“I can’t [play a gay character] because I don’t think I’m really going to dive into that role 100 percent, because of the insecurities about myself trying to play that part. What I think people are going to think while I’m trying to do this is going to stop me from playing that part the way I’m supposed to.”
— Comic actor Kevin Hart who also noted that he “appreciates and respects” the gay community while chatting with the hosts of the Breakfast Club on Power 105.1
H/t: HuffPo
gauty
Well Mr. Hart, that means you are a homophobe! The more you know! 🙂
Kieran
At least he’s honest with himself about his own insecurities. Self awareness is good.
Desert Boy
Who is Kevin Hart?
martinbakman
I like Hart’s answer a lot better than the actor that played the flamboyant gay dude on True Blood response about playing gay.
“Oh, I’m still a Christian.”
As if, yes I agree to play a sinner but lordy I still be a religious bigot. Yessah!!!
TomOH
It’s becoming silly to label every male actor who is not interested in playing a gay character as a homophobe. I’m 100% gay, I wouldn’t want to play some straight character making out with women, does that make me a heterophobe? He’s just simply saying he doesn’t feel he would be able to play the role convincingly, big deal. Get over it. It’s not some requirement now that if you’re straight and an actor that you absolutely must play a gay person.
Low Country Boy
@Kieran: I have to agree. It’s also a tacit admission that he is not really that good an actor.
crowebobby
@gauty: Admitting he isn’t brave enough to not care what others (specifically his peers) think of him is homophobic? I don’t think so.
aliengod
@TomOH: I have to agree with you. The word “homophobic” is used way too often.
Bauhaus
@crowebobby:
Exactly. Though, that’s the problem with boys trapped in men’s bodies.
Bauhaus
@aliengod:
You mean, using the word homophobic in a sentence with you in it?
Milk
At least he is honest about his own insecurities which is the basis of homophobia and sexism. This is how politicians and religious leaders hone in on. The fear and the insecurities of these people. That’s where they make their money and get their power from by jerking off the fear of these simpletons.
AlliterationAddict
My first response was to not be okay with this, but honestly, if he doesn’t feel like playing a gay character, that should be fine. As long as he’s respectful towards gay people, I don’t think that makes him homophobic.
heyace37
Honestly, I’ve thought he was gay every time I see him play ANY character.
Wagner Wallace
NOT homophobic at all…
adventuretime
@TomOH: You’re also not an actor, so…it’s not your job to transform yourself into someone different on a daily basis.
adventuretime
Kudos to him for admitting his insecurities–most people don’t even do that. Still, sad for the reason to be “What would my friends think?” As if your firends don’t already know you’re straight and an ACTOR. If it’s a good role, it’s a good role.
corey
@Desert Boy: thats what i first thought, still dont know.
onthemark
Kevin Hart is honest, doesn’t need to address this issue AT ALL, yet still has addressed it several times. He is a short little guy with a little guy’s insecurities. (I’m tall and have seen this often with bf’s, sexual interests, and in general.)
He is also known to be an insecure, neurotic, introverted performer just as a comedian – rehearses with his eyes closed, etc.
And if he thinks he could never portray any gay character, I think he’s underestimating himself. No one expects him to out-do Jared Leto or John Leguizamo. Depending on the role, he’d be all right.
jar
Kevin’s just afraid his slip would show if he played a gay character.
Nyruinz
I don’t think he is homophobic at all. I respect his honesty, however those insecurities may stem from other issues.
Kevin strikes me as an undercover bottom.
adventuretime
@Desert Boy: Perhaps the biggest comedian in Hollywood right now. You would have to be firmly out of touch with pop culture–which is totally OK–to not know who he is.
onthemark
@Nyruinz: “Other issues,” yes. Well, he’s a cute, short, LITTLE guy who has undoubtedly been hit on for gay sex. He was freaked out about it. Not only because he’s straight, but because he’s little. Not too tough to figure out. Even GAY little guys can be very insecure about that stuff.
Desert Boy
@adventuretime: Ah, it was snark. Ever heard of it?
onthemark
@Desert Boy: Humor is hard to understand when it’s not funny.
