Straight men playing gay men — Page 2

ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "Certain LGBTQ storieshave been told (not much in the way of trans actually but that's consistent with real life) and they are sort of from the same demographic and some times it feels like they all have one voice (they don't but that's what happens with they dominate the story). There's way more stories to tell from LGBTQ authors and characters from different points of views and areas of life that Broadway has not explored yet. One reasonFun Homein 2015 was such a revelation was because it hit so many new notes with the telling of a woman'shistory grappling with her sexuality, meeting gender standards, and her father's sexuality. Although the story of coming out or being "gay" has been tackled on Broadway before, it was never really tackled from that perspective with a butch lesbian being the main character."

This 100% Lesbian stories are completely underrepresented

Fun Home was a revelation and I can’t wait to see it again in London

Gizmo6 said: "
It’s actually a perfect term as it equates race with sexuality, as something inherent to the person and not something that can be put on or taken off."

I understand your side of the argument and that's a good point. I guess I wouldn't mind the term "gay face" if used in a slightly different way than "insert color" face: If a heterosexual person was acting stereotypically homosexual in their real life (such as at an audition) because they think there is a higher likelihood of getting the outcome they want... that's when I'd call Gay Face.

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ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "Portraying gay men of different ages, body types, places where they are from, different socio-economicbackgrounds, different adult lives, different races, different interests, passions, etc. than is what usually portrayed on Broadway...also stories having different character arcs, different stories being told, having them actually be the main character, etc."

I agree. If I ever see a show with a gay character, it's usually a stereotypical representation. But that's what America only knows. They can't get out of that mindset. They haven't for years and Hollywood and Broadway aren't doing much to change that.

Most gay stories in the mainstream are coming out stories or men in dresses. But are you looking for a show with a male lead who happens to be gay and the story is about something else? Or are you looking for a gay story with a gay male that isn't the stereotype we usually we in hollywood or broadway?

Those are interesting questions. I admit I can't fully express what I really want. I just know that I love Broadway, I love theatre, and I love past stories that have had LGBTQ characters because every piece of representation is important especially if it's coming from a LGBTQ person or at least somebody who is treating the community with real respect. I just think that when I really think about it, I can't say I really relate to many of the popular works that people cite to have gay men represented no matter how much I may enjoy it. I don't think a gay man should be celibate or not have a story involving his romantic life nor do I think we should erase femme stories and portrayals or men in dresses either because they are real and valid and are already targeted by some in our community for erasure. I just think a gay story can be gay and be portrayed as real and dealing with many of the popular subjects that usually comes with telling a "gay story" while also dealing with something else entirely and choosing other stories that have not yet been told just featuring a gay person who is also going through things. I mean theatre can do that and can recognize people have so many things that shape their lives all at once and people react to different aspects of their personality/identity, etc.

Anyway, when I first heard the term "gay face" I thought it meant when straight actors all of a sudden put on this mask playing a gay character and gave him expressions and mannerisms that he, as a straight person, thinks a gay person is like. Like all of a sudden, he puts his gay mask on and the portrayal is as deep as putting a mask on. The exaggerations get a little bit more flamboyant and the wrists get a little more limp and the voice goes up an octave. Sometimes it's subtle but it's there.

Updated On: 6/5/18 at 07:34 PM

Sondheimite said: "If a heterosexual person was acting stereotypically homosexual in their real life (such as at an audition) because they think there is a higher likelihood of getting the outcome they want... that's when I'd call Gay Face."

We could argue that a gay person acting stereotypically heterosexual is "Straight face" then.

People who do not understand this and insist on putting gay people in the victim role and want to maintain a separation are in the wrong here. Equality starts where thinking in a 2 way street begins.

Also, when it comes to casting it is all about believability. A gay actor can play a straight character and a straight actor can play a gay character in my opinion when it's believable. So that should always be a 2 way street.

There is a difference in what works and what does not work in portrayal though. Most gay people would agree that a gay character played in a straight manner is not a problem, because they like to see gay characters represented in a non stereotypical way. But if a straight character is played by someone with gay mannerisms, it doesn't work well in my opinion.

