Sean Penn’s Comments on Straight Actors in Gay Roles Spark Heated Online Debate
Sean Penn has reignited the contentious debate over whether straight actors should play gay roles, describing the current preference for gay actors in gay roles as a “timid and artless policy.” In an interview with The New York Times, Penn, who won his second best-actor Oscar for portraying openly gay politician Harvey Milk in the 2008 biopic Milk, suggested that such a role “could not happen in a time like this.” He criticized what he sees as an overreach and lack of imagination in today’s casting decisions.
“It’s a time of tremendous overreach, a timid and artless policy toward the human imagination,” Penn stated.
The Internet Responds
Film fans and industry insiders quickly took to social media to share their reactions to Penn’s remarks. Many pointed out that several straight actors have recently played gay characters, challenging Penn’s assertion.
“Nicholas Galitzine, Paul Mescal, Ethan Hawke, Josh O’Connor, and Sterling K Brown are all straight men who played gay characters in the past year. What in the actual hell is he talking about?” one Twitter user exclaimed.
Another commenter humorously referenced a scene from the 2023 film Saltburn, where straight actor Barry Keoghan dances naked: “Barry Keoghan didn’t twirl around naked with his shillelagh out in Saltburn for you to make this statement.”
A third, possibly with tongue firmly in cheek, remarked: “Unfortunately, people have let gay liberation and inclusion politics get in the way of what Harvey Milk’s legacy was really about: Sean Penn being great.”
The Ongoing Debate
The debate over casting gay characters has been ongoing, with various stars and creators voicing their opinions. Ripley’s Andrew Scott, A Very English Scandal’s Ben Whishaw, and Doctor Who supremo Russell T Davies have all contributed to the conversation.
In a 2021 interview with PinkNews, Davies argued that “casting gay as gay now is the right thing to do” because “gay is not a performance.” He explained that the essence of acting is to portray various emotions and situations, not to act a specific sexuality.
“If you’re casting someone, you want an actor who can portray falling in love or being duplicitous or being evil or being a drug runner or being a saint… that’s what they’re there to portray. They’re not there to act gay,” Davies said.
Last year, Davies reiterated his stance, emphasizing the need to advocate for LGBTQ+ actors because “no one else” was doing it. He believes that his vocal support helps shift the argument and encourages more inclusive casting decisions.
Divergent Views
Not all voices in the industry agree with Davies and the preference for matching actors’ sexual orientations to their roles. Pitch Perfect star Rebel Wilson has labeled the notion that only straight actors should play straight roles, and gay actors should play gay roles, as “total nonsense.”
“You should be able to play any role that you want. But in comedy, your job is to always flirt with that line of what’s acceptable. Sometimes you do step over it but, at the end of the day, you are trying to entertain people,” Wilson said. “If people are always being safe and protective, you’re not going to get good comedy.”
Sean Penn’s comments have certainly stirred the pot, bringing an ongoing debate back into the spotlight. While opinions diverge on whether straight actors should play gay roles, the conversation continues to evolve, reflecting broader societal changes and the push for greater representation in the entertainment industry.
