In an Attitude cover story,
actor Alex Landi said that an actor's talent should matter more than
his or her sexuality when considering gay roles.
In the ABC medical drama Grey's
Anatomy, Landi, whose parents are Korean and Italian, plays Dr.
Nico Kim, the show's first gay male surgeon. Kim is currently
dating Dr. Levi Schmitt, played by actor Jake Borelli, who recently
came out gay.
(Related: Grey's
Anatomy's
Jake Borelli: Coming out is a constant process.)
“As an actor, I want to do the best
job I can in any role, regardless of my own personal sexuality or the
character’s,” Landi
said. “I just want to do this role proud for the LGBT+ and the
Asian communities. If I put in my two cents, the best actor wins.”
(Related: Alex
Landi: Grey's
Anatomy
producers wanted my gay character to be “very masculine.”)
“It comes down to the role
breakdown,” he added. “it just falls into whoever can do it the
best and what the producer likes. I don’t think it necessarily has
to fall into sexual identity. It falls into who can get the job done.
There are discussions about transgender actors playing transgender
roles, gay actors playing gay roles, and Asian actors speaking up
about whitewashing simply because not all actors have equal
opportunities. There isn’t a level playing ground. When roles stop
being pre-defined by ethnicity and sexual orientation, that is when
these discussions will no longer be at the forefront of casting
decisions.”
(Related: After
Golden Globe win, Ben Whishaw says gay actors should take on straight
roles.)