Pay for gay actors

Until studios believe in queer actors the same way they believe in straight ones playing queer, we will continue to see our own reflections filtered through someone else’s idea of what our lives should look like. It’s not that ‘queer actors must play queer roles’; it’s about giving people work and opportunities. But it does raise the same, lingering question that resurfaces with every gay film: Why is it still so rare for an openly gay actor to play the lead?

This film released by Vertical Entertainment, is co-written and directed by two married gay men, David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano.

Colman Domingo was only the second openly gay man ever nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars—for “Rustin” in 2024—following Ian McKellen’s nomination in 1999 for “Gods and Monsters”. When queer people are kept at the margins of their own narratives, we’re left with stories that often reflect queerness through a heteronormative gaze.

Hilary Swank won for “Boys Don’t Cry”. And that fact alone doesn’t make the performance any less compelling—Kroll is excellent in the role. I get the sense that historically, there could be more of a distance between actors and their public, but partly due to social media, that distance has gotten compressed,” she says. The issue isn’t that straight actors are incapable of portraying queer characters with empathy and depth.

So we decided instead to sharpen our knives and make a list that's a hell of a lot more fun.

Straight actors who crashed and burned attempting to play gay.

Most of these performances rely on cliche and stereotype, and to be fair, a lot of our favorite gay performances from straight actors do lean heavily on the flamboyant.

All talented. But what if we’re asking the wrong question?

What if studios aren’t ready to bet on queerness unless it’s buffered—by straight actors, by softened scripts, by “relatable” packaging? Jared Leto won for “Dallas Buyers Club”. Taken too far, it’s easy for us – as the viewing public – to believe we are entitled to that information.

While there is no single way of “acting gay”, casting straight actors as gay characters can still shape the kind of representation we see on-screen.

Until queer actors are given the same chance to lead, to fail, to shine, and to grow, we can’t pretend the playing field is level—no matter how compelling the performance may be. Its underperformance was instantly dissected as either proof that “America isn’t ready” or that niche doesn’t sell. Eddie Redmayne was nominated for “The Danish Girl”.

Timothée Chalamet was nominated for “Call Me By Your Name”. While it’s not always about awards, they remain a useful barometer for how Hollywood validates certain stories and performances.

Casting directors can get around this, to some extent, by telling agents that they’re looking to cast LGBTQ+ people, but they can’t demand a disclosure. They might not be enthusiastic about the role of “catty best friend” but they need to pay their rent, and there is a financial incentive to allow themselves to be pigeon-holed.

“It’s always difficult when you’re an actor and you are a minority, because there are more roles for people who are not – straight, white posh guys, basically” – Hannah, casting director

Where authentic casting does happen, it can be a double-edged sword for gay actors.