20 of our favore straight actors as gay characters | CNN

Contents:

• 20 GREAT ROL: OUR FAVORE STRAIGHT ACTORS WHO HAVE PLAYED GAY CHARACTERS
• GAY ACTORS, STRAIGHT ROL: A LSON IN MAKG SURE YOUR ARGUMENT IS LOGIL
• 8 GAY ACTORS WHO PLAYED STRAIGHT CHARACTERS
• 15 GAY ACTORS WHO PLAYED STRAIGHT ROL TO PERFECTN
• SHOULD STRAIGHT ACTORS STILL PLAY GAY CHARACTERS? 'IT'S PLITED'

20 GREAT ROL: OUR FAVORE STRAIGHT ACTORS WHO HAVE PLAYED GAY CHARACTERS

Straight actor Hugh Grant took on the role of Clive Jam Ivory's "Mrice."Clive is a gay man who tri to supprs his homosexualy Edwardian-era England. While the film self received average reviews, Ejfor's performance was hailed as "strikg."Roger Ebert wrote: "He plays the role not as a man pretendg to be a woman, and not as a woman trapped a man's body, and not as a parody of a woman, and not as a gay man, but as a drag queen, perd: Lola, a tall, athletic performer thigh-high red boots who l the stage of a drag club as if she were born there, and is a pretty good sger, too.".

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, both straight, were both Osr-nomated for their performanc (Ledger lead, Gyllenhaal supportg) this film about two men fallg love and ntug their affair for years.The film sred 87% on Rotten Tomato, wh the se's cril nsens readg: "A betifully epic Wtern, 'Brokeback Mounta''s gay love story is imbued wh heartbreakg universaly, helped by the movg performanc of Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.". Sean Penn played gay activist Harvey Milk 2008's 'Milk.'.

GAY ACTORS, STRAIGHT ROL: A LSON IN MAKG SURE YOUR ARGUMENT IS LOGIL

Harvey Milk is one of the most important gay activists history, and straight actor Sean Penn won an Osr for playg him. Col Firth played a gay profsor 'A Sgle Man' 2009. John Benjam Hickey — whose Col “In Treatment” is heterosexual — has been outspokenly gay for years, but Emmy-nomated Emma Corr was not yet publicly queer when she was st as Prcs Diana “The Crown.

8 GAY ACTORS WHO PLAYED STRAIGHT CHARACTERS

18, 2021A prev versn of this article said Jonathan Bailey was not yet publicly gay when he won the role of Visunt Anthony “Bridgerton.

“Once they e out, lbian, gay and bisexual actors have rarely been nsired for straight leadg rol, ” says GLAAD director of entertament media Jeremy Blacklow.

Knight, Emmy-nomated 2007 for playg hetero heartthrob Gee “Grey’s Anatomy” and who now — alongsi fellow out “The Flight Attendant” st member Griff Matthews — plays gay that Emmy-nomated seri.

15 GAY ACTORS WHO PLAYED STRAIGHT ROL TO PERFECTN

”“In the 22 years we’ve worked together, we’ve always brought gay and straight actors for straight and gay rol, ” says Emmy-nomated Sharon Bialy of Bialy/Thomas & Associat, speakg of herself, bs partner Sherry Thomas and associate Rsell Stt.

SHOULD STRAIGHT ACTORS STILL PLAY GAY CHARACTERS? 'IT'S PLITED'

“I would never not allow a gay person to play a straight role.

While straight actors have been known to play gay characters, the same is also te for gay actors playg straight rol.