Should Gay Roles Only Be Played By Gay Actors?

[anotheoldgit]

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.theguardian.com/stage/2019/jan/14/gay-roles-actors-assassination-gianni-versace-bohemian-rhapsody?amp_js_v=a2&;amp_gsa=1&;usqp=mq331AQCKAE%3D#aoh=15759172201981&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&;ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fstage%2F2019%2Fjan%2F14%2Fgay-roles-actors-assassination-gianni-versace-bohemian-rhapsody

[david small]

Emmie, I wouldn’t care a jot.

[Dee-M-See]

I thought all actors were gay anyway

[Mamyalynne]

Wibble ;-)

[ludwig]

Obviously not. What a stupid idea.

[Peter Pedant]

no because they are acting you see
and acting means that you portray a figure which is defined by the script

so othello is routinely white
and macbeth is hardly ever scottish

and so in the Children of A Lesser God which involved deaf people - they didnt deafen the people they wanted, with nails beforehand

yeah and in Casualty the actors who are playing men who have been run over or girls after an abortion, are run over before the program began

( and um oh dear and the girls arent knocked up and attacked with coat hangers - too much detail)

yeah and in La Cage aux Folles - Nou-Nou who wears a dress alot in the film is a man who normally goes about in shirt and trousers

yeah and when they made the film Marie Antoinette - is that Roman Polanski? - they wanted some realism at the end. you know when they cut her head off
and they couldnt get any starlet to volunteer !

[historically - after Anne of Cleves was pensioned off, they asked Margaret of Burgundy who was ruler of Flanders if em she wanted the job. She replied
"If I had two heads I would gladly give one to the King of England!"
and demurred
well they dont make em like that now!]

[Peter Pedant]

honestly there are times when I wonder if AOG knows what his fingers are for

[cassa333]

No.

Acting is by definition being something you are not. Would you only want serial killers to play serial killers? Well the answer is no.

And conversely in that case perhaps gay actors shouldn’t be allowed to play straight...

[Peter Pedant]

yeah last time this was 'discussed'
we managed to drag ( pun intended) in child actors who played womens part in the original Shakespeare play

was the great man writing the partfor the child in mind or was it meant to protray accurately a woman. I mean you know Laddy Macb is a bit of a handful.

[Mozz71]

Nothing to add here which hasnt already been stated. Any actor worth their salt can apply to a role, regardless of their sexuality. I've often seen gay actors like Andrew Scott or Russell Tovey successfully play strong straight characters, the reverse is just the same.

[Peter Pedant]

yeah it has turned into a repeat performance
( or wednesday matinee) and er all the luvvies know their lines .....

yeah I wanna see gay icon Russell Tovey in Quantico but it looks as tho I will have to pay. O that didnt come out right - anyway he has beefed up since he was the gaoler's son in Liddle Dorrit - and was pining away for the heroine. yeah gay playing a straight part in case no one noticed.

[naomi24]

Ridiculous. If the same rules were applied to everyone, gay actors would find themselves most often unemployed.

[Togo]

Mind you Miriam Margoyles has a point. She is appearing in Call The Midwife Which is to be shown on Christmas Day. She whinges,"I'm a Jewish lesbian who hates Christmas, what am I doing playing a nun in the most viewed programme on British television on Christmas Day?"

Good question, all answers to the "couldn't give a toss department Beep Beep See".

[davebro]

YES & Ugly sisters should only be played by actual sisters who are really ugly!

[gingejbee]

^^^MM is earning a not inconsiderable crust, we presume....

[jourdain2]

Patently obviously - the answer is 'No'. It's called acting...… and, by the way, where does that leave that thing called 'empathy', which I always thought was rather a virtue?

[hc4361]

Over the years there has been many actors playing a convincing loving partner to an actor they cannot stand in real life. Harry H Corbett reportedly couldn't stand Wilfred Bramble but convinced us that under the bluster Son loved Steptoe; Patrick Swayze disliked Jennifer Grey and Tony Curtis hated kissing Marilyn Monroe. It's acting and as long as it can be done convincingly their real feelings don't come in to it

[TheDevil]

No, actors are actors and if they are right for the role then they are right for the role.

[Bazile]

//Should roles for black characters only be played by black actors ?//

Well it would look a bit odd a white person playing Nelson Mandela / Martin Luther King

[davebro]

Black actors have played Shakespearean role - Macbeth, Richard III, etc.

[youngmafbog]

If a 'striaght' person can act the role then I dont see a problem.

Of course if you want an actor to portray a certain ethnicity then it's obviously best to get someone who at least looks somewhat the part. Unless you want to spend thousands on make up every day!