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John Barrowman "too straight" for Will & Grace

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#1

John Barrowman "too straight" for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 1:49pm

Gay Doctor Who star was too straight for Will and Grace
13-Jan-2006
PinkNews.co.uk writer

John Barrowman, the gay star of Doctor Who was told he was “too straight” to play the part of Will in the hit US comedy Will and Grace.

The 38 year old actor who is well known across the world as Doctor Who’s bisexual sidekick Captain Jack Harkness claimed that offering the led role in the gay sitcom to a straight actor, Eric McCormack was typical of "homophobic" Hollywood.

“The sad thing is it's run by gay men and women," he added.

Mr Barrowman plans to formalise his 10-year relationship with architect boyfriend Scott Gill later this year, although he doesn’t wish the ceremony to be labelled as a “gay wedding.”

© PinkNews.co.uk 2005-2006 all rights reserved

Gay Doctor Who star was too straight for Will and Grace
BlueWizard's blog: The Rambling Corner HEDWIG: "The road is my home. In reflecting upon the people whom I have come upon in my travels, I cannot help but think of the people who have come upon me."
#2

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 2:06pm

I feel like this should be on the Off-Topic Board but that's interesting. Although I can't imagine "Will & Grace" without Eric.re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace
"Everybody has a different idea of love. One girl I know said, 'I knew he loved me when he didn't come in my mouth.'" ~ Andy Warhol
#4

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 2:27pm

I had no clue he was gay, lol. I love John Barrowman, I actually love Eric but I'd have loooved to see another musical theater actor playing a role in the show (Mullally being the other one).
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#7

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 2:59pm

Hm. Will's not an overtly gay character though. Like, if he auditioned for Jack, I'd totally understand. But Eric isn't so LOOKATMEI'MGAY, and John wouldn't have been either.

I would've loved to see John do that role. I love Eric and all, but c'mon.
#8

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 3:20pm

John Barrowman is pretty gay and can be an arrogant biatch sometimes (that's beside the point). Too gay is kinda funny because he came out side with his match Burberry hat and umbrella. He's not consumed by fire, but he's got a lilt to him. It's weird that a gay man isn't gay enough. But then again Roma Downey was told she wasn't Irish enough. I'm never black enough. Ehh I guess if they were looking for a Jack type it makes sense...but they weren't. Weird.

Updated On: 1/13/06 at 03:20 PM

#10

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 3:51pm

"The rationale used by actors to explain why they DID'T get a certain role never ceases to amaze me."

Actually, I bet what they were trying to convey is that he was not excitable enough. You know how Eric plays the character excitable sometimes when Grace or Jack gets on his nerves? I bet that's what the casting director was looking for and Barrowman couldn't produce it.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#11

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 4:04pm

^^ Something similar crossed my mind. I think Barrowman could handle the cool, jaded attorney part of Will's character...but I'm not so sure about the manic comedic timing.

My statement about actors justifying roles they didn't get though referes to Barrowman's comments though, not those of the casting people. If they thought he was TOO STRAIGHT, how is it homophobic to hire a straight actor who came across as MORE GAY? It's Barrowman's bitterness that I was alluding to.
#12

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 5:05pm

I had no clue Barrowman was gay until recently, so I can see why the producers might have thought that he wasn't right for Will. And Eric McCormick...well I never would have thought he was straight! He does a good job with the role, and I don't think that it was necessarily "homophobic" to cast him.
#13

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 5:23pm

I guess when they offered the role of Bulldog on Frasier to Dan Butler, they were being homophobic?
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

Updated On: 1/13/06 at 05:23 PM

#14

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 5:33pm

I think they were going for the not-so-buff pretty-much-in-shape gay man.. and Barrowman is pretty buff and big.

Eric has just the right touch.

Either one, I'm sure would have been good.
Personally, I think I have too much bloom.
#15

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 5:44pm

Does anyone here think that Will & Grace was copied off of Caroline in the City? I mean they are similar in many ways.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#16

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 6:11pm

Honey, I'd go see John do anything! He is smokin'! Besides, I actually agree with what he said in the article. Having an openly gay man play an openly gay man on a prime time TV show would be way too much for TV execs to deal with. WILL & GRACE broke so many boundaries and had it just come around now, I think he would have gotten the role but then it was just too taboo.
"For me, THEATRE is an anticipation, an artistic rush, an emotional banquet, a jubilant appreciation, and an exit hopeful of clearer thought and better worlds." ~ an anonymous traveler with Robert Burns
#18

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 7:10pm

Doogie, that's exactly what I meant by the actor trying to apply rationale. You weren't the one the producers wanted, for one OR many reasons. End of story. Next audition!
#19

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/13/06 at 7:45pm

John Barrowman isn't the first to make a comment like this. A lot of gay people were upset over the casting of Eric as Will and considered it "homophobic." Actually, many were upset (and still are) that Sean Hayes does not talk about his sexual orientation. So I don't think Barrowman is to blame because this is an issue that has been around since the show first came out.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
#23

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/14/06 at 2:48am

Maybe Eric was *gasp* the best for the role. I certainly think so, although I've been conditioned. Either way, it's a *gasp twice* fictional character and therefore I do not really care.
yr ronin,
joey
#24

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/14/06 at 3:28am

"Does anyone here think that Will & Grace was copied off of Caroline in the City? I mean they are similar in many ways."

The producers took "Ned & Stacy" and swapped Ned out for a gay man. They even kept the same lead actress. The only ways it's similar to "Caroline in the City" is that both have 4 main characters (2M, 2F) and neither of them starred John Barrowman.
Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around...
#25

re: John Barrowman 'too straight' for Will & Grace

Posted: 1/14/06 at 8:01am

There's a w&g book that discusses a LOT of the casting. According to the producers and whatnot, the 4 leads playing the roles are the original choices but almost none of them took the parts. In fact, I think they go so far as to mention the replacements they had lined up, right until Megan Mulally signed (she was the last to accept).

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