Tackle
Nothing in his statement is even remotely homophobic. Some Queers are just reaching, and looking for a reason to hate. I find his
honesty refreshing.
siltor67
he’s not a homophobe. he’s just being honest. i hope the gay elitist don’t try to ban him from everything.. besides, who wants to see the Joe Pesci of the new century play gay anyways??? not me!!
jjose712
He is sincere, which is good. And we know first hand that a lot of actors playing gay characters have that type of insecurities, which means generally bad acting and interviews repeating how straight they are (usually both).
Of course he is showing a big limitation as actor, but knowing your limits is good because you chose roles into your range. Of course good actors usually want to push their limits
AtticusBennett
littlekiwilovesbauhaus.blogspot.com/2010/09/do-you-find-this-funny.html
i encourage you to watch the embedded video in that link (sorry about the sound, turn it up) and then ask yourselves how deep this runs….
DarkZephyr
@Tackle: I am largely with you. I don’t find it “refreshing” so much because it IS a sad statement to the fact that there is still a considerable segment of society that looks down on LGBT people and anyone who might portray an LGBT person. He is afraid of what bigots will think. But HE is not homophobic in the slightest bit and he WAS just being honest. He didn’t lob slurs at LGBT people. His fears match the fears that motivate many of us to remain in the closet. We don’t hate fellow LGBT people for being in the closet because most of us have been in the closet and know these fears. Making a great big anti-gay controversy out of this is absurd and very counter-productive. Let’s not make the gay mafia urban legend a reality, people.
DarkZephyr
@AtticusBennett: well I just watched your video. OK THAT was homophobic. I guess my initial impression of him not being homophobic was wrong. And that WAS a buzz kill.
jantheman4903
I read the rest of the interview..he supports the gay community. my god many of us have masculinity or “be a man”issues still in the back of our mind. hes bein honest. and hes sayin he would not do well PLAYING gay. not hanging around with one.
DarkZephyr
@jantheman4903: except that he does standup making fun of gays and going on about how he would never want his son to be gay. 🙁
jwtraveler
I don’t know why people care about stuff like this, but I give him credit for being honest about his insecurities. Nothing offensive or anti-gay about that.
iBLOW
This actually isn’t news to me because Kevin Hart has played the same character in every one of his movies.
odawg
It just means he has less talent than he thinks he does.
lykeitiz
@onthemark: I think you nailed it. Short guy who’s also a comedian.
He actually could be more worried what gay people would think than straight people. He didn’t specify.
NotHowItWorks
Black guy here, I am happy that he does not want to play gay. He is a terrible actor and can’t play “straight” very well either. I remember his first movie was Soul Plane, and all of his other movies still seem like Soul Plane. I asked most of my friends if they thought KH was a funny comedian. None of them said yes, so how the hell do you explain this? Someone has to be going to his movies. So yeah, nothing offensive, I am just happy that I won’t turn on my TV one day and seeing him playing gay, cause then I will be all like… but you promised!
Desert Boy
@onthemark: I would try to explain the difference between snark and humor to you but, I don’t have a century of time to waste.
Cam
If you break it down, what Hart basically said is “I’m too much of a pussy to play gay”. Frankly it’s a better answer than some have given.
If only the actor playing “Cameron” on Modern Family had admitted to his insecurities rather than deciding to play the walking offensive stereotype he did.
jwtraveler
@Cam: I don’t find anything offensive about the character he plays. I’m offended that he never misses an opportunity to remind everyone that he’s straight. Too insecure to deal with the idea that someone might believe he’s gay.
MisterDemand
This is very clearly homophobic in the very definition of the word. Homophobic does not mean you hate gay people, though that’s often involved. Like all phobias its about the irrational anxiety and uncomfortably one gets when dealing with something- spiders, heights, or homosexuality. The fact that fear of what others would think of him, and his own personal anxiety would prevent him from even acting ( which is HIS JOB) as a gay personal are the definition of homophobia.
Hart has also made homophobia jokes ( He said his biggest fear ever as a parent is that his child would be gay; to gasps from the audience- while quickly using the tried “theres nothing wrong with it but…”) Hart is homophobic and it’s sad but true
adventuretime
@Desert Boy: Lol I mean–snark still needs to be funny. Or else it’s just offensive/boring.
onthemark
@MisterDemand: Right, homophobia in the literal sense – fear of. Which he may as well deal with (& seems to be trying to) because he seems kinda gay anyway, it’s not like he’s the butchest thing out there, is he?
