Rebel Wilson says it’s “total nonsense” that only gay actors should play gay roles
nme.comRebel Wilson has opened up on the debate surrounding straight actors playing queer characters.The actor shared her thoughts on the topic during her recent interview on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.Speaking in response to a question surrounding double standards in comedy – for example with people who are not overweight making jokes about being overweight – Wilson shared: “I think that’s hard.”The Pitch Perfect star, who is engaged to a woman, expanded: “It’s going into this territory of saying, ‘Well only straight actors can play straight roles and gay actors can play gay roles’, which I think is total nonsense.”The topic has been circulating the entertainment industry recently, with some actors defending the view that straight actors should be able to play queer characters.For example, Paul Mescal defended his portrayal of a gay man in All Of Us Strangers, saying: “It depends who’s in charge of telling the story”He continued: “The issue is that there have been so many queer performances in cinema that have been offensive, but that’s because the filmmakers and the actors have been careless.Earlier this year, Will & Grace star Eric McCormack, weighed in on the topic: “I would like to think in general that the best person for the role, the one that comes in and knocks it out of the park, is the one that gets the part.”Last July, Stanley Tucci reflected on his portrayal of queer characters in Supernova and The Devil Wears Prada, sharing his view on straight actors playing queer roles. “Obviously, I believe that’s fine,” he said.
