If you are straight, could you play a gay character on tv? Or the other way around?

I don’t think I can answer this accurately as I can find myself attracted to anyone but also because I don’t think acting has to do with actually being that sexuality – a good actor can pull anything off and to portray love has no bounds.

Absolutely, and my limits would be the same as they would be if the other person were male. Skin is skin.

I’m a terrible actor.
I think it’d be a challenge for an actor. A good one pulls it off. Sean Penn was good in that movie about Harvey Milk.

Why not, the range of roles an actor can play convincingly demonstrate one’s acting ability. Dustin Hoffman has played a street hustler, a college kid, a woman, an autistic man, a native-American. Elizabethan era actors played both the men’s and women’s roles.Anne Heche starred opposite Harrison Ford in the film Six Days, Seven Nights shortly after coming out as Ellen’s girlfriend.

Absolutely, if the money is good.

If I actually had even a smidgen of acting ability, sure. Since I don’t, I wouldn’t be able to successfully play a gay, straight, bi, or asexual character.

If I’m paid enough and they are good looking enough as well. I would have a bigger problem with someone who is very unappealing. Like I saw a movie where this one girl kissed an ugly old woman. Made me want to vomit and I wasn’t the one in the movie. Or if an one kisses a hidious looking person who is a repugnant character. I don’t think any kind of money would make me be able to do something I found really repugnant. However I probably wouldn’t be that good of an actress anyway. Kissing an attractive female will probably make me feel wierd and I would be unconvincing.

Yes…..a great actor can take on her role. why limit yourself or your abilities.

Sure, because I’m an actor – that’s my job.

Limits: the fact that I couldn’t act my way out of a paper bag might be an issue.

I’m straight, and kissing or being sensual with another woman would be hard for me if I were an actor. Not hard in the EWWWWW! sense, but hard in the I have very little life experience to to pull from to make this look realistic sense.

Also, what @Pandora said.

A lot of gay porn stars are straight. That’s pretty intense acting.

Just sayin’.

Meanwhile I pretend to be a straight person everyday, so I’m sure I could manage acting as one in front of a camera. But I’m sure I’m a bad actor.

If I were skilled enough as an actor, I would jump at the opportunity. How better to prove your ability to act. And of course, there is also the MONEY.

No, because first I’m a terrible actor, second, I’m too masculine to play a gay character. Lol.

I think I could probably do it and be pretty convincing about it. I’ve acted and I can see myself doing it and taking on the character without much problem. The only issue for me is that I’d have to find the person at least somewhat attractive.. I’ve watched films where an actress had to kiss an old guy and I found it pretty repulsive—I’m not that good of an actor.

Sure. I play straight every day. It’d be awesome to be paid for it.

Also, @MRSHINYSHOES, your ignorance is showing. Not all gay guys are effeminate. Plenty of them are very masculine. I bet there are quite a few who are even more masculine than you, Macho Man.

I’m gay and know I can play straight so I would think the opposite would be true.

There’s just no way I could do that, no matter how much money was on the table. It wouldn’t be fair to the homosexual community and it certainly wouldn’t be fair to the audience. I couldn’t do it.

I’ve kissed more girls than many straight guys I know (see avatar). Although I’ll admit I wouldn’t really want to passionately kiss a girl. That’s something I’d only want to do with a guy. It wouldn’t disgust me to do something like that with a girl, but it wouldn’t feel right.

I could play a straight person, but I wouldn’t want to get too physical or anything. It would just be weird.

@MacBean
@absalom

You two obviously missed the boat——I was joking. Note the “Lol”. Don’t take what people say off-hand too seriously. If you do that, everything in life will always be a “problem”, and you will never have fun and be happy. Not everything is a “bone to pick”! And if you visit other questions on homosexuality here, you will see that I am a strong supporter of gay rights. Also, you will note that many gay comedians make fun of their own sexual orientation, just like there are many comedians of color who know how to poke fun of their own nationalities and races. :)

I’m sorry you missed it. I won’t be returning to this thread. That’s all I have to say. Snark, snark.

The greatest role (& example of this) is Sean Hayes. He played Jack on Will & Grace. He is a gay man, who (at the time of shooting the show, was still in the closet) was playing straight to the public, who played a gay character on a T.V. show. So… he was a gay guy, pretending to be straight guy, who was playing a gay guy on a show. Thats some real acting chops if you ask me.

I am a straight male, but I would like to think I could. If there was intimate contact, e.g., passionate kissing (or more), that would be an extreme test of my acting skills.

If I had any acting talent whatsoever I would be willing to play gay, straight, or bi.

Great Caesar’s ghost! Not no but HELL no. If I were an actor there are 2 things on the top of the list; never dress in drag and never play a Gay much less kiss another man. And believe me he wouldnot want me to because he might find vomit hard to dry clean out of his clothes.

First I will pretend I’m not in a committed relationship. But yes I would be able to play that character. I would not have sex with that person but physical contact, a kissing scene, something along those lines would not bother me. I am confident in my own sexuality and I believe strongly in gay rights so there is no reason for me to be bothered by it.

Of course I could. Good lord. But the other actor would have to be able to handle my own possible unloveliness. Maybe we could strike a deal.

No, I could never kiss a man. I would turn the roll down even if it meant my career would be over. I am strait as an arrow and could not do it. They are not enough money in the world that would make me kiss a man…not even acting.

I’d be fabulous darling camp it up with the best of them.I’d have to insist on a body double for the love scenes though,sorry but there is a line to be drawn somewhere.

I think I probably could pull it off so to speak….. It would be one of those situatins where you have to break down what ur doing in ur head rather than looking at the whole picture. As to limits, well, Im asuming its not a porno so I doubt theyd ask anything to eye watering.
& it would help if it were someone like Johny Depp rather than say, Mickey Rourke.