#nicholas in queer roles is something that can actually be so personal | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thestrangestthlng · 9 months

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Public Figures Owe You Nothing

Same thing, different fandom. Now, my first soiree into internet fandom was Glee nearly fifteen years ago. Given insane popularity of the show and one of their two main couples, Klaine, and Darren Criss being a straight man, I am no stranger to the "only gay (out) queer actors should play queer roles" argument.

I don't necessarily disagree completely. Queer actors should be highlighted in queer roles. But guess what, the film industry is shit.

Not everyone is out, can afford to be out, is ready to come out publicly, or cares to have anyone in their business. There is a huge number of fans who are way too invested in the parasocial relationships with their "favs" and cross lines.

It's a tale as old as time. Darren Criss' now wife, Mia (Swier), was mercilessly harassed online and honestly in person. I distinctly remember people MAILING her things. There was an incredible amount of hate directed towards her because SHE wasn't a HE and a group of fans were hellbent that he and Chris Colfer were secretly in a relationship, even though both were happily in their own relationships. (Both of them are actually still IN those relationships and I love that for them.)

Someone gave Dannell Ackles (wife of Jensen Ackles) a gift at an event. When she reached it she was cut by a bunch of rusty hooks in a fucking voodoo doll.

One of the NSYNC members (I can't remember if it were Chris or Joey) ended up being broken up with by their partner at the time because of the amount of hate they were getting.

This came up because someone said on instagram that they "will not be watching [RWRB]" because [Taylor and Nicholas] "are not out" and "they are gay for pay". So, me being me, says to them that the actors owe you nothing. Their sexuality/gender identity is no one's concern but their own.

Also, it was really disgusting what alot of Heartstopper did to Kit. He's just a baby and they strong armed him to coming out before he was ready and made him feel like he had to justify it. Cruel irony being that it's the exact opposite of the point of the books, and exact opposite of his character. I'll never forgive them for what they did to my son.

I went on to tell them that Hollywood is shit. It's homophobic, racist, sexist, xenophobic, transphobic, everything phobic. They like beautiful and handsome, classically beautiful, white, straight actors that fit into their perfect mold. As soon as actors come out they get type cast, lose rolls (because how could a homosexual portray intimacy with a woman? It's not like they are actors or anything). I, of course, got blocked because they didn't agree with me and that's fine.

Did you know that many actors in the union don't even make the $26,000 a year that is required to qualify for health insurance? Most actors are working class. Yes, many acquire a net worth, but it's honestly one huge disaster from losing what they have. The median salary for actors in the US is about 60K a year. So why would a working class actor or even a upper middle class actor, want to potentially dismantle their career trajectory by telling something that is really no one's concern anyway?

Not everyone wants to be stuck in a Ryan Murphy rotation. Maybe once we get more queer film and show makers and Hollywood execs start to fuck off we'll get more. I'm 99% sure that RWRB is the ONLY gay romcom without underlying trauma porn. The only other one that comes close is a Christmas movie.

Actors are still human and deserve privacy. They owe fans nothing. Their partners deserve privacy. If they are queer good for them. If they are not, good for them. But fans don't get to dictate who comes out and when. So yes, we want more queer actors in queer roles, but we don't get to decide if the ones who are not open get to have these roles. Sometimes it is who is best for the role.

As far as RWRB: Neither Taylor nor Nicholas have ever made any public statements on their sexuality and are both private people when it comes to their relationships. It's really goofy that people think it's an appropriate question to ASK them personally. Interview or not.

All that matters to me is that they killed that online and the characters they acted were madly in love with each other.

Moral of the story: they can want someone and love some one and not want that life for them. Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka were together for three years before they came out and that's when NPH came out - at 34 on his terms, as it should be. Some people really missed the message of the book; that queer people deserve to come out when and how THEY want to.

/Ted Talk

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rosencrantzsguildenstern · 4 years

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podcast rec list

(notes:

-this list is mostly audio dramas, but there’s a couple other things too

-i’m keeping it to more niche things that i don’t typically see in rec lists;so no night vale, magnus archives, critical role, or penumbra recs here, etc. that being said, all those podcasts are very good as well!

