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The Real O'Neals star blasted gay casting discrimination and closeted actors. He also called Colton Haynes "the worst."
Noah Galvin has blasted Hollywood's glass closet into a million little pieces.
The Real O'Neals star, who is one of the few out actors playing a gay character on network television, eviscerated Tinseltown for casting discrimination as well as closeted actors for hypocrisy in a candid interview with Vulture.
When asked by the entertainment outlet if it was ever an option to stay in the closet as an actor, Galvin replied in the affirmative. In fact, he had a "very large crew of people that all weighed in" on the issue.
Ultimately, Galvin decided to be out because of the importance of the role, Kenny, a gay teen whose coming-out rocks a conservative Catholic family in Chicago. The storyline is loosely inspired by the life of gay activist Dan Savage, who also advised Galvin on how to handle LGBT fans who may be wrestling with similar issues. Galvin called him the "smartest gay man you'll ever meet in your life."
"It's important to me that with this slightly revolutionary thing we're doing on network television that I should go full force and follow through as completely as possible," he said, noting that "the kids who watch my show and say thank you for being open about who you are, and playing this character, and bringing a level of authenticity that maybe somebody else wouldn't have."
[RELATED: Why Is It So Hard to Cast an LGBT Actor?]
Previously, a producer of The Real O'Neals, Todd Holland, said he had wanted an out actor for that role for this reason and also due to the show's onslaught of attacks from right-wing groups who are furious with its pro-gay subject matter. In the casting process, Holland also learned there are a string of legal hurdles that make it difficult to hire out actors for LGBT roles.
"As a gay man, this is a landmark role on network television. It should not be played by a straight man pretending to be gay," Holland said before the show's release. It was recently renewed for a second season.
To Vulture, Galvin added that he didn't "want Kenny to just be the Eric Stonestreet," in reference to a straight actor who portrays a flamboyant gay man on Modern Family. "I want him to be a person. I want him to have levels to him. A lot of portrayals of gays on television don't allow for that."
However, Galvin noted that his choice to be out has also created hurdles in Hollywood for other projects.
"I missed out on an opportunity, or wasn't granted an opportunity, because people in L.A., producers and casting directors, are not the most creative," Galvin revealed, citing a straight role he lost in which discrimination may have played a hand.
"It was down to me and one other boy. One producer who watches our show was like, 'But he's too gay.' It was horrible. It made me feel so shitty," he said.
"Maybe I did fucking ruin my career right off the bat by doing this," he continued. "But it's done some good. And I'm hoping that with time, I'll be given those opportunities to play other characters."
Galvin also addressed Hollywood's glass closet. He called Arrow actor Colton Haynes, who recently came out after teasing the possibility of being gay for years, "the worst."
"That's not coming out. That's fucking pussy bullshit," Galvin said of Haynes's recent interview. "That's like, enough people assume that I sleep with men, so I'm just going to slightly confirm the fact that I've sucked a dick or two. That's not doing anything for the little gays but giving them more masturbation material."
Galvin has witnessed Hollywood's glass closet firsthand. He recounted confronting a guest star on The Real O'Neals who flirted with him, asking the actor point-blank if he was gay.
[RELATED: Are Closeted Actors 'Selfish'?]
"Well ... I don't know. I'm more like, go with the flow," the actor responded. To which Galvin replied, "Shut the fuck up. Get out of my face with your wishy-washy bullshit answer. You're a fucking faggot. Like, I know you are. You know you are. Stop beating around the bush. Just go make out with me in my dressing room."
Other highlights of the interview include Galvin's evisceration of the "gay-gay" community of West Hollwood, "the weird, closeted element of L.A.," the "promiscuous collective" that is the gay community, and out director Bryan Singer's pool parties. Read more on Vulture.
UPDATE: Galvin has apologized for his remarks. Read his full statement.
