‘People can be very extreme and hysterical,’ said ‘All of Us Strangers’ actor. Andrew Scott has shared his opinion on the idea that only gay actors should play gay roles across film, TV and theatre. In recent years, debate has surrounded the question of whether straight actors should play queer roles.
![[Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal in ‘All of Us Strangers']](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/03/12/newFile-8.jpg)
When asked about his thoughts on the topic in a recent interview, Scott, who is gay, said that people can be “extreme and hysterical” about the debate, but ultimately “every individual story has to be examined”. The All of Us Strangers actor admitted he was “reluctant” to provide a soundbite for the question “Where do you stand on the idea that gay actors should play gay roles?”.
![[In 2021, ‘Doctor Who’ showrunner Russell T Davies declared that gay roles should be reserved for queer actors]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/03/09/11/newFile-3.jpg)
“There are certainly much more opportunities; the playing field is becoming more even and that has to be considered in every casting decision. But people can be very extreme and hysterical.”. He continued: “What is important is that we have representation for everybody, not just in front of the screen, but behind it, so that when somebody is on a set, if you’re portraying somebody that’s different from you, that somebody can say, ‘Well, that’s not authentically the way it is.’”.
Scott was widely praised for his performance in the 2024 drama All of Us Strangers, in which his character, screenwriter Adam, finds himself drawn to his neighbour Harry (played by Paul Mescal) while dealing with his grief over the death of his parents.
