Idris Elba has offered his thoughts on the debate surrounding straight actors and their access to gay characters.
Will you agree with what he has to say?
Find out and weigh in below…
Artistic license is artistic license. If an actor has the attributes to do something, they should be able to do it. They’re acting. You don’t necessarily have to be gay to play a gay character. Though you do have to be Black to play a Black character.
Elba was referring to a discussion ignited by those who feel that Jack Whitehall is to play an LGBT character in the movie ‘Jungle Cruise.’
Did I miss the part of this story where Idris Elba came out as gay and can therefore speak to experience on this and how gay actors repeatedly get passed over for roles, or…? https://t.co/VL9VcSx8ON via @gaystarnews
— Brian Gray (aka ürb) (@urbanbohemian) August 28, 2018
![Stream: 'Mufasa: The Lion King [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]'](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/mufasa-movie-soundtrack-tgj-1-464x260.png "Stream: 'Mufasa: The Lion King [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]'.")
Another day, another gay agenda. SmH
You realize this is exactly the s*** white folks say about blacks right? Or is the irony always lost on you? Why is mentioning something a “agenda”. Y’all act like gay people schedule meetings to figure out how to f*** with heterosexuals. It’s asinine to think that your enemy is as obsessed as you are with them. If anything the fact that gays aren’t playing gays and heterosexuals are, meaning that the gay stereotypes are being perpetuated by heterosexuals, wouldn’t that be the actual “agenda”? To make gays appear or seen as whatever heterosexuals want them to be seen as, which is usually negatively. You got a ass backwards way of thinking.
He won’t reply back to that no common sense
Its only an agenda when it doesn’t serve you, or something outside your very own experience.
First of all, I’m sick of straight actors portraying gay people as the biggest flamer of all time. Secondly, I remember when somebody said gay actors shouldn’t portray straight person. The double standard and hypocrisy just astounds me!
Are you sick of gay actors playing straight roles too or are u just one-sided prejudice?
Cept out Gay actors are very often overlooked for roles that would require them to act straight. There have been few exceptions but take Matt Bomer for example women and gay men were hoping he’d be cast in that awful Fifty shades series and I believe it was a who producer came out saying they don’t think it’d be right for someone gay to play such a role. There are an overwhelming amount of straight actors getting cast as gay characters yet a gay actor has to be closeted to continue to get roles as straight men. Only real exception I can think of is Luke Evans and he hasn’t actually “come out”. When all gay actors are allowed to be gay in public off screen and straight on screen I’ll support straight actors doing the same. Until then it’s just unfair to gay actors.
Sit Hollyweird is very gay but you also should realize that every celebrity has a brand. If they were all out we would have way few A-listers. Celebs like Brad Pitt, Leonardo Dicaprio, Tom Cruise, Charlie Sheen, John Travolta, Nick Cage, etc are all bisexual or gay actors but choose to remain in the closet because of their brands. Hollyweird likes ambiguity and is run by the gays believe it or not. I find this article laughable because we all know Hollyweird is run by gays so the only reason there is an issue with a straight playing a gay here is because the actor is BLACK. This is a racial issue more than it is a sexuality issue
You are confused, Idris is not playing a gay character in the movie Jack Whitehall is and he is white so this is not a race issue.
He is not white. He is black. You are clearly “confused” not me and I never said he was playing a role. The article clearly states he is speaking on the matter and gays are seething and mad about him speaking on it because he is straight and black.
girl bye if you can’t comprehend why gay actors who are out would be upset about this then you want to remain ignorant.
Sit I comprehend perfectly fine. Just because I comprehend something don’t mean I have to agree with it dumb ass!
If I was a movie director and had to interview actors for a gay role I would choose a straight actor or closeted gay actor to play the gay role because I would NOT want the outwardly gay man’s brand distracting viewers from the role he has to play and that is bigger issue. The outwardly gay man’s personal life would interfere with the character he would have to play and causes not only confusion for casting directors but also for viewers who are unable to dissassociate the outwardly gay man’s publicly displayed personal life from the character he has to portray for the film.
If u are an out actor your brand is that of an outward gay actor but your personal brand causes a conflict of interest to casting directors who wants to hire an actor with a non-distracting brand. That is why many gay actors choose to remain closeted (ie Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, John Trevolta, etc) or only come out after they have secured a long term television role since their long term role has already stereotyped their brand to the brand of a tv character (Neil Patrick Harris, Sean Hayes, Wentworth Miller, etc).
If you can’t comprehend what branding is and how crucial branding is to roles then you want to remain stupidly entitled and “ignorant.”
