It was announced over the weekend that British actor Jack Whitehall will by playing Disney’s first openly gay character in the forthcoming action film, The Jungle Cruise. The film, based on a Disney Parks attraction of the same name, will also star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Emily Blunt.
A source told The Sun, “This is a huge gig for Jack and has landed him his biggest ever pay cheque. But, more excitingly, he is playing a gay man – one who is hugely effete, very camp and very funny.”
They added, “This latest script, set at a time when it wasn’t socially acceptable to be gay, is another significant turning point.”
However, not everybody is happy about the casting of a straight actor in a gay role. Many took to Twitter to express their disapproval of the casting decision.
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Nole Ksum writes, “If you’re one of the people who ‘doesn’t see the big deal’ RE Jack Whitehall, a straight white male cast as the first openly gay Disney character then you’re part of the problem.”
If you’re one of the people who ‘doesn’t see the big deal’ RE Jack Whitehall, a straight white male cast as the first openly gay Disney character then you’re part of the problem ?????
— NOLE KSUM (@ClionaLou) August 13, 2018
Callum Jackson adds, “How is a straight actor playing a “hugely effete, very camp,” secondary gay character helpful for #LGBT visibility and positive portrayal in the arts? Booooo.”
How is a straight actor playing a “hugely effete, very camp," secondary gay character helpful for #LGBT visibility and positive portrayal in the arts? Booooo, @DisneyPixar…https://t.co/84lddcbqrX
— Callum Jackson (@cjjackson93) August 13, 2018
“Super excited about this huge moment for the LGBTQ+ family, and @jackwhitehall is amazing,” says James Barr. “BUT when so many gay actor friends of mine are turned down for straight roles because there’s a “whiff of gay”, it’s frustrating to cast NonGay people in gay roles.”
Super excited about this huge moment for the LGBTQ+ family, and @jackwhitehall is amazing https://t.co/FwH4d7BZqZ BUT when so many gay actor friends of mine are turned down for straight roles because there’s a “whiff of gay”, it’s frustrating to cast NonGay people in gay roles
— James Barr ???? (@imjamesbarr) August 13, 2018
The controversy over Whitehall’s casting is taking place right after Scarlett Johannson came under fire for accepting a role as transgender mobster Dante Tex Gill. Johannson later backed out of the project, saying, “I would have loved the opportunity to bring Dante’s story and transition to life, I understand why many feel he should be portrayed by a transgender person, and I am thankful that this casting debate, albeit controversial, has sparked a larger conversation about diversity and representation in film.”
Here are some more responses to Whitehall’s casting and the subsequent outrage:
Really @Disney #JungleCruise ? Your first significant gay role will be played by a straight white man perpetuating stereotypes? Fail! This ship should sink. https://t.co/npPESNZaxD
— Omar Sharif Jr. (@OmarSharifJr) August 13, 2018
Shock as actor is asked to play someone different from themselves. Isn’t that kind of the point? Wouldn’t always casting gay actors in gay roles be condemned for typecasting? https://t.co/tfni2m3B1P
— Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) August 13, 2018
Don't blame Disney for hiring a straight actor for its first out gay role.
Gays, this one's on us.
Look I KNOW we love our careers in STEM, and employment law, and metalworking.
But goddammit SOME of us should consider going into acting.
— Glen Weldon (@ghweldon) August 13, 2018
Gays: We want a gay Disney character!
Disney: Okay, we’ll give you LeFou in Beauty & the Beast.
Gays: Meh.
Disney: Okay, there’s a gay guy in Jungle Cruise our…
Gays: WE ARE OUTRAGED THAT YOU WOULD EXPLOIT A STEREOTYPE HOW DARE YOU AND VOICED BY A STRAIGHT MAN NO LESS!
— Stewart Thurlow (@stewartthurlow) August 12, 2018
wait… how come no one batted an eye when Nick Robinson, a straight man, played a gay character in Love Simon? but now y’all fake outraged over Jack Whitehall playing a gay character just cause it’s a disney movie, I have to laugh
— jamie ? (@jamieehudson_) August 13, 2018
Disney is putting an openly gay character in a kid's film for the first time. The Left is outraged that the actor playing the character is straight. A crucial dynamic is on display here.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) August 13, 2018
Donston
It’s likely a stereotypical character who’s the fourth or fifth most important character in the movie. So, it’s generally not as “groudbreaking” as some are pretending. But yes, it would be nice if Hollywood put their money where their mouths are and if anyone besides hacky Ryan Murphy was interested in actually elevating the profile and career of an openly gay/-homo-leaning actor, especially for gay roles. But that’s the business.
Kangol
Another out gay director/writer/producer who deserves praise is Lee Daniels. He has elevated the profile of several openly gay/bi actors, including Jussee Smollett, who’s one of the stars of Empire, which was one of the most watched shows on network TV this past spring and over the last few years.
I agree there should be a lot more directors, esp. LGBTQ ones, elevating LGBTQ actors, though.
