James Franco comfortable with sexuality

James Franco says he would be happy to play "100 gay roles".

The actor plays homosexual poet Allen Ginsberg in the new biopic Howl. James previously appeared in the Oscar-winning movie Milk, where he portrayed Scott Smith, the lover of gay rights activist Harvey Milk.

The star`s involvement with another gay role has generated speculation about his sexuality, but James has been happily dating actress Ahna O`Reilly for several years.

He would happily take on other gay roles provided he appreciated the project artistically because he is not scared of people thinking he might be gay.

"The worst downside, and I don`t consider this a downside, the worst thing that anybody could say is that I was gay and if somebody said that I guess they would be wrong, but I also wouldn`t care and as far as being typecast, that`s not the case, nonetheless I would be happy to play 100 gay roles as long as they were always good parts," he told British newspaper The Independent.

The hunk`s laidback attitude reflects the shift in Hollywood over recent years, as more and more actors take on gay roles.

Colin Firth achieved critical acclaim this year for his portrayal of a homosexual professor in Tom Ford`s A Single Man, while Sean Penn won an Oscar in 2009 for his role as gay activist Harvey Milk.

sections: Celebrities