Straight Actor Playing Disney’s
Disney is facing backlash online after news broke that comedian and actor Jack Whitehall had been cast as Disney’s first major gay character in upcoming blockbuster Jungle Cruise.
Whitehall is reportedly set to portray Disney’s first openly gay character in the film, alongside actors Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt.
UK newspaper The Sun reported that Whitehall’s character would be “hugely effete, very camp and very funny” and a source said the actor “is playing a gay man.”
But a number of Twitter users criticized Disney for overlooking gay actors to play the role.
“Really @Disney? Your first significant gay role will be played by a straight white man perpetuating stereotypes? Fail! This ship should sink,” actor and LGBTIQ activist Omar Sharif Jr tweeted.
“Could they seriously not pick someone actually gay?” another person wrote.
“It just sounds like a very 1993 description of a gay character. It’s just missing ‘flamboyant’ or ‘eccentric,'” one person wrote of the character’s description.
“Such a damn shame it’s so hard to find gay actors to play gay roles in Hollywood. Do better,” another wrote.
Others defended Disney, arguing that actors shouldn’t be typecast.
“So you don’t want him to play the role because he’s straight? I can’t imagine the outrage if it was the other way around,” another wrote.
“Shock as actor is asked to play someone different from themselves. Isn’t that kind of the point? Wouldn’t always casting gay actors in gay roles be condemned for typecasting?” British MP Wes Streeting tweeted.
On Monday, Australian actress Ruby Rose shut down her Twitter account amid a bizarre backlash from the LGBTIQ community for her casting as lesbian superhero Batwoman for US TV network the CW.
A month ago, Scarlett Johansson dropped out of crime drama “Rub & Tug” after the actress was criticised for taking on a role as a transgender man.
Really @Disney #JungleCruise ? Your first significant gay role will be played by a straight white man perpetuating stereotypes? Fail! This ship should sink. https://t.co/npPESNZaxD
— Omar Sharif Jr. (@OmarSharifJr) August 13, 2018
Shock as actor is asked to play someone different from themselves. Isn’t that kind of the point? Wouldn’t always casting gay actors in gay roles be condemned for typecasting? https://t.co/tfni2m3B1P
— Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) August 13, 2018
