Kate Winslet says gay actors in Hollywood hide their sexuality for this reason

Kate Winslet has claimed that some Hollywood stars arestill going through struggles over their sexualities asthey fear that their career will fall if they come out in public.

The Oscar-winner claims to know "at least four actors" who are "terrified" that it will 'stand in the way' and that will destroy their career.

The 45-year-old actress opened up in an interview with Sunday Times Culture and said, ''I cannot tell you the number of young actors I know - some well known, some starting out - who are terrified their sexuality will be revealed and that it will stand in the way of their being cast in straight roles.''

“A well-known actor has just got an American agent and the agent said, ‘I understand you are bisexual. I wouldn’t publicize that.’ I can think of at least four actors absolutely hiding their sexuality. It’s painful. Because they fear being found out,” she continued.

Whiletalking she hit at the “judgment, discrimination and homophobia” rife within the film industry and said according to her, the stigma applies to "men more than anything. It's bad news."

"A conversation about straight actors in gay roles is incredibly important," Winslet said. "I hope there will come a time when it is automatic that [gay] actors get those parts and you wouldn't have to put punchy film stars in to get it made."

She added, "We could have had a conversation about how I feel about playing a lesbian and possibly taking that role from somebody, but I'm done with not being honest about what my real opinions are, and I know the part was never offered to anybody else. In taking this part, I had an opportunity to bring an LGBTQ story into living rooms."

Last year, Kate played a lesbian character in the drama 'Ammonite', a real-life story set in the 1840s and starredKate as Mary Anning, who embarks a romantic relationship with Charlotte Murchison (Saorise Ronan), a wealthy woman with ill health.