Jim Parsons as Michael.
Cr. Scott Everett White/NETFLIX ©2020
“There’s definitely this spectrum: I think the fight, as it were, is not about having only gay people play the gay parts but to ensure that all parts are open to all actors. It’s important that gay characters are portrayed as well-rounded and completely human individuals. And there are plenty of straight actors who have played gay characters brilliantly. I think Brokeback Mountain is one of the most touching gay movies and love stories I have ever seen, and those two straight actors [Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal] were the best choices for those roles.”–Openly gay Boys in the Band star Jim Parsons, on the ongoing conversation about casting gay actors as gay characters. In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Parsons ultimately advocates that the best actor get the role, regardless of sexual orientation.
Donston
People are pretending as if a large percentage of actors are saying only “gay” actors should play “gay”. Only several have said it in recent years, and most of their gripes seem to be be the implicit bias against gay identifying actors when it comes to high profile “gay” roles and the glass ceiling when it comes to the careers of “gay” identifying actors.
Anyone with sense knows that it’s an impossible and problematic demand. Are the lead characters in Brokeback Mountain supposed to be “gay”? Are Heath and Jake actually “straight? What if the actor is publicly closeted but most of the industry knows? What is “gay” or “straight” even supposed to mean in 2020, where at least one-third of the entertainment industry embrace “queer” identities? And when people are talking about stuff like fluidity or the gender, romantic, sexual, affection, emotional, commitment spectrum? And why do we demand entertainers give us identities or tell us their personal business?
This started as being less about the identities of performers and more about getting rid of bias, closet pressures, hetero pressures and breaking through the glass ceiling. Let’s return the discussion to being about that. Because “only ‘gay’ actors should play ‘gay” is not a thing and will never be a thing.
Cam
Except you could use the same argument to say that white actors should be playing black or Asian roles. Go watch Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s to see how nicely that turned out.
Donston
The majority of the most well known “gay” roles have not been characters who actually identify as “gay”. Most of those characters didn’t even live “gay” lifestyles. While a great percentage of those famous “gay” characters clearly are not homosexual. What about actors who say that they’re not really “straight” but don’t take on an identity? Do they get a pass to play “gay”? What about actors who are “queer” identifying only? Do they get a pass to play anything? What if an actor “felt ‘gay” years ago but doesn’t really any longer? Does he still get to play “gay”? What if an actor is no where near homosexual but is in a same-sex commitment or marriage? Does he get to play “gay”? What if an actor said that they’re “gay” just to get cast in a role? And do you not see how problematic and uncomfortable it is asking actors about their personal lives or their sex lives or romances before they get cast for a role? The shit isn’t even legal.
It’s fine if you want to find “out” actors for your roles. I want to see more unabashedly “out” actors get high-profile “queer” roles. And we should be pushing for out “lgtbq” actors to face less bias and get more big opportunities. If I wrote “gay” characters I would want the majority of those roles played by “out” actors. However, even the majority of gay/queer/whatever identifying actors don’t think only “gay” actors should play “gay”. It’s a basic demand that doesn’t confront the root of the industry’s problems. It sets off a sea of other problematic stuff. And it isn’t even a practical thing to implement.
Please stop comparing race to sexuality or orientation. You’ve been doing that a lot lately. And it’s making you come off even more thick-headed than usual and makes it clear that you can’t see anything beyond your agendas and victimhood. When a minority race keeps telling you to stop using race to push your nonsensical yet basic points, you stop, especially if you’re out here true to portray yourself as a “Liberal”.
Cam
@Donston
You said “The majority of the most well known “gay” roles have not been characters who actually identify as “gay”. Most of those characters didn’t even live “gay” lifestyles. ”
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Yes, exactly, and those roles were played by straight people because of bigotry. LGBTQ people were not hired or stayed in the closet out of terror for losing their jobs. You literally just proved the point.
What is the problem i Hollywood. Is it that LGBTQ actors are taking too many roles, or that there are a lot of studios and and producers that still won’t hire them?
