Luke Evans Shuts Down Idea That Only Gay Actors Should Play Gay Roles – Pride.com

Luke Evans is weighing in on the debate over whether only queer actors should be cast in queer roles, and he makes some valid points.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, the actor was asked whether he had any thoughts on the conversation, which has seen a number of high profile people in the entertainment industry comment in the last few years.

“Gay people have definitely missed out on gay roles, for sure,” he said. “I get it, and I totally think that things do need to change.

“But from my perspective: firstly, I wouldn’t have had a career if gay people played gay roles and straight people played straight roles. I’d have played two roles out of the 36 projects I’ve worked on, or whatever [the number] is.”

Evans’ comments were specifically in response to writer Russell T. Davies previously having suggested only casting gay actors in gay roles is imperative for “authenticity.”

“They are not there to ‘act gay’ because ‘acting gay’ is a bunch of codes for a performance,” Davies said.

Critics of the idea that only queer actors should take on queer roles have frequently pointed to two main issues with that perspective. First, potentially forcing actors to publicly declare their sexuality in order to justify playing a role is questionable at best, and excludes those who are still figuring things out, something playing a queer role can frequently help them do.

Moreover, it suggests that falling in love as a queer person vs as a heterosexual are two wholly different experiences, and that a straight actor would thusly not be able to bring authenticity to such a story — which is antithetical to much of what the LGBTQ+ rights movements have tried to impart to the rest of society over the decades.

Evans seems to feel similarly, adding that he thinks it’s important for roles to be cast based on “talent and ability, and a bit of luck and timing.

“That should be the reason why you get a job. It shouldn’t have anything to do with anything else,” he said.

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