To gay or not to gay, that is the question!
Not that many years ago, it was a rite of passage for a promising young heterosexual actor to do “gay for pay.”
OK, now get your mind of out of the gutter –– we’re not talking about adult films. We’re talking about portraying a homosexual character… and then receiving a bevy of awards show recognition. Here’s looking at you, Jared Leto and Eddie Redmayne!
Hollywood has made strides in casting LGBTQ+ actors in LGBTQ+ roles in recent years, but that’s not to say we’re past the trend, nor that there’s a one-size-fits-all approach to representation.
A few months ago, rumors surfaced that The White Lotus star Theo James was in talks to play George Michael in an upcoming biopic and Adam Lambert made headlines for sarcastically commenting, “Yay another straight man playing a gay icon,” on an Instagram post from The Advocate. Whoop, there it is!
Still, Lambert acknowledged that there’s nuance to the situation. “It’s definitely a step in the right direction that these stories are being told,” he told Queerty in an exclusive interview. “But I would just love to see an out actor play an out icon –– it’d just be nice, because you don’t really see it.”
So, where does that leave us? Because for every Cam from Modern Family, Robin Williams in The Birdcage, or Moonlight‘s Trevante Rhodes, there’s a James Corden in The Prom. Oof!
The world may never agree on whether or not straight actors should play gay roles, but we can certainly agree that some performances are better than others. From homophobic choices to forgettable films, there’s a few characters we’d like to forget ever existed.
Click through for 20 of the worst “gay for pay” performances on the silver screen…
1. James Corden – The Prom
Was there anyone not offended by James Corden’s portrayal of a narcissistic and flamboyant Broadway queen in Ryan Murphy‘s 2020 adaptation of The Prom? Critics called his performance “truly disgusting,” “insulting,” and a “depressing testament to Corden’s clout in the industry.” And those were the nice ones!
2. Michael Douglas – Behind the Candelabra
Need we say more? Just take one look at Michael Douglas dressed as Liberace (and Matt Damon as his Prince Valiant-looking lover) in Steven Soderbergh’s 2013 film Behind the Candelabra.
Why a director decided to cast Douglas as the lead in one of the GAYEST MOVIES EVER about one of the GAYEST PERFORMERS EVER is beyond us. But the fact that the film marks Debbie Reynolds’ final role before her 2016 passing is the real travesty.
3. Harry Styles – My Policeman
Sorry Directioners, but this was not it. Don’t get us wrong: Harry Styles is gorgeous to look at it, but the only buzz that came from his dull performance as a closeted cop in 2022’s My Policeman came from a community accusing him of queerbaiting –– not The Academy. Or even the Golden Globes. Oh well, at least he gave us a movie that “feels like a movie.”
4. Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody
Sometimes a heterosexual actor does such a terrible job portraying a gay legend that Hollywood has no choice but to give him the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Aside from those f*cking teeth (pictured above), Rami Malek left a lot to be desired from the LGBTQ+ community with his take on Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. To be fair, the script basically glossed over Mercury’s gay identity completely, so perhaps no one was the champion after all.
5. James Franco – King Cobra
Remember when James Franco played a gay porn producer exploiting Brent Corrigan in 2016’s wannabe-thriller King Cobra? We’re sorry for bringing it up again. It wasn’t the first time that the self-proclaimed “gay c*ck tease” feigned homo for the big screen, but it was his most over-the-top role. We never thought we’d see Franco shout “F*ck that a**” while bent over a couch… and TBH, we don’t need to see it again.
6. Antonio Sabáto Jr. – Testosterone
In 2003’s Testosterone, Antonio Sabáto Jr. portrayed Pablo, a hunk who mysteriously walks out on his boyfriend (David Sutcliffe), though that’s not to say he was missed. In fact, Sutcliffe had more chemistry with Jennifer Coolidge’s character than with his lover and as one critic put it, Sabáto is “a very wooden actor that’s painful to watch.”
But even that review might be a bit generous considering Sabáto has since become a hardcore Republican, stumped for Trump at the Republican National Convention and announced plans to create his own “conservative movie studio” after claiming he was blacklisted. Go figure.
7. Sacha Baron Cohen – Bruno
While Sacha Baron Cohen allowed for some smart commentary on race in 2006’s Borat, it’s hard to imagine that his portrayal of a b*tchy and problematic fashion journalist in 2009’s Brüno did anything but make the homophobes hate us more. Critics called the character “a caricature of the worst stereotype of gayness that non-gay people still believe,” and honestly, no one wanted to see that much of Baron Cohen naked either.