-a rec that didn’t make it in: wolf 359! audio drama, finished 2019, very good

-this is being written on july 18, 2020, and the number of episodes i’m noting reflects that; there may be more by the time of reading this)

the domestic life of anthony todd

-audio drama, currently 12 episodes, still running

-the story follows a writer named quill taylor, who’s just moved to a nice town to work on their novel! a very nice town! a very, very, definitely not suspiciously nice town!

-sort of horror, but nothing viscerally uncomfortable and quite a bit lighter than most horror. it’s got the slow buildup that very good horror tends to have, but a nicer atmosphere!

-no one is cis (2 characters, including the protagonist, are explicitly nonbinary)

-very soothing and nice to listen to

-episodes are only 10 minutes long and there’s only 12 at the time of writing (july 18, 2020), so it’s very easy to catch up on!

-second season is going up right now!

rusty quill gaming

-rpg podcast, 161 episodes, still running

-a tabletop rpg podcast! the main campaign is a pathfinder campaign set in a steampunk fantasy version of the real world’s 19th century. it’s dmed by alexander j. newall and stars sasha rackett (human rogue, played by lydia nicholas), hamid saleh haroun al-tahan (halfling sorcerer, played by bryn monroe), bertie macguffingham (human fighter, played by james ross), and zolf smith (dwarf cleric, played by ben meredith)! it’s got a lot of mystery/intrigue, as well as a lot of important themes and Emotions

-this one’s a bit more well known, because it’s made by the same people who do the magnus archives! however, not as many people listen as i think they should

-this is my favorite ttrpg podcast! it’s well paced (something that can be tricky w/ rpg podcasts!), the episodes are fairly short, it’s funny, the character development is super well done, and it’s really well made!

-there’s a lot to catch up on, but they do recap episodes at the end of each season, which make for a great jumping point; as well, a lot of it is specials, where they run oneshots in various systems! (the specials are very good in their own merit- i’d recommend Not Far To Bermuda, 4Thought, or Fiasco)

-currently on their fourth (and last) season

the 12:37

-audio drama, 11 episodes, on hiatus

-the story follows a scientist named nora, who accidentally boarded a time-traveling train! as it goes on, she realizes the crew of the train- primarily wheeler, an eccentric and oddly pleasant man, and val, his daughter and the type to shoot first and ask questions later- are part of a spy ring who are using their powers to meet various contacts across space and time!

-it’s very queer, and they say the actual words ‘lesbian’ and ‘bisexual’ which is very refreshing- also, mostly centered on female characters, which is nice, and has good takes on mental health issues

-the character dynamics are good and well-written, as are the characters themself

-fast-paced and action-packed, which is done very well and a nice change from how podcasts tend to be!

-quite easy to catch up on- they’re currently on hiatus, and there aren’t that many episodes!

the probably bad podcast

-nonfiction, comedy/improv, 16 episodes, still running

-this one’s a bit of a change from the others i’ve been recommending, as it’s actually a nonfiction podcast! it’s the people from @probablybadrpgideas giving advice and ideas for playing various systems! it’s primarily comedy, but is actually pretty good for GMing advice!

-less to say here, because there’s no story, but i highly recommend it!

the two princes

-audio drama, 14 episodes, on a season break

-set in a fantasy world- about two princes from rival kingdoms (as the title suggests), and their efforts to fulfill a prophecy, save the world, and not fall in love doing it. (spoilers: the last one is quite difficult). also has a very good subplot about the two queens, and their attempts to find the princes!

-the romance is done incredibly well, and plays into the central conflict excellently!

-really easy to catch up on!

-personally, i’d recommend only listening to the first season, as season 2 isn’t my favorite but season 1 is incredible

#podcasts #the domestic life of anthony todd #rusty quill gaming #the 12:37 #the two princes #audio dramas #podcast recs #my posts

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silenthillmutual · 4 years

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what Classic Film(TM) you should watch based on who your fave Danganronpa 1/2 character is

disclaimer - obviously as a film dude i’m gonna say you should watch all of these. but maybe watch the one correlating to your fave first!

