Bret Easton Ellis: Matt Bomer Can't Star in Fifty Shades of Grey Film Because He's Gay

Matt Bomer | Photo Credits: Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage

Bret Easton Ellis drew heat on Wednesday after declaring on Twitter that Matt Bomer cannot star in the upcoming film adaptation of the bestselling erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey because he's openly gay.

In British author E.L. James' sexually explicit Grey trilogy, Christian Grey is a successful young business magnate who introduces wide-eyed college grad Anastasia "Ana" Steele to love and sex. When the internet lit up with talk of the White Collar star as an ideal candidate to portray Christian Grey in the upcoming movie, Ellis took it as an affront. The author had also been one of the names that had been removed from the list of screenwriting candidates on the film.

Why we love TV bad boys

"Okay. Let's finalize this. Matt Bomer is totally hot and a very good actor. He is NOT right for Christian Grey and it complicates the role," read his first of many tweets on the subject. "Matt Bomer: I don't care how good an actor you are but being married to another man complicates things for playing CG." Ellis went on to write that it wasn't about discriminating against Bomer's sexuality, but that the audience needed to see "an intensely straight actor wanting absolutely to screw Ana Steele ... the most popular book on the planet having Matt Bomer--a gay actor--play Christian Grey is absolutely ludicrous. Why?"

When his Twitter followers began to bite back, Ellis went on the defensive. "Jesus, the homophobia over Matt Bomer not being Christian Grey is so unsettling and aesthetically retarded," he wrote. "He's NOT right for Christian G ... Okay I'll say it. Matt Bomer isn't right for Christian Grey because he is openly gay. He's great for other roles but this is too big a game ... And I think if Matt Bomer wants the role, which I doubt, the international press tour will be an embarrassing fiasco. He's not CG. Never ... I am NOT discriminating Matt Bomer because of his sexuality. Fifty Shades of Grey demands an actor that is genuinely into women. Get it?!?

Check out the rest of today's news

"I actually think it's cool that women want Matt Bomer as Christian Grey," he continued. "It means that we've moved beyond stereotypes and that gay is hot ... I think Matt Bomer is incredibly handsome and a good actor but I think he comes off totally gay in White Collar. And that is why no to CG ... Look, all actors are GAY: they put on make up and pretend to be someone else. That's just a fact. Rock and roll. Deal with it. Scientology? ... Would anyone watch Brokeback Mountain if it stayed true to the original story where both characters are hideously ugly? No. Homo beauty WIN? ... Hollywood is the most homophobic place in the entire world. Why Brokeback Mountain was a hit was because it starred two beautiful actors instead of two real ugly characters from the story. Producers."

And in case he didn't get his point across in his diatribe, Ellis last tweeted this: "Final word: there is no way in hell that the makers of Fifty Shades of Grey will hire an openly gay actor to play Christian Grey. Period."

Hollywood has a history of sexuality-blind casting, not only having straight actors play gay characters as in the Oscar-winning Brokeback Mountain, but also having openly gay actors play straight. Recent examples include Neil Patrick Harris playing a womanizer on CBS' popular comedy How I Met Your Mother, and Bomer himself starring as a heterosexual, married stripper this summer in the big-screen Magic Mike.

A rep for Bomer did not immediately respond to TVGuide.com's request for comment.

What do you think of Ellis' rant?



Related Articles on TVGuide.com