Andrew Rannells Says He Goes 'Back And Forth' About Straight Actors Playing Gay Roles
Wed. December 16, 2020 5:52 AM by OnTopMag.com
In an interview with UK LGBT glossy Attitude, out actor Andrew Rannells talked about straight actors playing gay roles.
Rannells is promoting his latest project: Ryan Murphy's film adaptation of the Tony Award-nominated musical The Prom.
In the musical, four washed-up Broadway stars travel to Edgewater, a small fictional town in Indiana, looking to help a lesbian teen who was not allowed to take her girlfriend to the high school prom. The actors claim they are there to help the teen, Emma Nolan, but are mostly pursuing headlines.
The movie stars Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, James Corden, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose, Keegan-Michael Key, Kerry Washington, and Kevin Chamberlin. Newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman stars as Emma Nolan.
Rannells was asked about playing a straight role in the film, while Corden, who is straight, took on the gay character.
"What do you anticipate the reaction to that will be? Because it will go against a lot of people's expectations," asked Attitude.
"You know, I kinda go back and forth about this," Rannells answered. "Obviously, representation is very important, but what I feel that Ryan [Murphy] does so well is, you know, it's the best person for the job, quite frankly. In the same way that James can play the gay character, he's also given me an opportunity to play a straight character, which is not something I do all the time. As much as he takes [an actor's sexuality] into consideration, I think ultimately he's looking for talent and parts, and he's given me the opportunity to play this part which maybe another director wouldn't have cast me in, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity."
When asked whether the story hit close to home, Rannells, who grew up in a small town in Nebraska, answered, "Absolutely."
"I was very lucky, my family was incredibly supportive," he said. "I came out after high school before I moved to New York for school, but I'm grateful to say I had a very easy coming out. But certainly, [Corden's] character did not, and unfortunately, that experience is probably a little more realistic than the one I had. I came out to my mother, I told her 'Mom, I'm gay', and she was like 'Yuh-huh'. When I was a kid I wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer, which was like a dance show in the US in the '80s. That was my dream job, so I'm pretty sure my parents had a sneaking suspicion there was something special about Andy... "
The Prom is now streaming on Netflix.
Rannells is promoting his latest project: Ryan Murphy's film adaptation of the Tony Award-nominated musical The Prom.
In the musical, four washed-up Broadway stars travel to Edgewater, a small fictional town in Indiana, looking to help a lesbian teen who was not allowed to take her girlfriend to the high school prom. The actors claim they are there to help the teen, Emma Nolan, but are mostly pursuing headlines.
The movie stars Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, James Corden, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose, Keegan-Michael Key, Kerry Washington, and Kevin Chamberlin. Newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman stars as Emma Nolan.
Rannells was asked about playing a straight role in the film, while Corden, who is straight, took on the gay character.
"What do you anticipate the reaction to that will be? Because it will go against a lot of people's expectations," asked Attitude.
"You know, I kinda go back and forth about this," Rannells answered. "Obviously, representation is very important, but what I feel that Ryan [Murphy] does so well is, you know, it's the best person for the job, quite frankly. In the same way that James can play the gay character, he's also given me an opportunity to play a straight character, which is not something I do all the time. As much as he takes [an actor's sexuality] into consideration, I think ultimately he's looking for talent and parts, and he's given me the opportunity to play this part which maybe another director wouldn't have cast me in, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity."
When asked whether the story hit close to home, Rannells, who grew up in a small town in Nebraska, answered, "Absolutely."
"I was very lucky, my family was incredibly supportive," he said. "I came out after high school before I moved to New York for school, but I'm grateful to say I had a very easy coming out. But certainly, [Corden's] character did not, and unfortunately, that experience is probably a little more realistic than the one I had. I came out to my mother, I told her 'Mom, I'm gay', and she was like 'Yuh-huh'. When I was a kid I wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer, which was like a dance show in the US in the '80s. That was my dream job, so I'm pretty sure my parents had a sneaking suspicion there was something special about Andy... "
The Prom is now streaming on Netflix.
This article appeared at On Top Magazine and has been published here with permission.