8. Bradley Cooper – Valentine’s Day
And the twist is… he’s gay! For a film aiming to be the American ripoff of Love Actually, 2010’s Valentine’s Day is waaaay too corny and bloated. We’re led to believe Bradley Cooper’s character is flirting with Julia Roberts for the entire movie, until he come homes to Sean Jackson (played by the equally hetero Eric Dane), a NFL player whose coming out is played for comedic effect. Their chemistry is nonexistent, and yet again, we’re left wishing the straights would exclude us from their heteronormative bullsh*t!
9. Jude Law – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
We know Dumbledore is gay, but just *how* gay was his character (portrayed by Jude Law) in mega-flop franchise Fantastic Beasts? Did anyone see these movies? Does anyone even care?!
There was that blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in the third film (read: a line dispensable enough to axe for the film’s release in China) and Law’s performance never pushed past “questionably fruity,” prompting us to wonder why his character’s queerness (and this spinoff) existed in the first place.
10. Brandon Routh and Justin Long – Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Okay, maybe we are being harsh. This duo might just be the best part of Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks’ forgettable comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Brandon Routh surprises everyone at his high school reunion when he shows up with his boyfriend (Justin Long), a gay porn star who’s starred in fare such as “You Better Shut Your Mouth or I’m Gonna F*ck It.” Their smarmy portrayals of bickering and hot L.A. gays are far from believable, but also, where can we find that video?
11. Tracy Morgan – The Longest Yard
Tracy Morgan played ridiculously offensive inmate Ms. Tucker in 2005’s The Longest Yard, leading the gays in a cheerleading squad for Adam Sandler’s jail yard football team. Morgan’s cross-dressing character was called out for “continuing the trend of homophobic humor so prevalent in Sandler’s films,” and considering the flick scored a dismal 31 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s clear gays weren’t the only ones NOT laughing.
12. Channing Tatum – This is the End
Channing Tatum had a surprise cameo as himself in 2012’s outrageous apocalypse comedy This is the End, taking on the role of Danny McBride’s “sexual gimp” (Seth Rogen’s words, not ours!) as Hollywood crumbled.
It’s a ridiculous premise, so we won’t hold this one against Tatum forever, though his enthusiasm for the role was questionable. “[Channing’s scene is] actually one of the scenes we had to tone down the most [because he] went like so into, like spreading his a** open,” Rogen said.
13. Paul Rudd – The Object of My Affection
Paul Rudd plays Jennifer Aniston’s gay roommate that she decides to raise a baby with and then develops feelings for in 1998’s The Object of My Affection. His “Sexiest Man Alive” status aside, Rudd’s portrayal of GBF rarely ventures beyond acting sensitive, wearing collared shirts, and offering interior decorating advice.
14. Colin Firth – Mamma Mia
Is it any surprise that in a cast of queens like Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, and Julie Walters, Colin Firth’s gay character was the least exciting part of 2008’s Mamma Mia? We’ve never seen an actor fight their repulsion quite as hard as when Firth embraces a man during “Take A Chance On Me,” though we got Cher in the sequel, so all is forgiven.
15. James Marsden – Sex Drive
James Marsden plays the older brother from hell in 2008’s Sex Drive, hurling homophobic insults like “ball bag,” “sissy,” “ch*de stroker” and “Clay Aiken” at his younger bro, only for the film to reveal in its closing moments that Marsden’s character is, in fact, gay. “Now he only uses the word ‘f*ggot’ during rough sex,” the movie’s closing narration says. It was a different time –– though it’s still Ronald Gladden from Jury Duty‘s favorite film.
16. Andy Samberg – I Love You Man
Andy Samberg was the most masc-for-masc gay ever in 2009’s I Love You, Man. While his brother in the movie (portrayed by fellow “gay for pay” listee Paul Rudd) can’t even find a male BFF, all Samberg has to do is look at another guy and they’re suddenly dating. It’s comical to think any gay man could find a bae so easily –– perhaps they should’ve added a scene where Samberg showed off his “d*ck in a box”?
18. Jim Carey – I Love You Phillip Morris
As far as Jim Carrey movies go, I Love You Phillip Morris is hardly his worst film, nor is it his most homophobic. But despite the movie’s strong critical reception, it’s hard to watch and not just see Jim Carrey playing a gay man who flops, talks, and goofily throws himself around like, well, Jim Carrey. Still, bonus points go to the screenwriters for this line: “Being gay is really expensive.”
