Daniel Radcliffe says Hollywood has a ways to go when it comes to equality.
Speaking to the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire, he said the film industry was seen as “very, very progressive” but that it was still “lagging behind” other industries in encouraging diversity.
Related: Daniel Radcliffe Honors LGBTQ History
When asked why so few actors have come out as gay, he said, “I suppose because then people just want to cast you as gay, I would guess.”
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“Neil Patrick Harris has made a career as playing the straightest guy on television, which is fantastic. It is sad, but there is a kind of line where people say, ‘Oh no people won’t buy him as straight anymore,'” he added.
Radcliffe’s latest role is as an FBI agent who goes undercover to infiltrate a white supremacist group in the thriller “Imperium.” He said that this has gotten him thinking more about racial issues and how “mainstream” many racist ideas remain.
He criticized Donald Trump, saying he “stirred up” feelings of “fear and hatred.”
Asked whether Hollywood, which has been criticized for its lack of racially diverse Oscar nominees, was racist, he answered unequivocally yes.
“Yes, I mean it’s pretty undeniable, that’s the thing, we like to think of ourselves as being a very progressive industry but we have been lagging behind in all kinds of areas and it’s been very well documented,” Radcliffe said. “I think there’s lots of things about the Oscars, there’s lots of amazing performances every year that don’t get recognized. I feel like there’s a lot that’s unseen about the process.”
Radcliffe also discussed recent allegations of antisemitism in the Labour Party, which he supports. calling them “absolutely awful” and “shocking.”
Related: Daniel Radcliffe Has A Few Words For All The Michael Sam Haters
He also said he has not been asked to star in the rumored upcoming film version of the popular Harry Potter stage play, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” adding that he “definitely” doesn’t think he would do it at this point.
“It’s only been six years [since last playing Potter] and I’m really enjoying being able to do lots of different stuff at the moment,” he said. “Maybe if 30 years had passed I would be thinking differently. They will be doing remakes, and I could play his dad, or something.”
Alistair Wiseman
R*cist? Hom0phobic? But…but…Hollywood is run by superior liberal elites who blackball conservatives because they are evil and should never be employed in Hollywood! No, this can’t be true!
🙂
Mo Bro
Hollywood is a business, not a social justice warrior.
It wants to make money, so it makes movies that people will pay to see.
People historically want to see primarily straight white guys on screen, so unless or until that changes, the industry will continue to be inaccurately perceived as r@cist, sexist, homoph0bic, transph0bic, Islamoph0bic, arachnoph0bic, etc . . .
DDstar1me
@Mo Bro…I alluded to this fact in other articles of this same type. It’s up to the market place to change how Hollywood looks at our society. If folks really wanted to see diversity, then they would support film makers who are telling stories about people from all cultural backgrounds. It’s up to us to change. Not Hollywood. They are about pulling in that paper at any cost. Hello!
Billy Budd
I like Radcliffe. He is an atheist and an LGBT ally.
Brian
Women must take much of the blame for Hollywood’s homophobia. Hollywood markets to the idea that women go see movies and take their boyfriends with them. Test audiences are loaded with women.
The reason why you will never see widespread acceptance of male homosexual desire in Hollywood movies is because it offends women. It is not rewarded by women.
The occasional “funny gay guy” might be accepted by women but that’s all.
In a million years from now, there will be a gay website called Queerty that will be discussing this very same problem. It will never go away.
Kangol
@Alistair Wiseman: Daniel Radcliffe is right. But you seem not to grasp that white liberals can be pretty homophobic and r@cist too, or support systems and institutions that promote homophobia, r@cism and misogyny.
Perhaps not as overtly anti-gay and r@cist as conservatives, but look at Queerty, a clearly liberal US gay site, that seems to embargo any articles on gay Asian Americans, Arab Americans, etc., and usually only shows white Latinxs if featuring them at all. In terms of its depictions of African Americans and black gay people in general, this liberal site has started to do a bit better.
ted72
@Billy Budd: Love the guy too!
Xzamilloh
Tyler Perry wanted representation of his vision in mainstream, and he made it happen. Oprah did it, Ellen did it, the little kids with the lemonade stands do it. I agree… if there’s a demand, Hollywood will supply it. Of course, Hollywood is notorious for thinking that people’s love of one particular story is a love of a genre and will try to make movies based off of that trend. Anyway, if you want something that represents you, no one can do it better than you. So do it, instead of expecting other people to do it for you.
girldownunder
@Mo Bro: Chicken & egg– you can’t see what isn’t made, & if it can’t be made due to the bigotry….then what?
girldownunder
@Brian That’s an awfully weird idea you have there. Hollywood caters to females?
The issue is more that the supposed str8 white guys in power in Hollywood prefer to not be outed themselves by association or the appearance of such.
CaliKyle
@Brian: I hear you, Brian, but for the life of me I can’t figure out how or why you always fail to mention hetero male homophobia. Straight women do their part to make gay and bi men feel less than or not quite “real” men but its the straight guys who are prone to reacting aggressively and violently to gay men. As for movies, females go in droves to see action and war flicks because that’s what hubby or bf wants to see – the same can’t be said for straight guys going to see chick flicks like Bridget Jones etc no matter how much his wife or gf wants to see it. Stop lying to yourself and everyone else that its mainly or only females who drive anti gay male sentiments.
broadshoulder
Daniel Radcliffe is a labour party supporter. Good man!
IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou
So he’s going to give back the money right?
ppp111
@CaliKyle:
I agree with much of what you wrote. Hollywood is mainly run by straight, white men. If women had as much power the films put out every year would certainly be much different. A lot of these comic book films would be shown in Jan or Feb while the so-called chick flicks that are derided would be part of the summer and fall lineup. Homophobia is still rampant but blaming it all solely on heterosexual women is a bit much.
Charlie in Charge
When… just when did the Queerty commence become the unofficial meeting place of the Log Cabin Republicans?
Charlie in Charge
“Comments” not “commence”
Gates
I don’t know about that. All the women I know love gay themed movies. And as studies have shown straight men like them too along with gay porn, but they are not upfront about it because, you know, it threatens their masculinity.
Billy Budd
A funny thing happened when the movie FUTURO BEACH (a brazilian movie) was released. One movie theater would actually TELL all ticket buyers that it was a gay movie and stamp the word “WARNED” with red ink, on every ticket. They still had problems.