Jeremy Strong believes that all actors should be given the chance “to render something that is not necessarily your native habitat,” but he also acknowledges that it’s “valid” to criticize straight actors who play gay roles.
The Emmy-winning and Tony-winning is playing the role of Roy Cohn, who was a closeted gay man, in the new movie The Apprentice.
“Yes, it’s absolutely valid,” Jeremy told the Los Angeles Times of criticism for his role.
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He continued, “I’m sort of old fashioned, maybe, in the belief that, fundamentally, it’s [about] a person’s artistry, and that great artists, historically, have been able to, as it were, change the stamp of their nature. That’s your job as an actor. The task, in a way, is to render something that is not necessarily your native habitat.”
“While I don’t think that it’s necessary [for gay roles to be played by gay performers], I think that it would be good if that were given more weight,” he added.
An Oscar-winning actor recently dropped out of starring in a gay romance drama.
