Do gays REALLY care if a straight actor plays a gay character?

What's the point of acting? People need to stop with the crazy.

Does anyone?

I like it when a straight plays gay. Kind of hot.

I don't. As long as the performance is decent.

[quote]but I’ve never heard any gay men or lesbians complain about straight actors playing gay characters.

Plenty of gay and lesbian actors complain but they know better than to say it in print because implying that straight actors shouldn't play gay roles inadvertently implies that gay actors shouldn't play straight roles.

A few have been careful to say (the truth) that the real problem is: gay actors aren't treated the same as straight actors. It's not an even playing field. It starts in school and continues on their entire careers.

Straight can play gay and vice versa. It's called acting. But as 5 says, the real problem is that gay actors are discriminated against in the industry.

The only people that REALLY care are gay actors. Mostly underemployed gay actors on Twitter.

This is why the whole discourse about it is cynically disingenuous, because the question REALLY posed by those who complain is not why a straight actor was cast over a gay one, but rather: ‘Why wasn’t I - a skilled and amazing gay actor deserving of fame and adulation - cast?’

It’s narcissism reframed as social justice. And they’re the only ones who care. Most people aren’t invested enough to give a shit.

It is the silly woke crowd that cares about it. Isn't that poor young fellow from the woke queer show Heartstoppers hiding that he is straight because the fanbase-woke straight girls would be pissed.

Andrew Haigh cast one gay and one straight guy in 'Weekend'. Commenting on this topic, he said that while the straight guy (Tom Cullen) didn't have personal experience of being gay, there were plenty of other aspects of that character that he could relate to.

In other words, it's very limiting to assume that the most important characteristic of a gay character (for the actor or for the audience) will always be their sexuality.

Straight actors tend to go overboard with the mannerisms and "act gay." Hanks and Penn didn't for the most part, which was why they were so good.

I don’t care because it’s acting after all. Otherwise, it’s going to get old seeing the same handful of go-to gays like Ben Whishaw, NPH, et al.

[quote]Andrew Haigh cast one gay and one straight guy in 'Weekend'. Commenting on this topic, he said that while the straight guy (Tom Cullen) didn't have personal experience of being gay, there were plenty of other aspects of that character that he could relate to.

And the result was the best gay film ever made. I think in good science a filmmaker has to consider gay and straight actors, or rather not exclude either; but the choice should be whomever fits the bill best.

Hmmmm..... best ever is maybe a slight reach. A touching film though and two good performances at the centre of it.

When straight actors were praised for their "bravery" for playing gay. That was really fucking irritating. And then they go on to win awards!

Sadly Chris New gave up acting this year, he blamed his difficulties in getting roles on being openly gay, though he also claimed to have turned down some gay roles because he didn't want to keep doing the same thing (admirable, but perhaps beggars can't be choosers?).

Armie Hammer's forte in Cmbyn were love and sex scenes, he was good in them. He was otherwise wooden playing the scenes that had nothing to do with sexuality.

And young actor that is allegedly straight, who played the role of the prince was excellent, in sex and other scenes. Very talented kid.

And Gael Garcia Bernal in Almadovar Bad education playing a gay (for pay?) hustler. Smashing. Also Banderas in one of his older films.

So, I don't see any problem in straight actors playing gay if they can pull it of. It is their job after all.

I have forgotten to write that the talented young Swedish actor played the prince in Netflix show Young Royals.

The prolem is only with straight actor that can't hide how much they struggle to kiss a guy. Like young Michael Cimino from Love Victor. I like him, he is a sweet guy, but when he kisses the other guy he is instinctively trying to pull back and it is a pain to watch. Also, this nice young Kit Connor from asexual show Heartstoppers. He had only few chaste kisses with the other boy, without tongue, but he looked as if somebody was pointing gun at his head.

No!

It's funny how people will complain up and down this site about actors bearding but people are mute when it comes to discrimination against out actors... Make it make sense.