Gays can be very racist and discriminatory against straights, especially black straights. Many gays feel it is perfectly fine for them to play straight roles but have prejudice and raciscm towards straights (especially black straight men) playing gay roles. Everybody in Hollywood knows that a straight man playing a gay role opens the doors for him to get casted for bigger roles and NOBODY gay had a public agenda when white actors did it (is Leonardo Dicaprio, Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, Michael Douglas, etc).
Jack is playing the gay character not Idris Learn how to read before u run yo mouth dumbass
I thought u was done with this site yet u are still here. Learn how to stand behind ur comments. I said what I said and meant what I said. Period. There is nothing worthy of reading on here besides Resputia’s comments anyways so read my comments and keep ur stankd mouth closed u dumbass backpedaler.
And if i don’t?
Who cares! Acting is talent and art regardless of ones sexuality. Matter of fact humans act everyday and everywhere in example workplace, school, relationship, sexxx, friends, social status and many more. We are all actors and actresses
The real issue is they praise straight people for playing us on tv and movies but us for being us.
F.uck that. If u a qualified actor u can play any role, regardless of sexuality. Sense when is it okay for gays to bash straight people for playing gay and have no issues with gays playing straight. That is racist and biased. FOH with that prejudice BS.
Rasp U sound mad take it down a notch and the last time u seen a gay actor play a straight character was when exactly?
In theory, any actor should play any role he or she chooses to, without the threat of discrimination. The real issue is Hollywood’s discrimination towards underrepresented groups, in particular, LGBT actors and actresses. The corporate side of the industry is still very conservative, male driven and white. So when gays, or any marginalized group sounds alarm bells for executives to allow them to represent their own characters, in this case, it should matter quite a bit on the sole basis of opening those opportunities.
Nope not at all. Who is to say that a straight man can’t play a gay role and vice versa? Who is to say that a gay man has to be outwardly gay or feminine to play a gay role? If you meet the criteria and have acting talent then you fit the bill to play whatever role you want. Just cause u gay don’t mean u entitled to play gay roles and just cause u straight don’t mean u entitled to play straight roles. The bigger issue is the false sense of entitlement many gays want to project on others. Nobody is entitled to sh|t.
I understand a comment that said. They praise straight actors for playing gay but not gays for being themselves. Alright I understand that. We don’t say anything when actors are playing futuristic characters, super heroes, crackheads, 1800s slaves, gangsters etc but we have a problem with them playing gay. There aren’t as many gay good actors as it is straight actors. So it limits the artistic vision for what they’re going for.
Also if a black actor plays a ghetto character, loud and out of control, does the audience deem it as acting.
Finally the audience. Everyone is saying please cast a gay actor but how many people will pay to see it.
Look at how many times gay men play straight roles in films.
Why did jizzmine the hotep ho bother changing names? It’s still the same old tired and dumb ass comments in every page. Still wondering which fat ass bottom took her man to make her crusty behind so bitter against q**** men lmao
My name is Rasputia u vile heshe b|tch! Nobody takes my men (plural), especially not sissies like u. If one of my men cheat on me or stop paying my bills or stop wining and dining me good riddance because I got so many n|ggas trynna wife me I need n|gga repellant. don’t come for me jizzman.
Of course they should. Look at the amazing Call me by Your Name or Moonlight films.
Hold on has he just destroyed his own chances if playing James bond in that statement. Many people believe bond is a white character.
Ummm well for starters… Black is a race, Gay isn’t! Smh stupid ??♂️
Should mentally sane actors play psychopathe in movies? I don’t understand, I mean they are all actors right? They learned to play roles and act like they were someone else so what’s the problem? It’s part of the job, stop masturbating your minds by “gay should play gay and straight should play straight” get out of your box and watch the world with a different angle, less restrictive.
Honestly, as a gay actor I don’t think it is an issue as long as there is respect given to the role. I have played gay roles and straight roles alike, I always come from a place of respect when playing a role.
That being said, I don’t think a gay actor should be looked over just because he is gay or given a gay part just because he is gay. I think the best actor for the role should get it. If there is a gay part and a gay actor is the best for the job, then he should get it, and vice versa.
All I know is, gay people don’tt always want to play gay. And believe me even trans actors wont always want to play trans either. People want the opportunity to grow and play people different from themselves.
I think the focus should be more on allowing gay characters to play straight ones. I think when a role is focused of someone from a historical/non-fictional standpoint, then it would be great if the actor/actress is from the same racial background and sexuality, but for characters who are made up from fictional standpoints are game to be played by anyone.
Double standard. And yes I am absolutely 100% serious. If blackface is wrong then gayface is wrong. and I don’t give a flying f*** if it means straight actors will lose roles.