Reese Witherspoon is not a fan of actors who won’t play gay characters
Reese Witherspoon has lashed out at a number of Hollywood leading men and women who refuse to play gay characters.
During an interview with PrideSource, the Legally Blonde actress said: “I think gay people are able to play straight roles; straight people are able to play gay roles. The whole point of being an actor is to transform.
“If people don’t understand that we need to be malleable in our sexuality, then I think they need to lighten up.”
The star is set to play opposite Sofia Vergara in upcoming film Hot Pursuit – in which the pair’s characters, at one point, have to pretend to be lesbians.
She added: “I have a ton of lesbian friends, and I think any kind of women who relates to us or enjoys the movie – that’s awesome!
“The whole movie is: It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what your sexual orientation is, what you do for a living, what your ethnicity is – women are women, and we all have a lot in common.
“It’s liberating because it’s not all about our characters’ romantic lives or that we’re chasing men – it’s that we’re running for our lives and we have to figure out a way to get along so that we survive.”
Comedian Kevin Hart said in January that he would refuse to play a gay character, and had turned down a role in Tropic Thunder because it involved homosexuality. He said: “I feel I can’t [play a gay character] because I don’t think I’m really going to dive into that role 100 percent, because of the insecurities about myself trying to play that part. What I think people are going to think while I’m trying to do this is going to stop me from playing that part the way I’m supposed to.”
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31 Comments
Max
May 04, 05:05Its funny, really funny.
Actor- To act(pretend).
Any actor who can’t play a gay character isn’t really an actor, since Kevin heart made that statement earlier this year, I’ve started resenting him.
yours_truly
May 04, 05:29Its funny they dont even know what they are missing out on.
Mandy
May 04, 05:31Who? Actors who won’t do gay roles? What are they missing out on, pray tell.
McDuke
May 04, 05:32I totally agree with her…the whole point of acting is “make believe” so it does not in any way reflect who you really are. For me if an actor refuses a gay role it means he/she has a skeleton in the cupboard…period.
Kenny
May 04, 05:55I might be wrong but I sense a little bit of homophobia from Kevin Hart in some of his movies….. Wedding ringer, Get hard et al. Then again I may be wrong
Max
May 04, 06:20He’s a homophobe. I see it in all his movies.
Dennis Macaulay
May 04, 06:12Acting is make believe abi? Make believable what is not. Except you are afraid that playing the role will wake somethings in you (lol).
Masked Man
May 04, 06:28He shouldn’t even play. I don’t fancy him. He’s too short, rough and ugly. Ok, he’s rich tho.
OkBye
JArch
May 04, 07:24I see the get Ms Witherspoon’s POV but guys c’mon. Even in acting everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Homophobia aside there are some people who can’t commit to a certain role, simply because it’s not one of their strong points. Take for instance, if Vince Vaughn were given a role of a thug, he definitely doesn’t have the skill set to pretend & commit to being a thug without coming off as cheesy and funny.
Kevin Hart is no different, am not sure if there was a hint of homophobia in his statement in January, but quite frankly if I were a casting director he wouldn’t even be on my list of people to audition for a gay role, cos he doesn’t has that Oomph as Khaleesi calls it to bring life to the character.
Let’s not be quick to forget how cheesy Javier Bardem tried to hint a possiblity of him (with the overstated hand gestures etc) being gay in James Bond’s “SkyFall”
It’s not only about pretending, but pretending so well that the person watching the film identifies deeply with character.
Kevin is a comedian, he tells jokes. For a bigger pay, he tells his jokes in movies. Ms Witherspoon is an actress, not sure she can play a funny character like Kevin.
The only person who can pull off both is my sweetheart, Cameron Diaz
Mandy
May 04, 08:04Reese Witherspoon can’t play a funny character? Hello? Legally Blonde, Jarch? She’s a very versatile actress o, FYI.
Deola
May 04, 08:04Cameron kini. Cameron “i can barely act my way out of a paper bag” Diaz. Abeg abeg mention anoda person.
And Javier Bardem did a good ass job in Skyfall, he’s one of the reasons i enjoyed the movie so much. Such a memorable villain. And i dont think, he was going for “a gay” vibe in Skyfall, it was just part of his characters’ eccentricity. If we go by that hand gesture logic then Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow would be the gayest of them all.
JArch
May 04, 09:18Deola Javier was definitely going for the gay vibe. Remember in scene where he makes his first appearance in SkyFall he put his hand on Craig’s lap and smooched his way up, hoping he would squirm, but Craig didn’t and he said “Are you thinking what’s the protocol for this”
To which Craig said “what makes you think this is my first time”
Jack Sparrow only made gestures, Javier dropped innuendos and subtle smooching and hand gestures
Leave my Cameron Diaz alone mbok. She’s a funny gal and bad ass actress. Maybe I should put Sofia Vegara alongside too because of her funny role in Mordern Family
JArch
May 04, 09:22And also I don’t disagree with you on Javier being an excellent Bond Villain overall. But the gay vibe was just cheesy for me
Teflondon
May 04, 08:16Excellently said Jarch.
