Kristen Stewart has an elegant solution to the ‘slippery slope’ debate on straight actors playing gay
Kristen Stewart at a fan screening of “Underwater” in Los Angeles. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty)
Kristen Stewart thinks it’s OK for straight actors who are allies to the LGBT+ community to play gay characters – as long as they do the work.
The bisexual star, who stars in upcoming lesbian Christmas rom-com Happiest Season, was asked for her opinion on straight actors playing gay roles in an interview with Variety.
Stewart admitted that she thinks about the debate “all the time”, and added: “I would never want to tell a story that really should be told by somebody who’s lived that experience.
“Having said that, it’s a slippery slope conversation because that means I could never play another straight character if I’m going to hold everyone to the letter of this particular law.”
“I think it’s such a grey area,” she added. “There are ways for men to tell women’s stories, or ways for women to tell men’s stories. But we need to have our finger on the pulse and actually have to care.
If you’re telling a story about a community and they’re not welcoming to you, then f**k off.
“You kind of know where you’re allowed. I mean, if you’re telling a story about a community and they’re not welcoming to you, then f**k off.
“But if they are, and you’re becoming an ally and a part of it and there’s something that drove you there in the first place that makes you uniquely endowed with a perspective that might be worthwhile, there’s nothing wrong with learning about each other. And therefore helping each other tell stories.
“So I don’t have a sure-shot answer for that,” she said.
Kristen Stewart couldn’t have made Happiest Season with anybody but Mackenzie Davies.
Kristen Stewart went on to say that her Happiest Season co-star Mackenzie Davis “is not somebody who identifies as a lesbian”, but that she was “the only person” who could have played her character’s girlfriend Harper.
“Sometimes, artfully speaking, you’re just drawn to a certain group of people. I could defend that, but I’m sure that somebody with a different perspective could make me feel bad about that – and then make me renege on everything I’ve just said.
“I acknowledge the world we live in. And I absolutely would never want to traipse on someone else’s opportunity to do that – I would feel terrible about that.”
Stewart concluded: “So my answer is f**king think about what you’re doing! And don’t be an a*shole.”
Happiest Season, due for release on Hulu on 25 November, follows Abby (Kristen Stewart), who plans to propose to her girlfriend Harper (Mackenzie Davis) while attending her annual family holiday celebration – where she finds out that her girlfriend is not yet out to her conservative parents.”
Speaking to The Guardian about the highly-anticipated film on Friday (20 November), Stewart said: “It’s a gay Christmas movie and I know that’s an annoying thing to label it right off the bat, but for me, that is extremely attractive, and sounds like… a huge exhale.”
