Damon: 'Straight or Gay, People Shouldn't Know Anything About Your Sexuality' 

After lecturing a black female director about diversity in Hollywood and later offering a half-hearted apology, Oscar-winning actor Matt Damon is now facing backlash for comments he made about gay actors.

Damon told U.K. newspaper The Guardian that out actors "take a hit for being out," specifically mentioning Rupert Everett, whose career sputtered after breaking out in the 1990s with My Best Friend's Wedding. Though he seems sympathetic toward Everett, Damon thinks an aura of mystery makes actors more believable.

"I think it must be really hard for actors to be out publicly," he told the British publication. "But in terms of actors, I think you're a better actor the less people know about you, period. And sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether you're straight or gay, people shouldn't know anything about your sexuality because that's one of the mysteries that you should be able to play."

It's worth noting that Damon -- who played gay men in The Talented Mr. Ripley and HBO's Beyond the Candleabra -- does not hide the fact that he's heterosexual, often appearing on red carpets with his wife, Luciana.