17. Ewan McGregor – I Love You Phillip Morris
Ewan McGregor portrays the perfectly pleasant counterpart to Jim Carrey’s crazy character in I Love You Phillip Morris… but it’s just too hard to get past that cringy bleach job! Still, even that couldn’t stop McGregor from going gay again in Ryan Murphy’s 2021 series Halston… to extremely tepid reception. We were rooting for you, Obi-Wan!
19. Henry Golding – Monsoon
The most exhausting part of Henry Golding playing gay in 2020’s Monsoon was how hard he defended his decision. “It was so beautiful the way that [my character’s] sexuality didn’t even matter to the bigger picture or the story at hand,” Golding told Indiewire of the film, adding, “There’s no real right or wrong answer when it comes to straight actors playing gay characters, or gay [actors] playing straight roles.”
To be fair, his character’s sexuality is severely underplayed, leading us to insist that if you’re gonna go gay, you might as well go all the way!
20. Katherine Heigl – Jenny’s Wedding
Congratulations to Katherine Heigl for being the only actress to make the cut!
After wreaking havoc behind-the-scenes of Grey’s Anatomy (and exiting the show in 2010), Heigl played a lesbian coming out to her family after getting engaged in 2015’s Jenny’s Wedding. Though critics dubbed it a “lecture on tolerance,” the hardest part was tolerating Heigl’s interpretation of a gay woman: sourpuss look, lots of complaining, and zero chemistry with her fiancé.
Godabed
Hal Spark in Queer as Folk can play gay all he wants. Also all of those films were trash. But Colin Farrell End of the World should have been on there. Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto for Dallas Payers Club. Brokeback Mountain’s jake gyllenhaal… he needs to never play gay ever again.
Pietro D
Very Wrong on Jake the Snake in “Brokeback”. What movie did U watch, Mister?
Just saw the film for the first time and I’ll say the movie and performances still
work in 2023. I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks.
Andrew
Let’s be mean to all of our allies. I enjoyed many of these movies and performances. Some performers may even be gay. They certainly opened the door for more gay roles and more gay movies. You should not have to be Italian to play an Italian or gay to play gay. I hate to say it, but we have pushed, for lack of a better word, “woke” a step too far. Too many can’t and not enough thank you’s. So to all the performers they have dished with this article “Thank You”
skyreader
I’m with Andrew. This looks like a solution in search of a problem. I’m flattered that good actors want to play gay roles. Way back when, somebody like Clark Gable wouldn’t go near a gay role. If you flip the coin, you could say that straight actor should only get to play straight roles.
Rugby8
Well Said!!!!!!
Thanks.
Tim44309
I completely agree with Andrew! I enjoyed many of these movies. I read this article, and I think, “Who is the panel of experts who decide what is and is not authentic gay behavior?” Quite contrary to the article’s premise, I thought many of these actors embodied the particular nuances and traits of the gay character they portrayed. Jim Carrey in “I Love You Philip Morris” is as much about a man who is bipolar and also happens to be gay. Harry Styles in “My Policeman” was about a gay man simultaneously captivated and repulsed by his own desires. I have known many men quite the same. These actors took a risk professionally to play a gay character. Yea, even more so today in the regressive climate of 2023…. I welcome and appreciate their courage and support and their actions have helped to introduce and in some cases normalize gay people as part of the fabric of life.
Cam
Allies? Is that a joke? Dean Cain played gay because it was a paying job, then has gone on to promote right wing bigoted politicians.
As usual your trolling is sad and weak.
LegionKeign
You said exactly what I wanted to post.
1st. Be nice to our ALLIES!
2nd. Most of these dudes are CLOSETED big time and OVER-ACTED to try and throw us off. But we know a Gay when we see one Ms. Antonio Sabato Jr.
Raphael
Why don’t we all, straight and gay, just stop playing dumb, huh!? That’s the role no one should be playing… You shouldn’t have to be straight to play straight, either, but that’s not how Hollywood works. So, of course people will complain, and they are right to.
smittoons
If an actor’s performance doesn’t feel genuine for reasons other than their not being LGBT+, or it’s truly reductive or offensive… then yes, fair game. But a lot of these are just piling onto these actors for pretty petty reasons.
wyatt88
Andrew is so right! Unless there is a straight homophobe playing a gay character, who cares? We love our straight allies!!!
NateOcean
I’m not sure it’s fair to criticize James Corden for making a bad GAY movie, since EVERYTHING he’s in is bad.
