Neil Patrick Harris: Something sexy about straight actor playing gay role

Actor Neil Patrick Harris says there is something sexy about straight actors essaying gay roles on screen.

In an interview to The Times newspaper, the actor shared why he doesn't agree with his "It's A Sin" showrunner Russell T. Davies' campaign to cast gay actors in gay roles, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The reason behind his view is that he doesn't want actors to be pigeonholed.

He said: "I'm not one to jump on to labelling. As an actor you certainly hope you can be a visible option for all kinds of different roles. I played a character (in 'How I Met Your Mother') for nine years who was nothing like me. (As a director) I would definitely want to hire the best actor."

Talking about Davies's "Queer As Folk" in which straight actors played the main gay roles, he said: "It was one of the real true turning points for me as examples of sexy guys behaving as leads in something of import, not as comic sidekicks.

"I think there's something sexy about casting a straight actor to play a gay role, if they're willing to invest a lot into it. There's a nervousness that comes from the newness of it all. To declare that you'd never do that, you might miss opportunities," he added.

The actor feels casting should never be based on sexuality.

He said: "In our world that we live in you can't really as a director demand that (an actor be gay or straight). Who's to determine how gay someone is?"

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