"Much like Dist. Atty. Harvey Dent, the comic book character he’ll be playing in next year’s Batman movie, THE DARK KNIGHT, Aaron Eckhart's film career has a shady side," writes Brandon Voss. "Nearly a decade after his breakthrough role as a sociopathic misogynist in Neil LaBute's IN THE COMPANY OF MEN, he earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role as a debatably crooked tobacco lobbyist in 2006’s THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. This July, Eckhart lightens up in NO RESERVATIONS as a cocksure culinary bon vivant. The 39-year-old had no reservations about discussing his undeniable bad guy appeal and Mormon upbringing—just don’t ask him to dish on Lindsay".

Brandon Voss: Did you know you had a big gay following?

Aaron Eckhart: No! Honestly, I didn’t think I had any following, so this is great.

Brandon Voss: Which of your film roles do you think won us over?

Aaron Eckhart: Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe the one in Erin Brockovich, because he rode a motorcycle?

Brandon Voss: Well, we are suckers for a rugged, handsome man. Are you comfortable being a sex symbol?

Aaron Eckhart: I’m happy with how I look, but I really don’t think that’s how people see me—as this good-looking guy. I’ve just made a lot of movies, you know? So I guess that means I’m not comfortable with it. [Laughs]

Brandon Voss: How did your Mormon upbringing affect your views on homosexuality?

Aaron Eckhart: It was something that really wasn’t talked about. It just wasn’t something I even thought about, because I wasn’t really around it until I came to New York City and lived in Chelsea. Now I have a lot of gay friends. At the end of the day, I pick my own views and beliefs.

Brandon Voss: Who was the first gay person you met?

Aaron Eckhart: I’ll always remember. I was working in a restaurant in California with a guy who was gay, and I asked him, “What do you feel when you look at a guy?” And he said, “Well, Aaron, what do you feel when you look at that girl over there, and she’s beautiful and you really want to be with her?” That’s when I got it: It’s the same thing.

Brandon Voss: Do you have any celebrity man-crushes?

Aaron Eckhart: There are definitely a lot of actors that I admire...

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