Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal are set to play lovers caught up in World War One in the new romantic movie, The History of Sound and when you read that statement you might think at first, (like I did), ‘oh my god Connell is back, yay!’ Or, ‘Wowza that is a hot line up’.
But behind the thirst, casting these two straight actors – who do not publicly identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community – is another problem with overlooking the queer community when casting queer roles.
But is it wrong or inappropriate? It’s a question I grapple with constantly when I see straight actors playing queer roles and see queer actors on the side lines, out of work.
There is no denying there are limited roles for openly LGBTQIA+ actors and if queer actors aren’t being cast in queer roles (when there are countless well-known and talented up-and-coming queer actors) then where will they find their opportunities?
It’s also no secret movie executives and TV bosses are apprehensive about casting queer actors in heterosexual roles. So how are they supposed to get their break or play the characters that speak to their community and lived experience?
Consider that every queer character in Channel 4’s It’s A Sin was played by an actor from the LGBTQIA+ community. It was a huge success, breaking streaming records, which suggests it isn’t a commercial risk to hire queer actors any more. Or – as you might naively think – the show proves that people are interested in our community’s stories and want to see actors from our community shine.
So why isn’t this an industry standard? It’s no wonder that the show’s creator, Russel T. Davis said straight actors should not play gay characters and will in future cast accordingly.
However speaking recently to Max Harwood, the all-singing, all-dancing star of Amazon Prime’s movie adaption of the musical, Everybody is Talking About Jamie, about the debate, he said something which really stuck with me:
“We need to get to a place where queer actors can play queer roles for sure but I don’t want to be cast solely based on what my sexuality is and I wasn’t vetted to get this role,” he said. “No one asked me what my sexuality was before I got the role. I think it would be quite invasive and intrusive for a casting director or a director to go, ‘well, hang on, Max, let me just check you are gay.’”
Are we limiting the opportunities for our own community by taking the stance that only queer actors should play queer roles? And in our contemporary society should we even be labelling actors based on their sexuality? The truth is that labels ‘matter’ when it comes to marketing a movie – and the world still takes a moment when an actor comes out as LGBTQIA+.
But should heterosexual actors be ‘allowed’ to play queer roles, as long as the performance is nuanced and respectful of the community? Take for instance, Josh O’Connor’s role in God’s Own Country, where he played a young farmer, Johnny who falls for a worker, Gheorghe on his family farm. The performance was heartbreaking and nuanced as Josh expertly conveyed Johnny’s struggle with his sexuality – it was a perfect portrayal.