Kristin Chenoweth, Cheyenne Jackson, Michael Urie Stand up for Gay Actors

You may have read about the recent Newsweek article by Ramin Setoodeh asserting that openly gay actors can't convincingly play straight (you probably didn't read the actual article since nobody reads Newsweek anymore).  In it, the reportedly gay writer goes after Sean Hayes' performance in Promises, Promises which he calls "wooden and insincere, like he's trying to hide something, which of course he is."  Then, he went after young openly gay actor Jonathan Groff who plays Jesse, Rachel's new love interest in Glee.  He says of Groff's performance, "there's something about his performance that feels off."  He calls Groff "better romantic match for Kurt than Rachel."  Project much Ramin?  Here's Groff in Glee.  Do you buy it?



The only thing that feels "off" is Setoodeh's analysis which seems to have been pulled from his hind quarters. 

Setoodeh notes that Portia de Rossi and Neil Patrick Harris play it straight on TV, but they "inhabit broad caricatures, not realistic characters likes the ones in Up in the Air or even The Proposal."  Really?  Sandra Bullock's tough boss trying to marry her hot male secretary so she could get a green card was realistic?  By this point, his butt must have been sore from all the crap he was pulling out of it.

While jumping all over Tony-nominated Hayes, he seemed to forget about Nathan Lane who's playing Bebe Neuwirth's husband in The Addams Family and played a randy heterosexual, drooling over Ulla in The Producers. I can't count the number of Broadway leading men who are openly gay and give brilliant performances as heteros.  I suppose they all "inhabit broad caricatures."

Hayes' co-star Kristin Chenoweth posted an open letter to Newsweek (sent to my by LC NY Bureau Chief Doug who knows everything there is to know about Broadway).   She let it rip:

 "This article offends me because I am a human being, a woman and a Christian. For example, there was a time when Jewish actors had to change their names because anti-Semites thought no Jew could convincingly play Gentile."

"I know how much it means to young people struggling with their sexuality to see out & proud actors like Sean Hayes, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris and Cynthia Nixon succeeding in their work without having to keep their sexuality a secret," she noted, further adding, "I encourage Newsweek to embrace stories which promote acceptance, love, unity and singing and dancing for all!"

Now, openly gay actors Michael Urie and Cheyenne Jackson have spoken out in After Elton.  Here's what Cheyenne had to say:

"It was infuriating on so many levels. Not only does [Setoodeh] say that a gay man can't play straight, he got personal, picking on Sean Hayes in Promises, Promises, [pointing out] certain scenes where he thinks [Sean] is stiff and uncomfortable. And then he picks on Jonathan Groff, who just came out. He's a young teen heartthrob [in Glee]. He's so talented and so delicious and needs our love and support. Instead, [Setoodeh] says he's not believable at all. It was very veiled self-loathing. Really upsetting."


"Everytime we go forward, some asshole like this takes us back a bit. I was really glad that Kristin Chenoweth wrote what she did [in defense of her Promises, Promises co-star Sean Hayes and other openly gay actors]. She sent it to me before it went out and about. I was very proud of her. For me to stand up and say, 'F*ck you,' that's what you'd expect. But for someone like Kristin, she stands up for what she believes in and is very committed."

Here's Urie:
 

"Look, I'm not from f*cking Vienna. We're all actors, and the audiences get it. When I saw Sean Hayes in Promises, Promises, it was a full house and everyone was completely in love with him. And I saw it at a Wednesday matinee full of tourists. They've all seen Sean in Will & Grace, and they loved him and believed in his relationship with Kristin. It worked.
 
And to attack, to quote Ugly Betty, someone [like Groff] recently 'hatched from the gay egg' is unconscionable and he should strung be [up]. [Groff] made everyone want him in Spring Awakening. And Cheyenne was f*cking Elvis in All Shook Up. He was sexy and hot. He's always playing straight. And people buy tickets to see him. No straight critics accuse Sean Penn of not being able to play Harvey Milk or [criticize] Tom Hanks in Philadelphia."

Here's Dan Savage, Amanda Bearse, and Ramin Setoodeh on Joy Behar's show.  I think Setoodeh twists himself into a pretzel trying to justify his arguments about NPH and Jonathan Groff.  Bearse held his feet to the fire:



Is it my imagination or did Ramin and Joy just subtly out Hugh Jackman?