Makoto: 12 Angry Men (1957, dir. Sidney Lumet) - strong themes of justice, it’s about a jury trying to determine a man’s guilt. it’s basically what Makoto does for the entire game. you’ll also like it if you’re a fan of Phoenix Wright.

Sayaka: A Star is Born (1954, dir. George Cukor) - it’s all about a girl’s rise to fame and how her relationships change with that. there’s three versions of this film, most recently with Lady Gaga.

Mukuro: Vertigo (1958, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) - themes of murder and hiding your identity, losing yourself to a cause.

Leon: Animal House (1978, dir. John Landis) - a comedy about a fraternity. it’s THE college frat movie and i think Leon would enjoy it a lot.

Chihiro: WarGames (1983, dir. John Badham) - two teenagers might have accidentally started a world war during the cold war by trying to play computer games...fitting for the series, no?

Mondo: On the Waterfront (1954, dir. Elia Kazan) - struggling to do the right thing and being sort of frustrated about your circumstances as they pertain to class and missed opportunities. being dragged into bad situations by family. also Marlon Brando is a bicon and very hot in this movie.

Taka: Rebel Without a Cause (1955, dir. Nicholas Ray) - a lot of turbulent shit happens to three teenagers over the course of 24 hours. one of - if not the first canonically gay teenager on film. i think we all know by now that James Dean was mlm, but so were the director and Sal Mineo. big bi polyam vibes; if you like chishimondo as a ship you’ll probably like this film too.

Hifumi: Akira (1988, dir. Katsuhiro Otomo) - had a hard time figuring out what to put for Hifumi, but overall i think if nothing else he’d appreciate how impressive the animation was (and honestly, still is) along with the fact that the mangaka was also the director. so although there’s a lot cut out (the manga had not finished before the film came out), it’s still roughly the same plot as the manga.

Celes: Dracula (1931, dir. Tod Browning) - probably the most iconic iteration of Bram Stoker’s novel, this is the one staring Bela Lugosi. not terribly true to the novel from what i remember, but it’s peak aesthetic and exactly the kind of thing she’d enjoy.

Sakura: Rashomon (1950, dir. Akira Kurosawa) - finally getting onto films i haven’t actually seen but that are on my list. sakura’s another person i had a hard time deciding on a film for, but the “several characters telling different accounts of the same plot” reminded me a bit of her case in the game.

Hina: West Side Story (1961, dir. Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins) - admittedly i had a different film in mind for her to start with, but Maria’s final monologue fits with Hina’s motivations during Sakura’s case.

Toko: Gone With the Wind (1939, dir. Victor Fleming) - another one i haven’t actually watched yet, but it’s based on a famous novel, described as “epic historical romance.” i think that vibes with Toko pretty well.

Byakuya: Citizen Kane (1941, dir. Orson Welles) - if you’re really interested in film, you’re gonna be made to watch this sooner or later. famous for being the “best film ever made”, it’s more or less about newspaper moguls like William Randolph Hearst - who is also the main reason why this film is famous at all. it’s not exactly a flattering depiction of those kinds of people and boy, did that ever piss Hearst off. if he hadn’t made such a big deal trying to keep Citizen Kane from seeing the light of day, something much better might have made it to the top spot.

Hiro: The Music Man (1962, dir. Morton DaCosta) - based on the Broadway musical of the same name, a “travelling salesman” (read: con artist) starts to work his latest con on a gullible small town, but actually starts liking the people in it.

Kyoko: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) - not to be confused with the other Hitchcock film from the 30s also titled The Man Who Knew Too Much. this is the one with James Stewart and Doris Day. it’s a highly suspenseful film that gave us the song “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)”.

Junko: Gaslight (1944, dir. George Cukor) - ever heard the term “gaslighting”? this is where it comes from! based on a play in which a woman’s husband psychologically tortures her into believing she is going insane.

Monokuma: Duck Soup (1933, dir. Leo McCarey) - all Marx Brothers films are as utterly silly (and sometimes as incomprehensible) as one of Monokuma’s MonoTheatres. i watched about half of Duck Soup and had to stop because it was finals week and i was supposed to be doing something other than losing my shit.

