To think actors should be able to act?

[DappledOliveGroves]

I'm so pissed off. Russell T. Davies has now said that gay characters should be played by gay actors. Article here: www.google.com/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/russell-t-davies-straight-actors-should-not-play-gay-characters-12185652

I'm so, so sick of the identity politics playing out into every sphere. Where do we draw the line? Can a British actor play an American character or vice verse? If the character is a divorcee, must the actor also have gone through a divorce? Can a character who struggles with infertility only be played by an actress who's experienced the same?

I absolutely loved Queer as Folk when it came out in the late 90s. I have the box set and still watch it. It was brilliantly funny, wonderfully written and utterly provocative. Yet it wouldn't be made today, because the three main actors were in fact heterosexual.

Why are we becoming so segregated as a society? I had thought the idea was that people mixed together and strove for equality of opportunity. Instead we're simply pigeonholing people into smaller and smaller groups, based on identity politics.

Gay actors have played straight characters for centuries. Will they still be cast or can they only act if the character happens to be gay?

God, I hope so much in 50 years' time that we look back on this period with utter bewilderment at the insanity that's being perpetrated.

I also think it's significant that while a Black actor can play an established white character there would be a complete outcry if a white actress were ever to play say, Tiana or Pocahontas.

White is seen as the default. We don't even think about a character being white. Most of the time, you can make a white character black and it doesn't affect the story unless you want it to.

Tiana faced racism and racial inequality, Pocahontas was having her land invaded by people who thought being Native American made her a savage. Making Belle or Ariel black doesn't erase oppressive experiences. Making Tiana or Pocahontas white would.

YANBU, I completely agree. Identity politics is the pits.

Ooooh. I was all ready to agree with you OP then I thought of what happened to Rupert Everett when he came out, and the high profile actors who remain in the closet (Leo DiCaprio, who has a long term "companion" etc).

Openly gay actors (and actresses) have prejudice to overcome which straight ones simply don't.

@PicsInRed

Ooooh. I was all ready to agree with you OP then I thought of what happened to Rupert Everett when he came out, and the high profile actors who remain in the closet (Leo DiCaprio, who has a long term "companion" etc).

Openly gay actors (and actresses) have prejudice to overcome which straight ones simply don't.

I think that prejudice is only in certain palces. There certainly doesn't seem big prejudice in the UK. However, I have heard in US it's different and it can impact a career. But then we have quite a few gay actors from there. It seems to be hit and miss with it. Some are ok, some are not.

@SimonJT

The issue is a lot of gay actors are denied straight roles, so choosing a straight actor for a gay role is essentially denying a gay actor a role.

FYI all of the actors in It’s a sin are fantastic actors.

This

Someone mentioned the character in glee played by an able bodied person, wasn't he having dreams of dancing and walking etc? They wouldn't have been able to do that with a genuine wheelchair user.

Totally agree. It drives me potty.

@Aquamarine1029

I completely agree. I am so sick of this bullshit virtue signaling I could scream. I suppose we now have to find a serial killer to play a serial killer, according to these new rules. I'm worn out by the absurdity of it all.

😂 definite type casting danger there!

I agree OP it's ridiculous

Just say you don't understand that gay people are opressed and less likely to get roles and should therefore be able to play roles about them and go. You don't understand queer politics and that's okay.

Far more gay men have played heterosexual men than vice-versa.

Whilst I agree that a white woman should play The Queen, or a black man Nelson Mandela, sexuality should not be an issue when it comes to choosing people for acting.

All actors who want to play murderers better start practicing then

God, I hope so much in 50 years' time that we look back on this period with utter bewilderment at the insanity that's being perpetrated.

I certainly hope so too - utter madness!!! You are correct OP, actors "act" a part, they don't need to be the part in real life.

@PaddingtonsSister

All actors who want to play murderers better start practicing then

Because gay people are like murderers? What is your point here? How is this an appropriate comparison?

@segadone To be fair it makes a change from being compared to peadophiles. Murderers is a new one.

@peak2021

Far more gay men have played heterosexual men than vice-versa.

Whilst I agree that a white woman should play The Queen, or a black man Nelson Mandela, sexuality should not be an issue when it comes to choosing people for acting.

Why do you feel that sexuality is more important than gender or race? Genuine question.

Ugh, sorry... I meant less.

I only came on here to agree, and say that Dereck Thompson who 'plays' Charlie in Casualty is the biggest culprit. Then I realised I had completely the wrong end of the stick!

@segadone nice straw man

The system shouldn't be set up in such a way that not being out as a gay man or woman is better for your career. The system also should recognise that if you can't act, then you can't act. Regardless of sexuality.

The whole thing needs an overhaul - and not to say that if you are X thing you cannot be considered for Y role as you haven't lived it. I recognise that's easier said than done, but what is the actual point in being an actor if as a straight, married, middle class woman, those are the only roles you are allowed to play? Do gay actors only want to play gay roles?

@spudsandgravy you don't think that people alive now should be portrayed by people that have some resemblence to them? Sexuality is who you love and find attractive, it might influence your style or whatever but it doesn't fundamentally change you. Or if it does, then you're not a very good actor!

Why do you feel that sexuality is more important than gender or race? Genuine question.

It's not visible, isn't it🤷🏻

@segadone

Just say you don't understand that gay people are opressed and less likely to get roles and should therefore be able to play roles about them and go. You don't understand queer politics and that's okay.

In normal times, something like, what 90%? of the parts in the world are low profile. Regional theatre, supporting cast members in films, schools' tours, whatever. Gay people are not disadvantaged in auditioning for these roles. Who would even know that they are gay when they audition? It's not a question that you get asked!

Yes, gay men are probably less likely to get leading roles in big budget Hollywood films, a hangover from the old studio system that is slowly dying out, thankfully. But the people who are even in this position in the first place, ie gay men who are able to carry film but don't get the part because they are gay, are a tiny percentage of all actors and already have huge privilege by dint of being on the fringes of the big roles.

It is not accurate to say that gay people are oppressed in theatre, small-scale film and other performance arts. It just isn't.