Stanley Tucci Weighs In On Debate About Straight Actors Playing Gay Roles
Stanley Tucci has entered the debate on whether straight actors should accept gay roles.
The Hollywood star played an LGTBTQ+ character in the 2020 romantic drama film Supernova alongside Colin Firth, who played his on-screen partner.
With the discussion about whether queer roles should be exclusively offered to actors who are part of the community having ramped up in recent years, Stanley was asked for his take during an appearance on BBC Radio 4‘s Desert Island Discs.
He said (via The Guardian): “Obviously, I believe that’s fine, and I am always very flattered when gay men come up to me and talk about my role in The Devil Wears Prada or Supernova, and say I did it the right way.
“Because often it is not done the right way, and I really do believe as an actor that you are supposed to play different people. You just are.”
In 2021, Doctor Who boss and It’s A Sin creator Russell T Davies, voiced his belief that gay actors bring more authenticity to LGBTQ+ roles.
He told Radio Times: "I'm not being woke about this... but I feel strongly that if I cast someone in a story, I am casting them to act as a lover, or an enemy, or someone on drugs or a criminal or a saint... they are NOT there to 'act gay' because 'acting gay' is a bunch of codes for a performance.
"It's about authenticity."
Eddie Redmayne has also expressed regret on playing a transgender woman in the hit film The Danish Girl.
In the 2015 movie, Eddie took on the role of the painter Lili Elbe, a real-life figure who is one of the first known people to undergo gender affirmation surgery.
“I wouldn’t take it on now,” he told The Times in 2021 when asked about the role. “I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake.”
He continued: “The bigger discussion about the frustrations around casting is because many people don’t have a chair at the table. There must be a levelling, otherwise we are going to carry on having these debates.”