Steven R
He wasn’t completely horrible in “Into the Woods.”
still_onthemark
I hope he pops up as a nasty customer on “The Bear” and demands an egg YOLK omelet!
Pietro D
Yes, everything in THE PROM is bad…… but Corden is not only bad in his role….. he’s pretty much a bitchy, hateful man in real life trying to prove a point he’s never going to win! He’s as QUEER as a three dollar bill! So many have already complained how badly he treats not only his staff but even many guests on his shit show. Send him back to merry, ole England where he belongs. Do not package him to France, Italy or Canada. We can’t use him.
Joule Onyx
Not everything….History Boys was a fantastic movie.
Rugby8
Stop Whining and Complaining!
YOU are not going to be cast no matter What you do.
Seriously.
Try worrying about things that matter.
30 years ago these movies weren’t made at all.
STOP WHINING
Cam
Wow, the same right wing troll account has used MULTIPLE names to freak out about the very idea that a non-straight actor MIGHT not get hired for one of the 2 LGBTQ roles that come out every 5 years. (Big eye roll)
Rugby8
Wow Cam – if you are talking about me, you are dumber than you sound.
1 name — been using it for 15+ years — NOT Rightwing, and certainly not a troll. Based on photos of you I’ve seen I’d say *you* are a contender for that title.
It doesn’t freaking matter whether gay or straight people play gay characters. What in the hell is wrong with you? Clearly you were brought up getting everything you want, and this is your latest foot-stomping tantrum.
You and your internalized homophobia make the rest of us Gay people embarrassed.
Stop freaking Whining punky
Rugby8
Btw dumb-ss –
This is the account name I use most places. I played Rugby for 20+years, the position is called #8.
In case you don’t realize, Rugby is a Sport, so I imagine you don’t know anything about it?
Look it up punky
Ronbo
“Cam” has been a right-wing parody account of a “woke extremist” for quite a while now. Cam seems to be a tRumper who repeatedly attacks our community for not being extremist enough. Cam attempts to show the world that our community is self-absorbed, childish and self-destructive.
Don’t give the haters and fakers oxygen or attention. You can spot them when they have no idea of our history, efforts or struggle. Cam once asked if Dan Choi was a brand of soy sauce!?!
BoylesqueBubble
Oh yay! Cam is back, when everyone here had been having hopes, thoughts and prayers, that his pathetic broken record repeating self had taken a dirt nap for good. Having happily been told my “troll game is weak and sad” as I’ve been lumped into his hilariously paranoid list of “troll” accounts, if the phucktard had any intelligence with electronics, he could easily find out where each commenter is by an ISP. Since he’s incapable of anything other than attacking people who don’t have his EXACT OPINIONS, because that’s all he can do. But having seen what he looks like, it’s no wonder. Surviving on eating your own smegma hasn’t helped. Take a dirt nap Cam. No one likes you. No one has to have your exact opinions on anything, you lonely feckless piece of garbage. If anyone around here is divisive, it is you. Even people who share your exact politics cannot stand you because YOU are the troll. You can’t help but assault verbally ANYONE who disagrees with you and you immediately write them off as a troll. So if anyone’s troll game, is weak and sad, it is you. Make friends with some razor blades or draino. It’s the only way to save yourself.
RoxBowling956
With all due respect, I really don’t appreciate these performances being lumped together to make a quick “worst of” list. Is this just the author’s sole personal opinion? If so, fine, but keep it to yourself. This article undermines and takes away from what I considered to be some great performances. I’m old enough to remember when most straight Hollywood actors refused to play gay characters. It’s as if the author and a lot of the younger generation can’t comprehend how important it was for straight actors to step in and portray gay men that weren’t prancing around with lisps or lesbians that weren’t predatory villains. I remember watching I Love You Man with my family in 2009 and feeling so relieved to see a non-stereotypical gay character with a good heart. As simple and forgettable as the movie itself was, that character was so memorable and enjoyable to me. This article just belittles it. If you have any interest in looking into actual terrible “gay for pay” (hate that i’m even using this phrase for straight actors) performances, take a look at Elizabeth Ashley in “Windows” or Kier O’Donnell in “Wedding Crashers.” Not Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody. Sigh…
Rugby8
Agree! So well written
Thanks
Pietro D
A “bravo” to you cause I was beginning to feel that too many performances by Str8 men portraying gay were being trashed too harshly in a very systematic manner. The best man or woman for any gay role OR any straight role, labels be damned!
