Out actor Neil Patrick Harris has said
that there's “something sexy” about straight actors playing gay
roles.
Harris is best known for playing Barney
Stinson, a straight man who loves to chase women, on the long-running
CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. He received four Emmy
nominations for the role, which is considered the show's breakout
character.
He plays a gay tailor in Channel 4's
upcoming AIDS drama It's a Sin, which also stars Years &
Years singer Olly Alexander and Stephen Fry.
(Related: Olly
Alexander says he self-harmed because he “didn't want to be gay.”)
"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,” Harris
told The
Times.
"There’s a nervousness that
comes from the newness of it all. To declare that you’d never do
that, you might miss opportunities."
"As an actor you certainly hope
you can be a viable option for all kinds of different roles. I played
a character [in HIMYM] for nine years who was nothing like me,” he
said.
He added that as a director he would
“definitely want to hire the best actor.”
It's a Sin will stream on HBO
Max in the United States.