Matt Bomer may be one of Hollywoods most sought-after film and television actors these days, but he says he lost out on a major role early in his career after being outed as gay.

Appearing on The Hollywood Reporters Awards Chatter podcast Monday, Bomer recalled auditioning decades ago for the titular role in Superman: Flyby , a planned film written by J.J. Abrams and set to be directed by Brett Ratner.

It looked like I was the directors choice for the role, he said, noting that the project was linked to a three-picture deal hed recently signed with Warner Bros. It never came to light.

When Bomer was asked if his sexuality had been a factor in losing the part, he said, Yeah, thats my understanding.

He continued: That was a time in the industry when something like that could still really be weaponized against you. How, and why, and who [was involved], I dont know. But yeah, thats my understanding.