@adventuretime: Yeah – Desert Boy said “Who is Kevin Hart?” and called that “snark.” Boring, or just unclear on the concept. He’s probably at Politico now asking “Who is Eric Holder?” and making fun of them when they don’t get his rapier wit.
jack512
A reasonable and honest answer. No PC People, it doesn’t mean he is a homophobe.
TriForceKid1013
@AtticusBennett: @DarkZephyr: 1 3 minute joke in an hour long comedy special and he’s a homophobe notice how he was enforcing a stereotype when he was talking about eating chicken at the time does that now make him a sell out too?
Franklin
Kevin Hart is hilarious, and what he said is not any worse than what other actors have said bout playing gay roles.
MCHG
Why is it so surprising to certain gay people that straight men don’t want to be seen as gay? especially guys who grew up in the African American culture which isn’t the most gay friendly community in the world. And the truth is when you queens decide that someone is gay, in absence of any evidence, you latch on to that rumor and continue to propagate it until it becomes synonymous with the person’s identity. If you don’t believe that’s true, then I’ll be waiting for the evidence that guys like Tom Cruise and Hugh Jackman are gay. No one wants to be known for a lie that’s told about them.
DarkZephyr
@MCHG: I didn’t have a problem with what he said about not wanting to play gay for fear of what people will think. I have a problem with his attitude about how he would feel if his son turned out gay after I watched the video of him doing a standup routine about how he would feel if his son was gay. And concerning actors that are commonly speculated to be gay, I am not sure why you are you pinning that sort of speculation directly and solely on the gay community. Straight people are just as much a part of that as gay people are if not MORE so. It seems to me that most articles that I have read over the years that are devoted to that kind of speculation are written by straights. Lastly, who are you calling “queens”?
@TriForceKid1013: So as long as anti-gay jokes are only a few minutes long they are OK? Its when they run on longer than that that its OK for LGBT people to take offense? But as long as its under 3 minutes its OK to enforce an attitude and an atmosphere that drives LGBT youth to suicide?
Tackle
@DarkZephyr: I think we’re getting off track here. I thought this was about his statement that he feels that he cannot play gay because of insecurities about himself?
When and how did this get turned into a video of him, showing him to be homophobic/making a joke that can be construed to be homophobic??
Are not these two different topics? It’s funny how we allowed ourselves to be carried away.
With that, I choose to stay on topic here. I did not find his above statement to be at all homophobic. And I do find his admission of insecurities refreshing. Because with so many people telling these celebrities how great and wonderful they are, many get so full of themselves and think their talent, or lack of, is more than what it really is.
jjose712
@DarkZephyr: Look at Jeremy Renner, the comments about him being soooo straight after what he said to Jennifer Lopez on the Golden Globes didn’t come from the gay community.
I still think he is right now chosing a gay role if he feels uncomfortable, of course that’s not what a good actor do and shows a lot of limitations (specially because there are thousand of different gay characters that have nothing in common between them). And by the way, if you are too worried about what people are going to think about you, acting is not the best job you could do (because you could be straight as an arrow and fantastic on your job you sure are going to hear a good bunch of nasty comments about you anyway)
And i don’t know anything about Hart, but Chris Rock shows sympathy to the gay community, but his well received last film gay character (and story arc) is as homophobic as it comes and i doubt he realize that
TriForceKid1013
@DarkZephyr: Are you trying to imply that that joke is what would push someone over the edge a joke where he said his son was getting humped by the way. It’s a joke designed to get a laugh stop over analyzing everything and making asinine claims based on again 1 joke out of many. I honestly dont care if the joke was 10 mins long because I know when something is just that a joke and isn’t degraded of demeaning it’s not like he said my worst fear is for my son to grow up and be a fag.
TriForceKid1013
@TriForceKid1013: Degrading or demeaning.
unclemike
Portray a murderer? Sure!
Play a wife-beater? Child abuser? No problem!
But pleeeease don’t make me play a gay–what will the audience think of me??
Pathetic.
adventuretime
@unclemike: Well, to be fair–I don’t think Kevin Hart as played any of those other roles either
TriForceKid1013
@adventuretime: He never has people just saw a headline and are just reaching for to complain about. The only role he basically plays is like over the top comic relief or someone who’s constantly being embarrassed.
