The entertainment industry hasn’t always been quite as diverse and open-minded as it is today. From racial discrimination to disparity based on sexuality, as confessed by actors themselves, Hollywood has been a mess for a long time. Take, for example, when late actor Kevin Conroy revealed losing roles because of his homosexuality, before landing Batman: The Animated Series in 1992.
After facing years of discrimination, Kevin Conroy eventually shared the experiences of being a gay actor in Hollywood. Perhaps his grieving words opened the eyes of millions and became an inspiration for change. Thus, years after Conroy’s work as Batman in the DCAU, bisexual actress Stephanie Beatriz could work with ease as Batwoman in Catwoman: Hunted.
Kevin Conroy Set the Stepping Stone as a Gay Actor in DCAU
Dominating television, Broadway, and the silver screen during his tenure, Kevin Conroy had become a Hollywood staple, who even offered his raspy voice as Batman in 1992’s Batman: The Animated Series. Unfortunately, although we lost the actor to cancer at the age of 66, Conroy had given us some amazing projects to remember him by. But although Hollywood misses him today, the industry hadn’t always been kind to him.
According to the actor, ahead of starring in Batman: The Animated Series he weathered a lot of discrimination in the industry because of his sexuality. Openly known to be a gay actor, Kevin Conroy admitted toiling in Hollywood, harder than his co-stars, since the industry looked down upon homosexuals and refused them lead roles. According to CBR, Conroy had lost out on roles because the world told him he wasn’t a “real” man.
Interestingly, when Conroy took on the role of Batman, he not only played the iconic DC character but also offered a voice to the voiceless. Channeling his decades of “anger, frustration, and fear” into his performance, Conroy served as the best version of Batman. Training to be a superhero his entire life, the actor eventually became the torchbearer for the LGBTQ actors to come.
Bisexual Actress Stephanie Beatriz’s Gay Batwoman in DCAU
While Kevin Conroy was the first ever gay actor to play the role of the DC superhero Batman, he certainly wasn’t the last. After Conroy brought the change, DCAU began hiring actors from the LGBTQ community to play gay and bisexual characters to bring out authenticity. Therefore, we witnessed bisexual actress Stephanie Beatriz play the role of a queer Batwoman in the 2022 animated series Catwoman: Hunted.
Popularly known for her work as Rosa Diaz in Brooklyn 99, the actress suited up as one of the DC Universe’s most beloved characters in Catwoman: Hunted. Breaking down a key scene with Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, Stephanie Beatriz revealed what it means to her to play a gay character as someone who is bisexual herself. Speaking with ComicBookMovie, Beatriz discussed her experience.
“I think it’s really amazing. The fact the producers wanted to fill the role with an actor who is LGBTQ was awesome. For me to play it also feels amazing, but the fact we’re even having this discussion alone is amazing in and of itself, right?”
Throwing light upon the time when actors like Kevin Conroy suffered discrimination, Stephanie Beatriz noted how she feels truly grateful to see change in the entertainment industry and society at large. Calling it a special feeling to get celebrated for who you are, rather than facing disparity, Beatriz admitted having a great experience.
“There was a time, not very long ago, when actors who are gay or roles that are gay just didn’t get celebrated. They didn’t get made. Here were are talking about them being featured in an animated film. Not only an animated film but a really famous character that people love and identify with. That’s really big and special. It’s a nice thing to be a part of and feels really special to me.”
Stephanie Beatriz played the dominating role of Kate Kane aka Batwoman, Batman’s openly lesbian cousin in Catwoman: Hunted.
Batman: The Animated Series and Catwoman: Hunted are both available on Max.
