Tom Hanks discusses his role in Philadelphia and whether he would play a gay main character today

When you see a certain movie that was shot years ago, you might think that it’s not possible for a certain element of the movie or casting decision to work today. For example, cisgender actress Hilary Swank won an Oscar for playing the role of young transgender Brandon Teena and, in recent years, Scarlett Johansson has been criticized for taking on a transgender role Yes ended up abandoning the project . With all of this in mind, Tom Hanks recently talked about his Oscar-winning role in cream philadelphia , in which he played a homosexual. She also revealed whether she will be playing this role today.

Tom Hanks won an Oscar for playing Andrew Beckett, a gay man with AIDS, in cream philadelphia and to play the slow but gentle main character Forrest Gump. These are two roles the 65-year-old actor says happened in “period films” that wouldn’t be made now. While he promotes his role in the new Elvis biopic, the the star spoke The New York Times on the 1993 drama and claimed that contemporary audiences would not find it authentic for a straight man to play a gay character:

Tom Hanks may be right in suggesting that audiences found his character more likeable because he played the role. The debate over whether straight actors could play gay characters has been ongoing for some time. Although members of the LGBTQ + community are starting to play such roles, there are still cases where this is not the case.

Straight actor Ewan McGregor recently won an Emmy for his portrayal of fashion designer Halston. And a few years ago, Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer played lovers call me by your name moreover, their performances earn them a lot of praise. Jake Gyllenhaal was also nominated for an Oscar after playing a gay cowboy in the famous secret in the mountains. The actor also explained how straight actors of the time were still passing by in the film and supported it LGBTQ + roles shouldn’t be limited to a certain group of actors.

There are other actors who would agree with Tom Hanks’ statements like Eddie Redmayne, who regretted taking on a transgender role in The Danish girl. She said that if she played the role with “the best of intentions,” she felt that Lili Elbe would have to be played by a transgender actor. It is true that there are a number of people in the LGBTQ + community who want the opportunity to be seen in Hollywood, as discussed in netflix documentary Clarifications which emphasizes trans visibility . While there is still work to be done on representation, progress is being made. For example, in the same year, Billy Eichner siblings will go down in history by presenting an all LGBTQ + cast, with said actors also playing heterosexual roles.

The question of choosing LGBTQ + roles seems complex to say the least. On the one hand, some would argue that these parts should go to someone who actually belongs in the community, especially since many are still progressing towards these roles. On the other hand, it should be noted that actors try to portray different types of experiences, regardless of their personal background, because a character resonates with them and / or they want to challenge themselves. It’s an interesting catch and one that is likely to persist in the entertainment industry.

But it’s clear that Tom Hanks, like many other actors these days, believes there has to be authenticity when it comes to casting. We will definitely continue to watch how Hollywood looks to handle those casting decisions in the future.

Those looking to see Tom Hanks in a new role can check it out. showing a side of him you’ve never seen before as manager of the king, Colonel Tom Parker Elvis. The film will be released in theaters on June 24 and will be available to stream with yours HBO subscription Max 8 August.