She's Gay? Who Cares?

I respect your opinion, but don't understand it, in relating to the art of acting.

Like infrablue said, we suspend our beliefs about straight actors when they play a gay role.

Isn't that even worse than the old practice of typecasting?

I've seen where an actor in several movies in a row will play an evil character. Then, in another, he/she is a hero.

Maybe a better example.....I know that in real life an actor has no children, and has made it clear that for whatever reason, they will not have any.

How difficult is it to suspend your belief when this character plays the role of a father or mother with 5 or 6 kids? Not very.

Ben Kingsley played Mahatma Ghandi....then he played a role where he had tortured a woman with electric probes.

I believed him in both roles.

Given all that, I'm ashamed (for the low level of introspection) of the general public in that they can't make this transition of characters in their mind, knowing it is simply a role they are playing.

In truth, it's not necessary to know anything about an actors life to appreciate their art, and it might even make it easier to accept them in different roles.

Unfortunatley, many have this desire to know about this person private life, when in reality, it's not necessary.

I have a wonderful doctor. I don't know if she is gay, whether she believes in God, what she does in her spare time, what her house looks like, or where she went on vacation. What do I care as long as she treats me well as a patient?

What do I care what an actor does when all I really care about is their talent?

Actually, that's what I thought acting was all about....having the talent to be able to suspend reality.

If they can't do that, how talented are they really?

Hey, I'm not saying I don't notice little bits of gossip, I human. I think a lot of people really don't have a problem with whatever the actor in in their private life.

There are those "squeaky wheels" those, dangerous squeaks come from those who truly believe they have the right to ban an actor for some reason, lesser squeaks come from mice that just want to feel that knowing something about an actor makes them somehow closer to them, part of their lives or something.

The actors just try to keep all these squeaks down.

I'm with Chai.

How do you buy Star Wars? Harrison Ford really isn't piloting that starcruiser... He doesn't have one at home in the garage. To me, it's all the same thing-- I don't see how any aspect of the personal life of an actor has anything to do with how I view their performance.

He wasn't?!


See, that proves Harrision Ford is gay.

Uh, hate to disillusion you gals, but georgeOb1 (as in our very own) was piloting that cruiser... Georgeob1 is short for Georgeob1-kanobee... as those "in the know" know...

well now!

Seriously, I never said that my take on gay actors in straight romantic roles was politically correct. As a matter of fact, I know it isn't since I've yet to broach the topic with any of my gay friends or relatives. It's just what's rolling around inside of me and I can only assume in others as well. But it's great to know that to some, perhaps just as many, it doesn't matter at all.

I wonder who will be the pioneer? In my lifetime, I'd like to see someone give it a shot and try and cross the gender barrier in the music or movie industries.

In actuality, I kinda resent when straight actors play gay characters. I say, let a gay actor play a gay character. As much as I like John Travolta, I think he had a hell of a nerve taking over the role in 'Hairspray' that has traditionally been played by a gay actor.

It reminds me of when they were casting for "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" and Diana Ross was extremely interested in playing the role of the transvestite "Lady Chablis". The queens were outraged! For her sake, in the end she wasn't cast and the real Lady Chablis played herself.

I think folks who feel strongly about an issue, whatever the issue may be, will oftentimes allow those feelings to cloud their judgment on what movies to watch. I have a lot of issues with what Mel Gibson stands for and I tend to avoid Mel Gibson movies. I'm not able to see him in any role without thinking of his politics.

I think the same could be said for homophobes and there are still many, many of them walking around.

Homophobe? You don't mean me, do you?

I'm remembering old movies where white guys played black people, and later ones where they played Native Indians ...

I'm surprised Jodie's gay - shows you what I know, doesn't it? - but it doesn't reflect a bit on her talent. I think she must be relieved to have it out in the open - as does her partner, probably.

No, not at all.

That is the rub for me when straight actors play gay characters. It feels the same as when white actors were in black, yellow and red face paint.

I'm not big on color-blind casting and that sort of thing. Every year the theatre where I used to work did "A Christmas Carol" and our artistic director, who was very big on it, would fill the Cratchit household with a mix of black, white, and Asian kids. On the one hand, I could see the positive benefits but on the other, I just couldn't get passed how ridiculous and unreal it appeared.

You used to work in the theatre? I volunteered in several for a couple of years. It's a wonderfully alive environment, isn't it? I would never get out in front of an audience though - shudder!!

I read a review of a movie recently that talked about how character actors disappear into their roles while movie stars are always a version of themselves. I think Julia Roberts was mentioned. Julia-as-a-hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold -- but still Julia. Julia-as-Erin-Brockovich -- but still Julia. Etc.

So I think it could be more dangerous for movie stars to be seen as gay than for character actors. (And I'd say that both Ben Kingsley and Kevin Spacey fall into the latter category.) That's probably part of what Rupert Everett was talking about, that Jodie Foster is still a star but not to the extent she was.

Something about people going to see Julia Roberts -- as Erin Brockovich -- vs. going to see a movie about Gandhi, played by a good actor.

Good points soz.

Although....is that the definition of what a character actor is?

I thought a character actor was one that didn't play a leading role?
Oh well, I know what you mean though....an actor who "becomes" that character. That's the definition I'll go by.



Mebbe that's part of why I'm not very into movies.

I never saw the attraction of Julia Roberts, for instance and I realize it's for the very reason you said.

I watched about 20 minutes of Pretty Woman when it first came out and just couldn't be bothered to keep looking in that direction.

Maybe Roberts is a wonderful person, just don't want to watch her, for example, being all these versions of herself.

I listened to an interview w/ Spacey on NPR, and one thing he said still stays with me. "I want the audience to work (as hard as I did) when watching a film I'm in"

He's right. On the whole, when I watch a movie of his, I'm right along with him, suspending beliefs together. Same with Kingsley.

I don't want to be passively entertained by perky Sandra Bullock being another version of perky Sandra Bullock. I've watched her movies, the one's that were meant to be funny made me laugh, etc. But I can never say I felt anything of her reaching into me and taking me along.

I know that an actor is accomplished in his craft and not just a "star", when you see them in a few different parts, and don't realize who the actor is. That is because the actor is so enmeshed in his craft, that his own personality fades into the background, and his film character emerges.

I can remember the first few times that I saw Geraldine Page in a number of films. For the life of me, when I first started to notice her, I could not figure out who she was.

gene Hackman

Dys-You know what they say about "great minds". I thought of Hackman too when I was writing my post.

Gene Hackman and Geraldine Page are the same person?

Well, I guess that's why we've never seen them in a photo together.

Are both of them gay? Or just Gene?




ok, ok, I'll go away.....(snicker)

Latifah at the 2006 Sweetwater Concert in Atlanta, GA

I'm indifferent on the whole about Roberts, but Hugh Grant makes me vomit.

He's another one that I've watched 5 minutes of here and there, then I frantically search for the remote to turn the TV off.


sigh....I'm hard to please I guess.