Joule Onyx
Agree 1000%
Fname Optional Lname
Anyone complaining needs to read the definition of “acting’! Playing people from other races or cultures is never appropriate but playing a gay character is something that straight actors would have never done forty yeas ago! When I was a teenager the only gay character you could see on film was in the middle of the night when HBO played the movie “Making Love” (look it up) -. Str8 actors playing gay roles was career suicide. We need to honor ally’s and acknowledge that although we still have a long way to go – we are making progress
john.k
Indeed, and Harry Hamlin actually didn’t get any film roles for many years after he played in “Making Love”.
Rugby8
Bingo!
JromeGervais09
Cam on Modern Family was way over played with too many cliches. Horrible choice for the part.
Jim
I saw him as the step and fetch it of gay characters
JromeGervais09
I disagree very much with the writer of the comment on “The Policeman” Harry Styles stunned me with his wonderful performance. He was so nuanced in his portrayal of a closeted gay man in that era. Being on stage myself, I see so many working actors being paid good money for horrible performances.
Joshooeerr
Yes, while some of this list may be justified, Harry Styles is perfectly fine in My Policeman. I also see nothing wrong with Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor in I Love You, Phillip Morris. The movie is quirky and maybe not to everyone’s taste, but there’s nothing off about their performances within that context. Also, Carrey gave one of his better serious performances as a gay man in the very underrated TV movie Doing Time On Maple Drive. As someone else observed, being mean to allies is kind of stupid.
Joule Onyx
William McNamara played the gay son not Jim Carrey
nm4047
I agree, don’t know why Neil Patrick Harris gets to act in the role of Barney in How I Met Your Mother, oh, wait, he’s a gay man playing a str8 role. My mistake.
Raphael
Oh right… That’s one; 19 to go. We’ll wait on that list.
dbmcvey
I truly hate that you call actors who play gay roles “gay for pay.”
Matthewnow
TOTALLY agreed. It’s called ACTING! Find something important to complain about. Let’s not forget Ryan O”Neal. He’s really pathetic.
Rugby8
Ditto
Yooper
Zero story in this incredible piece of journalism (trash). From the title to content; crap.
dwick
This article is crap. Sorry not sorry
ciasteczek
there is this great polish saying when people get overemotional over things that dont really matter: dont sh!t yourself.
Chaucer
I disagree with most of your criticisms here. This may be the worst piece I’ve seen published by Queerty.
curiobi
This article really is not helping. With slow progress such as out gay actors playing hetero characters and hetero actors hesitating far less or even not at all to play gay roles, we should be cheering on progress. I don’t see the point of criticising allies! PARTICULARLY when the home of Hollywood, America, is tearing itself apart with anti-LGBT hysteria and worse legislation right now. Even when the script missed the mark, an attempt at inclusion was at least made, and most importantly, each attempt paved the way for the next and normalising gay people being included in film. Honestly, Q, you have been around a long time and you should know better than this kind of article! -Again, there is no point trashing allies, leave the haters something to do why don’t you?
JPDonahue
Then, a super gay actor led movie comes along and it’s ignored.
BROS is fantastic. Heartfelt and funny… with a mostly queer cast… and the gays stayed away in droves.
Not sure what the point of this article is.
monty clift
The only good thing about that mess was Luke Macfarlane, and even he couldn’t save the film. The incessant lecturing from Billy and the TQ dullards is what kept everyone away.
Ronbo
tried BROS suspending my disbelief that anyone could find Billy miscast as a lead. I asked bing for gay male actors and learned that there are a LOT more actual gay actors which might have encouraged me to go past the farcical setup.
Best gay movie with straights: Pricilla. The silver going to: Ideal Home. I love, Love, LOVE watching Terence Stamp attempting the dance steps. It reminds me of every local drag show I’ve ever seen. Some people aren’t meant to dance on stage and it comes off as soooo real.
inbama
Romantic comedies need romantic leads.
Isn’t that why we all enjoyed “Smiley” with Carlos Cuevas and Miki Esparbé?
BLAKENOW
Whoever crazy, spoiled self-entitled GenZ’er r that wrote this piece of crap is the problem with the gay community. Anyone that things like this you all are the problem-
you are not the solution. Grow up and realize that Acting is acting sorry if every queen that you seem to adore, didn’t get the movie role that you think deserved it, it’s not up to you. It’s a business decision Hollywood as a business not a failure..
Rugby8
Man oh Man!
Spot On!!
Couldn’t agree more
Jim
Let’s not forget Delmont Mulroney in Long Time Companion.
