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Matt Smith Defends the Right to Play a Gay Person (Because He's An Actor)

In today’s edition of “Baffling News That Shouldn’t Be News,” Matt Smith has defended acting. Yes, yes, he has.

The Eleventh Doctor actor plays the lead in an upcoming biopic about photographer, Robert Mapplethorpe. When asked whether he thinks the role should have been played by someone from the LGBT community, he replied:

“I think your sexual orientation, or your sex and your choices outside of work, shouldn’t influence — in either way, positive or negative — what happens. So, to me, it doesn’t matter if you’re gay or straight. That has no bearing on whether you should get the part.”

He continued:

“Where does it stop? Like, do we then say, do we apply that logic to going, “Okay, I’ve got a part, and it’s playing a brother, and he’s addicted to heroin.” Do we then go to people that have only taken heroin?”

He makes a good point, and an especially important one at this perplexing time. Essentially, the question was whether an actor should act as someone else. Should they do their jobs? Should they pretend? Should the Doctor only be played by individuals with two hearts and (supposedly) 27 brains?

This is a curious society we live in, huh?

In conclusion, Matt Smith thinks he should be able to pretend to be someone else for the purpose of gaining monetary recompense. That’s fraud, right? Get yer pitchforks!

Philip Bates

Editor and co-founder of the Doctor Who Companion. When he’s not watching television, reading books ‘n’ Marvel comics, listening to The Killers, and obsessing over script ideas, Philip Bates pretends to be a freelance writer. He enjoys collecting everything. Writer of The Black Archive: The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang, The Silver Archive: The Stone Tape, and 100 Objects of Doctor Who.

Matt Smith Defends the Right to Play a Gay Person (Because He's An Actor)

by Philip Bates time to read: 1 min
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