asks Selena Gomez if she has a new boyfriend, are they asking about her sex life? No they are asking about her social life. If you can’t see the difference, then you are part of the problem.
zaneymcbanes
I think given his comments in the past (and his subsequent squirreliness about it) it’s a valid question, I’m not sure TIFF is the appropriate venue for that.
Dana Dolce
I disagree, the media has no self respect any more. They are looking for any tidbit of trash that might get them noticed
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
I won’t be watching anymore Tom Hardy movies and I love Mad Max too. So, if they recast him in the sequels, awesome, if not, looks like I’ll be passing on these films.
Jason Peil
It supports anti bisexual normativity. Hetero normativity and gay normativity.
Stupid questions get stupid answers.
Ken VanArsdale
I think so he’s a public figure he’s a movie star and he’s hot I want to know if he’s gay to
Cam
@Dana Dolce: said… “I disagree, the media has no self respect any more. They are looking for any tidbit of trash that might get them noticed”
_____________________
So in other words, it’s ok to ask Scarlet Johanson who she is dating, but if a person might be Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual, the idea of asking them is “Trash”.
Interesting how you all still think not being heterosexual is something to be ashamed of and to hide.
Bisexual-Transwoman
@Jason Peil: Indeed it does but there’s a lot of biphobia on this site and in general from the media.
Cam
@Jason Peil:
No, actually he avoided answering the question altogether, but nice try.
Paul
A simple yes or no answer would have sufficed. There’s nothing offensive about being asked if you’re gay.
Kernos
Because of his celebrity he makes tons of money. IMO, any question is fair game. It’s part of celebrity, esp entertainers and jocks. The problem with this interview what that the interviewer chickened out and didn’t push a lot harder and answering Tommie’s Why question.
nmharleyrider
Such old news. ït’s their responsibility my ass. what to intrude on celebrities sexual preferences? Only if you are one of those leering gays who has this penchant for outing celetrities in a most puerile way. Not very interesting stuff guys.
Denise Pool Joslyn
How is it any body’s business what his sexuality is!! How is it relevant to a movie, TV show, or any entertainment?
Christopher Thiemann
If none of you think it is relevant, why are you commenting on a gay magazine’s website. Being gay, or bi, or straight, is great! It’s not something to be ashamed or afraid of.
Lindy-Lou Nicholson
I think it is a case of wanting him to be gay.
He has stated his sexuality several times in the past. He has talked about his open-minded research on sexuality, for roles in the past. He is an ally. He is completely comfortable around gay people – even joking, flirting etc and none of the ‘personal space’ issues that often give peoples internal homophobia away. He has several gay roles without worrying about his sexuality being questioned…..til now!!
They are simply going to alienate a great ally, who has been open and supportive.
In a way they are also being homophobic, by helping to perpetuate the Hollywood opinion that if you play a gay role, then there are questions about your own sexuality.
As a member of the LGBT community, i just want to say – drop the subject, it’s been answered.
Giancarlo85
He puts himself out there and profits off his own publicity.
I personally don’t give a shit about this mediocre closet case.
Louis
@Brian: When has Tom Hardy ever played a role as a gay man much less had any aspect of being gay in anyone of his films?
Not one damn time so you are incorrect period.
Not to mention using an example of Brad Pitt who has always showed solidarity with this community as if hes the negative and Tom Hardy who always acts uncomfortable when it comes to our community or any question regarding our community was a joke .
Thank you for continuing to prove my previous points about some of you get off your high horses already and stop acting as if you are the ELITE class when it comes to this kind of thing.
Its pathetic.
Louis
@Lindy-Lou Nicholson: Links or none of that ever happened period.
Its amazing the fantasies some of you project when it comes to your idols .
Anything that can defend their honor though is worth it I guess.
Smh.
Louis
@Cam: Yep yet these people maintain this self righteous holier then thou stance about this subject.
Ive seen so many articles on this site where people are bashing those who ask questions like this to celebs and the celebs rude or patronizing response is always the one that’s celebrated .
There are so many celebs out there who are so open warm and comfortable with questions like this.
Hardy is not one of those people but again the white knights will defend his honor and bash the ones who feel his kind of attitude is what continues to be the problem with most straight men in this country.
This cavemen mentality is even sadder within the LGBT community and ive witnessed numerous comments such as those…on this article recently.
Mario Francisco Garcia
The only time someone’s sexuality is really relevant is if you are going to sleep with them. Otherwise, STFU about it.