Donston
Lee Daniels isn’t particularly talented. And honestly, Jussee isn’t much an actor.
Acting is acting. But it is kind of disturbing that despite supposed progress almost no high-profile gay film roles go to opnely gay actors and almost no openly gay male actors headline movies or tv shows. And it seems Hollywood still doesn’t think a gay dude can be funny and charming without being effeminate and super campy. But that’s another story.
In general, I’m tired of caring about the entertainment industry.
Kangol
@Donston, to be fair, I was responding to your comment about Ryan Murphy; I didn’t realize that the director also had to be talented, but for what it’s worth, though I strongly dislike the film “Precious,” I give Lee Daniels props for creating a career in Hollywood out of whole cloth–he did not go to film school, was not from a wealth background, started his own nursing business by himself and became a success, and then rode an opportunity as a PA on Prince’s Purple Rain to major success as a black creative figure in Hollywood. He may not be the greatest director, but he clearly has considerable talent for making things happen.
I’m not sure if you watch Empire, but Jussee Smollett is actually a decent actor, with a great voice. He doesn’t need to be dubbed and if he wanted, could probably have a flourishing music career. I think it matters tremendously that he is openly gay, black, and pretty outspoken, on a very popular network TV show. Having said that, I do agree with you on the larger point. I look at an Oscar-winning film like Moonlight, whose director is straight and whose main actors, from all I can tell, are straight, though to their credit the ones playing gay/bi/queer characters all gave excellent performances, especially Trevante Rhodes and Ashton Saunders.
sfsilver
I love that you simultaneously issued outrage over the nature and casting of this gay role and insulted the entire career of the Gay man who has done more to give us a wide variety of LGBTQ portrayals in film and TV and to break down the sexuality and gender barriers at every level of the business with his power. This is why we can’t have anything nice.
CityBoy300
@Donston, I am so sorry that Lee Daniels’ career as an actor / director / writer / producer doesn’t meet your high standards, I will mention only THE BUTLER, which was a sensational look at the people who staff the White House, nominated for about a zillion Festival awards, including Best Picture from the BAFTAs. Always helpful when a talented out gay figure, a person of color no less, makes inroads in the Hollywood power structure, and then nasty queens tear him down.
Raphael
Pavel D., if that’s the case, shouldn’t the same logic be applied to straight roles? Unfortunately, that’s not what happens. If they insist on not giving straight roles to gay actors, then at least they should give the “gay ones” to them (especially considering that they are so few).
DCguy
“”””But, more excitingly, he is playing a gay man – one who is hugely effete, very camp and very funny.” “”””
—-
What a shock, just like in “Modern Family” a straight man is cast to play a stereotypical gay character.
inbama
Empire, The Butler , Precious – and not “particularly talented?”
You sickening ignorant racist.
QueerTruth
If the plan is to truly have a straight man play the first openly gay man as a “hugely effete, very camp” in a Disney film- then I’m out. That’s basically a gay version of blackface. Highly insulting in the context of the first gay Disney character…
Thanks but no thanks.
rray63
So by that standard a gay actor can’t play a straight role, right?
SactoMan
Wow, rray63, you totally missed the point he was making. Try deep breathing, counting to ten and then read the words, not what you think they are saying but what they actually are saying.
sfsilver
I’m a little sick of the portrayal police telling me that my existence as an “effete and very camp” Gay man is not worthy of portrayal and is some kind of Gay black face. Sorry queen, but I want to see femme campy Gay men, like the one I am and the hundreds I have known in my life, played with dignity on screen. We are not an embarrassment – we carried the fucking torch at risk of our lives while all you passing guys remained closeted. Femmes are the real heroes of this community.
TimSimms
You need to hang out with gay people. The stereotype is true! We love to be funny and campy and sometimes effete. It’s not insulting, it’s fun. Lighten up, Francis!
rray63
I’m gay, have been all my life. I have to say this is getting really goofy. An actor acts, that’s what it’s all about. If you folks want to go down this path, that only a gay actor should be cast in a gay role, what will you say when they tell gay actors they they are no longer qualified to play a straight role? And that is realistically what you are saying. Only a gay actor should be cast as a gay character. Well, when it backfires on us what do we do, will we be able to give a rational argument as to why a gay actor should be able to play a straight role? Come on, if the casting director felt this actor was best for the role what expertise do we have to say no, it has to be someone gay in the role? I think the easiest way to say this is that we should not cut off our nose to spite our face. Okay, now my fellow gays can attack me for asking a perfectly reasonable question. We seem to be good at attacking each other.
Al
No attack here. I too have been gay all my life, and your view is absolutely reasonable.
RoughRugger
You’re not getting it: Gay actors are ALREADY being told they can’t play straight roles. A few notable exceptions like NPH & Jim Parsons aside, out gay actors DO NOT get cast for mainstream roles depicting straight persons. Numerous actors when they come out discuss how they feared for their careers if they were publicly out. It seems to be a situation that’s (slowly!) improving, but there are still precious few thespians (especially men and ESPECIALLY trans individuals) that come out before their careers are WELL established.
