Andrew Garfield has responded to the backlash of his declaration that he is gay "just without the physical act."
In a Q&A tied to the London production of Angels in America, the 33-year-old actor raised eyebrows, after he reflected on what "right" he, a straight actor, had to play the gay, HIV-positive lead of Prior Walter in Tony Kushner's acclaimed play about the AIDS crisis. Garfield said that Kushner personally offering him the role assuaged his fears -- and his love of RuPaul's Drag Race gave him some authority.
"Every Sunday I would have eight friends over and we would just watch Ru," Garfield said. "I mean every single series of RuPaul's Drag Race. I mean every series. This is my life outside of this play. I am a gay man right now just without the physical act -- that's all."
"As far as I know, I am not a gay man. Maybe I'll have an awakening later in my life, which I'm sure will be wonderful and I'll get to explore that part of the garden, but right now I'm secluded to my area, which is wonderful as well," he added.
The remarks sparked a firestorm of criticism from LGBT people on Twitter. Many alleged that Garfield was belittling what it what it was like to be queer. Advocate contributor Nico Lang compared the statement to the gay-baiting of straight actors like James Franco, who hints at a queer identity for media attention. "Straight actors, please stop this nonsense," he wrote. Others questioned if the Garfield was confused about his sexuality and, more broadly, bisexuality.
In a response seeking to clarify his remarks and place them in context, Garfield told the BBC's Newsbeat last weekend, "That's of course not what I meant at all."
"That discussion was about this play and how deeply grateful I am that I get to work on something so profound," he said.
"It's a love letter to the LGBTQ community," he said of Angels in America. "We were talking about, 'How do you prepare for something so important and so big?' and I was basically saying, 'I dive in as fully as I possibly can.'"
"My only longing is to serve and to keep the world spinning forward for the LGBTQ community in whatever way I'm meant to," he stated. He said his remarks were intended to "speak to my desire to play this part to the best of my ability and to fully immerse myself in a culture that I adore."
Garfield has a long history of being an ally of the LGBT community. He's also made headlines for publicly kissing other men, including Stephen Colbert and Ryan Reynolds at last year's Golden Globes.