He did it when it could have been a career ender and he did a great job.
dbmcvey
That entire cast, both gay and straight, were brilliant. What a great movie.
mailliw110
Yeah, it’s called ACTING for a reason. Some are better than others and not all gay people can act. Please get away from this kind of stereotyping!
Cam
Hollywood for decades refused to cast any out of the closet LGBTQ characters. Now the excuse is, “We had to cast a straight person because there aren’t any big name LGBTQ actors…..you know, because we refuse to cast them so no LGBTQ people can actually BECOME big actors.
Now the right wing trolls are here ENRAGED that a non straight person MIGHT get a role. It shows how deep the bigotry runs that the idea of a queer actor getting a job causes so much anger.
Rugby8
……shhhhhhh
Cam
I can’t believe, after people protested against the portrayal of Cam in Modern Family and actually boycotted the show over the way the couple was depicted that you would put Eric Stonestreet up as a GOOD example of a straight person playing gay. He was a nausiating over the top cliche.
Louis
Interesting opinion.
If a user who you considered to be a “Right wing troll using one of their screen names” called an overtly camp person “nauseating” and “cliché”, you’d cry “homophobic right wing troll”.
I have met MANY a gay-identifying male who was as camp and flamboyant as Eric plays his character.
So answer me this: do you consider flamboyant camp gays to be “nauseating and cliché” OR do you only find straights portraying such gays who DO (thankfully) exist to be nauseating and cliché?
dbmcvey
Some out there activists might have called for a boycott, but I don’t think one ever took place.
Rugby8
You my dear, are the over the top cliche — the Whiny Gen-X Homophobic Gay man
Lolol
monty clift
@Cam, This list is a hot mess. Would it be okay for a white actor to play a stereotype of a black man? For some reason, they think it’s acceptable to do it to gay men.
inbama
I’ve always imagined that our troll Cam was exactly like Cam on “Modern Family.”
JessPH
Negative Nancys would always have something to whine against.
If it wasn’t for those A-list straight actors, those movies would have not been made or people would have not been aware of them.
No one sees movies and shows featuring D-list gay actors (i.e. Bros).
LGBTQ visibility always matters so if popular straight actors could attract more viewers then let them play gay roles.
Ronbo
Yes, bring our community together – it’s how we won the hearts and minds of humanity in recent decades Haters like Cam, Monty, dbmcvy and the author only serve to divide and isolate our community; which ONLY benefits the bigots.
Know that we are a community within a greater community. We serve to elevate society and expand compassion, understanding and acceptance.
Please, let’s ignore the haters who demand otherwise.
Brian-E
One big problem I have with requiring LGB roles to be played by LGB actors is that it is then necessary for an LGB actor to come out in order to take on the role. No-one should be forced out of the closet in order to be eligible for work.
As a cisgender person I won’t comment on Trans roles being played by cis actors because it isn’t my place to do so. I also respect the argument that Trans roles are really rare, Trans actors sometimes find it particularly hard to get work, therefore giving a Trans role to a cis actor is a wasted opportunity. I also respect those who say that cisgender people cannot understand Trans lives well enough to play such a role. That may well be the case.
But as a gay person I have no problem with a straight actor portraying a LGB person. I think many straight actors make a good job of it.
dbmcvey
Just not true.
monty clift
Trans shouldn’t be trying to shoehorn their way into gay roles either.
Fahd
How can opportunities for gay actors be increased?
I’ve noticed that some historical dramas cast actors of color in the roles of characters who would have surely been white because of the racial segregation in that historical period. This increases opportunities for actors of color. If the homophobia among Hollywood’s movers and sharkers could be overcome, there might be more opportunities for gay actors to play straight roles.
Also, so many films about gay life still have to be made. Is Bros the end of high budget efforts? Is the banning of movies with gay themes in countries plagued by homophobia going to limit big studios seeking international revenues from including gay themes?
Overall, how can we break free of tokenism and stereotyping? (see Cam in Modern Family or Steve Harvey in which ever television program he participates. However, sometimes it is difficult to judge whether a person just is that way or whether they are enacting a stereotype they have internalized, or I guess in Eric Lightfoot’s case enacting someone who is enacting a stereotype they’ve internalized. )
Anyone who has the solutions for the issues of gay actors and gay roles in film and television should not keep them to him(her)(them)-self(ves).
Pietro D
DO NOT GIVE US SUCH AN OBSCENE ARTICLE AGAIN.
Carson Minarik sucks Big Time!
DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO THINK OR HOW TO REACT
TO ANYTHING I SEE ON SCREEN. I AM MORE THAN ABLE
TO MAKE UP MY OWN MIND ON ANYTHING I CHOOSE TO SEE.
i DISAGREED WITH “many” SHIT THINGS TOSSED ABOUT IN THIS
“shit article”.
Joule Onyx
Who wrote this, I’m guessing someone part gen z or thinks every gay character in a film has to be a stereotypical rave twink or queen like the ones in Fire Island. Brandon Routh and Justin Long in Zack and Miri Make a Porno were hilarious, the whole movie was. Henry Golding was great in Monsoon and I agree with him, his characters sexuality wasn’t that big a deal to move the plot forward, is it the fact that there were no white male leads in the movie and that his characters love interest is Black man and that you used the word exhausting when describing his portrayal of a gay man. Seems to me that if a character wasn’t portrayed the way you think he should have been portrayed, you have a problem with him, Rami Malik deserved his oscar, Paul Rudd was the best part of a tired trope following movie with a lead actress that gave one of the flattest performance’s of a straight female in love with her gay best friend, and Andy Samberg along with J.K. Simmons gave one of the funniest performances in the movie. FYI Jude Law was not in Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them he was in the last two sequels Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald & Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore and was good in both.
Kangol2
Well, Queerty, you have done it. You wanted to provoke responses and, by labeling straight actors playing gay roles “gay for pay,” which are two very different things, you have spurred the outrage you were hoping for! I hope you and your advertisers get a good chuckle, and then you put the money you’ve made towards hiring better journalists (with good pay packages)!
monty clift
I don’t think Jim Carey and Ewan McGregor deserve to be on that list. They both did an excellent job in I Love You Phillip Morris.
charette8596
I thought Tracy Morgan was hilarious in The Longest Yard 2, and TLY2 was just as funny as the original. 2 great movies if you like to laugh.
Bosch
Queerty over here stirring the pot.
Ronbo
An editor here has taken money for posting multiple false and negative stories about a progressive gay politician (the conservative ultimately won),
This is a for-profit site popular with inauthentic extremist posts and comments from the likes of Cam, Monty, dbmcvy and Carson pushing division within our community. How often has each attacked those seeking a compassionate accepting community?
BLAKENOW
What you and every other person bitching about this stupid issue blatantly violates The Equal Opportunity Employment Act which is a LAW!
Acting is profession which also is protected by several Unions .
in case you have no idea what that is This law makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.
SO please just SIT down forever and Knock it off!
FreddieW
Maybe gay activists will stop bitching about this when straight people rise up and demand that only straight actors play straight characters. Because that’s most of the jobs.
I’m happy to see Bradley Cooper play gay anytime he wants. Same for Colin Firth and several others you’ve listed.
mikhailmaui
FreddieW is spot on.
DMos
… so is there a reason why Queerty thought it would be a good idea to repost this considering how negatively it was received here the first time it was posted? Did something happen today to make this article come across as relevant or is Queerty just randomly deciding to be extra heterophobic today?
inbama
I can’t remember if it was Pauline Kael or Judith Crist, but in the midst of an interview, whichever was asked by a fledgling writer, “Not to be offensive, but do you know there are people who read your reviews and then go and see every film you hate?”
“No offense taken” was the answer. “The mark of a good critic is consistency.”
I’d say Carson Mlnarik has made an impressive start as being that kind of critic.
mikhailmaui
While I fully support hiring out actors, everyone is just that, an actor! What this article is implying is that a gay person can never play a straight role. Kinda ridiculous. I do remember a few years ago the reason that gay actors were not hired for non-gay roles is that no one would believe they could play straight. Well, sorry, they can. Just as a straight can play gay.
lillest2
Your logic is self-defeating – are you equally condeming all gay male actors to only play gay male roles? Besides, some of the actors you pick out for childish ridicule were actually rather good ; both.the leads in the Liberace movie, for example, and we thoroughly enjoyed the surprise twist in Mana Mia! Get a life, guys!!
Bbj
To me, it is and will always be James Corden. I’m French, so I wasn’t aware of him, but his acting was so bad, so cringe that I was stunned when he received a nomination for the movie. His vibe is also soooo off-putting… He’s the type of personality that makes me feel uncomfortable; everything he does seems come across as fake, and insincere, and I don’t know, I could feel he is an asshole in real life.
