British actor Nicholas Galitzine admitted that he feels “guilt” for taking queer roles even though he is not a member of the LGBTQQIAAP2S+ community.
The actor gained accolades from the gay community for his role as a gay member of the royal family in the film Red, White & Royal Blue. But he has also had a series of other gay roles in projects including Angelo in Legends, Handsome Devil, and The Craft: Legacy, Pink News reported.
But with all the success, Galitzine also says there is “guilt.”
In an interview with British GQ, the Idea Of You star said that many fans think he is gay like his many characters.
“I am Nick, and I’m not my role,” Galitzine told the magazine. “I identify as a straight man, but I have been a part of some incredible queer stories. I felt a sense of uncertainty sometimes about whether I’m taking up someone’s space, and perhaps guilt.”
Charlie Plummer and Nicholas Galitzine from ‘Share’ pose for a portrait on January 27, 2019 in Park City, Utah. (Aaron Richter/Getty Images for Pizza Hut)
“At the same time, I see those characters as not solely their sexuality,” he added.
Still, Galitzine has taken some criticism for taking gay roles when he is not gay. But he adds that the reception he has gotten from the gay community has been gratifying.
“I feel so overwhelmingly proud of the resonance. I feel like I’ve been able to have and been so touched by conversations I’ve had with people from the community,” he said.
He insisted that he has “a lot of care” for his characters and says of the gay community: “I feel very powerful with their backing behind me, so yeah. Just very grateful.”
There are a lot of mixed feelings among actors over whether non-gays should take roles portraying homosexuals.
In 2022, Hollywood favorite Tom Hanks claimed that non-gays should not be given gay roles and cited his own turn as a gay man in the film Philadelphia as something that should not happen today.
On the other hand, star Ian McKellen blasted the woke idea that non-gay actors shouldn’t be allowed to take gay roles.
“Is the argument that a straight man cannot play a gay part, and if so, does that mean I can’t play straight parts and I’m not allowed to explore the fascinating subject of heterosexuality in Macbeth? Surely not. We’re acting. We’re pretending,” the Lord of Rings star said in a recent interview on BBC2.
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