Aaron Sorkin Calls Only Casting Gay Actors In Gay Roles 'Empty Gesture'

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        Aaron Sorkin Sparks Debate After Saying Only Casting Gay Actors In Gay Roles Is An 'Empty Gesture'
    

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By Sam SpadaforeDec 21, 2021
Sam Spadafore
Sam Spadafore (he/they) is a writer, poet, theatre artist, sex educator and activist. Beyond The Social Edge, his writing centers around mental health, trans and queer issues, sex and sexuality. When Sam isn't dismantling gender norms and the patriarchy, you can find them roaming the beaches of Maine with their dog or cooking a delicious meal.
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The debate of casting gay actors in gay roles continues as Aaron Sorkin states the choice is an "empty gesture."
Sorkin, known for writing TV show The West Wing and movies Steve Jobs and The Social Network, had an interview with the  Sunday Times in the UK where he discussed his latest movie, Being the Ricardos.
This film has received criticism for casting Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball's husband. Bardem is Spanish while Arnez was born in Cuba.
Sorkin calls this criticism a "little chilling."
“This should be the last place there are walls.""Spanish and Cuban are not actable.""If I was directing you in a scene and said: ‘It’s cold, you can’t feel your face.’ That’s actable.""But if I said: ‘Be Cuban,’ That is not actable."He then commented on casting LGBTQ+ people in LGBTQ+ roles.
“Nouns aren’t actable.""Gay and straight aren’t actable.""You can act being attracted to someone, but can’t act gay or straight."“So this notion that only gay actors should play gay characters?""That only a Cuban actor should play Desi?""Honestly, I think it’s the mother of all empty gestures and a bad idea.”Aaron Sorkin believes queer representation in media should be liberal straight cis people saying how they are fine with gay people being almost equal then spending a lot of time patting each other on the back. He isn't an answer to the problem, he is the problem.
 — Guy Branum (@Guy Branum)
        1640072844

\u201cIf I just keep talking, my words will form a robe of goodness around me, wrapping me in goodness and letting me save the world by my lone straight cis white male self! Why don\u2019t you understand that this is how it\u2019s supposed to work? Why aren\u2019t you more grateful?\u201d \u2014 AS, prolly
 — Sure, yeah. (@Sure, yeah.)
        1640098873
Bardem also gave an interview recently commenting on the criticism:
"I’m an actor, and that’s what I do for a living: try to be people that I’m not.”Sorkin also spoke last month about the casting.
He told the Hollywood Reporter they worked with a "Latina casting consultant."
“We know when we’re being demeaning."“We know that Blackface is demeaning because of its historical context because you’re making ridiculous cartoon caricatures out of people."“We know that Mickey Rooney with the silly piece in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ and that makeup doing, silly Japanese speak, we know that’s demeaning.""This is not, I felt.""Having an actor who was born in Spain playing a character who was born in Cuba was not demeaning.""And it wasn’t just the casting consultant who agreed, Lucy and Desi’s Cuban-American daughter didn’t have a problem with it.""So, I’m very comfortable with it.”The conversation around casting those with lived experience in roles with that same lived experience is not new.
Also: let's give some more straight, cis actors Oscar noms for playing trans women.  THEY'RE SO BRAVE!
 — Jingle Finney Boylan \ud83c\udf84 (@Jingle Finney Boylan \ud83c\udf84)
        1640101021
Russell T. Davis, screenwriter for It’s A Sin, was proud that he cast LGBTQ+ actors in LGBTQ+ roles.
He told AnotherMag:
“My take is to cast gay as gay.""Absolutely. I believe that profoundly.""I think you not only get authenticity; you get revenge for 100 years of straight-washing."“And I’ll tell you what, no, I don’t mind a gay actor playing straight.""Because from the age of eight, gay people learn to fit in with the straight world and act straight.""That’s something we know very profoundly in our hearts."“So if you want a great performance, cast a gay actor as a straight man because he’s been studying how straight men behave for an awful long time.”Once the news of Sorkin's comments on LGBTQ+ casting went public, he received even more criticism than when he started.
Proceeds to use them as adjectives.
 — mar (@mar)
        1640080541