There isn’t a great purge of straight actors in Hollywood, but the fact that this same story keeps floating around every 2 months tells me that all the bigots in Hollywood are trying to make sure they never have to hire any LGBTQ actor for anything.
Donston
“Queer” actors shouldn’t have to deal with closet pressures and hetero pressures. They shouldn’t have to conceal same-sex commitments. They shouldn’t have a glass ceiling on their careers if they’re “out”. And they shouldn’t be barred from high-profile “gay” roles. These are things I already said.
The question is should only “gay” actors play “gay” roles. And I gave a list for why that’s a complicated issue and why it’s ultimately an impractical and problematic stance to try to enforce. You didn’t really argue against any of those points. But go off I guess.
Cam
@Donston
But the question is similar anytime ANY group starts getting more rights.
“If we allow women to be police officers will any men be allowed to be cops?”
“If we hire black directors what about the white directors that won’t get the work?”
This is a scam question that is put out about every month by the same people in Hollywood who have been keeping LGBTQ people from working for decades.
Cam
Queerty keeps doing articles on this over and over. Obviously there is some straight actor on the writing staff that really has a bee in their bonnet over this.
You cut out a large portion of what Parson’s said, he pointed out that LGBTQ actors may present more accurate portrayals, etc.
Also, how about we worry about all the poor straight actors losing their jobs when it ACTUALLY happens.
So far, Hollywood puts about about 1 TV show every few years with an LGBTQ character, and one movie a decade. So why are we acting like every straight actor in Hollywood is losing their jobs. LGBTQ actors have been prevented from working for decades, and now straight freaking out over the IDEA that a few LGBTQ people may actually get a job.
Bosch
Enforcing that gay characters can only be played by gay actors is literally discrimination based on sexual orientation.
That’s something we should be trying to stop, not champion. Equality does not equal reversal of injustice.
dhmonarch89
The whole argument about gay actors playing gay roles was more about exposing how gay actors never get the opportunity to play str8- sort of ‘if we can’t play str8, they shouldn’t play gay’. It was more about opening parts for every one. There was no reason for gay actors to come out- they wouldn’t be considered for roles and str8 boys were taking all the gay ones. Now- it seems to have taken on a sanctimonious moral tone.
Jake123
It seems to me the vast majority of Lgbt actors think gay and straight roles should be open to all sexual orientations. If they’re happy with that who are we to dictate who they can and can’t play.
LumpyPillows
I thought that sexuality was fluid and irrelevant as a label anymore. I can’t keep which PC meme is the one we are clutching our pearls over at any given whining session. I’d love to see the gay stigma in Hollywood, heck anywhere, eradicated. That’s the problem, not if an actor who appears to be straight, for all we know, plays a gay character. Sexuality can be and often is fluid and situational.
Donston
Opinions are all over the place because everyone’s views on sexuality, gender, orientation and identity are all over the place. And there’s still a shit ton of ignorance and hate. But I sure as hell recall you claiming just about a month ago that people were making things too “complicated” and identities were pretty straightforward. Has your viewpoint expanded in that time frame?
We just need to accept that it’s all real. Someone’s “sexuality” is a variety of different things (attractions, arousal, desire, passions, behaviors, preferences, general extent of sex drive). Some people are heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual throughout their lives. Some people experience different types and extents of fluidity or contradictions or curiosities or fetishes. You got the gender, affection, romantic, emotional investment, commitment aspects of orientation. While stuff like prejudice, internal phobias, insecurities, sociological pressures, religious pressures, monetary motivations, seeking validation- these things will always affect people’s behaviors, politics and how they present themselves. You also have people who want to keep their business to themselves, and they have every right to.
When you add all that up it makes zero sense to say only “gay” actors should play “gay”. All we can do is promote more equal opportunity, less “straight”/hetero pressures, less male homo shaming and strive for people and institutions to be less shitty.
LumpyPillows
@Dot not sure you read my comment right.
