Lukas Gage Andrew H Walker/Shutterstock
It’s not possible. Lukas Gage wasn’t pleased when his name was mentioned in a critical post about Hollywood’s pattern of casting heterosexual actors to play LGBTQIA+ characters.
“If Hollywood can stop hiring non LGBTQIA+ actors like @lukasgage to play LGBTQIA+ characters, that would be great,” one Twitter user wrote on Thursday, June 9. “He has played 4 so far. 1 was enough.”
After reading the tweet, White Lotus alum, 27, replied, “U don’t know my alphabet.” When the original poster encouraged Gage to “enlighten the whole world” about his sexuality, the Euphoria star wrote, “No,” adding a red heart emoji.
The AngelyneAlthough he has not spoken out about his sexuality publicly, he has played many LGBTQIA+ characters over time, including Derek. Love, VictorLogan Into the Dark. In The White Lotus, his character Dillon’s sexuality wasn’t overtly established, but Dillon eventually got intimate with Armond (Murray Bartlett), his boss at the resort.
Gage later said that Dillon’s graphic sex scene was partially his idea. “In the script, it was sex,” the SupergirlAn alum was remembered during a January appearance Andy Cohen Live: See What Happens. “We’ve seen sex on TV. Let’s have some ass eating.”
Despite this, Moonshot star hasn’t publicly spoken about his personal life, he’s not the first actor to face criticism for playing LBGTQIA+ characters whose identities seemingly do not align with their own. Last year, Eddie Redmayne admitted that he regrets starring in 2015’s The Danish GirlHe played Lili Elbe in the film “The Transgender Woman”, which he directed.
“I wouldn’t take it on now,” the Oscar winner, 40, told The Sunday TimesNovember 2021. “I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake. … The bigger discussion about the frustrations around casting is because many people don’t have a chair at the table. There must be a leveling, otherwise we are going to carry on having these debates.”
In 2018, Scarlett JohanssonFamously withdrew the film Rub & TugAfter facing backlash, she signed on as a transgender man.
“I have great admiration and love for the trans community and am grateful that the conversation regarding inclusivity in Hollywood continues,” the Black Widowstar, 37, told OutIn a statement, the magazine said at the time. “While I would have loved the opportunity to bring Dante’s story and transition to life, I understand why many feel he should be portrayed by a transgender person, and I am thankful that this casting debate, albeit controversial, has sparked a larger conversation about diversity and representation in film.”
