Arzé Kene’s role as a gay footballer The Pass has propelled him to actg’s premier league. This year’s Bt Supportg Actor talks to Samuel Fishwick
Contents:
- THE PASS STAR ARZé KENE SAYS FOOTBALL MT BE MORE OPEN ABOUT GAY PLAYERS
- ARZé KENE ON HIS ROLE NEW FILM ABOUT GAY FOOTBALLERS: THIS FILM NEED TO HAPPEN
- RSELL TOVEY: ‘BEG GAY MA MY REER'
- ‘THE PASS’ STAR ARZé KENE HUNG OUT WH FOOTBALLER WHO KNOWS GAY PLAYERS
THE PASS STAR ARZé KENE SAYS FOOTBALL MT BE MORE OPEN ABOUT GAY PLAYERS
Actor Arzé Kene has said society “should be better” at talkg about homophobia after playg a footballer who out as risg star om Hackney recently won bt supportg actor at the Eveng Standard Brish Film Awards for his role as A acclaimed film The Pass. In the film, he and Beg Human star Rsell Tovey spend a night together and A later has a gay relatnship, while Tovey’s character ntu to hi his sexualy. In an terview wh ES Magaze, Kene, 29, said he was often asked, as a straight man, if he felt fortable playg a homosexual.
There are bound to be gay men the Premiership. The night of the London Eveng Standard Brish Film Awards, Arzé Kene left Claridge’s clutchg the Bt Supportg Actor trophy for his turn as a gay footballer, A, The Pass.
He is relaxed, chatty and Pass, which premiered at the 30th BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Ftival March and was released cemas this month, tackl one of sport’s great remag taboos: homosexualy football. While last week was reported that three players were speakg wh the FA about g out, no Premier League clubs has an openly gay player. ‘Can you image how an openly gay footballer would be received the Premier League today by 80, 000 fans?
ARZé KENE ON HIS ROLE NEW FILM ABOUT GAY FOOTBALLERS: THIS FILM NEED TO HAPPEN
Wh Rsell Tovey The PassAs a straight actor, he has been asked if he was fortable playg a gay character. There are bound to be gay men the premiership.
RSELL TOVEY: ‘BEG GAY MA MY REER'
This tumn Arzé Kene is playg the kg of soul, a wizard tective and a gay footballer. He n currently be seen on stage as the soul sger Sam Cooke One Night Miami at the Donmar Warehoe, he’ll soon be seen on TV E4’s new Buffy-like show Crazyhead, and he has two films due for release: Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Fd Them and The Pass, a film which lv to the uncharted terrory of homosexualy Premier League tertg, perhaps, is the latter, based on John Donnelly’s play of the same name, which se Kene appear oppose Rsell Tovey.
“Beg gay is not an optn, ” says Tovey’s character Jason one as Sam Cooke One Night Miami at the Donmar Warehoe‘Hidg your te inty’Gay footballers have never been the subject of a mastream film before and Kene is already gettg attentn for the role, though ’s not out until December. How many gay footballers do we know?
‘THE PASS’ STAR ARZé KENE HUNG OUT WH FOOTBALLER WHO KNOWS GAY PLAYERS
“I’m straight and to play a gay man, ’s jt another character, ’s no different to playg a straight man, ” he says, but he did feel prsure to get the story right.
“Two of my sisters are gay and unrstandg how difficult n be to some s be seen as equal, jt ma me want to do … I believe that regardls of how the film is perceived needs to happen bee chips away at that wall, and will help to break down those barriers. In the movie, where he stars alongsi Rsell Tovey, Kene played a gay footballer, eventually receivg a signifint amount of posive attentn for the role. “Of urse I’m not gay.
On Facebook, a s of homophobia appears unr imag of the mpaign, fans mentg that they are whdrawg their support of clubs they’d loved all their liv, that they’re a disgrace, disgtg, evil.