Stanley Tucci has shared his thoughts on whether straight actors should be allowed to play gay roles, after he himself has taken on roles of a different sexuality to his own.
The actor, 62, who is straight, previously took on gay characters when he starred as Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada as well as playing Tusker in the heartwrenching drama Supernova.
However, in recent years there has been discussion over "authenticity" when it comes to casting people in specific roles to do with gender, sexuality, race, and even weight - such as Brendan Fraser being criticized for playing an obese man in The Whale and using a fat suit to do so, rather than an actor with that body shape being cast.
Tucci is the latest star to speak out about the issue, revealing he thinks any actor should be able to play any role within reason, as long as it's "done right".
He explained on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs: "Obviously, I believe that’s fine. I am always very flattered when gay men come up to me and talk to me about The Devil Wears Prada or they talk about Supernova, and they say that 'it was just so beautiful,' you know, 'You did it the right way'. Because often, it’s not done the right way."
Tucci added: "I really do believe an actor is an actor is an actor. You're supposed to play different people. You just are. That's the whole point of it."
He's not the only one to argue this sentiment, as Sir Ian McKellen, who is gay, also feels the same way.
McKellen addressed the issue when discussing Dame Helen Mirren being cast in the role of Israel's first female leader, Golda Meir, despite not being Jewish herself.
He said on BBC 2 at the time: "There are two things – is the argument that a gentile cannot play a Jew, and is the argument therefore that a Jew cannot play a gentile?
"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."
Tom Hanks, however, takes the opposing view - having played a gay man in Philadelphia himself, even winning an Oscar for the part.
He previously told the New York Times: "Let’s address 'Could a straight man do what I did in Philadelphia now?' No, and rightly so.
"The whole point of Philadelphia was don’t be afraid. One of the reasons people weren’t afraid of that movie is that I was playing a gay man.
"We’re beyond that now, and I don’t think people would accept the inauthenticity of a straight guy playing a gay guy."
