British actor Josh O’Connor admitted he is “not 100% sure” how he feels about playing gay roles, saying he has “mixed feelings about it.”
In an interview with Vanity Fair, O’Connor shared his candid thoughts on straight actors playing gay roles. This follows his performances as gay characters in the 2017 film ‘God’s Own Country’ and the upcoming ‘The History of Sound’.
“It’s a really difficult subject,” he began. “The truth is that ultimately, I will read a script, and what affects me, affects me.” He went on to explain what drew him to each of the films. In ‘God’s Own Country’, he plays a repressed gay farmer who falls in love with a farmhand. He described his character as “someone who was unable to love, be loved, and receive love,” adding that aspects such as “a character’s sexuality, background, where they’ve grown up, and their dynamic with their family” are elements he takes “as seriously as [he] would any other aspect.”
In ‘The History of Sound’, where he stars alongside Paul Mescal, he described the film as being “about many things […] It’s about grief, companionship, and music. It’s about what happens in life when you fall in love with someone and how that connection can sometimes be broken.”
Despite his performances, O’Connor expressed reservations about playing gay characters as a straight man. “To be totally truthful, I’m not 100% sure how I feel about it. I think I have mixed feelings,” he admitted.