Lolol Aaron Sorkin, a straight cis white man who can\u2019t for the life of him properly write female characters  is talking about gay people and people of color? Gtfo.https://twitter.com/ST_Culture/status/1472484341884362756\u00a0\u2026
 — boo rito (@boo rito)
        1639912419

Of the literal hundreds of movies with queer protagonists -  roughly 20% of all Oscar nominated roles for the past decade - not a single one starred a queer actor.
 — \ud835\uddd7\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf0\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud83c\udf34 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@\ud835\uddd7\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf0\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud83c\udf34 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08)
        1639954090

"Only gay people in gay roles" is such a joke because there are no gay people in gay roles, because there are no visibly gay people in the film industry full stop.
 — \ud835\uddd7\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf0\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud83c\udf34 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@\ud835\uddd7\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf0\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud83c\udf34 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08)
        1639954183

This comparison falls apart when you consider the ways in which casting already systematically overlooks LGBTQ+ actors for queer /and/ straight roles
 — Sondheim (Z\u201dL) Stan Account (@Sondheim (Z\u201dL) Stan Account)
        1640022184

LMAO\u2026 but Hollywood refuses to cast Gays or Trans folks in straight roles. When has \u201cstraight white man\u201d Aaron Sorkin ever cast a Gay or Trans person in a major role in his films. \n\nJust another example of a cishet White man trying to play the victim\u2026\n\nGTFOH\u2026pic.twitter.com/tlH52KDvt2
 — JDF (@JDF)
        1639957096

I would bet my entire life Aaron Sorkin also doesn\u2019t have much of an idea of why it would be a good idea for a gay actor to portray a gay character.pic.twitter.com/BLWu3YDRyM
 — Noah Love (@Noah Love)
        1639958992

Aaron Sorkin doesn't understand that it's not about only gay actors playing gay characters or only Cubans playing Desi. It's about underrepresented communities having an opportunity to take a part in the stories being told with an authenticity others don't understand. Simple.https://twitter.com/ST_Culture/status/1472484341884362756\u00a0\u2026
 — Lyra Hale \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\u270d\ufe0f\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf7 (@Lyra Hale \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\u270d\ufe0f\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf7)
        1639954502

I see Aaron Sorkin, who to my knowledge only makes films and shows about majority white straight people, has an opinion on casting gay people in gay roles and authentic casting for people of colour in historic roles. an expert basically.
 — my sexuality is dan levy's eyebrows (@my sexuality is dan levy's eyebrows)
        1639912739

they always leave out that historically gay people have been on the whole excluded from straight roles once they come out, in their arguments. if this wasn't the case why has it been so hard for actors to come out once it was legally safe for them to do so.
 — my sexuality is dan levy's eyebrows (@my sexuality is dan levy's eyebrows)
        1639912987

aaron sorkin is really loudly missing the point here, about gay actors and cuban actors looking for work and not getting it bc he won't hire themhttps://twitter.com/ST_Culture/status/1472484341884362756\u00a0\u2026
 — all i want for christmas is youltralaser (@all i want for christmas is youltralaser)
        1639920803

How dare you criticize Sorkin's history of gay characters in his work which consists of this and Nate Cordry's character on 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip' and literally nothing else. Oh on one ep of The Newsroom Will McAvoy tries to epic own Santorum's gay press aide
 — joy to the world, Lord_Googoo is come (@joy to the world, Lord_Googoo is come)
        1640015209
Again, would anyone like to explain to Aaron Sorkin how this is a bad and dumb take. Because, he still doesn't get it. There are so many great gay actors out there. But no, let's give all the gay roles to straight dudes. *sighs*https://twitter.com/ST_Culture/status/1472484341884362756\u00a0\u2026
 — Here Be Dragons \ud83d\udc32\ud83d\udc09 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf08 (@Here Be Dragons \ud83d\udc32\ud83d\udc09 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf08)
        1639948151
Not long ago, a similar conversation was had when openly transgender actress Alexandra Billings was up for the role of Mary Poppins in the live musical production.
Eddie Redmayne, a cisgender man, also recently reflected on his role as a transgender woman in The Danish Girl and regretted it.
There shouldn't be debate when it comes to the representation of those marginalized and oppressed.
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The debate of casting gay actors in gay roles continues as Aaron Sorkin states the choice is an "empty gesture."

