By Debbie McGoldrick

THOUGH the box-office take for Mission: Impossible 3 was below industry expectations, one of the hyped film’s co-stars, Irishman Jonathan Rhys Meyers, is doing just fine thank you.

All kinds of accolades are coming JRM’s way these days – chief among them the title of “Hottest Straight Guy We Wish Was Gay,” as bestowed by the latest issue of the gay magazine Out.

“That’s pretty bold. No one’s ever accused me of being straight before. Nice one,” he says in a witty interview with the publication.

Of course, JRM was asked his opinion on various gay subjects, including whether or not he has male homosexual friends. “Oh, God, yes. I have an apartment in Morocco with a load of old gay ex-pats who can’t be gay at home so they run around Morocco,” he says. (Surely he jests, but maybe not?)

“Ireland was a very sexually uptight country for many years because it was run by the church. There’s a lot of men in the closet for many, many years. I’ve got quite a few gay friends in Dublin. But still it’s not as free as it would be here in New York,” he adds.

Will the Irish government make good on a commitment to legally recognize civil unions between gay couples? JRM was asked the question, and to his credit he didn’t give a politically correct answer, but rather a realistic one.

“I’m sure from a political point of view, he (PM Bertie Ahern) wants to be seen as a very liberal person. But that’s not necessarily the way of the people,” he replied.

“What’s said in the public eye so a politician can be seen as open doesn’t necessarily give a perception of how the man on the street is going to take it. I’ve got lots of really, really ultra-straight friends in Ireland who would still have major problems… not the same as they would have 10 or 20 years ago, but they still hold some element of prejudice.

“But who gives a f*** anyway. I don’t go to bed with any of them. I could care less at the end of the day.”

JRM is very much together with his British girlfriend Reena Hammer, whom he squired last week to the fashion/social event of the New York spring season, the Costume Institute gala at the Met.

Though he’s certainly got a full slate of projects cooking since his Golden Globe win earlier this year, don’t be surprised if JRM soon turns into a style icon now that he’s inked deals to be “the face” of two major fashion houses, Versace and Hugo Boss. (Out readers will be delighted with that news for sure!)

“They felt it was the right time to ask me and, naturally, I jumped at the chance. It’s certainly handy to earn the extra few bob, although I will get a mocking from my friends back in Cork,” he says.