Having achieved critical success with his 2023 release, May December, filmmaker Todd Haynes joined forces with Joker star Joaquin Phoenix for an untitled gay romance. Even though the Oscar-winner was heavily involved with its screenplay alongside Haynes, just five days before the production was set to commence, Phoenix abruptly pulled out.
As for the aftermath, the whole thing has been a nightmare per producer Christine Vachon, who defended her decision to cast Phoenix, a heterosexual person, in the shoes of a gay character.
Producer Christine Vachon Addressed Joaquin Phoenix’s Abrupt Exit
While it isn’t exactly clear why Joaquin Phoenix chose to exit the film mere days before the production began, and per Variety, the actor reportedly got “cold feet”. Reflecting on the whole fiasco, producer Christine Vachon, who deemed (via People) the whole situation “a nightmare”, defended casting Phoenix in the role. Vachon further clarified that it was Phoenix, who brought the project to them, and his departure from the gay romance, which would’ve starred Danny Ramirez, has now reportedly put the film on ice.
Her statement read:
It has been a nightmare… And PLEASE — if you are tempted to finger wag or admonish us that “that’s what you get for casting a straight actor –DON’T. This was HIS project that he brought to US– and Killer’s record on working with LGBTQ actors/crew/directors speaks for itself. (and for those of you who HAVE– know that you are making a terrible situation even worse).
With Joaquin Phoenix set to appear in Joker: Folie à Deux this year, as for the filmmaker, Haynes is reportedly moving forward to Trust, an upcoming limited series.
Tom Hanks on Why Straight Actors Shouldn’t Tackle LGBTQ+ Characters
Although it’s not uncommon for straight actors to tackle LGBTQ+ roles, like Phoenix, who backed out in the last moment, Tom Hanks too wouldn’t be on board to play a gay character in recent times.
Even though the actor did tackle a gay character in 1993’s Philadelphia, back then, the decision to take the gig was motivated by his desire to play a fearless character. Moreover, the Oscar winner elaborated that having him in the shoes of the character ensured people, at the time, weren’t afraid of the film
But things have changed a lot since the ’90s, and per Hanks “We’re beyond that”, stressing authenticity is more important. Hanks explained that people won’t be open to inauthentic portrayals of LGBTQ+ characters in the modern era by having straight actors play them.
I don’t think people would accept the inauthenticity of a straight guy playing a gay guy.
But in recent years, several straight actors have excelled in LGBTQ+ roles, including Paul Mescal, who delivered an impeccable performance in the highly acclaimed All of Us Strangers.
Philadelphia is available to rent on Apple TV.
