Weighing in on the hurdles as an openly-gay star, the 'Schitt's Creek' actor claims he didn't get to play 'wonderful, rich, challenging roles' unless he wrote them himself.
- Jan 7, 2024
AceShowbiz - Dan Levy has claimed homophobia has led to him missing out on "wonderful, rich, challenging roles." The "Schitt's Creek" co-creator and star believes it is easier for people in the public eye to be open about their sexuality now, but he believes his own openness has led to limits in the sort of parts he has been offered when compared to his peers.
"In some ways, yes. And in some ways, no. I think there has been a shift in the sense that there are more gay celebrities than ever before," he told the i newspaper when asked if he thinks it is easier to be out in the entertainment industry now than when he began his career.
"But do I think that opportunity has changed? I don't know. At least speaking from my own experience… I achieved a level of success that in many of my peers' cases resulted in a huge influx of really nuanced, wonderful, rich, challenging roles. And I didn't see them. I tended to just see versions of the character I had already written for myself."
The 40-year-old star noted there has been a "marked lack of variety" in the scripts he was sent after "Schitt's Creek" ended and wishes other gay actors had the "privilege" he does in being able to write new parts for himself.
He said, "My hope is that more gay-queer people can tell stories that have that kind of nuance, because it was important that I write this just to allow myself the opportunity to show something different. But I had to do that for myself. Which is a great privilege, but something that a lot of other gay actors don't have the opportunity to do."
Dan can next be seen in Netflix movie "Good Grief", and he insisted it was important to him not to "sensationalise" the relationship between his character Marc and his on-screen husband Oliver, who is played by Luke Evans. He said, "Sensationalising the gay relationship was never in my mind. It was always important to ground the story in something really truthful."
