Arts & Entertainment
Richard E. Grant says giving LGBTQ roles to straight actors now ‘unjustifiable’
Veteran British actor Richard E. Grant has said casting straight actors in gay roles is “unjustifiable.”
Despite being Oscar-nominated last year for his performance as the gay partner-in-crime to Melissa McCarthy’s lesbian con artist in “Can You Ever Forgive Me,” the 62-year-old Grant – who is straight – has now added his voice to the chorus of industry professionals calling for more authentic casting of LGBTQ roles onscreen.
Speaking to the UK’s Sunday Times, the actor said, “I’ve always had that concern. The transgender movement and the #MeToo movement means, how can you justify heterosexual actors playing gay characters?”
He went on to elaborate, “We are in a historic moment. If you want someone to play a disabled role, that should be a disabled actor… I understand why and how [the shift in thinking has] come about.”
Misgivings aside, he will soon be appearing as an aging drag queen – a role he’s already finished shooting – in an upcoming film adaptation of the hit West End musical, “Everyone’s Talking About Jamie.”
The South Africa-born actor has a long and impressive resume,
making his film debut as the amusingly drunk protagonist in the popular British
comedy “Withnail and I” and going on to appear in films such as “L.A. Story,” “The
Player,” “The Age of Innocence,” “Gosford Park,” “Bright Young Things,” and “Logan.”
He has also made many appearances in theatre and television, with recent roles
on such prominent shows as “Dr. Who,” “Downton Abbey,” “A Series of Unfortunate
Events,” and “Game of Thrones.” He even notched an appearance on the iconic
Brit-com, “Absolutely Fabulous.”
He can next be seen as a villain in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which blasts
into theatres on December 20.
Celebrity News
Madonna announces release date for new album
‘Confessions II’ marks return to the dance floor
Pop icon Madonna on Wednesday announced that her 15th studio album will be released on July 3.
Titled “Confessions II,” the new album is a sequel to 2005’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” an Abba and disco-infused hit.
The new album reunites Madonna with producer Stuart Price, who also helmed the original “Confessions” album. It’s her first album of new material since 2019’s “Madame X.”
“We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies,” Madonna said in a press release. “These are things that we’ve been doing for thousands of years — they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It’s a place where you connect — with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It’s about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people,” continued the statement. “Sound, light, and vibration reshape our perceptions. Pulling us into a trance-like state. The repetition of the bass, we don’t just hear it but we feel it. Altering our consciousness and dissolving ego and time.”
Denali (@denalifoxx) of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performed at Pitchers DC on April 9 for the Thirst Trap Thursday drag show. Other performers included Cake Pop!, Brooke N Hymen, Stacy Monique-Max and Silver Ware Sidora.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
In an act of artistic defiance, Baltimore Center Stage stays focused on DEI
‘Maybe it’s a triple-down’
By LESLIE GRAY STREETER | I’m always tickled when people complain about artists “going political.” The inherent nature of art, of creation and free expression, is political. This becomes obvious when entire governments try to threaten it out of existence, like in 2025, when the brand-new presidential administration demanded organizations halt so-called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming or risk federal funding.
Baltimore Center Stage’s response? A resounding and hearty “Nah.” A year later, they’re still doubling down on diversity.
“Maybe it’s a triple-down,” said Ken-Matt Martin, the theater’s producing director, chuckling.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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