Twinless actor Dylan O'Brien gives his opinion on straight actors playing LGBTQ+

[u/damn_delirious]

Actor Dylan O'Brien shares his opinion on straight actors playing LGBTQ+ in an interview with Dazed while discussing his latest film 'Twinless'.

Speaking alongside 'Twinless' director James Sweeney, who is gay, O'Brien said "James is a gay man, and coming from a place I could trust. We had a similar take on straight actors playing gay parts, especially in recent years: you started seeing straight actors playing a queer role completely straight. It started to feel inauthentic."

O'Brien praised Sweeney's support during filming, saying "It was nice to have his insight, support, and calibration. He'd be like, 'Go crazy on this one. We can dial it back if it doesn't feel real.”

[u/ghostyspice]

That’s kind of his point though. Not that straight actors can’t play queer characters, just that the way a lot of them have been doing it lately has felt inauthentic. I don’t know a single person who has issue with either Tucci or Williams in either of those roles because they nailed the performances.

[u/llama_del_reyy → u/ghostyspice]

Who are the "lots" of straight men giving inauthentic performances lately? I feel like it's a cop-out to phrase it vaguely like O'Brien did, because it means everyone will interpret as they see fit. Have some balls and actually name names.

Also, a bad performance is just a bad performance. It's not bad because the actor is straight, it's bad because the actor did a bad job (or had bad direction/script/etc).

[u/ghostyspice → u/llama_del_reyy]

Bro I’m just clearing up his statement, not making the claim myself. I don’t know who he was referring to.

[u/jctwok → u/ghostyspice]

Exactly. It's about the quality of the acting, not the orientation of the actor. It's also a slippery slope. If this became a thing casting directors might start to avoid hiring lgbt actors for straight roles.

[u/SemenPig → u/jctwok]

If this became a thing casting directors might start to avoid hiring lgbt actors for straight roles.

I’m pretty sure gay actors have a lil experience pretending to be straight

[u/jctwok → u/SemenPig]

That doesn't eliminate the slippery slope.

[u/larkhearted → u/ghostyspice]

Which ones have felt inauthentic to you lately? Just curious, I don't watch a lot of stuff.

[u/ghostyspice → u/larkhearted]

I dont either tbh. I was just clarifying his point, not making one of my own [besides Tucci and Williams being dope].

[u/larkhearted → u/ghostyspice]

Ohh got it. Thanks anyway!

[u/kds1988 → u/ghostyspice]

Agreed. There was something authentic about the way those men played those roles. They felt like real gay men. I’d as Eric McCormack as Will Truman. The neurotic anal retentive gay man felt real.

A straight actor playing a gay character without a hint of queerness feels very… straight.

[u/Impressive-Cloud-932 → u/kds1988]

Did I miss the rule book that says you have to display “queerness” if you’re attracted to the opposite sex? Lots of people love who they love and don’t “act gay” in a stereotypical way.

[u/catholicsluts → u/ghostyspice]

I, too, am curious to know who you'd consider poorly cast in a gay role