Hajime: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946, dir. Frank Capra) - you probably already know this film. if you’re Christian you know it as That Film Your Parents Watch Every Year On Dec 24th Around Midnight. if you have seasonal depression, don’t watch it then; warning for suicidal ideation. it’s supposed to be uplifting. your mileage may vary on that one.

Impostor: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, dir. Robert Mulligan) - i don’t have a good reason to pair these two up other than gut feeling. as far as film adaptations of books go, it’s pretty damn good, and Atticus Finch is the original DILF. themes of childhood innocence and racism.

Teruteru: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961, dir. Blake Edwards) - apparently much different from the novella on which it is based, but i think Teruteru would really dig the aesthetic and romantic vibes of the film. Holly Golightly is probably the original Manic Pixie Dream Girl.

Mahiru: Rear Window (1954, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) - like It’s a Wonderful Life, chances are good you know this film - or at least, you’ve seen its plot recycled a hell of a lot. a professional photographer recovering from a broken leg thinks he witnesses a murder take place and is determined to get to the truth.

Peko: Seven Samurai (1954, dir. Akira Kurosawa) - another one on my to-watch list, but it’s oft referenced and remade in film. a village hires seven ronin to protect them from bandits who will return to steal their crops.

Hiyoko: East of Eden (1955, dir. Elia Kazan) - i’ll be honest here, i didn’t really know what to put for Hiyoko because i’m not sure i understand much about her, but i seem to remember her family playing a pretty big role in her being Like That and for “shitty family” the first two things to come to mind were this and Giant. and unless you like 3-hour long movies about the state of Texas, i’m not about to recommend you watch Giant.

Ibuki: A Night at the Opera (1935, dir. Sam Wood) - another Marx Bros film in which they help a girl both to be with her lover and to achieve her dreams of stardom as an opera singer. the kind of silly, manic thing i think Ibuki would like.

Mikan: The Shining (1980, dir. Stanley Kubrick) - i hate hate hate putting this on here, but since this is for film and not books i couldn’t exactly state to read the book. the book is about the cycle of abuse. the movie is more about... a trapped man going crazy in a spooky hotel.

Nekomaru: It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963, dir. Stanley Kramer) - comedy about five groups of people racing to get to a large sum of money buried by a recently escaped convict they stopped to help out after his car crash. it’s a comedy, and just kinda seemed like Nekomaru’s thing.

Gundham: The Seventh Seal (1957, dir. Ingmar Bergman) - i watched this in like 10th grade and all i really remember is a man playing chess with Death and if that doesn’t say Gundham Tanaka to you, i don’t know what does.

Nagito: North by Northwest (1959, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) - i don’t really have a reason for this one either but it’s a spy film and i think komaeda could get behind that kind of intrigue.

Chiaki: Metropolis (1927, dir. Fritz Lang) - not to be confused with the anime, this is a 1927 German expressionist film that seems to be about socialism and unionization. it’s also famous for its (purposeful) use of the Male Gaze and being one of the first sci-fi films ever made. be warned: it is a silent film.

Sonia: Strangers on a Train (1951, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) - another one of those films you’ll get told to watch if you’re interested in the queer history of film, i was gonna put something else but honestly the character of Barbara kinda reminded me of Sonia. a famous tennis player meets a man on a train who attempts to plan a double-murder with him.

Akane: My Fair Lady (1964, dir. George Cukor) - i was trying so hard not to double up on the post about musicals, but Akane really does have Eliza Doolittle vibes. they’re both feral and nothing would be able to really domesticate them. for whatever it’s worth, this film and the musical on which it is based is itself based on the play Pygmalion, in which your typical rich cishet white dude bets he can turn any street urchin into a real lady because he’s just that good. you might know the plot better as Pretty Woman.

Kazuichi: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951, dir. Elia Kazan) - i don’t really have a good excuse for this one, either; i haven’t even watched it yet (although i have read the play on which it is based). all i’m gonna say is i want Souda to have his gay awakening via Marlon Brando, as we all do.

