Should cishet actors play LGBTQ+ roles? Four voices from the LGBTQ+ community offer their take
FOURSIGHT
Stephen Dobie (he/him), journalist
Queer actors ought to be on every shortlist when a queer role is being cast. Whether they should be the default choice is a tougher topic, as it makes it plausible to argue that straight actors should play straight roles. That approach would have denied some of our best LGBTQ+ performers those vital first steps on their career ladder. I think it’s more pressing that LGBTQ+ films, TV shows or plotlines include someone with appropriate lived experience in a writing or directorial role. The diverse writing credits on Sex Education — including queer heroes like Rosie Jones and Mawaan Rizwan — prove how much extra sparkle and (crucially) truth this can bring. And would the wholesome narrative of Bros have been the same with a straight team projecting onto us how they think our dating lives look, rather than Billy Eichner orchestrating it all?
A brilliantly cast LGBTQ+ artist can bring iconic power to their role — it’s impossible to imagine It’s a Sin without Olly Alexander. If a show (and its lead character) can catalyse powerful change for our community, it’s so much more compelling if the actor at the centre of it all is fighting for the same cause.
Miya Ocego (she/her) actress
Casting straight, cisgender actors in LGBTQ+ roles is tricky territory. By the very nature of their background, cishet actors may fail to appreciate the life experiences of LGBTQ+ actors, making it far more difficult for them to convey these. I’m not saying that cis actors don’t have the ability to play these parts; I’m saying that they aren’t necessarily able to provide the authenticity that these roles require.
The LGBTQ+ community has always been underrepresented in the media and therefore I feel it is vital that we allow them the space to flourish as often as we can, in roles designed specifically for them. There is already a wide scope of opportunities for straight cis actors, but the same can’t be said about LGBTQ+ artists, unfortunately.
The queer community can provide an abundance of talent to fill these roles. We’re starting to see a great range of diversity on our screens with authentic casting, and I’m hoping that this continues. This is vitally important if we want to provide the younger generation with a sense of validation and to show a character on screen that someone can relate to.
Emily Maskell (she/her), journalist
This is a complex topic that introduces the problematic notion that LGBTQ actors must be publicly out to step into a queer role, as well as the da