So that means that basically every straight actor could play a gay character, (like I said, because gay characters coming across as straight is accepted) but not vice versa. Which makes it very logical that many gay characters are portrayed by straight actors.

We have to ask ourselves, is it about what we like to see portrayed or about how many gay people get a job?

Updated On: 6/5/18 at 07:43 PM

- I am 90% sure that Andrew Garfield is not straight

- Queer actors can bring a depth of understanding and real life experience to queer roles that straight actors cannot

- the more a story is about being queer (as opposed to a character who has a separate story and just happens to be queer) the more important it is to cast a queer actor

- It's discouraging as hell when, as a queer person, every single actor you see playing a queer character is straight. It does feel like you're excluded from your community


That is what I hold as a good rule of thumb. Nowhere do I say that all queer roles must always be played by queer actors. At the same time, there are times when I think it's not the right choice, and when in aggregate it's almost always a straight actor, that has impact. I don't think there can be hard and fast rules. It is a grey area.

And no, I don't think "gayface" is appropriate, because the queer community faces different struggles and different legacies than poc communities. I understand the urge to say "We all face struggles and here are some similarities" but poc are understandably very protective of their own legacies and it can be touchy.

Updated On: 6/5/18 at 07:49 PM

I most want a well-acted performance.

Depending on the individual, the role, and the show, the sexual orientation of the actor may or may not be a critical variable for producing that performance.

double

Updated On: 6/5/18 at 08:01 PM

BWAY Baby2 said: "Cynthia Nixon was great in Sex And The City- Tom Hanks was great in Philadelphia- end of that discussion for me- believability is the only impediment to playing a role."

Gavin Creel was great and believable in Dolly, And won the Tony (for the person who said they don't award that)

TexanAddams18 said: "BWAY Baby2 said: "Cynthia Nixon was great in Sex And The City- Tom Hanks was great in Philadelphia- end of that discussion for me- believability is the only impediment to playing a role."

Gavin Creel was great and believable in Dolly, And won the Tony (for the person who said they don't award that)"

I was taking about awards like for Hanks and Ledger and Leto

for example.

I agree that gay actors have a bit of a hard time sharing their voices (especially if they're not a thin, young, white twink), but I think casting based on the sexual orientation of the actor is problematic. I don't think Garfield identifies as "straight" and I find that this argument kind of erases those who are queer or fluid, but not "gay." Also, all of the other men in Angels are gay as well as Malone. I just find that whole argument a little strange. I would understand it if all of the actors in the show were completely straight men playing gay, but that isn't what's going on.

Also, yeah. I find it pretty offensive that people feel that a sexual fluid actor playing a gay man (and giving a brilliant performance btw) is equal to blackface or yellowface. Sorry, but no.

I thought being an actor included playing characters quite different than yourself so the simple answer IMO is yes.

Tony Kushner and Andrew Garfield address this topic in their interview with Christiane Amanpour. Short version - Garfield says it’s a very important discussion to have, and Tony (the gay playwright) wanted him to do this play and that’s enough for him.

Kushner says “the idea of asking an actor who they sleep with before I cast them is repellent to me, I would never do that, I don’t even think it’s legal, it shouldn’t be legal. It’s none of my d*** business… if they can do it, their sexual orientation, their political preferences, none of that is any of my business. This is a profession and I work with actors, I need to work with the best actors I can get. So he’s one of the best actors alive and this is a very big, difficult part, and as a gay man I’m enormously moved by … I’ve never seen any straight man perform a gay character with more intimate knowledge, and things in Andrew’s performance that you usually can only see in gay men. but that’s the miracle of the empathic imagination, that’s what actors do. I can learn from having the story of my tribes (Jews or gay people or Americans) told by people who are not that.”

Full interview here. This topic starts about 20 minutes in.

https://www.pbs.org/video/amanpour-tony-kushner-and-andrew-garfield-mh7oqs/