Cam
What he said is better than the fake “I’m So hetro” commentary that that closet case Jeremy Renner keeps vomiting out.
Hey Jeremy, in the days of public online records, claiming you’re straight when you’ve lived with the same guy for over a decade is pretty transparent. As is claiming that you only live together because you “Flip Houses” when you lived in one house for over 9 years.
Kevin Hart needs to get over it, but at least what he said is somewhat straightforward.
jwtraveler
He might not be a great actor, but he was great on SNL last night. Very funny man.
A lot of successful comics are not good actors. Look at Jerry Seinfeld. He can’t act at all.
Bob LaBlah
There is a youtube video of him showing his bare behind and it is OK, but nothing to write home to momma about. He is short and stocky which give one the hope of “hitting” that ass but personally I see him just as boring in bed as he is on the screen. In every scene with Ice Cube it looks as though Cube is about to walk off and just say fuck it, call someone else in to take over Kevin’s part.
JDMotion
So what he’s honest. I think all of us would rather know who were dealing with than someone pretending to be ok with gay people to our face and saying something else behind our backs. That being said I don’t view this as anything homophobic. He’s a comedian and an actor. What actor isn’t insecure? Just because he doesn’t want to play a gay character doesn’t mean he hates gay people. Some actors don’t want to play overweight characters does that mean they hate fat people? Do any of you really want to see him play a gay person anyways? He’s a talented funny guy that was honest enough to speak his mind and thats all we should expect from someone like him. Enjoy his movies and stop hating on people because they don’t have your point of view.
DarkZephyr
@TriForceKid1013: I am not “implying” anything. I am directly stating that yes, these kinds of jokes DO contribute to the atmosphere that motivates LGBT youth and sometimes even older LGBT people to have suicidal thoughts. Some of them carry it out. I firmly believe that and I disagree with you 100% concerning this topic. You think its OK, I don’t think it is at all. If that makes you angry with me or think poorly of me, so be it.
@Tackle: I respect your opinion but from where I am sitting, whether its the guy in the video or the guy quoted above, its the same guy. The video is relevant to me because it makes his statement about respecting the LGBT community seem fake to me. That kind of an attitude if your son dances with another boy is nowhere near respect as far as I am concerned. But as I said, I respect your opinion.
Tackle
@DarkZephyr: Thanks for yoir reply. Don’t always agree with your opinion, but respect it as well.
Now about Kevin’s video, and it seeming to contradict his respect for the LGBTQ community. I personally would have to take into account when, and how long the video was done.
Because people can change, grow and mature. Lets not forget, that
many of us, bbefore we accepted who we really were/ are: have guilty of homophobic behavior. And here we are now…
remyfacade
@gauty: No it does not. That is the problem with our society today. ppl just want to throw words and labels not truly knowing what they mean.
yupwhatever
@MCHG:
“Why is it so surprising to certain gay people that straight men don’t want to be seen as gay? especially guys who grew up in the African American culture which isn’t the most gay friendly community in the world.”
Well most men (straight or not) don’t want to be seen as rapists, wife beaters, thugs, drug lords, junkies, etc., but that doesn’t keep many actors from playing those roles now does it? Nor do they feel the need to remind everyone that they are not really those criminals in real life. And stop trying to push the tired ol’ stereotype that blacks are more homophobic than whites. I grew up around enough white people in my life to know that’s just not true.
“And the truth is when you queens decide that someone is gay, in absence of any evidence, you latch on to that rumor and continue to propagate it until it becomes synonymous with the person’s identity.”
Like DarkZephyr said, straight people do this all of the time. And throwing the word “queen” around as an insult just makes you look like the biggest queen of them all. Just lettin’ you know.
“If you don’t believe that’s true, then I’ll be waiting for the evidence that guys like Tom Cruise and Hugh Jackman are gay.”
Yeah, we need hardcore evidence stat or they must be straight! I mean there’s no sex tape of Liberace anywhere, so he MUST have been a massive poon hound!
“No one wants to be known for a lie that’s told about them.”
Oh B.S. Tell that to the closeted gay actors/entertainers who lie all of the time about their personal lives to keep their secrets from coming out. And I’m sure most actual hetero guys would have no problem being rumored as ladies men even if they are total losers in real life.
Seriously, your self-loathing is showing big time. Look into it.
onthemark
Ri-i-i-ight, a short clip from 2010 is entirely “dispositive” as they say in the courtroom. Sheesh.
