Out actor Jason Stuart on Brett Ratner: “Please cast me in your next film and then everything is completely forgiven.”

When I attended “The Gay Scene – Year 7: The Politics Of,” a reading of scenes presented by the Writers Guild of America’s Gay & Lesbian Writers Committee, earlier this week, I ran into actor Jason Stuart.

Since I know Jason is not without opinions, I was curious to find out what this hard-working openly gay actor thought about all the controversy surrounding former Oscar producer Brett Ratner who stepped down when a gay slur he made at a screening surfaced publicly.

When asked if there was much rehearsing for his film Tower Heist, Ratner replied that “rehearsal is for faggots.”

“He said ‘All the fags want to rehearse’ and it just makes me want to rehearse,” Jason said. “I just wish he would ask me to be in one of his movie and maybe that could be what he could do to apologize – he could actually cast gay people in his next movie. So, Brett, Jason Stuart here – S-T-U-A-R-T. Please cast me in your next film and then everything is completely forgiven.”

Such a kidder. He also had some thoughts on Ratner’s replacement, Brian Grazer.

Jason, whose most recent films roles are Finding Mr. Wright and BearCity 2, added: “I just think it’s a shame that he couldn’t apologize and not lose his job and lose Eddie Murphy. But we did get Brian Grazer which is pretty good. If someone could just do something with that hair. I want to call Brian and say, ‘Love you. The 80s are over.'”

If Ratner had not been replaced, Stuart felt the show could have gone on.

“I think it would have made us all want to watch,” he said. “I think we’ve moved to the point now that once in awhile, someone’s going to say something, that’s just the way it is. Look, Brett Ratner gave Gabourey Sidibe a major part in a movie – that’s gay enough. She hasn’t gotten a part in any other motion picture after getting nominated for an Oscar! To me, that says something about him. He made a mistake and he was sorry about it. I’m not so sensitive. I think it’s better for us to learn from the mistakes and not crush people so much.”

So who did he want to see replace Murphy (we spoke before Billy Crystal was announced as host) and he said: “Oh Barbra Streisand. Maybe Bette Midler. Or Neil Patrick Harris. I think whoever it is, they need to get a host that’s actually funny. I thought that last year it just didn’t work. I think we’ve had so many brilliant comedians that were actors, it was really hard to go back to mumblecore.”

All kidding aside, Jason does believe some good will come of the Ratner controversy.

“I think it’s great that it happened because people say things very off the cuff in private before we had internet and video and all those things. Now, he’s getting in trouble for it and he’s learning about it and he’s being educated. He may have thought he was being prejudiced. I don’t think they should have fired him but I think it’s great that he goes on what you call the apology tour.”