Over the last few years, Luke Evans sexuality has been a bit confusing to some. He used to be openly gay, but when he started to become famous, he appeared to be going back into the closet. However, while at one stage it did appear the Hobbit and Beauty & The Beast actor (or his agent) was trying to have all mention that he was gay scrubbed from the internet, he’s since become a little more open about it, as shown in a new interview with Jackal, where he isn’t exactly wearing a Pride flag and screaming, ‘We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it’, but he engages with the issues and how his sexuality relates to his career.

When asked about why he doesn’t talk about his private life in the same way he was when he was a young, up and coming actor, he says, “I try to keep my personal life and my private life separate. Not for any reason other than there’s a clue in the title – it’s private. As an actor you have to keep some sort of enigma and mystery. There’s a dignity to keeping private. I’m trying to keep a bit of dignity to my private life and to protect the people in my life… It’s the choice I’ve made.”

Although that sounds like he’s trying to shut down any discussion of his sexuality, when asked about whether he thinks Hollywood is ready for a gay action hero, he says, “That question is difficult to answer. I don’t know how ‘Hollywood’ as you call it, thinks. I don’t think about it. I don’t feel they’re connected. Talent, success, what you do in your personal life – I don’t see how one should have an effect on the other. I don’t think I’d be in this business if I felt that I was not being employed because of who I am in my personal life.”

Although some still take issue with Evan’s half-in, half-out stance, it has allowed him to become one of the few actors who are known to be gay, who isn’t labelled as such and who gets major Hollywood action roles. However, what’s more difficult to answer, is whether his success in such roles is as a result of the semi-closet he’s been living in.