Yahoo News Doctor Who's Matt Smith defends playing a gay character
Doctor Who star Matt Smith has defended playing a gay character in the upcoming biopic of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
Smith weighed in on the debate over whether LGBTQ+ roles should only be played by LGBTQ+ actors, arguing that an actor's sexual orientation should have "no bearing on" the roles they are given.
"I think your sexual orientation, or your sex and your choices outside of work, shouldn’t influence – in either way, positive or negative – what happens," he said to an audience of fans this week (via Vulture).
"So, to me, it doesn’t matter if you’re gay or straight. That has no bearing on whether you should get the part."
He added: "Where does it stop? Like, do we then say, do we apply that logic to going, 'OK, I’ve got a part, and it’s playing a brother, and he’s addicted to heroin.' Do we then go to people that have only taken heroin?"
Producer Eliza Dushku added that it was an "important discussion", Smith saying it was "good that it’s being had".
It comes as straight actors playing LGBTQ+ characters in movies are being showered with awards nominations, including Oscar-nominated turns from Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody and Olivia Colman as Queen Anne in The Favourite.
Cate Blanchett recently weighed in to the debate, saying: "I will fight to the death for the right to suspend disbelief and play roles beyond my experience.
"I think reality television and all that that entails had an extraordinary impact, a profound impact on the way we view the creation of character.
"I think it provides a lot of opportunity, but the downside of it is that we now, particularly in America, I think, we expect and only expect people to make a profound connection to a character when it's close to their experience."
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