There are plenty of former frat boys who were saying truly vile homophobic things 4 or 5 years ago, who are actually gay and have since come out. I wonder how many are now regular posters on Queerty comments.
Hart is making an effort and is making progress.
@unclemike: “Portray a murderer? Sure!? Play a wife-beater? Child abuser? No problem!”
Wow – it would be a very, very strange movie comedy that called upon Kevin Hart to do any of those things.
TriForceKid1013
@DarkZephyr: Funny thing is I actually went to see him last night in Pittsburgh total gay jokes zero. Also what did he say other than it was a fear you drew 1 conclusion here another what if he was talking about being afraid of what his son would have to go through being a gay black kid seems how all he said was it was a fear and never actually went any further. Why would I be angry I don’t know you so I can’t think less of you because I have no opinion on you other than queerty comments. But I do think you are over reacting to 1 joke that he only said that 1 time and not said since and never even elaborated on what “the fear” was.
MCHG
@yupwhatever: no one is stupid enough to believe that someone is a drug lord because they played one on TV. However, the same standard isn’t applied to actors who play gay. They’re also seen as suspect. Also, don’t try to lecture me on culture. Black identity is tired to a hereto machismo unparalleled in any other culture in the US. No one said white people aren’t homophobic. It’s just that when you make up fifteen percent of the population and you’re subject to discrimination as a member of that population, therefore relying on that community for support, it matters what they think of you.
Straight people do not spread gay rumors all the time. Every time a gay rumor is written about it’s by a gay author, on a gay site, and commented on by mostly gay people. Straight people wouldn’t even entertain the idea that Kevin is closeted because he doesn’t want to play gay roles. And oh sure, how queeny it is of me to understand how creepy certain gay men come off as when they endlessly speculate about a straight guys sexuality.
Yes, you do need evidence if you’re going to accuse someone of being gay. Only mental patients believe things without evidence. Anyway, you missed my point of how fucked up it is to make someone synonymous with a lie told about them.
Someone telling a lie about yourself is much more different than someone telling a lie about you. Stop with your erroneous examples. No straight guy wants to be known as gay. That’s it.
What exactly is self loathing about recognizing the fact that straight guys don’t want to be called gay? Is it some unspoken gay rule that in order to like yourself you have to assume that every straight guy is going to be super cool with people thinking that he’s gay? Fucking delusional queens.
MCHG
@yupwhatever: forth paragraph should read, someone telling a lie about you is much more different than telling a lie about yourself.
onthemark
@MCHG: Yes because everyone thinks Tyler Perry is Madea.
yupwhatever
@MCHG: LMAO!!!! Oh bull! There are tons of actors who have played gay and are not suspect! I mean, by your logic, Tom Hanks would have been rumored to be gay a long time ago for his role in Philadelphia. And John Travolta never played a gay character (not that I know of) and he’s been “rumored” as gay for years.
Yes, you do need evidence if you’re going to accuse someone of being gay. Only mental patients believe things without evidence.
No, only mental cases like yourself believe there has to be hardcore XXX evidence or otherwise they must be 100% straight. So assuming someone is gay without evidence = bad, but assuming someone is straight with or without evidence = fine. See, and you wonder why you come off as a bit self-loathing? Really?
And stop repeating how straight guys don’t want to be called or thought of as gay, since we’ve all known that for years! The only difference is that some of us don’t have issues calling them out for their homophobic insecurities, while the likes of you are too p*ssy to stand up to them.
MCHG
@yupwhatever: lol, stop putting words in my mouth. No one said every actor who plays gay is supect, or that not playing gay somehow protects you from ever being suspected of being gay. And most actors who face gay rumors don’t go around groping masseuses or kissing their nanny. Why the hell would you believe someone is gay without any evidence to back it up? 98% of the population is straight, so making the assumption that someone is straight until proven otherwise is just logical. If you go around assuming people are gay without any good reason, like a lot of gay men do, then that has more to say about yourself than the person you’re rumormongering about. And yes, it’s fucking disrespectful to make assumptions that go contrary to a person’s actual life, especially when those assumptions can cost someone their job.