The other one is Jimmy Fallon, who is also a mystery to me. I tried watching his show, but the overly exaggerated fake laughter after every sentence… I just can’t.
mikhailmaui
Stop writing these horrible articles. They are actors. ACTORS. By saying a straight man cannot play gay is the exact same thing as saying a gay man should only play gay characters. Really? How utterly stupid. Just stop. If you want to talk about bad acting, bad writing, etc, fine, different story. I am a huge fan of Elite, and, wow, some of the gay scenes that are played by straight actors is intense and beautiful. So please, just stop with the nonsense that straight men cannot or should not play gay roles.
SoPluckyWhat
Yeah, it’s called acting. Something I can’t do. So, why would I be eligible to do this job?
witwoud
I’m not a fan of Corden. AT ALL. EVER. With that being said, I can honestly say I found his performance in The Prom not only non-offensive but quite enjoyable. I’m an out gay man, who has been acting in Chicago for over 30 years. I have worked with people just like Corden’s character. I have been to cast parties with people just like Corden’s character. I have been in audition rooms with people just like Corden’s character. It’s my guess that Corden had a lot of personal experience from which to draw when he was working on this characterization. And Colin Farrell in A Home at the End of the World was perfection. His character wasn’t gay. He loved his friend Jonathan, and sometimes that love was expressed sexually. I doubt anyone would say that Colin’s Bobby would have had sex with any man other than his beloved Jonathan.
Ronbo
I love Carson when the focus is on reality; not so much, when it’s on who does gay best/worst. I loved many of these pictures and think that the ego factory has released far too many oversized egos into the ether. That is you Carson,
Queerty should be aware that BECAUSE there is a wide variety of LGBTQ people, there is also a wide variety of gay portrayals. Nathan Lane has portrayed a mincing feminine mess way too often – but, let’s be honest, there are many mincing feminine messes to be portrayed. Would it be “homophobic” if Lane were not gay? I know the answer from the “regular haters”
This is a for-profit site popular with inauthentic extremist posts and comments from the likes of Cam, abfab, dbmcvey and Carson pushing division within our community. How often has each attacked those seeking a compassionate accepting community?
wikidBSTN
So, basically, if you’re not gay, you can’t play gay convincingly – according to Carson Mlnarik.
I had no problem with 90% of the films listed here. Lighten up Carson.
lacrosse72
Does that mean gay actors should only be able to play gay roles? This article was so offensive on so many different levels.
Joshooeerr
Aside from the fact that many of these performances were fine and some were very good, attacking performances in films going back decades merely shows a complete ignorance of actual issues. As a writer-producer who worked on many projects that included gay characters, I can attest that through the 80s, 90s, early 2000s, even as late as 2010, it was all but impossible to cast gay actors in gay roles. First, very few gay actors were out. Second, gay actors (both out and closeted) were extremely reluctant to take gay roles, either for fear of being outed (if closeted) or for fear of being forever typecast, subsequently not considered for straight romantic lead roles or any kind of macho, action-man roles. They just would not do it. So you were almost always forced to cast straight actors who were open to playing gay. Also, in most circumstances you can’t ask if an actor is straight or gay. So it often comes down to how much their agent, with or without their permission, might share. Sometimes you’d only find out an actor was gay because they ruled out playing gay for the aforementioned reasons. I’m also aware of a number of instances when gay roles were either dropped or converted to straight characters because no actor, straight or gay, could be found to play them. In short, if it wasn’t for straight actors being prepared to play gay through these earlier, more difficult times, then a good number of these films would never even have been made.
dbmcvey
From now on I will no longer click on stories in which actors playing gay roles are called “gay for pay.”
sweetypie
Wait, what’s going on here? Why are we complaining now about these actors who risked their careers to play gay characters when such characters weren’t ever really seriously considered by Hollywood as real people? Why are we insulting them and calling them gay for pay now? Slowly but surely, Queerty, you’re becoming a tired old queen…
woodroad34
I notice that “Kiss of the Spiderwoman” was left off this list. Despite all the awards and near-awards it won…William Hurt gave a cringe inducing performance as a transwoman. The movie had such potential and Raoul Julia was pretty good…but the rest was so awful.
mateo
This is going to land me in the doghouse, but I felt ZERO chemistry between the two lead characters in “Call Me By Your Name”. Apart from that, the movie seemed like crap to me, in the way it depicted life in the early ’80s. I was in my 30s in that period, and the the way they depicted gay people certainly wasn’t anything like the way THIS gay was living his life.
cosmostephen
Mateo – I couldn’t agree more with you. I found it nearly impossible to sit through that film due to the lack of chemistry between the two leads. Torturous experience.