I like seeing gay guys get work, because lord knows Hollywood still doesn’t let out gay actors play heterosexual romcom leads or blockbuster superheroes, but I have no issue with straights playing gay. We’ve got a long way to go with gays being allowed to play straight, though. Hallmark Christmas movies notwithstanding.

R15, did Chris New actually give up acting? (I couldn't find any reports to confirm and I certainly hope it's not true.) What a pity if he did. I know he worked in theatre in London and to good reviews, and Kickstarter-ed a film on his own and taught acting, but indeed he had few big film roles that garnered much publicity after Weekend. He was extraordinarily good in that film and I would have liked to see him as much good work as he would want to take on.

You should have an issue with it. It just leads to str8 self-congratulation. There's an implicit "Don't worry, your fave is still one of you. Continue to flick yourb bean."

[Quote] He was extraordinarily good in that film and I would have liked to see him as much good work as he would want to take on.

And that's no coincidence. Out actors are shown by the industry that they are perceived as worthless or at least of lesser value. That's fucked up.

I don't care as long as the actor fits the role. Also I would be put off by a homophobic actor playing a gay role as a PR stunt to get an award or to earn points with the gay audience. Race seems to be off the table, blacks should play black etc. There are too many nuances in acting and movies to just simply say that a certain category of actor should play a certain role. But there are boundaries that should be observed.

Of course not! That's why it's caled ACTING. No one cared that Rock Hudson did romantic comedies, or that Derek Jacobi plays straight characters, neither does the knowledge that they are/were gay impact their performance. Memorable straight playing gay performances, Albert Molina and John Lithgow in Love is Strange.

^^^ Alfred, not Albert

Rock Hudson wasn't out, dummy.

OP- Tom Hanks is a CLOSETED Gay Actor who pretends to be a straight actor playing a gay character.

Is that why he invited Ariana Grande for Charades? He wanted to hear her divoon whistle tone?

R28 Oh, you want the elementary school. It's two blocks further down.

But enough about your "dating" life, r31.

R31- maybe people in Hollywood knew Rock was gay, but Ethel from Peoria watching him onscreen didn’t. He wasn’t “out”.

R32 You remember what the word "date" means?

[Quote] You remember what the word "date" means?

If you choke on the sheet cake you devour today, and expire, I'll remember the date...

If a gay person has the right chemistry/look/whatever for the gay character, they should be considered first. This is especially true for romantic and sexual scenes between men because straight men often hesitate and it shows in their performance.

Next time you're watching straight men trying to engage in intimate behavior in a movie/show, notice how many cuts at varying camera angles there are. Most times even the best editing can't capture the moment if it isn't authentic.

I'd say R35 is pretending to be stupid, but we both know he's not.

A number of productions seem to be splitting the difference in recent years by having one half of the central couple be played by a gay actor, and the other half by a het, e.g. Weekend, Looking, A Very British Scandal, Heartstopper, Young Royals.

R22, afraid so, he announced it on his Instagram. Seemed pretty disillusioned with the acting world. It's cute that Tom C is still his mate and was sending him supportive comments.

I wonder what someone like that does for a living now? 40 years old, doesn't come from money, doesn't seem to have significant experience in any other field. Perhaps he will build on the teaching work but does that start to dry up if it's been a long time since your last role?

He'll probaly teach at his alma mater, RADA.

Anyway my own humble opinion is that the best acting performance I've seen in a gay role comes from the straight Josh O'Connor in 'God's Own Country' - he totally transformed himself for the role in terms of accent, body language, posture, and on top of that manages to pull off a real and convincing evolution in his character, particularly when it came to his acting in the intimate scenes (inhibited, mechanical and semi-violent at the beginning, to slowly becoming more tender and open as the character grew).

I really couldn't care less - it's called acting. Someone's sexual orientation in real life has no bearing on the characters they play, unless they're positively mincing in every scene.

I did however take umbrage at the creators of How I Met Your Mother expecting audiences to believe that NPH was a total pussyhound. Not because he's gay but because he's a wizened little gnome that I have trouble believing women would find attractive.

[Quote] Someone's sexual orientation in real life has no bearing on the characters they play,

Chris New's experience says otherwise, but hey, what would he know compared to you...

