Rebel Wilson Says Only Gay Actors Playing Gay Roles Is ‘Total Nonsense’

Rebel Wilson first came out as gay in 2022, and has since gotten engaged to her partner, jewelry designer and Lemon Ve Limon founder Ramona Agruma. During a recent discussion regarding diversity in film and television casting with Deadline, Wilson expressed “I think you should be able to play any role that you want. But I always think, in comedy, your job is to always flirt with that line of what’s acceptable. Sometimes you do step over it but, at the end of the day, you are trying to entertain people.”

While Rebel Wilson admits that having straight actors portraying gay characters can be a bit tricky, her experience comes primarily from the comedy world, where getting a laugh is key. Still, she acknowledges that more dramatic or demanding roles could be difficult for a straight actor to truly tap into the source of what makes a gay person tick. In this regard, Wilson jokes that the performance would be like a thin person making fun of an overweight person, without walking a mile in their shoes.

Proper representation of marginalized communities, such as those under the LGBTQ umbrella, have been raging on in Hollywood for several years now, as actors and producers alike strive to make the world of cinema a more welcoming space for the disenfranchised. While Rebel Wilson doesn’t seem to mind the concept of a straight individual taking on the role of a gay character, others in the entertainment industry have been more militant about their casting choices.

Animated shows such as Futurama, Family Guy, and The Simpsons have taken to recasting long-standing voice actors for the same purpose. The cartoons have each employed white voice actors to take on multiple roles as characters of color, which some viewers have found to be offensive. While Rebel Wilson primarily engaged with the discourse of gay characters, the same principle applies, as these roles could be going to members of underserved communities.

At the end of the day, Rebel Wilson seems to feel that there is enough money changing hands in Hollywood for everybody to get a piece, whether they’re gay, straight, or otherwise. As television shows and films continue to push for added diversity, we’ll soon be seeing a lot more characters of various cultural backgrounds on the big screen, including those who normalize all forms of LGBTQ lifestyles.

Streaming services such as Netflix have taken to offering entire selections of LGBTQ projects for viewers at home, in a supportive push for actors and performers to feel safe living their truth on the big screen.

June is pride month, meaning we’ll probably see a great deal of new gay and transgender properties cropping up on streaming services over the next few weeks. While there has generally been a push to ensure that only gay actors take on these roles, there are plenty of films that don’t require a light touch in order to make gay characters come to life on the big screen. For some performers such as Rebel Wilson, this is a positive step for the gay community regardless.

Source: Deadline