I didn’t there was by any means an iota of homophobe in what Kelvin said.. I just feel he thought he wouldn’t be able to bring the character to live. It just doesn’t suit him.. For example Arnold or Rambo were awesome actors but (correct me if I’m wrong) I have never seen any of them act a Gay role or something similar in the zillions of movies they have done.. It just doesn’t suit the characters they always portray in movies. Those this mean they are not good actors? No. Witherspoon is a lovely actress but I doubt even if she can act all types of role.. As far as I know.. She as always been ‘the swt colorful blonde’ that has everything going for her in almost if not all her movies. Infact this is the first I will see her act out of like to her norm. #Interesting
I have notice a trend with LGBT community generally including Kdains.. The urge to quickly hunt down.. Someone or a group of people’s that might have spoken something they deem “degrading” abt the community. I understand the urge to defend the community but we shouldn’t engage in such we so much contempt and hate.. We should removed this ‘overtly negative defensive attitude’ we exhume most of the time.
Now I’m not here to pick a fight.
I’m #JustSaying
Deola
May 04, 08:34Reese Witherspoon happens to be a bloody versatile actress. And no she doesn’t just play the sweet colorful blonde in all her movies, she isn’t one dimensional like Arnold and Rambo who are only action stars that star in mindless action flicks…not that thats a bad thing, thats what they are good at and what they made their names doing but lumping Reese into that category…is just, just, just…cinematic blasphemy.
Teflondon
May 04, 11:40Deola you do know your stuffs.. (movies, entertainment industry and all of that) so I rest my case.
Khaleesi
May 04, 14:29@TefLondon, you’re actually right!! The LGBT community must learn to distinguish between homophobia and the plain spoken truth with no harm meant …
Chris
May 04, 07:24This brings to my memory of some Nollywood actors that refuse to play gay character when the movie script is or was shown to them. I can see more nollywood actors turning gay character roles down with the issue or scandal that involved Yul Edochie lately. It will be like this until we are as a country as a whole and as citizens are ready to switch of the homophobia plug.
Masked Man
May 04, 07:36Well, JARCH, I don’t want to agree with you. The ability to be fluid; that’s what makes an actor or actress.
JArch
May 04, 07:43I agree MM, fluidity is essential as an actor, that’s what Daniel Radcliffe has going for him. Being able to play Harry Potter and then switch to being an awesome gay man in another project
Maybe we should just say some actors are more fluid than others and that’s why some are excellent at portraying a gay character alot better than others.
Masked Man
May 04, 08:11Deola, you should be a movie analyst and critic.
Deola
May 04, 08:14Kevin Hart is an okay actor. I find him funny in small doses.
As much as we would like to think hollywood is evolved, the truth is I doubt Kevin Hart career would survive playing a gay character. The homophobia is black Hollywood is still thick. The guy is only protecting his career. Fame for funny men like him is very fleeting…see Eddie Murphy, Chris Tucker and Martin Lawrence before him. So he is cashing in on his fame while he can, and he wouldnt wanna take any risks, to put his relevancy in jeopardy.
Either that or its the homophobia thing. What do I know??
tobby
May 04, 09:17Kevin Hart’s forte is comedy anyway.
I can’t picture him playing a gay character.. And if he’s simply being a homophobe, then fuck him..lol
Absalom
May 04, 10:21Whether Kevin Hart’s comment was homophobic or not is subject to debate. I personally think it wasn’t; the words alone don’t reveal anything for certain.
What we can say, though, is Hart has a narrow idea of what a gay character should be like – forgetting that we come in all shapes and, uh, heights. The only requirement to play a gay role is to be comfortable being in a sexualized/romantic context with a man and convince the viewer that you two have chemistry.
Kevin Hart’s hang-ups are understandable. Even sef, not every gay person can play a “straight” role. I can’t. I don’t know the first thing about being with a woman and it’ll show on screen (Thank god, I’m not an actor!) Hollywood had many closet cases back in the day…and today we know they were gay, film enthusiasts can testify that there was something “off” about these guys when paired with their leading ladies on screen.
You probably don’t want to watch Hart play a character. You probably don’t.
Sinnex
May 04, 10:49Na she sabi. Just because you decided to do it, doesn’t mean every one would toe the same line.
Ace
May 04, 12:04First, Kevin Hart tries to hard. If I were to be a casting director (which I may be in the nearest future), I wouldn’t cast him except my producer insists.
Two, every actor has a role they can nail. Some roles are not just cut out for some either because of physical or behavioral specifications. That said, what indeed makes a good actor is their to make a character believable and that is what auditions are for. I wouldn’t cast someone that my audience wouldn’t believe just because he/she is a star.
Three, I thought I was the only that felt Cameron Diaz was just an over hyped star. I dared not say it outside but I thank God today that some people feel the same way.
Max
May 04, 16:17Add Jennifer Aniston to the list. Girl is over-hyped.
pinkpanthertb
May 04, 17:27Max, kindly oh-so-kindly stay away from Jennifer Aniston.
Biko.
Ejo.
Abeg.
Please.
Because, I do not joke with that woman. Yes, I adore her nemesis, Jolie very very much. But I simply love Aniston. So keep your barbs for other women of Hollywood. AWAY from Aniston! Inugo?
trystham
May 04, 13:04Did nobody see the ‘jnsecurities about myself’ part? looks to me Brother Kevin HAS been checking dudes out
Chris
May 04, 14:02@Keredim69, me too..
pinkpanthertb
May 04, 17:23Hahahahahahaa!!! Keredim, now now, be nice.