All that being the case, yeah, there’s plenty of rational reason for the community to get its dander up a bit when some mediocre straight actor is given plaudits for taking on some majestic challenge playing a minstrel-show gay but LGBTQ actors are lucky to get a role in a toothpaste commercial…and it only adds insult to injury that Disney is trying to pat itself on the back for its “first openly gay role” when that role, from admittedly early indications, is the aforementioned minstrel-show “hugely effete, very camp and very funny” stereotyped gay.
SactoMan
Oops, I was going to call you on your bullshit but RoughRugger just did. Gay actors do NOT get straight rolls with 1 notable exception and one less known exception. That is why coming out as gay in Hollywood is a career killer, even now.
rray63
SactoMan, I can’t tell you what a pleasure it was to get such an intelligent, well thought out reply to my post. You do yourself proud. You accuse me of BS, while you are deliberately vague. It’s so nice to see. What are your examples? I mean I watch little regular TV, with a couple of notable exceptions. Movies, I tend to stick to fantasy, comic book stuff, etc. But without thinking very hard I do know that Colton Haynes plays a straight person on Arrow, Matt Bomer played a straight person on White Collar for five seasons. Then we have Sean Hays who was on Will and Grace for how long? We have the Foster’s, I assume they don’t count. We can ignore Glee as well that had how many gay characters, some played by actual gay people. Now, while this doesn’t represent a large number, may I ask what would be acceptable to you? We (us gays) represent 4% of the population. If you want to attempt to make me seem like some jerk, that’s fine, I have broad shoulders. I’ve watched things change over the years for our community, was it fast, heck no, is there room for improvement, heck yes. But as I suspected, we attack, or should I say some of us attack each other for having a differing opinion. That’s the way it should be, right? Now notice, in this very measured response I have not attacked you at all. But that’s how I am, I want to look out for all our community. You might think about that. Or you can keep doing what you did.
gaimingfoxer
Really? Gay actors don’t get to play straight roles?
Luke Macfarlane is playing a straight bounty hunter for 4 seasons on Killjoys
Matt Bomer played a straight lead for 5 season on white collar
Should I continue? Here’s some more random names for you from a 30 seconds google search
John Mahoney, Luke Evans, Jim Parsons, David Hyde Pierce, Wentworth Miller, Zachary Quinto, John Barrowman – the list actually is longer and I’m skipping the ones I haven’t even heard of and not even talking about women.
Seriously, gay actors can get jobs playing straight roles.
Yes, there is some homophobia. Sony flat out said they don’t want a gay spiderman and Matt Bomer was rejected from Superman because he was out.
They did cast Ezra Miller as Flash several years later – things have changed.
So no, this whole thing is BS.
LGBTQ are a minority in the population, ergo, examples of them being successful in Hollywood – another thing that’s very minor in and of itself – means very very very few will be worth mentioning..
TheBigOne
Another day, another reason for today’s thin-skinned gay men to get offended.
Geez! Nothing satisfies you guys any longer unless it’s a 19 year old thin, white-skinned twink.
As a gay man myself, it would take a hell of a lot more to insult me than to have some random hetero guy playing a stereotype, because we all know “hugely effete, very camp” guys, many of them hate when the mirror is turned to them, shows every single time there’s a story like this making the rounds. I just sit back and read the comments on this site.
RoughRugger
Y’know it IS possible…likely even…for someone to disagree or take issue with a “thing” without being “offended” or even outraged, yes? The bulk of the comments on this story, on both sides of the matter, are rational, well-reasoned, and seemingly coming from perfectly calm individuals.
You, OTOH, seem to have your panties in a complete wad at the idea that anyone might have the slightest opinion that differs from your own. Maybe take a look in your own mirror sometime?
frankie042172
this is my issue. i’m as gay as they come and i for one am happy they are including gay roles. whether the actor is gay or not shouldn’t be the issue. the issue is having gay roles in mainstream media. you asked for gay roles now are complaining about who they choose to play them. its situations like this that give us a bad name as a group. we can’t ever be happy with the positive and always have to find something negative. for me i’m glad to see disney include a gay character.
broadshoulder
“hugely effete, very camp,” Jack Whitehall is not an actor. He’s a comedian – he’s been successful on The Graham Norton. But an actor – he is not. So he’ll camp it up.
