Actor Garrett Clayton has spoken out about the homophobia he faced in Hollywood prior to coming out as gay earlier this year.
The Teen Beach Movie actor told magazine that he often felt pressured to remain in the closet, with key industry figures encouraging the 27-year-old to "butch up" the way he looked and behaved in the public eye.
In the interview, Clayton reflects on the first time he was questioned about his sexuality by “somebody who was instrumental in starting my career."
“I could feel the pressure of the question, so I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m gay, or bi, or whatever,’ because suddenly I could feel that there was something wrong with that in this person’s eyes,” Clayton said.
“They looked at me and said, 'No one wants to f**k the gay guy, they want to go shopping with him, so we’re going to have to figure this out.'”
Clayton continued: “It turned into this situation where I’d get calls and they’d say, ’You still need to butch it up.’ I literally had to change everything about myself at that point, otherwise I was never gonna make it.
“And that was so conflicting, because here’s somebody offering you your dream, but they’re telling you that you’re not good enough the way you are. You’re talented, but who you are isn’t good enough.”
RECOMMENDED
'Love, Simon' actor comes out as gay
It wasn't long before the actor was being asked to manipulate his interests to suit the industry's projection of masculinity.
“They had me changing the way I walked, the way I spoke, the way I dressed, the way I answered questions," Clayton recalled.
"It got as petty as them saying, 'People need to see that you’re into sports because they’ll think that’s more masculine, so why don’t you go buy a sports hat, take some pictures in it, and make sure people see you in it.'”
Clayton played the lead role in the 2017 film King Cobra, reportedly inspired by gay porn star Brent Corrigan.Earlier this year, while promoting feature film Reach, Clayton shared on social media that he had been in a long-term relationship with another man.
