Ben Whishaw says he’s sometimes “critical” of straight actors playing gay roles
No Time To Die star Ben Whishaw has weighed in on the ongoing conversation regarding authentic LGBTQ+ casting. In a new interview with The Guardian, the openly gay actor shared his two cents on the controversial subject.
When asked about The Danish Girl and Eddie Redmayne’s portrayal of Lili Elbe, the British actor said he did a “beautiful job.” “Going forward, there will be other films in which the role is given to someone who lived that experience.
Why shouldn’t a role like that be given to someone who knows, inside, what the character is? I’m all for that,” he said. But while some straight actors demonstrate great portrayals of queer characters, Whishaw revealed that there are others who aren’t as believable. “I feel the same, sometimes, about straight actors playing gay parts.
I’m critical if I don’t think the performance is, from my subjective experience, accurate,” he continued. “I might think, ‘I don’t believe you!’ And even a small moment of hesitation or inauthenticity will block my engagement with the whole story.