A big no-no Disney
lawliet87
I have no problem with it. An actor is supposed to be playing someone other than who they are. I am getting tired of seeing people attacked for this. I get it that the community wants more representation in the media but there has to be a better way to go about it than to harass people. It really makes the community look bad when everyone becomes nasty about small things like this.
broadshoulder
He is not an actor. He is a camp ott straight person
fur_hunter
If you go back in time, Cary Grant, Randolph Scott and similar GAY men played straight rolls. It’s called….ACTING!!!! I’m just glad that there are actual GAY characters in films today. You NEVER NEVER saw one prior to the 1970s and 80s. Hollywood was afraid of backlash from those moron evangelical fundamentalist so-called Christians. ‘La Cage a Folles’ and ‘Longtime Companion’ are the first films I remember where characters were GAY. Then came ‘And the Band Played On’ and ‘Brokeback Mountain’. The more gay characters are on the screen, the more it will show that we are EVERYWHERE…..regardles of who plays the roles.
galileo
Is that true? I’d be appalled to find out that most actors take on roles that they themselves are not, I mean just look at all of those 007 Bond actors, are we saying that none of them were actually ever spies, come on, seriously, Mat Damon must have completed a Sudoku in seconds and gone to Mars to grow potatoes!
GregR
I have mixed feelings about this. I just saw a round table with trans actos and Laverne Cox brought up this point. How is it that it is desirable for trans people to play trans roles but at the same time they should have access to cis roles. This is because, if things were inherently fair, and trans and cis actors could go back and forth in roles, this would not be necessary. But because things are not fair or equal, that is always the case. We are dealing with two issues here: Actual gay actors becoming more visible in roles where the character is also gay, perhaps being able to convey experiences a straight actor may not have and having gay actors be viable in straight roles as well. I myself get tired of the whole drama when they cast a straight actor in a gay role – the role will be played by X, WHO IS STRAIGHT… Many times the production company and actor do double time to say, “Nope, not gay, just playing a role here.” Hugh Grant, who was always too smarmy for my taste, went on at length about how unpleasant the gays scenes were, that his father did not approve etc. In casting for the (not-so-great) film Stonewall, they purposely cast a straight actor becauses the producers felt a gay actor who is too “fem” would alienate audiences – Yes, a film about the start of the gay rights movement. It’s as if to say, “No actual cocks were sucked in the making of this film…” In other cases, like Armie Hammer and Timmy Chalomet, I think they did a better job of being sensitive about the subject matter. But it does seem to be a trend for the studio to signal, “Yes, it’s about gays but not REAL gays, so you won’t feel uncomfortable..”
On the other side of the coin, it will be a hell of a long time before we see an openly gay man in a lead romantic movie role or drama – unless it is about being gay. Can anyone name a case when a gay man played the romantic lead for Jennifer Lawrence etc.? Maybe there are examples but they are rare.
At the same time, I think there are cases in which they just make the best choice for casting. I would have preferred a gay man play Freddie Mercury in the upcoming bio-pic but everyone agrees Rami Malek was a great choice.
Finally, I think this will go down like Song of the South in a generation, with an effete, stereotyped character. In this case, it’s probably better than no actual gay actor participates, it would be like a black actor acting in a remake of Amos and Andy today.
djmcgamester
I don’t really care who plays the role. It’s more about the depiction of said characters. God’s Own Country was amazing in showing average men who are gay. I have no idea of the sexuality of the actors. I just cared that I got a great film with great characters.
If this Disney is going to perpetuate the stereotype (and we all know stereotypes are based on real behavior and the most “visible” types of gay men) then I have no interest. Nothing wrong with effeminate men but if you’re going to have that it should be countered by gay characters who are less effeminate.
As others have noted, numerous gay men have played straight characters. The sexuality of the actors should be irrelevant.
Geeker
Who thought this was a good idea and why are they still employed?
Hermes
So – gay men have been portraying straight men for the entirety of theater history – I have no problem with the reverse, nor should anyone.
GregR
That was a little different though. These gay men had to hide their sexuality and as far as the public knew, they were straight. Today we are talking about subject matter that features gays lives and gay experiences and actors who identify as gay. While the landscape has changed greatly over the past 20 years, we still see very few gay roles played by openly gay men and openly gay men playing romantic straight leads. The Academy will gladly make a film about gay people best picture or a nominee but are a lot less willing to make a gay man be a lead or to put an actual gay person in a gay role.
Think about other minorities: It would be unthinkable if a white actor were placed in a black role and there has been huge backlash about not casting Asian actors. Why not think a little about this too in terms of increasing the viability, visibility and opportunities of gay actors in gay or straight roles?
elliott_hankin
Whats the big problem?? Heath Leyard, Jake Gyllenthal, Leonardo Dicaprio, tom Hanks, Will Smith, Fortest Whitaker, Ewan McGregor, Jim Carey, Matt Damon, Sean Fennsingrer and MORE have played gay parts so why all this bitching all of a sudden? Comeone now. Get real
GregR
Maybe that’s the point of the bitching. Somehow, there seems to be a big problem in casting gay men as straight leads. I literally can think of very few examples in mainstream film. Sure, there are lots of examples of straight men playing gay, but there’s a stereotype in that too – by taking straight guys, the role is not “too gay” – thereby perpetuating the myth that gay men who have a lilt or a more fem or exuberant are not desirable.
jlm088
Really a straight actor….. there are so many wonderful gay actors….
ptb2010
I am not upset about a straight man playing gay, after all many gay actors have played straight, and still are in their career and private lives. And you don’t have to be a killer to play one, do you Anthony Hopkins?
