Luke Evans: ‘I wouldn’t have had a career if gay people only played gay roles’
Welsh actor Luke Evans has been out publicly since the start of his acting career. (Getty)
Actor Luke Evans believes he “wouldn’t have a career” if gay roles were only for gay people.
The Fast & Furious actor, 43, has said sexuality is irrelevant when being cast for Hollywood movie roles.
Evans, who has starred in The Hobbit, Beauty and the Beast and Nine Perfect Strangers, insists that the “right person gets the job”.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Evans shared his opinion on writer Russell T Davies’ comments that “gay actors should play gay characters”.
Evans said: “I’m not sure about that. Gay people have definitely missed out on gay roles, for sure. Russell spoke very powerfully, passionately, about this point. I get it, and I totally think that things do need to change.
“But from my perspective, firstly, I wouldn’t have had a career if gay people played gay roles and straight people played straight roles. I’d have played two roles out of the 36 projects I’ve worked on, or whatever [the number] is.
Expanding on his view, Luke Evans said it should be that the right person gets the job.
“Talent and ability, and a bit of luck and timing … That should be the reason why you get a job. It shouldn’t have anything to do with anything else.”
‘Authenticity leads us to joy’
Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies, who wrote Channel 4 drama It’s A Sin about the 1980s HIV crisis, has previously said he believes straight people shouldn’t play gay characters.
Davies told the Radio Times: “I’m not being woke about this… but I feel strongly that if I cast someone in a story, I am casting them to act as a lover, or an enemy, or someone on drugs or a criminal or a saint.
“They are NOT there to ‘act gay’ because ‘acting gay’ is a bunch of codes for performance. It’s about authenticity, the taste of 2020.
“You wouldn’t cast someone able-bodied and put them in a wheelchair, you wouldn’t black someone up. Authenticity is leading us to joyous places.”
Evans’ ‘lonely and confusing’ early years
Recently, Luke Evans hinted about starting a family within the next five years by the age of 48 with his Spanish graphic designer beau Fran, whom he met a year ago in Australia.
He told The Times: “I’d love to have my own kids in the next five years, but if that happens I must accept that I wouldn’t be a young dad.
“I want to be an active dad, one that really gets involved and isn’t limited in what they can do.”
The 43-year-old star “came out” publicly in 2002 and says he was scared of opening up to his religious Jehovah’s Witnesses parents Yvonne and David about his sexuality in his teens.
Expressing his concern, he said: “I was scared about telling my parents I was gay when I was a teenager. Times were different then, especially coming from a religious background.
“It can be lonely and confusing not being able to speak up during such formative years. I take my hat off to parents like mine who accept and love their kids unconditionally.
“You can get through the challenges you face if you’re happy with yourself.”
