“I understand the complaint. I think Tony Kushner put it best.
He said, ‘It’s illegal for me to ask someone who they f*ck in terms of hiring them for a job. That’s none of my business, who someone sleeps with. The only question I have as the playwright is, are they right for this character?’
He said that if we only let people play who they are, then it’s the death of empathic imagination. I think that’s beautifully put, and I agree with it.
The community has suffered so much oppression. As a straight, white male, with so much privilege in this world, I believe my job right now is to pay attention, to listen and to be an ally.”Andrew Garfield speaking to the Independent about straight actors playing gay roles.
Related: Twitter lashes out at Andrew Garfield for claiming he’s gay but “without the physical act”
djmcgamester
Another bleeding heart who is down on the white man. Want to get the good roles? Become a great actor. People will hire you. There are actually some amazing non-white actors and actresses out there. Why? Because they’re good at their craft.
rayk5000
Seriously, dont u have better things to say. He is a supporter of our community. He could be Chris Pratt.
Apolodorus
It’s not that the information on historic systemic racism isn’t available, it’s that you refuse to search thoroughly for it. You prefer to believe that the reason why minorities and women do not have an equal share of the cake is because they are just not that competent – mathematical probability be damned . It suits your insecurities and justifies them.
Hdtex
You could have a massive coronary and no would mourn your loss. Seriously. Think about that…
Darsithis
He makes a good point – people should be able to play roles. I think a lot of our frustration with straight men playing gay roles is that we want someone to play those roles who plays on our team because we can more easily imagine ourselves with them or identify as them, but why? Why does it matter?
rayk5000
Agreed, when has acting require roles be played by actors who’s personal life match the role. Ridiculous. Actors would only get one role of a lifetime. Ben Whishaw plays everything as does Ewan McGregor. Great actors in any role!
Mack
There is a reason for calling it “ACTING”. The best actor for the job is the one that should be hired. Perhaps too often they want a box office draw to be the actor, it all comes down to who does the job the best. There are some actors that one just can’t imagine in a role.
rayk5000
LBGTQ is becoming as judgemental as Mike Pence. When have we started over analylizing everything. Social Media has destroyed people’s right to an opinion. I am so glad that everyone expresses themselves perfectly. Can we not see good intentions for what they are? We need to fight the real battles that affect the quality of our lives. Not sweat the small stuff from our arm chairs. Trust me in am a 60 year old gay man. I know from which I speak. My husband ran a health clinic during the AIDS crisis. We housed infected men. I have seen the quill in DC.
I am stepping down from my soap box now.
Brian
It’s not a gay thing, it’s a liberal thing. Most gays happen to be liberal. It’s the new puritanism.
Brian
He definitely should have left that last part out. If he thinks it’s fine for any actor to play any kind of role, then he should end the discussion there and stand behind it. If he thinks that gay actors are being screwed, then he should never accept a gay role and make it clear why. Agreeing with the part that benefits him, while still pandering to the gays is just icky.
Donston
This is the continuous problem I have with most industry people. You want to pander. You want pats on the back for claiming injustice and lack of opportunity. Yet, you still want the majority of high-profile “queer roles” and seem to be with okay with out actors having career limitations. At least own up to the hypocrisy. I also feel for many it’s not so much about the actor but has more to do with lack of more modern stories, the redundancy of the stories being told, and the seeming lack of desire to go beyond the shallow and easily digestible.
TheDefiler
“Yet, you still want the majority of high-profile ‘queer roles’ and seem to be with okay with out actors having career limitations.” How does this follow from anything Garfield said? How is it even intimated? Be specific in connecting the dots if you think it does, but I just don’t see it.
Donston
He doesn’t have to say it directly. None of these straight identifying actors who talk about this subject are willing to genuinely talk about it. They throw out defensive cliches and a bit of pandering, but don’t seem willing to challenge the status quo. Let’s be real. Hollywood is mostly about money, image, status and opportunity. Too many people are aware of the real deal. Feeding folks this double-sided, pc stuff has just gotten old. He would have been better off simply saying I don’t have an issue with any actor playing any role and Ieft it at that. Once most of these actors try to go “deeper” when it comes to subjects/struggles they don’t directly relate to they often end up revealing how their perspective lacks much nuance and/or just end up coming off like they’re real hard to be perceived as “good people” rather than speaking their truth.
This “issue” isn’t a high priority of mine. I barely care. And I find colorism more problematic when it comes to who gets what roles in Hollywood. But when I see spades I call them.
Brian
“And I find colorism more problematic when it comes to who gets what roles in Hollywood. But when I see spades I call them.”
Heh, maybe not the best choice of words here.
gingered1970
Thank you
one more thing
I just binged the netflix series Special and all the gay characters are by gay actors and I thought it was an excellent show, just bummed that they only made 8 episodes to start with……
DCguy
How about we wait to hyperventilate about the poor straight guys being denied acting roles UNTIL IT ACTUALLY HAPPENS!
LGBT actors are STILL being denied roles and yet we’re responding to the Hollywood P.R. where they are putting out lots of attacks on the idea that they should actually be diverse.
Daggerman
..Mr Garfield is a truly sensitive man who needs reckoning with. Maybe the rest of the world can begin to/or try and understand that ‘men’ can be sensitive.
tommyboy5023
Andrew has played gay, a Jesuit priest, and spiderman. He may be none of those things in real life.
Ashke113
An actor should be hired to play a role if the director feels that actor personifies the character. An actor should not be hired based on their sexual orientation or on the fact of whether they are or aren’t trans. Acting is acting and it’s about who can become the character. Just because a person is a homo doesn’t make them the right person……