It’s been less than a day since we reported about Sir Ian McKellan’s accidental slip and possible outing of a fellow Hobbit costar, but that information alone has given the fine users of Tumblr enough ammunition to turn their dashboards into Speculation City and kick off the next great search for a closeted Hollywood actor.
In a 2012 interview with Brash, McKellan confirmed that two of the actors playing dwarves in the Hobbit trilogy were openly gay, even though only one, in fact, is openly gay. After combing the depths of the Internet, we learned that three of the Hobbit‘s 12 dwarves have been loosely linked with gay rumors.
One of the strongest rumors linked English actor Richard Armitage with “openly gay” (says McKellen) costar Lee Pace, and according to a number of tipsters that wrote in after we wondered aloud, those rumors have gained traction in the last few months following the “leak” of a “private” photo of Armitage and Pace sharing a meal with family during the holidays.
Now, this doesn’t actually mean these two are dating, especially since the photo seemingly appeared on Tumblr overnight and can’t be contributed to any specific source. These guys are, after all, working together on a film:
How about we take this to the next level?
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The pair has also allegedly been spotted driving a golf cart with four giant smiley faces. Are the smiley faces the children in the photo above? One must wonder:
The photos have caused a surge in the #RichLee tag on Tumblr, which is used to share smut and gossip among fans of the fantasy “couple.”
Do with that information what you will. And when you’re finished, check out all the primo #RichLee smut we’re talking about:
BJ McFrisky
Q: Why must there always be a “search for a closeted actor”?
A: Because it makes them fodder for fantasy.
Ever notice how we never seek out ugly people to identify as gay?
avesraggiana
All white male British actors look the same.
avesraggiana
@BJ McFrisky: You mean, like Tommy Lasorda, Donald Trump and Bruce Jenner?
Tackle
Not this again Queerty. I just not for this broadcasting puplic speculation about someones sexuality.Espically when that person or persons is just living their life and not doing any harm to the LGBTQ community. And @BJ McFrisky: @BJ McFrisky: is right. It’s “always” goodlooking guys. As I have often stated, coming out is a private/personal journey that one should make and decide about their own life. And some may say people who are offended at gay speculation are saying being gay is shameful and insulting. Well mabey. That’s part of the journey. The journey to grow and muture as LGBTQ people and develope pride. How many of us can honestly say we have “never” felt shame about our sexuality? If so, I say look into a mirror, and you’ll see a liar…
balehead
BJ Mcfrisky is right…..And Mckellen’s slip wasn’t so accidental…just bitter
Pistolo
Oh god, more uptightness. What’s so wrong with Queerty speculating two actors being gay and in a relationship? We do that with straight people all the time and don’t even bother telling me Lee or Richard would give a s–t if anyone did think they were gay.
litper
Please just ban the rightwing trolls!
2eo
@litper: I took 520 people reporting an Anti-Semitic post by one of them yesterday to get it even looked at.
litper
@2eo and they only cared because it was anti-semitic. Homophobia, now that’s fine!
ZaneStuart
@balehead: You don’t know Ian McKellan any better than any of us. Bitter indeed…
ZaneStuart
@BJ McFrisky: It’s a nasty habit homos have. Yes, I’m a homo and I’m also speaking generally. BTW, I don’t find either of these actors particularly good looking so in my book they’d be in that “ugly people” category you wrote of.
2eo
@litper: Or in my case, 450 posts directly attacking me, and 159 deleted posts from me where I rebuke them.
ppp111
I often wonder how Tolkien would have reacted had he known that one of the United Kingdom’s finest actors and an openly gay man at that played the wise wizard. To be honest, after seeing McKellen play Gandalf I can’t imagine anyone else in that role. He practically made it his own. Gandalf Rocks!
alanj
@2eo: I’ve just been told by one such troll that the homophobia, misogyny, transphobia and ethnic stereotyping that he has posted in the past month is actually ‘caustic criticism’ . Doesn’t matter how he tries to redefine it Hate Speech = Hate Speech.
jimbryant
alanj,
Oh, please, you’re being childish. You just can’t take criticism very well.