What upsets me is that the character is going to be an effeminate caricature, insulting to the majority of gay men, who don’t run about screaming, or flapping their wrists about.
Paco
Really? We just had a real life “stereotype” of a very effeminate man share a video of himself complaining about a swimsuit dress code at a pool. That “stereotype” is very common and shouldn’t be brushed aside because it embarrasses you.
jjose712
The problem with playing an effeminate gay character is that the probabilities of being played as a walking cliché are very very high.
The stereotype is not a problem if the writing and the acting are good and they give the character life beyond being a cliche. Unfotunately that doesn’t happen most of the time, and what you get is a collections of what a straight actor thinks that are gay mannierisms
Paco
I’m assuming the movie is going to be a campy family friendly movie.
I know so many campy and effete gay men that are both fun and funny. Disney isn’t making a serious movie like Brokeback Mountain with straight actors playing “straight acting” gay men that still get destroyed by the very same homophobia like the shunned “campy and effete” gay men.
Tarutaru
Here we go again. I’m sorry but I’m a firm believer in a fight. If your gay friends can’t land a a straight role because they “smell like gay” then they are shitty actors or not fighting hard enough. This is not a fucking government job, acting. Not everyone gets to do it. It is not equal opportunity. It is an art and It is absolutely discriminatory line of work where you need to be able to bring what the movie needs you to bring and if the creators saw something in Whitehall then I am excited to see what that is now stop crying for your transgender and gay actor friends perhaps they should have gotten a real bachelors degree instead of believing all their participation medals meant they can do what they want without actually fighting to win and telling themselves they can be the next Scarlett Johansson. Sit down you bitches.
skipvanpelt
Why does anyone care what Twitter “thinks”? Random anonymous people with their faux outrage is pathetic. In the grand scheme of things, a straight actor playing a gay role is so low on the offensive meter it doesn’t register. There are actual, real life problems we face every single day that we choose to ignore in order to focus on meaningless issues. Stop being outraged by the sun rising
Donston
People, most individuals are well aware that closeted gay/homo-leaning men have been playing straight roles for many decades. Even if you don’t agree with the anger (and I don’t entirely agree with it) at least argue against the actual points.
Being out shouldn’t be a punishment as far as opportunities in the entertainment industry go and the limiting of your career options. At the very least try to cast an out actor in a high-profile gay film role or two, which never happens. That is likely the crux of the bitterness.
mz.sam
Why all the hubbub? Hollywood filmdom have been filled with Gay actors playing shamefully str8t roles, i.e. Rock Hudson, Montgomery Clift and Tom Cruise.
paul dorian lord fredine
@donston not too tired to feel you had to throw in your 2 cents. i’m i’m thinking you expect change.
Mike
I hate to sound like a geezer, but this is because so many people on Twitter are too young to know anything that happened before a couple of years ago.
Does any one here remember when playing a gay role was considered the kiss of death for an actor in Hollywood, and no one could get a straight actors to do it? Anyone remember 1993, when all the talking heads were all saying that playing a gay man in Philadelphia was going to ruin Tom Hanks’ career? Anyone remember when Disney would never have DREAMED of doing a movie with a gay character? (Or even a movie that hinted some character was gay?)
This is a sign of mainstream acceptance, people. It’s ridiculous for gay actors to whine that this actor is straight. Nowadays, they can play straight roles without being in the closet, and that’s far more important.
rray63
Like you I remember another time, when I was 17, which was 1980, there was no such thing as “Gay Day at Disney”, but lets just whine like silly queens because the world isn’t moving as fast as we like. Well, I got news for you, it’s moving faster now than it did almost 40 years ago.
johnnymcmxxx
It’s called “acting”. I don’t care who plays what as long as they play it well. All of this outrage is nonsense and so many “straight” actors are, in reality, Gay anyway.
AlexEf
** Waiting for trans people to arrive and start attacking Jack Whitehall and Disney … Or is it not their “issue”?
jjose712
Some people need an explanation of what means to act.
Saying that, the character sounds like an stereotype with legs
jjose712
And after say that, i wouldn’t be bad if a gay actor land a prominent gay role in a big studio film for a change.
I don’t think gay roles are for gay actors, acting is pretending to be a different person, you don’t need to have anything in common with the character to portray him very well, but it’s true that big gay roles on film (and on tv too, but there are more exceptions) are always to straight actors (or actors that didn’t came out of the closet), and it would be good if a gay actor could land one of those roles from time to time
Juanjo
Yawn. He is a talented comedian and he was selected to play a gay character. Zachary Quinto plays a straight character on Star Trek. Get on with life.