Sorkin, known for writing TV show The West Wing and movies Steve Jobs and The Social Network, had an interview with the Sunday Times in the UK where he discussed his latest movie, Being the Ricardos.

This film has received criticism for casting Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball's husband. Bardem is Spanish while Arnez was born in Cuba.

Sorkin calls this criticism a "little chilling."

“This should be the last place there are walls."

"Spanish and Cuban are not actable."

"If I was directing you in a scene and said: ‘It’s cold, you can’t feel your face.’ That’s actable."

"But if I said: ‘Be Cuban,’ That is not actable."

He then commented on casting LGBTQ+ people in LGBTQ+ roles.

“Nouns aren’t actable."

"Gay and straight aren’t actable."

"You can act being attracted to someone, but can’t act gay or straight."

“So this notion that only gay actors should play gay characters?"

"That only a Cuban actor should play Desi?"

"Honestly, I think it’s the mother of all empty gestures and a bad idea.”

Aaron Sorkin believes queer representation in media should be liberal straight cis people saying how they are fine with gay people being almost equal then spending a lot of time patting each other on the back. He isn't an answer to the problem, he is the problem.
— Guy Branum (@Guy Branum) 1640072844

\u201cIf I just keep talking, my words will form a robe of goodness around me, wrapping me in goodness and letting me save the world by my lone straight cis white male self! Why don\u2019t you understand that this is how it\u2019s supposed to work? Why aren\u2019t you more grateful?\u201d \u2014 AS, prolly
— Sure, yeah. (@Sure, yeah.) 1640098873

Bardem also gave an interview recently commenting on the criticism:

"I’m an actor, and that’s what I do for a living: try to be people that I’m not.”

Sorkin also spoke last month about the casting.

He told the Hollywood Reporter they worked with a "Latina casting consultant."

“We know when we’re being demeaning."

“We know that Blackface is demeaning because of its historical context because you’re making ridiculous cartoon caricatures out of people."

“We know that Mickey Rooney with the silly piece in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ and that makeup doing, silly Japanese speak, we know that’s demeaning."

"This is not, I felt."

"Having an actor who was born in Spain playing a character who was born in Cuba was not demeaning."

"And it wasn’t just the casting consultant who agreed, Lucy and Desi’s Cuban-American daughter didn’t have a problem with it."

"So, I’m very comfortable with it.”

The conversation around casting those with lived experience in roles with that same lived experience is not new.

Also: let's give some more straight, cis actors Oscar noms for playing trans women. THEY'RE SO BRAVE!
— Jingle Finney Boylan \ud83c\udf84 (@Jingle Finney Boylan \ud83c\udf84) 1640101021

Russell T. Davis, screenwriter for It’s A Sin, was proud that he cast LGBTQ+ actors in LGBTQ+ roles.

He told AnotherMag:

“My take is to cast gay as gay."

"Absolutely. I believe that profoundly."

"I think you not only get authenticity; you get revenge for 100 years of straight-washing."

“And I’ll tell you what, no, I don’t mind a gay actor playing straight."

"Because from the age of eight, gay people learn to fit in with the straight world and act straight."

"That’s something we know very profoundly in our hearts."

“So if you want a great performance, cast a gay actor as a straight man because he’s been studying how straight men behave for an awful long time.”

Once the news of Sorkin's comments on LGBTQ+ casting went public, he received even more criticism than when he started.