Daniel-Reader
Equality means things such as tabloids prying into people’s lives and speculating to the heavens until the printing press ink runs dry and the newspaper rolls run out. Being in a public profession is a voluntary activity – any actor can step aside at any moment and have a hundred actors step out from the wings to fill the void.
Daniel-Reader
I understand why publicists and agents try to suppress such things out of greed, but it doesn’t mean people have to play along with other people’s closets when they are adults in a voluntary pursuit such as acting or politics or religious leaders.
jimbryant
If you’re a man who comes out as gay in Hollywood, you can forget about having a career as a leading man. Women won’t buy it.
The thing about women is that they constantly seek attention and validation for themselves. They won’t get it from a man who is interested only in men.
balehead
Actually two young hawt friends have worked with Mckellan and the label “bitter old queen” seems to fit….
sportsguy1983
More dribble.
Nixter
@jimbryant: True.
Tyler100
@jimbryant:
The thing about JimBryant is that he’ll say pretty much anything hateful about women or gay men in order to draw attention to himself. That’s what trolls do. Don’t feed the trolls. Ignore and conquer.
jimbryant
Tyler,
You just don’t like it when facts are pointed out to you. Any criticism of women is perceived to be “misogyny”. Poor you.
avesraggiana
@balehead: What’s a hawt?
BigWoody
Loved Lee Pace as the transgender character in the movie “Soldier’s Girl”.
stranded
Lee Pace is so damn hot!
chasind
Lee Pace is a fantastic Actor! Richard Armitage has said himself he wasn’t gay & those who know him personally have said he was heterosexual/Straight. This information isn’t that hard to find by the way; Especially that of Annabelle, his now Ex who says she is still very much inlove with him. (they remain close but no longer live together)
Although, Luke Evans is gay (Bard) but currently dates a woman saying “It just happened”
So, it seems to me rumors will be rumors & to satisfy themselves, people will take things from context & overthink pictures taken- Take it from experience.
Most of Lee Pace’s relationships with girls ARE known- none were famous except one- Jennifer Ikeda who was also worked in Theatre (if you consider that famous)
And very few people(interviewees) have asked Lee Pace about his orientation which he nonchalantly replied; “No, I’m not gay”
The children in the photo btw are Lee Pace’s niece’s & nephew(s)
In today’s world it seems, if you’re private about your life & don’t hold it on a pedestal & someone snaps a picture of you with someone else of the same sex; you’re instantly gay.
Strike Back
Richard Armitage has stated that he is heterosexual and he has a right to his privacy. As a heterosexual woman who supports same sex marriage I think that your attempts to out someone based purely on speculation are a form of childish cyber bullying and harassment. Leave this gifted actor alone.
bi-lady
Whether Richard is gay, straight, bi- or closeted, it is no one’s business but his own. It bothers me when sites that support gay and lesbian, trnansgender,bi, and transsexual rights have members that abuse these sites for silly gossip, innuendo, and forcible outings. I am bisexual but am not ‘out’ to my conservative southern family, nor do I wish to be at this time. Believe me, I don’t need the grief!
I understand Armitage’s desire for privacy, whatever his orientatiion or sexual preferences may be.
However, his pairings with this Annabel lady? Let’s hope it is just friends, because as a beard or GF, he could use a ‘new Grace to his Will’. Someone American audiences and his huge female fanbase could believe. So, Richard’s handlers need to get his career back on track and get him partying and noticed with Fassbender, Hiddleston, and Cumberbatch and a few truly attractive female starlets who aren’t as publicity phobic as the Capper lady. Perhaps then the ‘bearding’ comments and gay/bi speculation can be put to rest….and this very talented actor can now get back to the business of his upward career trajectory? Seriously, he is Academy Award material and potentially could be accepting an Oscar within 5 years if his career is handled correctly and the right parts are thrown his way.