Fuyuhiko: Casablanca (1942, dir. Michael Curtiz) - despite his love and adoration for Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart decides fighting Nazis is more important. i think Fuyuhiko would like the aesthetic, and the film. don’t let him know but i think he’d probably cry watching it.

Usami: To Sir, With Love (1967, dir. James Clavell) - issues of race and class intersecting in a film about a teacher working with inner city students. i was going to put Singin’ in the Rain here, because it’s what Usami would want people to watch...but i think this better fits the effect she wants to have as a being.

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aviewfromthepanopticon · 5 years

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Doctor Who Short Trips: 1963

Big Finish’s summary: The Doctor takes Ian and Barbara back to London on 23 November 1963, where the clocks have stopped and the city is silent. Written by: Niall Boyce Directed by: Nicholas Briggs & Ken Bentley Release Date: February 2011 Series: Short Trips Volume II, Story 1 Read by: William Russell

The two most important takeaways of this story for me were:

Barbara Wright had a ~~~~rebellious phase~~~~ where she dated a boy with a flick knife

Barbara’s beloved Aunt Cecilia is a lesbian.

In this short story, the Doctor somehow manages to land the TARDIS just an hour after he kidnapped Ian and Barbara on November 23rd 1963. They are very surprised, but of course also delighted. Unsurprisingly, he messed up the landing, and the TARDIS is no longer maintaining the field that allows time to flow normally following her materialization

The Doctor describes it as a problem with the heartbeat of the TARDIS:

DOCTOR: When the TARDIS lands, it must continue traveling in time at the same speed as its owner. Too slowly and it would vanish into the past. Too quickly and it would hare off into the future. The heartbeat of the TARDIS works to synchronize the ship with its pilot’s timeframe. Now because of a flight mechanical fault, the heartbeat of the TARDIS began to skip. Hah! Become irregular.

When this happens the TARDIS lands at a single static moment, with its crew stuck in said static moment with her. This is to allow repairs to be made without the ship going anywhere.

Which is to say that time appears to be entirely and fully 1000000% frozen, and everyone and everything in London looks like a statue.

There is a lot to be said about this aspect of the story. One is still pretty unfamiliar with his stolen TT Capsule, and is figuring it out as he goes. He never even passed his flight test, and doesn’t yet have centuries of experience under his belt! I also really appreciate the idea that the London Barbara and Ian wish to return to is just a frozen impossibility. Obviously when they finish their travels they return to three full years after they left, but even putting that aside, neither Ian nor Barbara are quite the same people they were when they left. They’ve experienced so much, and and by this point (Vicki is with them so they are than a season into their travels) they really can’t just pick things up from their moment of departure. Instead they are separate from their home time, outside the field keeping the rest of London frozen together.

Yet even in that state they are together. It is together that Barbara and Ian go off into the city to explore, marveling at the frozen world around them.

As they explore London, Barbara remembers that she has a standing date to have tea with her Aunt Cecilia every year on her birthday, and November 23rd is her aunt’s birthday. She was going to go meet with her after she and Ian were done figuring out what was up with Susan, so her aunt is probably at their meeting place, wondering where Barbara is.

I love the idea that Barbara had someone waiting for her, it really drives home that she and Ian had full lives that the Doctor disrupted when he kidnapped them.

I also just love Aunt Cecilia, I really do.

Aunt Cecilia is in maybe three sentences total during this story, and her immense powerful lesbian energy shines so so bright, it truly is amazing. Seriously it is impossible for this woman to be any gayer than she is, she is at max gay, and I say this as a person committed to living my own life at max gay levels.

Before I get to the wonder that is Barbara’s very very gay Aunt Cecilia, I really do need to point out what we learn about Barbara’s ~~rebel phase~~~, which she mentions as she wanders around London observing the various frozen scenes:

NARRATOR: The man cowered before his attacker. His right hand raised to fend off the blow. The knife his assailant was using was familiar to Barbara. For a brief period in her teens, during what her mother called her “rebellious phase,” she had dated a boy who carried one. It was a flick knife. Its blade was folded in the handle, and released at the touch of a button.

