There has been a hefty debate in Hollywood as a whole about whether queer characters should only be played by queer actors. Many would argue that an actor being a part of a specific community would help them portray a character better, and allow opportunities to go into the hands of those who hardly ever get it.
However, some believe that much like giving a good performance as a serial killer does not require an actor to pick up the knife themselves, actors can play whoever they want.
Recently, Will & Grace actor, Eric McCormack, spoke on exactly this. He played the role of a gay lawyer in the series for eleven seasons and spoke on if he thinks the role would have been in better hands had it gone to a queer actor. His answer may make many Scarlett Johansson fans happy.
Scarlett Johansson Fans Would Be Happy With The Will & Grace Actor
Many years ago, it was announced that Scarlett Johansson would be playing the role of a transgender man in a film called Rug and Tug. This decision earned the actress a huge amount of criticism from all directions for taking up the role of someone she was not. So much so, that the actress decided to step away from the project altogether, as revealed by Variety.
Speaking purely about the fans, many were upset at her withdrawal, not because of her decision, but because of what led her to make such a decision. They were upset at the fact that she was criticized for simply getting cast in a role, bringing forth the age-old back-and-forth of should queer characters be played by queer actors?
Recently, Will & Grace actor, Eric McCormack spoke on his thoughts on this matter and it would seem that his opinions would make a lot of these fans happy.
Eric McCormack Stands By Playing A Gay Character As A Straight Man
Speaking with Good Morning Britain, via Deadline, Eric McCormack revealed that he did not fully understand the sentiment surrounding the argument. He mentioned that acting, as a whole profession, is playing pretend. They fake who they are and make the viewers believe in a story that is almost always fictitious.
“That’s a tough one for me because I didn’t become an actor so that I could play an actor,” McCormack said, “There’s no part I’ve ever played where I wasn’t playing something I’m not. It’s part of the gig.”
Wanting accuracy from the real world into a false one completely defeats the purpose of Hollywood as a whole.
“If gay actors weren’t allowed to play straight actors, Broadway would be over. So this is what we do.”
Understanding the ridiculousness of the statement, he mentioned that by this logic, a lot of very successful businesses would get closed.
