Mar 18
Eric McCormack Defends Actors Being Actors in Gay Roles
Emell Adolphus READ TIME: 2 MIN.
One of the most famous straight men for playing gay Eric McCormack has waded into the ever-evolving discussion of straight actors playing LGBTQ+ roles.
As reported by Entertainment Weekly, McCormack, who famously played gay man Will Truman on the groundbreaking "Will & Grace," sat down with "ITV's Good Morning Britain" on Monday and the topic turned to actors and opportunities.
According to McCormack, his feelings are that the roles should go to the "best person for the role," regardless of sexuality.
"That's a tough one for me, because I didn't become an actor so that I could play an actor," said McCormack. "There's no part I've ever played where I wasn't playing something I'm not. It's part of the gig. And I've always said, if gay actors weren't allowed to play straight actors, Broadway would be over."
He added, "So this is what we do. I'd like to think that I represent it well. I came from the theater, and one of my best friends was a gay man. So I think I took their spirit and their message in what was otherwise just a sitcom and, represented it, I hope."
Interestingly, McCormack had mixed feelings over rather he'd be able to land the role of Will Truman today.
"Well, I guess the answer would be, they'd have to say in the casting room, 'And you're gay, right?' which I don't think they can say," he explained. "I would like to think in general that the best person for the role, the one that comes in and knocks it out of the park, is the one that gets the part."
Does he have a point?
Additionally, McCormack also shared that Elton John's partner David Furnish was probably the first person in the U.K. see the award-winning sitcom.
"I sent VHS tapes to David and they watched them on their vacation," he said.
Glamorous.