AxelDC
This is the problem of reserving gay roles for gay actors: you will ghettoize acting and actors like NPH, Zack Quinto, Ellen Page will only be allowed to work in the handful of gay roles that appear. Instead of creating more work for gay actors, you will force more gay actors into the closet for fear of limiting their careers.
sfsilver
I’m very disturbed by the disdain and reaction to the fact that the character is going to be “effete” and “camp” Sorry guys but there are millions of us campy effete femme queers out here and we deserve to see ourselves on screen. The only thing we should demand is that we are afforded the same level of dignity as the other characters in a particular work. If the tone of all characters is jokey and satirical, then that’s the right tone for the LGBTQ characters too. None of us has seen a script of a second of this film. I’ll withhold judgement until I see the character, but we need to stop this demand that Gay characters be sanitized and policed to the point of not being recognizably gay in anyway other than some passing dialogue identifying the character as such.
AxelDC
We don’t need more gay Steppen Fetchit sterotyping. We already have Eric Stonestreet mocking us for a living.
AxelDC
Good for Jack. He’s a very talented actor and will do a terrific job.
Prospero761
I’m a gay actor who has played DOZENS of straight men. Hell, I’m an atheist who has played St Michael, Friar Laurance and Jesus! No one ever complained. It’s called acting, folks, not reality. There are far more important things to get upset about…
heckles202
And has anyone heard of you? No? Didn’t think so! Sit yo ass down!
Ashke113
The part should go to the best actor, why should a gay part be played by a gay actor. There are excellent actors that could play any part and if Disney wants the film to succeed then they’ll cast whomever they feel is the best. If people in the gay community don’t like it then don’t go watch it plain and simple. Our community is never satisfied with anything that pertains to us these days and we always look for something to bitch about, if we want good things put out then we should make better scripts instead of the crap that has been in the past. Love Simon was played by a straight actor yet where was the outrage then, and that was a great film and done by a great actor. Stop with the half assed fake outrage and we should learn to pick our battles better instead of jumping at everything……
rray63
You sir, said a mouthful. I get attacked constantly because I won’t go along with the fake outrage. I think some of the younger gays are taught to act outraged by our current system. They don’t know what it was like before five or ten years ago. They don’t know what it’s like to be called to a police crime scene because one of your best friends and roommate was killed and the police didn’t want to deal with queers, so they had me tell him that his boyfriend had been killed. We have come so far in a relatively short period of time. I mean I listed a few examples but damn, we had a gay married couple on Brothers & Sisters, played by one gay and one we aren’t sure man. That was one I didn’t mention. Let’s also not forget a show almost 20 years old now, Queer as Folk, there were how many gay men on there, three minimum? Life is to short for the fake outrage. Some of these folks need to wake up.
AlexEf
rray63,
internet makes people hysterical these days…
AtlasRich
Well there have been many straighties playing campy Gay guys in many parts for years (John Ritter as Jack Tripper (sort of), Hank Azarea as Agador Spartacus, Guy Pearce as Felicia, James Franco as Himself). I guess you can appreciate the support from that side of the fence or be pissed that they were given a role meant for one of us. Not too long ago it was considered career sabotage for a straight person to be cast as gay in a role (or by rumor). Let us not create a double standard that puts a glass ceiling on what sexuality gets what role; it IS a departure from reality when it is a film or show and the actor who plays the part in the best way the role requires then so shall it be him/her.
I am just a bit bothered that Disney has a Gay character that is campy and effeminate. I am Gay and I would say maybe 1 out of Gays I know are campy and femmy. Those are not common traits in other words.
Paco
That is odd. Most I know are “femme” to varying degrees. Even some who hilariously think they aren’t at all. I guess it all depends on your unique social circles.
ShowMeGuy
I will greenlight your next project for a favor later. It is now later…..I know someone with a project….it sucks……but your name being connected to it will give the project legs.
One very common way people end up connected to a project in Hollywood. It isn’t about who is the better actor, writer, director, wardrobe designer….whatever. It is more about who is useful this week to make something get done.
Since the useless SJWs threw a fit about “Rub and Tug” casting decisions and just watch, that film will end up going nowhere……the fact that this is DISNEY is the only thing that will keep the project on track in spite of the pearl clutching from the looney leftist.
miserylovedme24
I’m tired of this fake outrage AND I’m tired of the media outlets that keep pushing it for clicks. It has to stop. Jack Whitehall is great and I guarantee you he would be better in this role than other actors. The idea that gay characters should only be played by gay actors but straight characters can be played by straight or gay actors is ridiculous.
OzJosh
The direct corollary of “gay roles must be played by gay actors” is “straight roles must be played by straight actors”. Is this what anyone wants? I’m willing to bet it’s not what any actors want. And the immediate effect would be to drive gay actors back into the closet in order to maintain careers playing a wider range of roles. So that would spell the end of the visibility we’re finally seeing in the profession. It would mean producers and casting directors would be obliged to question prospective actors about their sexuality, which would be unacceptable both morally and legally (in some places). In short, it’s a nonsensical proposition.