I also want to point out that Barbara is starting to understand the Doctor’s tendency to travel with teen girls, when watching him interact with Vicki. Vicki is of course the very first teen girl the Doctor was not related to that he traveled with, and the third Human he’s been friends with overall:

NARRATOR: The Doctor and Vicki were waiting for [Barbara] [in the console room]. They exchanged a mischievous glance as she came in. It sometimes seemed to her that she saw the spark of a younger man in the Doctor’s eyes, whilst Vicki was the most precocious young lady she’d ever met! Perhaps, in some way, that made them equals?

This story also had wonderful character moments for Ian. Such as a scene of Ian irritating the fuck out of of Vicki by calling her Victoria, and being offended in return whenever she tried telling him that Vicki is her full and proper first name, it isn’t short for anything, and she really hates it when he does that.

Overall, Ian is such a loveable dork in this story, and I can’t with him.

NARRATOR: “This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but a whimper,” [Barbara] recited. “What’s that,” said Ian, “poetry?” “T.S.Eliot” “Oh,” Ian replied, “I think I prefer his stuff about the cats.”

And now the truly important part. Every mention of Barbara’s very gay aunt:

NARRATOR: “Wait a minute!” Barbara stood up, abruptly. She lost her grip on the smooth surface of the water. In an instant Ian shot to his feet and put out his arm to steady her. “What is it?” he asked. “The 23rd of November! It’s my aunt Cecilia’s birthday! I was supposed to meet her, I’d forgotten all about it!” “Where?” asked Ian. “Not far away, actually,” she replied. “There’s a Lyons on the Strand she always liked.” “I remember you telling me about her,” said Ian, “maiden aunt, wasn’t she?” Ehhhhh, not quite, thought Barbara… but kept it to herself. “Oh Ian, can we try to find her?” “It may not be a good idea,” said Ian, cautiously. “I want to see her,” said Barbara, “just briefly. Then we’ll go back to the TARDIS and see if the Doctor’s worked out what’s happening.”

NARRATOR: Fortunately the freeze had occurred at the exact moment someone was pushing open the door at the Lyons corner house on the Strand. It was a woman in her mid-twenties, holding the hand of a small child wrapped up in a duffel coat and woolen hat. Barbara and Ian stepped around them and into the interior of the cafe. At the nearest table to the door sat Barbara’s aunt, Cecilia. She was a woman in her late forties, with severely cropped dark hair, wearing a closely cut tweed jacket. She had a novel open in her left hand. Something called “The Price of Salt.” And with her right, she was raising a teacup to her lips. Her eyes peered over the top of her book. She was looking in the direction of the door, perhaps alerted by the sound of the woman and child coming in. Barbara had the strangest feeling for one moment that Cecilia was actually staring directly at her. That she was about to rise from her seat and deliver one of her usual sardonic remarks. “She was waiting for me!” Barbara whispered to Ian, “just like she did every year. But I never came.” Ian didn’t reply. “Ian,” said Barbara, “what is it?” “Do you realize,” said Ian, “that we don’t have reflections?” Barbara looked up. It was true! She was standing in front of a large panel of silvered glass. She felt suddenly as if her very existence was in question. That at any moment she might dissolve. She walked up close and tapped on it. “Ian! Barbara!” Vicki was leaning through the entrance to the restaurant. She looked flush and breathless. “Come back to the TARDIS! The Doctor’s figured out what’s wrong!”

NARRATOR: In the Lyons corner house on the Strand, a middle aged woman waited for her niece, who was late. Fifteen minutes late, to be precise. But the woman didn’t mind. She was quite absorbed in the book she was reading.

Overall I really enjoyed this short story, and Barbara’s role in it especially. Naturally as a huge lesbian myself I was fascinated by Barbara’s Aunt Cecilia, and would love to know more about the impact she has had on Barbara’s life, and what it meant for Barbara to have such an obviously queer family member in 1963, when homosexuality was very much illegal in Britain. For example, I am pretty sure Barbara spent this story worried about how Ian would react to her Aunt Cecilia. That how he acted upon encountering her was, for Barbara, an important test for him to pass as she finds herself falling for him. I am sure that when Ian was concerned about their lack of shadows, Barbara’s concern before Ian gave voice to the issue was that he might be repulsed by Barbara having and being close to a queer family member. Which is to say that it manages to introduce a whole lot of character background into a pretty short piece.

