A List: Chris Evans

Chris Evans is a serious actor but that doesn’t mean he wants you to stop objectifying him.

By Brandon Voss

From The Advocate February 2009

After working a whipped-cream bikini in the 2001 spoof Not Another Teen Movie, Chris Evans fried phone lines in Cellular and melted hearts as The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four films. Next seen as a telekinetic troublemaker in February’s sci-fi thriller Push, the 27-year-old revisits his steamiest photo shoot and outs his even hotter gay brother.

This may come as quite a shock, but gay men enjoy you.
I was well aware of that. I remember my mother saying, “Chris, do you know you’re #2 on some gay list [AfterElton.com’s Hot 100]. Brad Pitt is #12!” I was like, “What?!” I couldn’t believe it.

That was 2007. I hate to break bad news, but you dropped to #8 in ’08.
Aww, that’s outrageous! Who took my spot?

I forget, but Jake Gyllenhaal was #1 for both years.
What? Jake? Unacceptable. [Laughs]

It couldn’t hurt to play a gay role next.
I really wanted to be a part of Milk, but I lost out to James Franco. I guess if you’ve got to lose, he’s the guy to lose to. I did a movie called Fierce People where I played a sociopath who wasn’t gay, but he does rape a teenage boy. You come to find out he didn’t do it for sexual reasons; he just did it because he could. He really was a sick character.

I’ve actually got an idea for a gay musical sequel to Cellular called Blackberry Storm. You in?
Absolutely. Sounds like a nailbiter.

I hear there might also be a queer subtext in Push.
Yes, those with powers try to keep it under wraps. They’re being hunted by the government, so everyone’s trying to lay low. Now I understand the gay man’s struggle. [Laughs]

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Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Name: Timothy
Date posted: 2009-01-27 11:53 PM
Hometown: Grand Rapids

Comment:

The fact is the gossip sites, including Perez Hilton, use gay rumors as their way of preying on and ruining careers. They've created a market for "who's secretly gay?" type trash. No in this day "Jewish Rumors" wouldn't hurt Chris Evans but "Scientology Rumors" would. If he said he embraced his brother's faith but didn't want to go to an L Ron meeting for fear people would start publishing he was one of them. I think people would think it was reasonable. Plus its not like you have to worry about going to a Jewish temple and having a Drag Queen jump up and french you as a camera goes off. Granted some gay bars may be respectable places, I can only speak of the few around here. ;) I myself prefer the local micro brewery that serves food.

Name: Clint
Date posted: 2009-01-07 12:16 PM
Hometown: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Comment:

"If you're not ashamed of something, you wouldn't mind getting mistaken for it." That's a great point, Steven. I do realize what others have said too. It's true, Evans has the media to deal with. However, it's only reinforcing homophobia to play to homophobia. If every man had the attitude of not caring, whether or not he is perceived as gay, because there is nothing negative attached to being gay, there'd be nothing for the tabloids to report on. We're not going to fight homophobia/heterosexism, by using it as the reason to think or act a certain way. We need to apply the lessons we learn from other instances, where these issues have been successfully overcome, and apply in every situation.

Name: Pauly
Date posted: 2009-01-06 11:07 PM
Hometown: Dallas

Comment:

Steven, your comment implies that being vocally supportive in print means nothing; the embrace of a loved one's homosexuality can only be measured by one's attendance at a gay bar. You don't make sense. He and his family embrace his brother, they embrace his friends. They are supportive. Chris doesn't shy from it. He hangs out and has fun with his brother and his friends--just not at a gay bar. When there is an industry that profits from lies and rumor and innuendo constactly watching celebrities for the sake of profit more than truth, wouldn't you watch what you did in public too? Would you like a photo of you published on hundreds of websites and gay rags with the headline "gay-basher"? While a lie, why don't you try fighting public perception on that for a few months and try to have a career and maintain some normalcy in your life?

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