DarkMode/LightMode
Light Mode

Lee Pace happy to be ‘a member of the queer community’

Guardians Of The Galaxy star Lee Pace is proud to be “a member of the queer community” after declining to label his sexuality in a recent interview.

The actor, also known for his work in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, has always tried to keep his personal life private, but in a chat with W magazine, he was asked directly about his sexual preferences – and he didn’t appreciate the question.

“I’ve dated men. I’ve dated women,” Lee told the interviewer. “I don’t know why anyone would care. I’m an actor and I play roles. To be honest, I don’t know what to say – I find your question intrusive.”

- Advertisement -

His sexuality came up in conversation after touching on the importance of gay actors playing homosexual characters as they discussed his new role in the Broadway revival of Angels in America, which is set in the gay community during the emergence of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

Pace has since taken to Twitter to explain why he reacted the way he did, insisting he has never hidden his sexual preferences – he simply wants to keep the spotlight on his career instead of his love life.

“In a recent phone interview, I was asked questions that I wasn’t expecting and found myself momentarily at a loss for the right words,” he explained to fans. “My privacy is important to me, so I protect it. When interviewed by the media, I keep the focus on my work.”

“As a member of the queer community, I understand the importance of living openly, being counted, and happily owning who I am,” Lee continued. “That’s how I’ve always lived my life… just as it’s been important to me to portray queer characters with dignity for my entire career…”

He went on to list his roles on shows like Halt and Catch Fire and in a 2011 Broadway production of The Normal Heart as examples, before signing off by writing, “Onward, with Pride.”

Lee previously claimed he avoided discussing his personal life in the press to allow him to “disappear” into his various acting roles.

- Advertisement -

“Trust me, if I had something interesting to say about myself, I would,” he told Buzzfeed about his sexuality in 2014. “To be honest, the characters I play are revealing enough.”

- Advertisement -