Surely the real outrage here is that Disney’s first deliberately gay character is seemingly a limp-wristed stereotype. Now that’s something worth protesting.
Mick406
OzJosh . . . “limp-wristed stereotype”.
Totally agree!!!
I’ve been around the block for several decades and very, very few of my friends fit this stereotype as you usually see on television or in films. The guys I’ve had ‘interaction’ with couldn’t be picked out of a police lineup if they were looking for what people THINK gay people look like or act like. The ones I know are businessmen, college professors, athletes, even farmers. Plus, most gay people I know keep their lifestyle private and certainly don’t swish their asses, display limp wrists, talk with a lisp, and act effeminate.
My biggest beef (no pun intended) is why films don’t show how ‘normal’ gay men conduct themselves and whatever trials and tribulations they have gone through in life. How they deal with knowing they are gay or even bi. How they have problems and issues like most hetero guys. I figure that would be mundane and boring for most people to view, so that’s why we usually see the flippant and flamboyant depicted instead.
Paco
”a limp-wristed stereotype”
“keep their lifestyle private and certainly don’t swish their asses, display limp wrists, talk with a lisp, and act effeminate.”
“‘normal’ gay men”
“like most hetero guys.”
The histrionic femme shaming is really nasty in this comment section. I would say overly defensive and makes me curious what deep down issues the men saying these things have.
Femme gays exist and have always existed. They aren’t going anywhere and shouldn’t be hidden away (like the right wing religious nuts want) because you have some issues to deal with.
theafricanwiththemouth
@Mick406 your comment stopped making sense the second you started femme shaming. So that is, right from the start.
You think you’re “normal” because you’re non-femme (if you truly are). Lol, You’re gay, and no matter how straight acting or non-femme you think you are, most of the world won’t (and may never) see you as “normal”. So i don’t know your definition of normal (seems to be a crude heteronormative one) but all gay guys are normal no matter how they act.
Paco
Didn’t Disney already have a gay character in the live version of Beauty and the Beast?
AlexEf
Why are we denying him owning his own sexuality? What if he is actually gay? Or bi or wherever on the Kinsey scale? Maybe after playing this character he will realise that he is more gay than he expected. I don’t care about his sexual orientation after all. Full stop.
Jackrabbit
Get over it!
hellinhaven
Once again, we see the perpetual stereotypical nonsense that all homosexual men are effeminate and campy. Being masculine or not, has nothing to do with sexual orientation. Disney is promoting more of these ideas that a straight man acting campy and portraying a gay man in a movie is what everyone would consider good acting. It promotes the assumption that gay men are easily spotted by their mannerisms. When are people going to stop insisting that everyone must have a distinct label? Most straight people assume that married men with children are straight as an arrow…you have no idea how many of these men are jumping into bed with one another and enjoying the hell out of it. Wake up America…it’s been going on since the dawn of time, and you zealot evangelicals will never stop it.
Rock-N-RollHS
Twitter explodes!! Oh my, grab my panties. So what. People need to stop caring what other people think.
I[m personally tired of the waving finger–“you’re part of the problem”–“you don’t get it” (oh why don’t you tell me, person who didn’t live through the AIDS crises and lose scores friends, family, and acquaintances)–blah blah blah.
As someone who was never part of the mainstream and proud of it, I take great pleasure in resisting the scolding millennials and their offspring. I want to see this guy play the part, if he’s good.
LilMesican
Size Queens, it’s just never enough, is it?
It doesn’t matter how many Gay characters, Gay actors, Gay stories, etc. It’s never enough you want representation, and when it’s there its a caricature. News Flash: There are femme Gays!
okbye
And femme straight people, of which Jack Whitehall is one.
theafricanwiththemouth
Unnecessary outrage over a secondary role.
Like one of the twitter replies stated, no one including “queerty” saw anything wrong in a straight guy playing the LEAD ROLE in Love, Simon. Which was paraded as a first of it’s kind movie for whatever reason.
Now here we have a bunch of twitter accounts making empty noises over some dude playing a secondary character in Disney’s “first gay role”…
Why? is it because it’s Disney.. That’s far from a reason to be outraged (especially since no one had an issue with love, Simon where a straight actor took lead role).
By the way, an out actor who hasn’t found his/her footing yet would most probably be typecast badly for taking up such a stereotypic role. Sorry, but that’s how it usually is for them. Hopefully someday it’ll change.
If i had any issue with the role, it’ll be with the fact that the character has to be “effete” and whatever. It’s quite unoriginal and very lame. Besides this, there’s almost no issue of importance here especially after giving the very recent “Love, Simon” and other movies a pass.
okbye
There are a lot of people commenting here and elsewhere who apparently don’t know anything about Jack Whitehall. He is very famous in Britain, as a stand up and actor. And he IS effete, camp and overly stereotypically gay acting. Look up some of his stand up on youtube. If you didn’t know he wasn’t gay you would swear he was gay. Find one of his many crossdressing stories from when he was a kid. His dad complaining about him wearing tights all the time. That’s just the way he is, he won’t even have to act for this. If that’s what Disney was looking for they cast the perfect actor, gay or straight.