After that, if he is gay/bi and chooses to come out then, I will support him, as I do support anyone who is braver than I to be authentically themselves when the timing is right. As actors in Britain and Hollywood Leading Gay men have a more difficult time keeping their careers going if they come out as Gay. It is changing, but too slowly for some men to get work if they are honest about their true sexual preferences. Rupert Everett has said this much about it in recent interviews I believe, and he came out years ago. It isn’t right, and I do hope this changes fast in the near future, but, until that time, stop foribly attempting to out someone if they aren’t ready, or, if they are not gay to begin with, or if you are not sure, wait until they state whether or not they are straight, gay, or bisexual. According to the post above, Armitage has stated that he is straight. That is good enough for me. Now, can we leave Richard Armitage and Lee Pace alone already? I hear Johnny Depp just got engaged to that hot bi-girl Amber Heard. Is that true? Now there’s a fantasy 3-some I could inner-fan gurl over!
doabarrelroll41
@bi-lady: Thank you. I honestly don’t give a s— if they’re gay. They both (and Luke Evans) are great actors and don’t deserved to be criticized. Now can we leave them in peace and go annoy some other innocent actor who people will annoy the living crap out of and try to find every last secret in their lives? Ok, that might be kinda weird since I even read this… Get the point though, right?
Joetx
I found the interview from which the Richard Armitage gif above came from. Nowhere does he say those words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYudFeaZfNs
robho3
Leave people alone…if someone wants to come out don’t try to force it. its a personal thing.
snick
On the one hand, Ian McKellan’s comment makes me think Armitage isn’t one of the gay dwarves he was referring to. That’s because McKellan state the names of the ones who are more well known and have bigger parts. It seems weird to me that he would avoid saying Armitage by name and just say “two dwarves.” Makes me think the two dwarves are people whose names McKellan believed people wouldn’t recognize.
On the other hand, I don’t find the dinner pic suspicious but I do find the second one. Why would Armitage be at Pace’s home, riding around with some kiddos unless they’re dating? I mean, I guess he could’ve visited as a friend, but that seems far fetched to me to travel all the way to Texas to spend time with a friend and that friend’s family. I’d find it more convincing that it was just a platonic visit if other friends visited at the same time. But if it was just Armitage, no.
Leah
RA gay why not. But how can you say that with 2 pictures of him with Lee Pace? He said that he wants to keep his private life…private & he posts a picture of him and his boyfriend? he is stupid or not with that guy. Also, he’s still single and turned 43 and goes to see a movie with a friend? I’m a happy 38ys single woman who always goes to the cinema with her happy 34 single female best friend? Are we lesbians? Absolutly not. So i don’t know if he’s gay or straight and i don’t care, I know He won’t marry me but stop with rumors or give proofs. And sorry for my english
LovelyLabyrs
I am a lesbian that occasionally lusts over certain celebrity men (never real ones). These celebrity mean ALWAYS turn out to be gay.
I really fancy Richard Armitage, ergo Richard Armitage is gay. Without a doubt!
trell
@Pistolo:
I dunno, I guess maybe I assumed that Queerty is supposed to be a news webpage relating to stories of interest to the LGBT community. To me, news needs to be based on some fact, and even the lighter frothier articles which are gossip, usually involve some light-heartedness.
This article is not fun or light-hearted. It is speculation based around a throwaway remark. This speculation leads to at best, a minor bit of fanfic tittilation, and at worst, ‘outing’ of a person, or persons who are either not gay at all, or are still not comfortable enough with their sexuality to actually come out.
Sorry to say, but I do not think this article should have been published. It is not really news, it is not even gossip, and it has no real grounding in fact at all.
Anna Renee
Richard Armatage is not gay and I’m pretty sure Lee Pace isn’t rather.The same pictures keep showing up over and over again.And the drawings are tacky.Richard is to concernd about his carrear right now to put a stain on it in any way.In his biography that he
has been accused of being gay,he is hederssexual,straight,not gay in those words.Read it.And someone has seid that his entire life was ours to examine that is not true,I examine patients on a day to day basis,and I try to stay out of their personal life as much as possible.There is a reason why a personal life is called PERSONAL!!!I see gay patients all the time,The difference can be told easily.Besides I know Richard and have seen him without clothing,believe me ladies that beautiful man is not gay.
Anna Renee
Someone has declared war,didn’t like my article I suppose.Who ever you are…Bring it on.I spoke the truth.Off you can’t handle it I suggest you cry into your pillow.