10 Straight Actors Who Refuse To Play Gay Roles (And 10 Who Don’t Mind)

Life

7. Won’t Do It: Brendan Fehr

You probably know Brendan Fehr for his roles in Roswell and CSI: Miami, but the straight actor had to switch teams for his current role on The Night Shift. He ended up accepting the role and didn’t quit — like Luke Grimes did — but he did admit to being uncomfortable in the role, mainly the intimate scenes.

Some of his remarks didn’t go over well with the media, as he admitted his reluctance to taking on the role since he believed it would hurt his career in some ways. Fehr didn’t seem to enjoy the experience and has made similar comments in several interviews, so if you enjoyed his run as a gay character, you probably should continue doing so since it seems highly unlikely that Fehr would accept such role again.

6. Doesn’t Mind: Al Pacino

Al Pacino is considered to be one of the greatest actors of all time and there is a good reason for that. With so many classic films to his name, it’s easy to see why he is so highly regarded by fans and critics alike. He has played a gay character twice during his lengthy career, the first coming in 1975 with a memorable performance in Dog Day Afternoon.

Five years later, he played another gay role in the movie Cruising, although it wasn’t as well received. For years, there’s been a fear that straight actors who portray a gay character may hurt their career but Al Pacino is living proof that it’s simply a myth.

Not only is Al Pacino known for one of the best LGBT-related film, but he has also publicly shown his support to the community. If he decides to go for a third time, we wouldn’t be surprised by his decision.

5. Won’t Do It: Natalie Cassidy

Natalie Cassidy is best known for being apart of the cast of EastEnders, an extremely popular British Soap Opera that’s been airing since 1985. That’s not a typo, the show still airs to this day and remains as popular as ever.

She has also made appearances on several other shows but it remains her most famous role. A few years ago, she briefly left the show after refusing to take part in a lesbian storyline. That didn’t last very long as she went back to the show as she probably realized she was about to miss out on checks for 20 more seasons.

But it seems like she simply did it to save face after receiving heavy criticism for her initial decision and you probably won’t see her in another lesbian role.

4. Doesn’t Mind: Zooey Deschanel

In the past 10 years, Zooey Deschanel has solidified her status as one of Hollywood’s top actresses after being part of some critically acclaimed films, as well as box office hits. From her role in 500 Days of Summer to Yes Man, she has featured in some of Hollywood’s most popular romances in modern times.

She also took on a lesbian role in Our Idiot Brother when she paired up with Rashida Jones to form a memorable couple. Despite a low budget, the movie managed to draw well and if we were to take a wild guess, we would go with the pair being united.

Both ladies spoke on how much they enjoyed playing their part, their romantic scenes and the importance of portraying gay characters as straight actresses. They didn’t rule out doing so again in the future, so you might see Zooey Deschanel in another lesbian role – perhaps a reunion with Rashida.

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