Generally I find that Big Finish’s Short Trips manage to pack a lot into their half hour to forty minutes of run time, and this story is no exception.

#Barbara Wright #Ian Chesterton #Doctor Who #Big Finish #Short Trips: 1963 #First Doctor #Vicki Pallister #Short Trips #The Doctor

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demitgibbs · 5 years

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Nicholas Hoult Talks Beyoncé, Wigs and Hollywood Inclusion

Someday, if we’re lucky, we might get a full performance of Nicholas Hoult in a fluffy wig, his cheeks powdered and painted pink, with heeled feet, all the while vivaciously lipping Beyoncé’s “Hold Up.” Give the people what they want, I say.

And for 13 gloriously gay seconds in November on his Insta he did. Without even having to ask for it, we were blessed by Hoult and his perky brows serving Bey realness. “I wasn’t prepared to see this on my feed,” one commenter wrote. Actor James McAvoy couldn’t resist chiming in: “When I grow up…I want to be inside your wig.”

Hoult loves Beyoncé, which makes him seem a lot like you and me (the choppy international cell reception when he calls me in America from the U.K. further cultivates his everyman-ness). And wigs? He must love them enough to wear three of them in his new film The Favourite, all of which were given divine lady names: Babs, Lulu and Hattie. The role isn’t gay in any obvious way, but because the 18th century is long over and men’s hair has deflated considerably in the 300 years since and he wears heels, this could arguably pass as the 29-year-old Brit’s closest encounter to drag yet.

Flawless is the only way Beyoncé could possibly describe his performance in The Favourite, and she must have loved his tender heart in Tom Ford’s 2009 film A Single Man, portraying Colin Firth’s maybe-gay lifeline, Kenny; of course she wanted to pinch his chubby pre-teen cheeks in 2002’s About a Boy (who didn’t?); and no way Bey didn’t appreciate the queer allegory of 2013’s zombie rom-com Warm Bodies.

Given how deliciously cheeky he is in director Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite as the foppish Robert Harley, an earl who frolics around Queen Anne’s royal court as Anne (Olivia Colman) becomes the object of two women’s (Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz) ruthless affection, wigs will be snatched.

As great as you are in The Favourite, perhaps your best performance to date was posted to Instagram on November 21: a Beyoncé lip-sync.

(Laughs) Thank you. Yes, it was. A fine moment. I actually did that the year before but I had to wait until the movie was out to release it. Yeah, that was in my trailer before I got onto set.

View this post on Instagram

IMPORTANT The Favourite is in theatres now @thefavouritemovie

A post shared by Nicholas Hoult (@nicholashoult) on Nov 21, 2018 at 1:14pm PST

And you picked Beyoncé’s “Hold Up” as your song? That was all you?

Yes, yes, it was all me. We released one behind-the-scenes of X-Men, dancing and stuff a couple of years ago, and then there’s this one. That Beyoncé song is how I felt, so I got into this character’s makeup and costume. (Laughs)

Is Beyoncé your gay icon?

(Laughs) She’s the Queen Bey. I went to her tour. She was phenomenal.

I wish I could move like that.

Don’t we all.

Are you already planning your next lip-sync?

(Laughs) Yeah, I’ve got a whole back catalog, so it’s just in terms of when they’re released.

Now, The Favourite: Harley has been described as “effeminate.” Is that what you were going for?

I don’t think so. Because of the fashion of the era, the guys at that time were in the era of makeup and wigs and high heels and canes and lots of frills. But the character seemed quite manipulative and dry and, pathetically, a bit of a bully, and kind of playing a chess game with the other characters within the court.

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Considering the costume, do you have a greater appreciation for what drag queens have to go through?

I guess so – just anybody who has to wear high heels. I know the pain of wearing those now.

One of your wigs was named Barbara, Babs for short. Which one was she?