Openminded
Not the topic this article is about but I certainly didn’t care for “Boys in the Band”. I stayed totally confused thru the movie with Parson’s character’s mood swings. If this was an accurate portrayal of how a group of gay guys behaved in that time, no wonder so many gay men had/have issues. The fact that the “friends” would even stick around and allow to be forced into the phone game is ridiculous to me. I will give the writer credit for hitting on a lot of issues gay men face but even though I couldn’t wait for the movie to be over, I believe it would have benefitted from a little more time to better explain the back stories involved.
Cam
What a shock, the same account that was pushing troll takes on another thread, deflects from the topic to attack the only big movie that’s come out with openly gay actors in it this year.
You aren’t subtle.
Openminded
Cam, 1. I have no idea what you think I was trolling. 2. I stated from the start that my comment was off the topic. 3. The sooner you learn there are more things in life than being a Gay Trump hater, the happier you will be. 4. If there is a troll among us, it is you. You are never content until everyone sees everything exactly like you do or you manage to get them to leave or quit posting. This may shock you but not everyone reading Queerty is a liberal Trump hater. I’ve stated many times before on here that I lean Conservative, but not at all proud of many things that Trump has done. (I sincerely believe the average liberal would not have been very proud of many things Hillary would have done, given the opportunity either) I do not come on here and try to stir people up just because they don’t see things exactly as I do, unlike you. As my user name implies, I am OPENMINDED. You should try it sometimes, the world can look very different if you allow yourself to see all facets of it. In a nutshell, possibly turning out to be like YOU is what I fear the most about the journey I am on right now to find myself.
Cam
@Openminded
If you’re going to pretend you aren’t @Roy Ajax under a new Screename, you may not want to post the same thing you’ve posted to me under different names.
Please tell Putin to send better trolls.
Nixter
Donston, you wrote:
What if an actor is nowhere near homosexual but is in a same sex commitment or marriage ?! Huh?! WTF does that mean ?! Are you tripping over your word-salad ?!
Donston
No sweetie. I meant exactly as it reads.
The point of that “word salad” was to highlight how varied orientation, identity and motivation is and how little we know about any of these actors. In fact, we really have no idea what’s going on with anyone’s sexuality or orientation. All we know is what someone presents. There are homosexuals who never indulge homo relationships and never come out. On the other hand, there are people who are no where near homosexual but are very out and prefer long-term same sex commitments. (Learn more about the sexual, romantic, affection, emotional, commitment spectrum. Then get back to me). There are just too many reasons why trying to enforce only “gay” actors play “gay” would inevitably be problematic.
Herman75
From a business standpoint, it would be a challenging corner to paint yourself into, limiting the choice for casting a part to just the pool of actors that are out gay men.
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When gay director Luca Guadagnino was asked why he chose two straight actors for Call Me By Your Name, he responded with the question, do you choose only a cannibal to play a cannibal?
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In Space Station 1976, Matt Bomer played the straight dude and Patrick Wilson played the gay dude. Was fine. That’s acting!
Cam
Except for decades producers painted themselves into the corner of not hiring any minority or LGBTQ actors and they managed to put out movies.
RFD
I agree that it should be open to all and the best person should get the part based on auditions, skills and past experience like most jobs.
Ronbo
THIS!
rikard_pearson
Nice, idealistic thoughts Jim, but Hollywood isn’t really trying. GAY Hollywood isn’t trying. Neither of the leads in Assassination of Giani Versace are gay, thanks Ryan Murphy. Was anyone in Hollywood gay, besides Parsons playing the cliche evil gay? Actors who wonderfully played Freddie and Elton also not gay. Star of a Normal Heart, not gay. Firth, Tucci and Mortensen all play gay this year in the biggest projects with gay leads. The first two are making a habit of gay roles and Vigo wrote it for himself because, money. it takes The Boys In The Band to get anyone interested in casting homosexuals. I don’t set the bar particularly high because, why bother when even the homos in Hollywood will sell you out at the first opportunity?