Celeb News: Gay actor plays gay character in new ABC comedy

MikeyDuff1D

Quote:

A producer for ABC’s new sitcom “The Real O’Neals” wanted a gay actor for the role of a Chicago teenager who comes out to his shocked Catholic family, but asking the people auditioning would have been against the law.

“It was very important to me and I was in a panic,” said Todd Holland, an executive producer for the series that debuts March 2 before settling into a regular Tuesday time slot a week later.

Holland got his wish. Noah Galvin, the 21-year-old actor selected to play the Kenny character, is not only gay but eager to be an advocate for gay rights and defender of a show that took political heat even before ABC decided to pick up the pilot to make a series.

“As a gay man, this is a landmark role on network television,” Holland said. “It should not be played by a straight man pretending to be gay.”

“It was important to me that they have someone who is gay and is out and is willing to be a spokesman for it,” he said.

http://entertainment.suntimes.com/en...n-real-oneals/

Solopop

Sounds like an awful show.

Lord Gaga

Cute but it will probably get cancelled half way through season 1.

Sazare

Quote:

“As a gay man, this is a landmark role on network television,” Holland said. “It should not be played by a straight man pretending to be gay.”

Hmm.

Icarus

Quote:

“It should not be played by a straight man pretending to be gay.”

Why though

thaMONSTERkid

show is going to be hilarious

Homogenic

Groundbreaking

Bad Influence

Are we back in 2005 or something.

Donquizote

Sounds like an interesting show. I'll be perched for the first 2 episodes and see whether the show worth to watch

AMENHOOKER

Groundbreaking.

Inverted

Why are people acting like this isn't something new? There has never been a network sitcom specifically about a gay kid coming out. This isn't a minor character or a side story. It's the main character.

Temporal

ouh he cute

Nutitle

LoKoPaNdA

Well that's what acting means. A straight guy could've played the character I guess (though an actual gay person would be better)

I feel like it's more common for straights to play gays than the opposite

Achilles.

“It should not be played by a straight man pretending to be gay.”

Shade?

Goaty

Quote:

Originally posted by Sazare

Hmm.

The Will and Grace shade.

Daddy

Quote:

Gay actor plays gay character

Ok.

Javan

They look like Hollywood rejects

Siggy

Shame the show looks basic

iseeyouupsidedown

Quote:

Originally posted by IcarusIsFlying

Why though

Because the show clearly deals with the struggle of being gay in a strict catholic family... That's something a straight person wouldn;t understand. Would you want a non-black person playing a black character in a show about him dealing with racism?

The show will probably be mediocre and not be renewed for a second season, but I think the sentiment of the actor and director are nice.

Despite what some people seem to think, being gay is not suddenly just okay with everybody. There's still plenty of ignorance, it's just frowned upon by mainstream media now so people who don't deal with it don't notice it as much.