Should gay characters only be portrayed by gay actors?

[davey219]

I see this debate a lot. I'm gay. I'm also all for equality and am as inclusive as they come. Representation is great. But I disagree with this sentiment a lot. For me it comes down to the skill of the actor. Example, I read a book I LOVED called Something About Summer. They made a movie where the gay leads were portrayed by gay actors(i read up on some press about it ahead of time), and it was AWFUL because they just couldn't act. Obviously there are exceptions and it's probably something that needs to come down to a case by case and person by person basis, but it's called ACTING. That person you're watching isn't real. It shouldn't be a big deal.

The flipside of the argument is that if we go ahead and say only gay people can play gay roles, are we saying only straight people should play straight roles? Doesn't this mindframe actually get us farther away from being inclusive? Sorry for a really random rant but I was thinking about it after reading some casting debates. I'd like to hear some thoughts.

 

[rmcrae]

I agree with you. Saying only gay actors should play gay characters makes about as much sense as saying only actors who've been or are drug addicts and alcoholics should play characters with those addictions. An actor's job is to be believable in whatever role they're portraying.

 

[MusicMan321]

Well if you think of it when your watching a movie or TV series and the character is gay and they are making out with the same sex are they really gay??? Who knows probably a str8 person but if they are told what to do they will do it

 

[Rickrock]

No, I agree with you, davey219, actors should be chosen for their acting ability. Your last paragraph sheds a new light on it and makes it an even more forceful argument that it should be open to all actors.

 

[cabinfever]

It shouldn't matter but personally I do have a preference for gay men to play gay characters in general.

It is irritating to hear someone who is straight described as brave for a gay character portrayal but that's for another topic.

 

[mcbrion]

Poor quality is undesirable, in my eyes. Most qualified actors make a story great. That's why I never watch things on CW. I'm sure there are a few good actors, but it seems hit or miss from what I've seen.
The same holds true for gay stories. And it's been quite a while since I've seen anyone described as "brave" for being straight and playing a gay character. Where have you seen that recently? Will and Grace debuted back in the late '90s, and I don't recall any interviews calling Will McCormack "brave" for playing a gay actor but maybe I didn't read enough interviews. Still, he was great in the role. And appreciative of it, too.
And it's taken forever for Asian and Hispanic actors to even get series that reflect their culture, while Blacks have had series about us since the '70s. So, "equality" is a tricky thing in the acting world.

 

[cabinfever]

Poor quality is undesirable, in my eyes. Most qualified actors make a story great. That's why I never watch things on CW. I'm sure there are a few good actors, but it seems hit or miss from what I've seen.
The same holds true for gay stories. And it's been quite a while since I've seen anyone described as "brave" for being straight and playing a gay character. Where have you seen that recently? Will and Grace debuted back in the late '90s, and I don't recall any interviews calling Will McCormack "brave" for playing a gay actor but maybe I didn't read enough interviews. Still, he was great in the role. And appreciative of it, too.
And it's taken forever for Asian and Hispanic actors to even get series that reflect their culture, while Blacks have had series about us since the '70s. So, "equality" is a tricky thing in the acting world.

It has been years since I have watched any actor interviews or even read them and my opinion was formed pre 2000 on the brave thing so no - haven't seen that or much of anything else related to it recently.

As for Will and Grace - part of my opinion was based on McCormick. I was never a fan of the show and definitely not a fan of Will or the actor who portrays him but if it came down to his sexuality I don't really care but I would have rather seen someone else in the role.

I did think about it some more though and there are straight actors playing gay characters I do like - most notably the actor who plays Aaron on The Walking Dead and the actor who plays Captain Holt on Brooklyn Nine Nine - I think both are perfect in their roles so my opinion isn't absolute.

 

[mcbrion]

And what about the actors in Oz? Do people object to Chris Meloni playing a gay guy in the series? All the comments I've seen here only comment on how "hot" he is, so it'd be a bit hypocritical to complain he's not gay while the gay community was, at the same time ogling him to death (and jerking off to scenes with him in it!).

