Darren Criss has vowed never to play an LGBTQ character again as he doesn't want to be “another straight boy taking a gay man's role”.
The straight actor, who was speaking at Clorox's What Comes Next event, is best known for playing gay characters, including Blaine Anderson in Glee and Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Darren Criss says he'll never play a gay character again
Criss said that the roles he's played are “wonderful” but that he'll step away in order to let LGBTQ characters take such roles in future.
“The reason I say that is because getting to play those characters is inherently a wonderful dramatic experience,” he said. “It has made for very, very compelling and interesting people.”
Criss added that due to recent casting controversies, he now feels uncomfortable playing these roles, something he branded “unfortunate”.
Earlier this year, Scarlett Johansson received criticism after taking on the role of real-life trans male Dante 'Tex' Grill in new film Rub and Tug. She later dropped out of the role.
“In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante ‘Tex’ Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project,” the actor said. “Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realise it was insensitive.”
Criss recently received a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of real-life killer Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace.
His comments contrast with those of Cate Blanchett, who in October defended straight actors playing gay characters.
The Academy Award winner said she will “fight to the death” for the right to suspend disbelief.
She disagrees with the idea that a performer can only form a deep bond with a character if they have shared experiences and believes it defies the point of acting.
Blanchett, who played a lesbian in 2015’s Carol, said: “It also speaks to something that I’m quite passionate about in storytelling generally, but in film specifically, which is that film can be quite a literal medium.
Additional reporting by Agencies
