In 2010, Newsweek columnist Ramin Setoodeh argued that, "While it's okay for straight actors to play gay (as Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger did in Brokeback Mountain), it's rare for someone to pull off the trick in reverse." He further argues that unlike straight actors who play gay, the sexuality of gay actors who play straight is an issue because "the fact is, an actor's background does affect how we see his or her performance." Not surprisingly, the column resulted in a sharp rebuke from the gay community. This year, author Bret Easton Ellis also stirred up controversy when he argued that openly-gay Matt Bomer wouldn't be convincing playing straight hunk Christian in the upcoming Fifty Shades of Gray adaptation. What do you think? Is an actor's sexuality really only an issue for audiences when he or she is gay, but playing straight? When you are watching a gay actor play straight, does his or her sexual orientation factor into the believability of the performance? While gay actors playing straight on television have made major strides in recent years (e.g. Jane Lynch in Glee, Neil Patrick Harris in How I Met Your Mother), why are there currently no major openly gay actors or actresses in film?
Include at least two of the following pieces in your discussion:
- "By the Way, We're Gay: The New Art of Coming Out" (Entertainment Weekly)
- "Earth to Bret Easton Ellis: You Needn't be Straight to Play a Lady-Spanker" (Guardian)
- "I'm Not a Hetero, But I Play One on TV: 12 Gay Actors Who Took on Straight Roles—and Proved the Naysayers Wrong" (AfterElton)
- "How Audiences Can Learn to Accept Gay Actors Playing Straight Roles" (Go Over the Rainbow)
- Must be in MLA Style
- Must be only one full page in length
- Must include a works cited page
Due: Tuesday, Sept. 23rd
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