If there was a gay actor who could've gotten it across as well as Meloni, that would be great, but who was out there that could have done it as well as he did it? I'm hard pressed to think of another actor who could've gotten across the tortured soul in him, yet be so unselfconsciously sexy and able to display a tender side, as well. There are few enough actors who can do all that, period. It seems most actors make a choice as to what roles they're suited for: rough 'n tough; vulnerable; witty; charming; sweet. They have limited range. I don't imagine that that's tied in to sexual orientation, so, one goes with the best actor.

 

[MARMITE]

I have to admit I am often disappointed when I get a crush on a gay character in a movie or tv show only to find out that the actor is straight.

When a guy is really cute I get my hopes up and then have them dashed when it turns out that he is not gay.

 

[cumlover91]

I definitely think that representation is important and if a character is gay, the actor should be gay in real life. There are certain life experiences that a gay actor has gone through that a straight actor has not and those experiences bring a sort of rawness and authenticity to the role

 

[nyrival]

When you say only gay actors should play gay roles you're saying casting directors should be given the power to discriminate potential employees based on their sexual orientation. Acting is still a job and I'm fairly certain they're protected from discrimination in most states the same as anyone else on a job interview. I don't think it's legal to not hire someone to play a gay role because they're straight. I'm not even sure if it's legal to ask an actor their sexual orientation at an audition. It would also allow for the reverse where a casting director could refuse to hire a gay actor to play a straight character based solely on their sexual orientation. Yes, I would like to see more out gay actors given the opportunity to play gay roles but I have to assume the execution would require a rollback of sexual discrimination laws we fought hard to put in place.

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

it a big topic many level world no really care about but a anyway a few things

actors read script
on othur hand
real life world ova "people" play out script
viewer see wat level? woteva media put up worths a see
vary complicated it is

skip a rest of it

byebye

 

[sandford]

Playing Devils Advocate here, think of the uproar if a gay actor auditioned for a straight role and was knocked back because they were gay. “Gay men can only play gay characters” would not go down well, I’d imagine.

 

[magikarping]

I think the counterpoint to OP's argument would be something like false equivalence. A straight man playing a gay role does not equal a gay man playing a straight role, because of the inherent power dynamics in our current society. A straight man enjoys the majority of roles from which to choose, and they bring "star power" that directors/producers may want in order to appeal to mainstream viewers. An example of this could be Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger, who AFAIK identified as straight. A gay man, especially if he's out, will struggle to land straight roles, especially if we're talking about blockbusters or tentpole movies, where studios are looking for the least risk for their huge investment.

This reminds me a bit of affirmative action, actually. Until representation becomes more equal, I don't think I value technical merit as the sole arbiter of who should get these roles. Anyway, I'm a bit surprised how long I went on with this. Must be lockdown restlessness.

 

[Peloso]

I had a blast watching Sean Penn portray Harvey Milk.

 

[Reischfleger]

All actors should be able to play all roles.

 

[voltronforce]

I have no problem with anyone playing a lgbtq role in art as long as they do a good job. The whole point of acting is to play roles and people that you aren't and to bring them to life to the audience.

 

[magikarping]

Well, we have an interesting reversal in Netflix's new movie The Prom. James Corden, a straight man, plays the gay lead while Andrew Rannells, a gay man, plays the straight supporting character. It doesn't sound like most critics like Corden's portrayal, though. Also noteworthy because it's produced by Ryan Murphy, who has not shied away from emphasizing representation like in his series Pose.

 

[kineticpsi]

I'm fine with straight actors playing LGBT roles, but with one caveat. The people hiring them need to do a deep dive in their history and social media and ensure they aren't homophobic or transphobic. I don't want to be represented by someone that just wants a paycheck and thinks I shouldn't be able to have the same rights that they take for granted.

 

[Pierresro]

No The only actors that should be who they are ar Black Actors, In the 30´s the racist driectors painted there faces black, Race in a motion picture or show should not be done by peopel who are not black!