The Dark Knight Rises star was promoting new drama Legend at a recent press conference when a journalist from a Toronto LGBT publication called on Hardy to address reports about his "ambiguous" sexuality.

Hardy immediately responded, "What on earth are you on about?", as the reporter went on to note a 2008 interview with British gay lifestyle magazine Attitude, in which Hardy reportedly admitted to flings with men when he was younger.

With a louder and more stern tone, Hardy asked him, "But what is your question?" and the reporter said, "I'm wondering if you find it difficult for celebrities to talk about their sexuality," to which Hardy replied, "I don't find it difficult for celebrities to talk about their sexuality. Are you asking about my sexuality?"

The flustered journalist said, "Sure", to which Hardy fired back, "Why?", before giving a firm and final "thank you" to the reporter and moving on with the press conference.

Addressing the awkward encounter, Hardy admits it's important to talk about sexuality, but he was not happy with the way the subject was approached.

He says, "If you knew me as a friend, then sure, we'd talk about anything. But that was a public forum, and for someone to inelegantly ask a question that seemed designed entirely to provoke a reaction, and start a topic of debate...

"It's important destigmatising sexuality and gender inequality in the workplace, but to put a man on the spot in a room full of people designed purely for a salacious reaction...?

"To be quite frank, it's rude. If he'd have said that to me in the street, I'd have said the same thing back: 'I'm sorry, who the f**k are you?' And I appreciate that I could probably have more grace as a human being, but I'm just a bloke. I'm just a man doing a job."