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Post by DancyGeorgia on Feb 27, 2014 0:44:55 GMT -5
I wonder sometimes then why straight men are acceptable playing gay roles -- i.e. Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. The roles in the Liberace piece were considered a stretch for them. Couldn't straight roles be considered a stretch for a gay ACTOR too? There are so many gay actors who play or played romantic leads..... Matt Bomer? Does not seem to be a stretch for him. Lawrence Olivier? The list goes on and on. Cary Grant! |
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Post by kittykay on Feb 27, 2014 0:48:30 GMT -5
I wonder sometimes then why straight men are acceptable playing gay roles -- i.e. Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. The roles in the Liberace piece were considered a stretch for them. Couldn't straight roles be considered a stretch for a gay ACTOR too? There are so many gay actors who play or played romantic leads..... Matt Bomer? Does not seem to be a stretch for him. Lawrence Olivier? The list goes on and on. It wasn't common knowledge to the viewing audience that the majority of these gay actors playing straight were gay. HIMYM was already a hit before NPH was outed. Adam is very sexual and not a "safe" gay. IMO it would be a big story if Adam played straight. I believe it would help Adam to be accepted in a hetero role. Glee has the reputation of pushing sexual norms and would be the perfect showcase. Do you believe all the gay actors from the past (Cary Grant, Lawrence Oliviet, Ect ) would have become the stars they became if they were known to be gay? |
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Post by cassie on Feb 27, 2014 1:04:35 GMT -5
Of course gay actors can play straight parts very well. They have been for as long as there have been actors. When I worked with theater folk a lot, I would guesstimate that about 1/4 of the male actors were gay. There have been many handsome, swoon-worthy, heart-throb male actors who were closeted but gay.
The question is whether openly gay men can get cast as a straight romantic lead. Can they be believeable if the viewing public knows they are gay? Yes, of course, it should not make one damned bit of difference. If the performance is compelling and masterful, it should speak for itself.
However, the reality is that audience perceptions influence whether an actor will be accepted in a role. We all know of actors who have been inextricably linked to one role, one character, and cannot escape it for the rest of their career. Can anyone see Leonard Nimoy (who is a very good actor) in any role without thinking of Spock? Farah Fawcett was always a Charlie's angel pin-up girl regardless of some very edgy, different roles she took on later in her career. Did Ron Howard ever escape his persona of Opie and Happy Days? If he wanted to play a psychotic serial rapist, would the public have bought it?
Yes, there are exceptions. And I hope there are many more in the future. But we see these type of expectations with Adam all the time. He wore make-up like many a glam rocker before him, but, because he was openly gay, the image became iconic as an OTT gay man and the subject of cheap shots in the media. For the past two years, he has worn minimal make-up and presented a visual image that is either sophisticated leading man or rough, almost grunge rocker. But, his reputation is still that he wears eye-liner. He has sung rock, pop, R&B, club music, Queen, Broadway, blues and electronica, but there is still a contingent of folk who just think he "screams". Their expectations of him supercede the reality of their ears and eyes.
Could Adam be a convincing, gorgeous, hunk of a leading man? Absolutely. I can see him in the same vein as Hugh Grant and Cary Grant. Maybe Pierce Bronsnan. But, can the general public accept and embrace this icon of gayness in that role? I wish I could say YES! My cynical side says, "No way."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2014 1:11:15 GMT -5
Cassie - you have nailed the reality of Adam's world.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2014 1:20:12 GMT -5
Two thumbs up for the stripper pole spidey - just perfect!!! And I wonder of one of them lay down on it at the end of the song  - ewww - |
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Post by Q3 on Feb 27, 2014 2:49:15 GMT -5
There are so many gay actors who play or played romantic leads..... Matt Bomer? Does not seem to be a stretch for him. Lawrence Olivier? The list goes on and on. I was attempting to be sarcastic. Oh, so sorry. I missed that totally!! Perhaps you can add a wink because I can be dense sometimes.  |
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Post by Q3 on Feb 27, 2014 2:59:42 GMT -5
There are so many gay actors who play or played romantic leads..... Matt Bomer? Does not seem to be a stretch for him. Lawrence Olivier? The list goes on and on. Cary Grant! All of my favs turn out to be gay. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2014 11:35:58 GMT -5
All of my favs turn out to be gay. Grant gay is unclear, rumoured. |
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Post by coo.coo.ca.choo on Feb 27, 2014 12:06:22 GMT -5
Of course gay actors can play straight parts very well. They have been for as long as there have been actors. When I worked with theater folk a lot, I would guesstimate that about 1/4 of the male actors were gay. There have been many handsome, swoon-worthy, heart-throb male actors who were closeted but gay. The question is whether openly gay men can get cast as a straight romantic lead. Can they be believeable if the viewing public knows they are gay? Yes, of course, it should not make one damned bit of difference. If the performance is compelling and masterful, it should speak for itself. However, the reality is that audience perceptions influence whether an actor will be accepted in a role. We all know of actors who have been inextricably linked to one role, one character, and cannot escape it for the rest of their career. Can anyone see Leonard Nimoy (who is a very good actor) in any role without thinking of Spock? Farah Fawcett was always a Charlie's angel pin-up girl regardless of some very edgy, different roles she took on later in her career. Did Ron Howard ever escape his persona of Opie and Happy Days? If he wanted to play a psychotic serial rapist, would the public have bought it? Yes, there are exceptions. And I hope there are many more in the future. But we see these type of expectations with Adam all the time. He wore make-up like many a glam rocker before him, but, because he was openly gay, the image became iconic as an OTT gay man and the subject of cheap shots in the media. For the past two years, he has worn minimal make-up and presented a visual image that is either sophisticated leading man or rough, almost grunge rocker. But, his reputation is still that he wears eye-liner. He has sung rock, pop, R&B, club music, Queen, Broadway, blues and electronica, but there is still a contingent of folk who just think he "screams". Their expectations of him supercede the reality of their ears and eyes. Could Adam be a convincing, gorgeous, hunk of a leading man? Absolutely. I can see him in the same vein as Hugh Grant and Cary Grant. Maybe Pierce Bronsnan. But, can the general public accept and embrace this icon of gayness in that role? I wish I could say YES! My cynical side says, "No way." Thank you for expressing my thoughts in words. Maybe someday orientation won't affect perception but I think we are just starting down that path -- at least in my humble opinion. |
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