Here’s A Full Breakdown Of The Discourse Around Whether Or Not Straight Actors Should Play LGBTQ+ Characters After Nicholas Galitzine Admitted He Feels “Guilt” For Doing So
It’s fair to say that the discourse around whether or not straight, cisgender actors should play LGBTQ+ characters in TV shows and movies has been contentious for a while.
Arguments against tend to come down to two major factors: The first is the fact that openly queer actors tend to be typecast into LGBTQ+ roles, so a straight actor being cast instead is taking an opportunity away from members of the actual community.
“I’ve only played queer roles in my professional career, and I am looking forward to the day when I can play a role that has nothing to do with my gender or sexuality, or my character’s gender or sexuality,” nonbinary actor Jesse James Keitel told NBC News in 2021. “I think that’s a privilege that many straight and cis actors don’t realize is even a thing.”
In addition, actors who are openly queer in the industry have previously spoken out about job offers drying up after coming out.
British star Rupert Everett recalled precisely that happening to him during a 2010 interview with BBC’s Radio 4 — although he did also acknowledge that he’d been “very lucky at the beginning" of his career.
“Show business is ideally suited for heterosexuals; it’s a very heterosexual business, it’s run mostly by heterosexual men, and there’s a kind of pecking order,” he said at the time.
And when asked for his thoughts on straight actors taking on queer roles, Rupert referenced the stifling knock-on effect that it has on queer actors as he explained: “A lot of straight actors are actively searching for gay roles because it is something different to do. I think that’s fine, but that does mean the gay actor who used to just get to play the gay part — like me — has been reduced to drag, really.”
Rupert’s comments came shortly after acting veteran Richard Chamberlain — who did not come out as gay until more than 40 years into his career — had told the Advocate: “I wouldn’t advise a gay leading man-type actor to come out."
"It’s complicated," Richard added. "There’s still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. It’s regrettable, it’s stupid, it’s heartless, and it’s immoral, but there it is.”
Despite this, straight actors have a long history of achieving critical acclaim for their portrayal of queer characters; Tom Hanks won an Oscar for his performance as a gay man in the movie Philadelphia, as did Hilary Swank for her portrayal of a transgender man in Boys Don’t Cry, which was based on a harrowing true story.
Jared Leto also won an Oscar in 2014 for his performance as a transgender woman in Dallas Buyers Club. Furthermore, Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal were nominated for their roles as gay men in the movie Brokeback Mountain, Eddie Redmayne for playing a transgender woman in The Danish Girl, and Cate Blanchett for her portrayal of a lesbian character in the movie Carol.
The second major argument against straight, cisgender actors playing LGBTQ+ characters is that it is integral for marginalized communities to have “real representation” onscreen, with it being said that those who aren't a part of that community are only able to offer a "projection" of what they think it is like instead of an accurate portrayal.
On the other hand, it has been pointed out that the situation is far more complicated than it might seem. Director Jamie Babbit told NBC: “To have quote-unquote ‘straight’ actors saying now, ‘Hey, I won't take that part because it's gay, and you should give it to a gay person,’ it feels like another way to stigmatize our stories.”
And actor Kristen Stewart told Variety that “it’s a slippery slope” as she explained: “I would never want to tell a story that really should be told by somebody who’s lived that experience. Having said that, it’s a slippery slope conversation because that means I could never play another straight character if I’m going to hold everyone to the letter of this particular law. I think it’s such a gray area.”
With all this in mind, it is perhaps unsurprising that man of the moment Nicholas Galitzine is conflicted over playing several LGBTQ+ characters throughout his career despite identifying as straight.
For context, although he is currently in the headlines for his portrayal of a decidedly heterosexual boy-bander in The Idea of You, Nicholas has played five gay or bisexual characters since 2015, including his performance as a closeted British prince in last year’s huge hit Red, White & Royal Blue.
And in a new interview with GQ magazine, Nicholas explained: “I am Nick, and I’m not my role.”
When asked if he has had to deal with people conflating him with his fictional characters, Nicholas told the publication: “I think I have. I identify as a straight man, but I have been a part of some incredible queer stories.”
“I felt a sense of uncertainty sometimes about whether I’m taking up someone’s space, and perhaps guilt,” he went on. “At the same time, I see those characters as not solely their sexuality.”
This isn’t the first time that Nicholas has addressed his apparent attraction to roles rooted in the LGBTQ+ community, with the star explaining why he thinks that is in an interview with Huffington Post earlier this year.
“There’s sort of a plethora of reasons for this," he said at the time. "One: I have so many friends within the community, and I know so many of them didn’t feel like they had these stories growing up.”
Referencing Red, White & Royal Blue in particular, Nicholas added: “My gay friends were like: 'Wow, to have something cheesy and broad and wholesome is like really, really important,' and I think the resonance of that means a lot to me."
Nicholas then concluded: "I think with all of these characters, the thing that I find really intriguing as an actor is that underbelly of vulnerability and having to hide oneself."
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