What If There Was Authentic Casting in These Famous Queer Roles?

Imagine how different "Call Me By Your Name" might have been if instead of Armie Hammer, Russell Tovey had been cast in that role. Here are some ideas of other such casting choices when straight actors played gay roles.

Pride month is upon us, and this year there are a plethora of queer-themed films and shows that push representation boundaries, but also break ground by casting out actors to play LGBTQ+ parts. Peacock's "Queer as Folk" reboot and the Hulu film, "Fire Island" are wonderful examples, and the upcoming Billy Eichner penned/starrer rom-com "Bros" promises only LGBTQ+ actors, even in the non-queer roles. And let's not forget adorable out Joe Locke doing smashing work in Netflix's "Heartstopper."

EDGE thought this would be a good time to examine the casting of gay-themed films, past, present and future.

Let's begin with a question for readers to ponder: Should Bradley Cooper be playing Leonard Bernstein in the upcoming biopic when the great composer of "West Side Story," was, indeed, gay? He is said to have "required men sexually and women emotionally." Is Cooper the best choice to portray a closeted gay genius? And will the film focus more on Bernstein's female relationships, as is often the case?

In the not-too-distant past, casting a movie star as gay came with a pesky stigma that the actor might labeled as such. But starting in the 1990s it was in vogue to play queer, and these "brave" thesps were often rewarded with an Oscar – examples include Tom Hanks in "Philadelphia," Charlize Theron in "Monster," and Jared Leto in "Dallas Buyer's Club."

Today, this important debate regarding authenticity in casting has reached a zenith. Should only queer actors play queer roles? Some argue that until the playing field is leveled, the answer is yes. But if only queer people can play queer parts, that might suggest the opposite would need to be true as well. Slippery is the slope...

This piece will focus on the G in LGBT. Trans actors need to play trans parts for non-binary authenticity. That is about identity.

Back to Cooper. All investigations into his personal life (meaning the Google page) show he's probably straight. Of course, we don't know his life. Should he open up about same-sex experiences it might make him portraying a man who was confused by his own homosexual attractions more authentic, especially in occupations where being gay was, until very recently, pretty much verboten. Are his sexual proclivities anyone's business? No. But today, more than ever, authenticity matters.

So, taking history into account, here is a list of ten instances when a gay actor could/should have been chosen to play a role over a straight actor.

Rupert Everett in "Maurice"

The titular role in James Ivory's masterwork was originally slated to star Julian Sands, but was recast at the last minute with James Wilby. As good as he is, he's not always convincing. There was a Brit actor on the verge of coming out in 1987 who would have brought the required nuances to "Maurice": stunning Rupert Everett. He had already brilliantly played young gay spy Guy Bennett in "Another Country." Had he starred in "Maurice" alongside Rupert Graves, their chemistry would have been explosive.

Ian McKellan in "Philadelphia"

Many people love Tom Hanks' Oscar-winning performance in Jonathan Demme's "Philadelphia." Others found it stereotypical and pandering. A gay actor would have located the subtleties instead of playing the part so broadly. Ian McKellen ("Gods and Monsters") daringly came out in 1988 and would have rocked this role, had he been given the opportunity. Despite being twice Oscar nominated, he has yet to win. No out male actor has ever won. McKellen is eight years older than Hanks, but in 1993 he looked 35, and that's what matters onscreen.

Cheyenne Jackson in "Brokeback Mountain"

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are sublime in Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain," but imagine how much more galvanizing to gay audiences it would have been to have a gay actor play one of those roles? Ledger's role as Ennis Del Mar is iconic, so we won't touch him. As for Gyllenhaal, there was an out stage actor getting tons of buzz (and a Tony nomination) in 2005. How might Cheyenne Jackson ("Love is Strange") have embodied Jack Twist? Makes one wonder...

Russell Tovey in "Call Me by Your Name"

Even before being overwhelmed by scandal, Armie Hammer was a pretty wooden, one-dimensional actor. And it was wince-inducing watching Timothée Chalamet and Hammer on talk shows in 2017, trying so desperately not to discuss anything gay – a pathetic move because "Call Me by Your Name" is a gay love story! Fine, keep Chalamet, but Russell Tovey ("Looking") could have offered a layered Oliver, one with a pulse who believably wanted Elio.

Garrett Clayton or Gideon Glick in "Riverdale"

As homoerotic as KJ Apa perpetually shirtless may seem, and as much as the lesbian content is appreciated, The "Riverdale" creatives need to explain why the show's only gay male character is played by straight actor Corey Cott? In 2016, when they were casting the show, plenty of solid, cute out actors could have made the grade. Perhaps the quirky and awesome Gideon Glick ("Speech & Debate")? Or hunky Garrett Clayton ("King Cobra")?

Tyler Posey in "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story"

Not exactly a queer role model, Andrew Cunanan was certainly a juicy role for any thesp to take on. And as with his gay "Glee" role, straight Darren Criss did a more than decent job, but what would queer and sexually fluid Tyler Posey ("Teen Wolf") have contributed to this portrait of an unhinged madman? The Ryan Murphy series also cast all Latino actors as Italians, so it's no surprise that gay representation didn't seem to matter much.

Brandon Flynn in "Rocketman"

Yes, Taron Egerton knocked our socks off as Dame Elton John in Dexter Fletcher's "Rocketman" (2019), but much like Jeremy Irvine, he keeps grabbing gay roles away from gay actors. Brandon Flynn ("13 Reasons Why") certainly looks the part. Could he have rocked us into the stratosphere?

Connor Jessup or Joey Pollari in "Love, Victor"

Okay this began with Nick Robinson landing the lead in the feature, "Love, Simon." He was wonderful. The film was sweet. Fine. But when it came to to the TV series, how did they cast every gay part with het-identifying actors -- especially in 2020? Imagine openly gay Connor Jessup ("Closet Monster") or Joey Pollari ("Love, Simon") as Benji? Or a fresh, out teen Latino actor in the title role?

Neil Patrick Harris in "The Prom"

Ryan Murphy's decision to toss out the entire Broadway cast for name actors was egregious enough, but, fine. It's hard to grouse about Meryl and Nicole. However, the offensively flamboyant performance given by James Corden was simply unforgivable. Why not cast Tony-winner Neil Patrick Harris ("Gone Girl") in that role? It would have been against (stereo)type, and Harris would have been amazing.

Matt Bomer in "Halston"

We love Ewan McGregor, and he slayed it in Todd Haynes' "Velvet Goldmine" back in 1998, as queer glam rocker Curt Wild. But in 2021 there are quite a few actors who fit the difficult role of fashion icon Halston more snugly, like Matt Bomer ("The Normal Heart"). Perhaps he's prettier than the real Halston, but he's also an actor with as much range as McGregor. Bomer was slated to star in a biopic of Montgomery Clift –�perfect casting – but the project appears to have slipped into oblivion. Someone please revive it. Soon.