Hollywood Actor Matt Bomer Reveals He Lost Superman Role After Being Outed As Gay

Actor Matt Bomer, known for his work in "White Collar," alleges his sexual orientation hindered his early career opportunities. In a recent podcast, the 46-year-old actor suggests his sexuality may have been a factor in his not being cast as Superman in the since-shelved project, "Superman: Flyby" in 2002. 

"I went in on a cattle call for Superman, and then it turned into a one-month audition experience where I was auditioning repeatedly," Mr Bomer made this revelation on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast.

Mr Bomer further explained that he was the "director's choice for the role" in the early iteration of the project written by JJ Abrams and directed by Brett Ratner but, "it never came to light," he said.

"Yeah, that's my understanding. That was a time in the industry when something like that could still really be weaponised against you. How, and why, and who, I don't know, but yeah, that's my understanding," he claimed to The Hollywood Reporter.

In 2003, Mr Ratner left the project and said that 'the difficulty of casting the role of Superman' had contributed to his decision.

The "Superman: Flyby" never materialised, but it underwent retooling and eventually became 2006's "Superman Returns", directed by Bryan Singer and featuring Brandon Routh as the Man of Steel.

Mr Bomer shared that fortunately, he received an early script for USA Network's "White Collar" - which gave him his breakout role - shortly after the "Superman: Flyby" debacle.

The actor is married to film and TV publicist Simon Halls. He came out publicly in 2012 while accepting an award for his HIV/AIDS advocacy work. 

"I'd really especially like to thank my beautiful family: Simon, Kit, Walker, Henry," he said at the time, referring to Halls and the couple's three sons. "Thank you for teaching me what unconditional love is. You will always be my proudest accomplishment."

Since then, the actor has been portraying gay characters on screen. Last year, the actor starred opposite Jonathan Bailey in the queer-themed romantic drama "Fellow Travelers."

In 2012, author Jackie Collins sparked controversy by suggesting Matt Bomer's sexuality cost him the Superman role.  She claimed Bomer, though not publicly out, was known to be gay in Hollywood circles, and this influenced the casting decision.

However, reports paint a different picture.  While Bomer was a frontrunner for the role during director Brett Ratner's involvement, Ratner's departure from the project seems to be the turning point.  Entertainment Weekly details how Warner Bros. then brought in McG to direct, but he too eventually left.  Ultimately, Bryan Singer took the helm and cast Brandon Routh as Clark Kent for the 2006 film "Superman Returns."