The 'Doctor Strange' star earns praises for his performance in Jane Campion's upcoming film 'The Power of the Dog' in which his cowboy character's sexual persuasion is unclear.
- September 7, 2021
AceShowbiz - Benedict Cumberbatch refuses to believe actors' roles should be limited by their sexuality.
The "Doctor Strange" star is winning raves for his performance in Jane Campion's upcoming film "The Power of the Dog", in which his cowboy character's sexual persuasion is unclear.
The British actor, who famously played gay mathematician Alan Turing in 2014's "The Imitation Game", earning his first Best Actor Oscar nomination for the part, and insists there should be no limits placed on performers playing gay roles if they are straight, and vice versa.
"It wasn't done without thought," he said at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado over the weekend (September 03-05), of playing Phil Burbank, who appears to have feelings for another man in the film, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee.
"I also feel slightly like, is this a thing where our dance card has to be public? Do we have to explain all our private moments in our sexual history? I don't think so," he went on to explain.
The actor also added he trusted his veteran director, who really wanted him to star in the film.
"Jane chose us as actors to play those roles," he continued to say. "That's her question to answer."
"I feel very sensitive about representation, diversity, and inclusion. One of the appeals of the job was the idea that in this world, with this specific character, there was a lot that was private, hidden from view."