AlexEf
Walliams & Friend with Jack Whitehall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJUanmcqAeE
Birdbrain1963
I thought he was gay? Well he is self proclaimed actor at the most. He is a comedian not an actor.
GaybyGod
Let’s not forget Will Truman! He was played by Eric McCormack, who after the series, I still thought was gay. He did such a great “Gay” job.
Freud
There is nothing “shipwrecked” here, “Queerty”, with your questionable agenda.
I am happy when talent decides who gets to play what role. One of the most recent, most amazing examples: Timothée Chalamet. When it comes to any alleged discrimination of gay actors: this needs to be addressed separately and with a completely different reasoning and approach. Many “straight” actors actually paved the way by playing gay characters in a time when it was not a popular choice for homosexuality becoming accepted in society – ah btw., not letting someone do something based on their sexuality is DISCRIMINATION. And NO, there is no such thing as your selective discrimination, where only Queer ppl are affected. Also: it is just a movie. Oh my
the_ashpan
Most people mistake Jack Whitehall for being gay anyway…..actors act, not play themselves….. As a gay man I doubt i’d want the role anyway, an actor wants to be challenged, not just mimic his friends or play himself.
Paulie P
get over it. he is an actor hired to play a role…is Eric McCormick gay, no… so stfu. Were the three leads in Too Wong Foo drag queens, no get over it. Is Leo DiCaprio gay, no but he played J Edgar Hoover who was a gay cross dresser get over it. Was Felicity Huffman a transexual no but she played one. It’s called acting.
dean089
Thank you! I was sitting here myself trying to figure out why this is suddenly a thing. Maybe because it’s Disney, or because particularly vocal gay actors wanted the part but, seriously, we’ve been dealing with straight actors playing gay characters forever. Then there’s the flip side, gay actors playing gay characters. As you say, it’s called ‘acting.’
dean089
Crap, I meant to write gay actors playing straight characters.
keith2018
I see no problem with the choice of actor, he has been chosen by what I will assume will be very qualified people. The fact that the character is camp should not be an issue either, although progress towards equality and respect (by which I mean people keeping their unwanted opinions of the lifestyles of others to themselves) some guys are camp (gay and straight) and they face abuse purely based on that fact. Being camp is a part of personality and daily life for a lot of people, should it too not be accepted and the negative connotations that some apply to it be discouraged?
DavidIntl
I have no issue whatsoever with straight actors playing gay characters – in fact, I am glad that they are interested in doing so, and that it is no longer seen as a career-damaging move. Cast the best actor for any role, period. They are by definition acting, so who cares what/who they are in their normal life? How many Australians have I seen playing American characters lately?
Now, if I have a complaint about the movie, at least as described, it is simply that it sounds like yet another caricature, which really isn’t that helpful. In my view, we need in media a lot more gay characters who represent the large number of us who aren’t in any way “effete” or “camp”, nor some macho caricature either, but simply typical people who happen – incidentally – to be attracted to men.
dixonbanks
So fukn tired of this shit. It’s enough of us to tell our own fukn stories. If it’s not ok for a white person to play Asian y can a straight man play gay?!
batesmotel
More nutjobs getting their panties in a wad over an actor playing a part in a movie. Because god forbid casting directors cast someone that nailed the audition regardless of his sexual orientation.
Herman75
Twitter explodes!
offbeatoh86
There’s nothing wrong with a straight actor portraying a gay character, in theory. Many gay actors have played straight characters too.
The problem is stereotypically-written gay characters. To quote the Sun article, “He is playing a gay man – one who is hugely effete, very camp and very funny.” Not every gay is like Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Riley. Writing gay characters as always campy and effeminate gives the public a narrow view of the spectrum (pun intended) and variety of LGBTQ people.
bluberybandit
I just realized that Queerty has become a place I like to visit when I want to hear family bitch about senselessness and ridiculousness. AND, more importantly, a good place to visit when I’m horny (you know, when you need a nice, hot pic to look at because porn is too extreme and redundant for a quickie ).
It’s a great place to add one’s useless thoughts, feelings, and perspectives (such as mine). It’s kind of like the circus, A.A./N.A, and a mediocre gay bar rolled into one. Queerty is also a good place for those who are bored and waiting for a reply on Tindr or Grindr.
This is what happens when ADHD meds and boredom collide. Another rant from some single, middle-aged queer. And I’m still waiting for that G-damn reply on Grindr!
bluberybandit
Ah, I forgot…the straight actor above. There’s straight men that do gay porn. There’s also what’s-his-face (Cam) on modern family who isn’t gay but plays a gay role. Oh, now I remember why I typed the first sentence in my post above…..