Oh and fuck off, there nothing brave about berating a straight guy because he doesn’t want to be seen as gay. There’s nothing homophobic about asserting your identity. The only insecure people I see here are the ones who think that a straight guy wanting people to know he’s straight is some terrible form of gay bashing. The sky isn’t going to fall if certain actors choose not to play gay for fear of going through what Jake Gyllenhaal has for all these years. I’m glad Jake’s cool with it, but some people just don’t want to have their brand tied to that.
yupwhatever
@MCHG:
You said
no one is stupid enough to believe that someone is a drug lord because they played one on TV. However, the same standard isn’t applied to actors who play gay. They’re also seen as suspect. Didn’t put those words in your mouth.
Yes, we know straights makes up most of the population. Wow, good reason to act like gays don’t exist until PROVEN with evidence! lol You friggin’ nut.
The only insecure people I see here are the ones who think that a straight guy wanting people to know he’s straight is some terrible form of gay bashing. LMMFAO!!!!!!! I, like most, really don’t care if an actor says he’s straight. When he says it a whole bunch of times to a point where it sounds like a broken record, it gets ridiculous. That’s all. Good lord, “gay bashing”? You are dramatic as wells as nuts. And you call the rest us ‘delusional queens’. Haha.
The sky isn’t going to fall if certain actors choose not to play gay for fear of going through what Jake Gyllenhaal has for all these years. Oh, you mean super stardom? Yeah, no actor wants that!!! Again you are nuts, and still a bit of a self-loathing coward. Bye gurrrl.
Saint Law
MCHG evidently has a very low opinion of the intelligence of str8 men to judge from his, admittedly, entirely unconvincing impersonation of Tough Talking Dude.
Cam
@yupwhatever: said…. ““And the truth is when you queens decide that someone is gay, in absence of any evidence, you latch on to that rumor and continue to propagate it until it becomes synonymous with the person’s identity.””
____________________________________
Oh, you mean like when the Gay Community said that Ricky Martin was gay? Or Clay Aiken? or Neil Patrick Harris, or Rosie O’Donnell, or Queen Latifa, or Matt Bomer, or Jim Parsons?
Yeah, none of those were right were they?
MCHG
@yupwhatever: you made my initial statement into an absolute. Again, no one said that every actor who plays gay will be suspected of being gay. Unfortunately, we do live in a time when playing gay does make SOME actors suspect, which is what Kevin Hart is referring to.
No one said we should pretend that gay people don’t exist. You really do have a problem with putting words in my mouth, don’t you? Refusing to assume someone’s sexuality until they either announce it themselves or there’s some sort of proof indicating that they are gay is not the same thing as pretending there are no gay people.
If you don’t like it when actors have to repeatedly affirm their heterosexuality, then maybe you shouldn’t continue to assume that they are gay. You seriously fail to understand why you’re the cause of your own problems.
Oh and don’t pretend there werent any queens foaming at the mouth when Luke Grimes quit True Blood because his character was gay. The verbal lynching of actors who aren’t dying to play gay is nothing new.
Well, I was clearly referring to the gay rumors surrounding Gyllenhaal, but sure, let’s pretend Gyllenhaal’s perpetual role as movie creep is what every actor aspires to be. Not every actor wants gay rumors sidetracking every project he works on. It gets fucking annoying to be asked if you’re gay for the umpteenth time when you’re trying to promote a movie and work in an industry where you constantly have to push a certain hetero image. You’re literally fucking with someone’s livelihood when you spread those rumors.
Yeah, look at me everybody. Look at how self loathing I am because I don’t want to repeatedly accuse straight actors of being gay, something that would normally get you an ass kicking if you did it to a private figure.
MCHG
@Cam: you’re joking, right? Perez Hilton outed NPH. Musto outed Rosie. I know zero straight people who are aware that Latifa is lesbian, probably because those rumors are usually limited to gay sites. Same with Matt Bomers pics, which Queerty had a field day with. Rosie inadvertantly outed Clay Aiken. Jim Parsons outed himself lol. Again, heteros obsessing over someone’s secret gayness just isn’t a thing. Unless you’re one direction and you purposely play up the gay stuff to get attention.
MCHG
@Cam: (continued) all of those people were outed with evidence or by people who had evidence. I’m taking about the Tom Cruises, the Hugh Jackman, the Aaron Rodgers, who at this point have faced rumors for so long that evidence was bound to turn up, but it never did.