Proceeds to use them as adjectives.
— mar (@mar) 1640080541

Lolol Aaron Sorkin, a straight cis white man who can\u2019t for the life of him properly write female characters is talking about gay people and people of color? Gtfo.https://twitter.com/ST_Culture/status/1472484341884362756\u00a0\u2026
— boo rito (@boo rito) 1639912419

Of the literal hundreds of movies with queer protagonists - roughly 20% of all Oscar nominated roles for the past decade - not a single one starred a queer actor.
— \ud835\uddd7\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf0\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud83c\udf34 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@\ud835\uddd7\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf0\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud83c\udf34 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1639954090

"Only gay people in gay roles" is such a joke because there are no gay people in gay roles, because there are no visibly gay people in the film industry full stop.
— \ud835\uddd7\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf0\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud83c\udf34 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@\ud835\uddd7\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf0\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud83c\udf34 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1639954183

This comparison falls apart when you consider the ways in which casting already systematically overlooks LGBTQ+ actors for queer /and/ straight roles
— Sondheim (Z\u201dL) Stan Account (@Sondheim (Z\u201dL) Stan Account) 1640022184

LMAO\u2026 but Hollywood refuses to cast Gays or Trans folks in straight roles. When has \u201cstraight white man\u201d Aaron Sorkin ever cast a Gay or Trans person in a major role in his films. \n\nJust another example of a cishet White man trying to play the victim\u2026\n\nGTFOH\u2026pic.twitter.com/tlH52KDvt2
— JDF (@JDF) 1639957096

I would bet my entire life Aaron Sorkin also doesn\u2019t have much of an idea of why it would be a good idea for a gay actor to portray a gay character.pic.twitter.com/BLWu3YDRyM
— Noah Love (@Noah Love) 1639958992

Aaron Sorkin doesn't understand that it's not about only gay actors playing gay characters or only Cubans playing Desi. It's about underrepresented communities having an opportunity to take a part in the stories being told with an authenticity others don't understand. Simple.https://twitter.com/ST_Culture/status/1472484341884362756\u00a0\u2026
— Lyra Hale \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\u270d\ufe0f\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf7 (@Lyra Hale \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\u270d\ufe0f\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf7) 1639954502

I see Aaron Sorkin, who to my knowledge only makes films and shows about majority white straight people, has an opinion on casting gay people in gay roles and authentic casting for people of colour in historic roles. an expert basically.
— my sexuality is dan levy's eyebrows (@my sexuality is dan levy's eyebrows) 1639912739

they always leave out that historically gay people have been on the whole excluded from straight roles once they come out, in their arguments. if this wasn't the case why has it been so hard for actors to come out once it was legally safe for them to do so.
— my sexuality is dan levy's eyebrows (@my sexuality is dan levy's eyebrows) 1639912987

aaron sorkin is really loudly missing the point here, about gay actors and cuban actors looking for work and not getting it bc he won't hire themhttps://twitter.com/ST_Culture/status/1472484341884362756\u00a0\u2026
— all i want for christmas is youltralaser (@all i want for christmas is youltralaser) 1639920803

How dare you criticize Sorkin's history of gay characters in his work which consists of this and Nate Cordry's character on 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip' and literally nothing else. Oh on one ep of The Newsroom Will McAvoy tries to epic own Santorum's gay press aide
— joy to the world, Lord_Googoo is come (@joy to the world, Lord_Googoo is come) 1640015209

Again, would anyone like to explain to Aaron Sorkin how this is a bad and dumb take. Because, he still doesn't get it. There are so many great gay actors out there. But no, let's give all the gay roles to straight dudes. *sighs*https://twitter.com/ST_Culture/status/1472484341884362756\u00a0\u2026
— Here Be Dragons \ud83d\udc32\ud83d\udc09 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf08 (@Here Be Dragons \ud83d\udc32\ud83d\udc09 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf08) 1639948151

Not long ago, a similar conversation was had when openly transgender actress Alexandra Billings was up for the role of Mary Poppins in the live musical production.

Eddie Redmayne, a cisgender man, also recently reflected on his role as a transgender woman in The Danish Girl and regretted it.

There shouldn't be debate when it comes to the representation of those marginalized and oppressed.

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