There are quite a number of foreign films where hets play gays with a considerable about of honesty and authenticity during the intimacy scenes. Off the top of my head: Rialto, La Dea Fortuna (Ferzan Ozpetek's latest), Sorry Angel (though I suspect Pierre Deladonchamps), Contracorriente, Dear Ex.

^^^ considerable AMOUNT of

It’s pretty fucked up because of Hollywood’s homophobia. Most of the most well-known gay roles are played by straights/closet cases.

How is it possible that the gay leads are all straight (or closeted)? Because Hollywood is homophobic and is intentionally casting them and in turn punishing openly gay actors.

All actors are a bit poofy.

Straight actors playing gay characters doesn't seem to curb their homophobia either, which is strange because you would think they would have better understanding after the experience, it took bloatface Matt Damon 20 years to stop saying f*ggot, after his role in The Talented Mr. Ripley.

R42

But it actually does matter when you’re an openly gay actor. They’re being boxed out for coming out. Openly gay actors like Garrett Clayton and Colton Haynes already spilled the tea. Hollywood is still very homophobic and hasn’t changed much.

As a gay man, I don’t give two fucks if straights play gay or gays play straight. Whoever is right for the role. It is “acting”. Some people just need something to be outraged about.

But it's not an even playing field, hon.

R15, It's sad that he quit, he had much potential. I would have like to have seen him in more films, even if he has only being offered gay roles, that's better than nothing.

R52 Yeah, I mean, surely in acting the main thing is to be regularly working. I'm not sure that his diagnosis of his career difficulties shouldn't be taken with a little pinch of salt (I do agree that he was talented and is a loss to the industry).

Most gay centric works - plays, low budget movies etc. are shit. I don't blame New for not being content to subsist on scraps.

Augie Prew had his own CBS show. He brought his (now) husband to the red carpet. The show lasted a season. The only roles Prew could get in the aftermath were the gay assistant on The Jennifer Aniston Programme and some gay indies.

These out actors aren't lying about the discrimination they face. DL is the wrong place to talk about it, of course.

Thank you, R50, my sentiments precisely.

Maybe some of the gay actors whining about being boxed out just aren't very good actors. Let's face it, Garrett Clayton was never going to win an Oscar.

Yet another DL thread ends up on RT

[Quote] Maybe some of the gay actors whining about being boxed out just aren't very good actors. Let's face it, Garrett Clayton was never going to win an Oscar.

Way to miss the point. Gary was booked. He was considered employable while closeted, and much less so when out. That's homophobia. But one shouldn't expect DLers to give a shit.

R41 Right, in God's own country both Josh O'Connor and the Romanian actor, I forgot his name, had great performances and some of the best gay love scenes and they are both straight.

And you're praising them for it. Typical.

Why wouldn't I praised them R60, they were excelent?

You're praising them for "authenticity" while being straight (or "straight). The het element is bound up in the praise. But you can't even see it, and how fucked up that is.

This is not the hill to die on. Keep it up and gay actors will ONLY play gay characters.

Out actors mostly do only get to play gay characters. And the "know your place, it could be worse" messaging is not appreciated.

Are we starting to see that shift a little though? I think Luke Evans' casting as macho, womanising Gaston in Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' is an example of a pretty 'straight' role a gay actor is now getting: any similar examples?

R62 I praise Rock Hudson for his straight romantic roles, too. Now that we know he was gay, we still can't notice that in his roles. He had more chemistry with Liz Taylor than Richard Burton did.

If the straight casting is done merely and obviously for greed, yes I'd have a problem with it. There are so many jobs out there that go to the dominant default straight white actors. Otoh you can go overboard as with Bridgerton and The Sandman.

Why should it be a problem if a straight actor is playing gay. Richard Madden was excellent when he was kissing Taron Egerton and rolling in bed with him in Rocketman.

R68 is right.

On a related note, Jake Gyllenhaal was heartbreaking as Jack in Brokeback Mountain. Even though he’s definitely not gay he played a closeted gay man very well.