Actor-comedian Kevin Hart has come out with a controversial statement: he won’t play a character who is homosexual.
In an age where it shouldn’t really be considered controversial for a straight actor to play a gay character (or vice versa), Kevin Hart has made the somewhat baffling confession that he wouldn’t feel comfortable taking on a role if the character happens to like men.
“As people, I love you,” Hart assures the homosexual community (awkwardly addressing said community as a homogenous mass), when appearing on New York’s Power 105.1 radio station to promote his new movie The Wedding Ringer.
Hart reveals in the interview that he actually turned down the role Alpa Chino in the cult hit Tropic Thunder (2008), because, “The dude, he was doing a lot of stuff in the draft that I read. It was real flagrant. I was like, ‘I can’t do this.'”
The role of Alpa Chino went to Brandon T. Jackson, whose portrayal was a hilarious addition to the film.
When prompted about why he doesn’t want to take on a gay character role, Hart emphasized, “I can’t.”
The actor claims it’s “insecurities about myself trying to play that part” which prevents him from taking on the apparently insurmountable challenge of playing a man who likes men.
It’s “not because I have any ill will or disrespect,” he insists.
Hart, who has been acting professionally for almost 15 years, goes on to state that he may change his mind about accepting homosexual roles once he gets more acting experience. Because apparently, portraying a gay character is just too far out of his range.
Hart’s comments are worth considering from all angles. The insinuation that homosexual characters should be considered a separate acting challenge from straight characters is problematic, but is it Hart’s personal point of view, or Hollywood’s?
After all, any straight actor who takes on ‘a gay role’ is bound to come under media scrutiny. Best case scenario, the actor in question will be heralded as brave for his portrayal (see Sean Penn in Milk), worst case he’ll be known as the star of the “gay cowboy movie.”
However problematic Hart’s personal thoughts about “gay characters” as a separate category of characters are, Hollywood at large still has a problem with its depiction of homosexuality. Whatever else a character may be, a gay character’s defining characteristic will likely be the fact that they’re gay. This, after all, is why they are discussed as “gay characters” and not just “characters.”
Maybe it’s better to look to television if you’re in the market for complex, layered characters whose sexual orientation is only one aspect of who they are, not their point d’être.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.