The auditioning process for upcoming talent can brutal, and the gatekeeping of actors during the casting process usually makes it worse. Benito Skinner recently discussed that lingering issue in his own career, highlighting certain times when he started to send out tapes for new roles.
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The 31-year-old content actor, writer, and social media star told Attitude that multiple directors asked him not to audition for straight roles.
"I've wanted to play a straight role, and people have asked not to see a tape," the creator and star of Prime Video's Overcompensating explained. "And I'm like, okay… So I think a lot of queer actors feel that way. Like, 'We can't come into those spaces,' or 'We could never do that.'"
When asked about straight actors playing queer roles, the multi-hyphenate creative commented on how that's different, given that they don't share the same struggles as actors in the LGBTQ+ community do.
"You couldn't know what it feels like to hide in a closet your entire life," Skinner told the publication, "or know what it means to love someone, and know that there will be people who think you're disgusting and don't deserve the right to love that person."
He added, "I think if there was more of a balance, I would feel like, 'Of course, it's acting. You're telling stories.' I think it's beautiful that a lot of people can tell these stories."
"It seems so unfair, and it's like, 'Why do you think that straight people could so easily do this? Because this experience is so easy?'" Skinner mused. "It can be complicated because I understand that it is still acting, but I think if there was a little bit more of a balance, I would feel a little bit less like 'ugh' every time I see an announcement that two straight guys are cast in gay roles."
Benito Skinner and the cast of Overcompensating.
Prime VideoLater in the interview, Skinner also noted that there aren't a lot of queer stories being told during certain eras of mainstream media, and that he'd like to have the chance, as a queer actor, to also tell those different stories. In fact, Skinner empathizes with gay actors who might stay in the closet as they navigate the entertainment industry.
"People will come to me like, 'Oh my god. Don't you think that gay guy should come out?'" Skinner says. "And I'm like, 'Yeah, but look at all the praise he can get and the safety he has in it. Look how harsh it is.' Like, he's not 'annoying,' he's straight. But this guy is out, [so] he's 'annoying.'"
Overcompensating is now streaming on Prime Video.
