Why oh why?


Why do we constantly get these gay roles casted by heteros? It would be so refreshing to for once see an actual gay guy play the gay guy ...ok, I know that's a stretch in the film industry as we know it, but hey ;)

Never finish what you can't start! ;)

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Oh wow, someone actually took my post seriously! I wasn't really prepaired for that (it was just a rant of my sense of synical sarcasm, really). But ok then, I'll try back myself up a bit here (and prolly do more harm than good in the process, but hey).

I guess I was thinking mostly two main things here:
First ties up with how they generally tend to overlook choices when casting. Here I'm thinking when they go like "hey, let's pick John Voight (Coming Home) or Tom Cruise (Born 4th July) and put them in a wheelchair, yayh", or "let's take a pretty-face actress and turn her butt ugly (do I even have to name ths one!), yayh", when there are perfectly good actors/actresses already in those situations who could do...well, at least no less in such roles, I'm sure.
As for my 'secondly' - well, I have a feeling gay actors/-resses are casted quite rarely enuff in mainstream films as it is (just as us paraplegics, or the butt-uglies, the list doesn't end there), without the 'straight&pretty' ones having to hog those few where the situation fits someone else a whole lot better. There are plenty 'straight&pretty' roles out there for them as it is, no need to gobble the entire buffet!
Oh, and I'm sure somehow this also ties into how many cases of closet actors we still have out there in this day and age *cough*damon*cough*affleck*cough*diesel*cough*cruise*cough*ratcliff*cough*foster*cough - didn't we learn anything from Rock Hudson!
I just haven't fully put my thesis on that one together just yet, so won't take that any further right now.
Anyway, just thought I'd pay respect to those who took my initial ranting seriously enuff to respond, so there you have it...more or less! :P


"Never finish what you can't start! ;)"

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How far would you take this? Should only Christians be allowed to play Christians? Or say, only murderers can play murderers? I'm exaggerating to make a point: which is that it's called ACTing. By definition, you are pretending to be something/someone you're not.

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Very true, that definition. However, your example is really just a case of the other end of the extreme, so naturally that's not so desirable either. And I never suggested it should only be _allowed_ one way or the other - in fact, that narrowminded way of looking at it is excactly the issue! Mix it up a little, is what I'm trying to say, that's all.

Never finish what you can't start! ;)

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It's admirable of straight actors to play gay roles, but I'm on the side of the black viewpoint - that is, as black people should play black people, as opposed to a white actor slapping on the paint, more gay people should be out there playing the gay roles. Yes, I also believe disabled characters should be played by disabled actors, and there ARE plenty of disabled people who want to act, that have the talent, that should be in those parts, as opposed to some damn fool like Tom Cruise, who could never disappear into a character, whose performance in Born on the Fourth of July looks like he's saying, "HEY! IT'S ME, TOM - LOOK WHAT I'M DOING NOW! THAT'S RIGHT - I'M PLAYING A CRIPPLED - I FEEL AS A GREAT ACTOR THAT IT'S UP TO ME TO SHOW ALL OF YOU WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE CRIPPLED". As you can tell, I didn't really believe him in the part.

No good....lousy - - a BEAST! OUT!!!!

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First I would like to say that I should have check a gay movie sooner to have conversations about queerness in entertainment.

ITA on the points here including disable inclusion. I love a movie or gay role even more if the actor potraying that role is actually LBGT

that dosen't mean that I don't want to see straight people in gay roles but considering how difficult it is to be out in hollywood gay people should be able to take on a gay role with no fear of harming their career. lets face it, if Heath was a gay man he would not have recieved the positive acknowledgement that he did get. And Jake? Well, I got a whole latta love for him

I Just LOVE being QUEER !!

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brendachenowith--so, do you think that only straight actors should play straight roles? By your logic, it seems that'd be the case.

(I guess you're a Six Feet Under fan...I was too, great show!)

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Hi, Silvertron,

Ah - 'tis a fine line, which is so easy for me to cross - I'm not against straight men playing gay characters - I'm just for gay actors getting first pick for playing gay characters - but if a straight actor appears to be more fitting for the role, then he should definitely play it.

AND besides, when I hear a gay character was played by a straight actor, I often wonder what must be going through the actor's mind - does he treat the whole thing as a joke, more or less at the expense of his co-star? I just get these really bad thoughts of the actors making fun of the characters - macho homophobia being what it is, you know.

When the great Michael C Hall and Mathew St.(I hope)Patrick played David and Keith, I found out they were straight and thought, "uh-oh - I can just hear the snotty remarks between takes" - but I was relieved to find out they treated their characters with respect. Not very many young actors are very mature.

See, I've heard and seen my share of homophobic humor and it sickens me.

I was VERY much a Six Feet Under fan and am grateful for the DVD's so the Fishers and Chenowiths will never leave me.

Glad you brought up the topic - it was a good thought-provoker.


I was really drunk at the time, but yes, absolutely - I certainly was in the right.

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I look at the situation from a position of who is being privilege?

When a queer person won’t play a gay character because they are afraid of losing their career and a straight person can get awarded for playing such a role, well, there is something truly wrong with this picture.


I Just LOVE being QUEER !!

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Acting is acting. It doesn't matter if gays play straights, straights play gays or gays play gays. That is why it is called acting.

I think what you want is gay porn.

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Most gay actors and I mean MOST don't want to play GAY all the time they want to act. it' scalled acting and if they can't "act" gay or straight in a specific role then what's the point. No one wants to be Typed cast like Doogie Howser or Ruprt Everett.

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Duffbeer, I just saw this movie and I think you hit the nail on the head with your last comment! Agree totally!

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I see where you're going with this but I have seen a few "gay" movies where the gay roles are played by straight guys that were very effective. If I didn't check into it I wouldn't have been able to tell whether the actors were gay or straight. They're kind of new but I'm thinking of "Boys" and "The Way He Looks"..they are younger actors but man are they believable and I really get into the story just because of their characters. My point being is I'd rather see great actors whether they are gay or straight in real life that make me believe what's happening instead of an actor being cast just because they are gay in real life. As someone else pointed out here actors are actors and I have no issue with straight actors playing gay roles if they take it seriously and believe in what they are doing.

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