Babs was the main wig, and the larger of Harley’s personalities. She was the white, curly wig with two horns on top. She was the most delicious wig. Hattie was the more serious, white frilly wig, and then Lulu was the rambunctious, red wig.

Something tells me you’ve seen a drag queen or two in your lifetime – or have maybe watched some RuPaul’s Drag Race?

You know what, I haven’t seen it before. I’ve gotta tune into it at some point because I’ve got everyone telling me it’s a good one, so I will watch that. Maybe I could be a judge on it or something sometime.

I think you could be a contestant at this point.

Yes, a contestant.

I think you’ve already auditioned. It’s this movie.

Exactly, I’ll send it in. That’s why I did it.

When were you first aware of the LGBTQ audience?

I don’t really see any audience as different, particularly, to be honest with you. I’m just telling stories that I like and then playing characters that I’m interested in. When I’m making things, I’m not picking depending on the audience. However, that’s really nice of you to say that I’ve got that following. That’s lovely. I guess that would go back to Skins or A Single Man, perhaps.

You played Tony Stonem in BBC’s British teen drama Skins, which ran from 2007-2013. How do you reflect on shooting that brief fling you had with Mitch Hewer’s Maxxie?

I thought he was such an odd character to play at times. There were some similarities between him and Harley, I guess. He’s a fascinating character, a tricky one, and he’s a lot of fun to play. A nice change from what I’d been doing up until that point, work-wise.

How so?

Everything up until that point was fairly, perhaps, “nerdy guy” and this was someone who was quite alpha in his personality and traits and how he fit into that group.

How do you reflect on portraying Kenny in A Single Man?

That role was beautiful to shoot because Tom Ford is a brilliant director. Working with Colin and doing those scenes … it was just really beautifully written. And Tom’s understanding of each character. So, it was a great feeling to be in that world.

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Did you notice more acknowledgement from the LGBTQ community after it was released?

Yeah, I think so. For me, it’s always that thing that telling stories gotta be from the moment, and that story is so heartbreaking in terms of the romance of it and the love of it. I think a lot of people can relate to that and the difficulties, and the world has changed to the positive in terms of that. But again, I do the work and then it goes off and lives its own life.

You never revisit these roles?

No, I never go back and revisit, to be honest with you. Even you mentioning these things now, it’s difficult for me to drudge up the memories because I kind of take what I’m focusing on in that present moment, or planning the next one. But it’s nice to reflect occasionally.

How have the gay and queer roles you’ve played spoken to you?

Both of those roles they were exploring, definitely. And fighting for a place, I’d say. They were lonely and felt displaced and they didn’t have a community, or they felt misunderstood. With those characters – well, not Tony, but certainly for Kenny in A Single Man. And Tony, it’s much different; he kind of has more power.

How does your character Mark, who’s gay, in the 2009 West End production of New Boy compare?

He was a different character because he was younger and he couldn’t understand his own feelings, and that made him funny but also someone who would be quite venomous, occasionally. And yeah, that character was at the turning point of discovering his sexuality.

Does playing a gay role come with a different sense of responsibility for you?

No, I feel responsible for every character, regardless. When (I’m) playing real characters, I feel more of a responsibility, but otherwise no.

Of those roles, is one more significant to you than the others?

No, I don’t think so. They all mesh somewhat, I would say. You’re inhabiting these characters and their feelings as best as possible for that time, so each one is significant at that time.

After A Single Man, did an influx of gay roles come your way?

Not necessarily. I get sent quite varied things anyway because of the variety I’ve tried to play, so it varies hugely. I don’t think I saw an increase at that point, no; but perhaps an increase in roles in terms of stories being told that are more inclusive. You see more and more stories, and that’s just a sign not necessarily of me having done that but more the times – that things are changing, and it’s becoming represented better.

The Favourite is being celebrated for being so queer-inclusive. When you’re a part of a project that means something to a particular group of underrepresented people, does that feel different for you than doing something more mainstream like, say, X-Men?

It’s like, you just see them as characters, as people and very good actresses. People keep mentioning that (it’s queer) or that it has female leads and it’s kind of surprising and disconcerting that it’s even a conversation as this point. It’s almost like we should have – I mean, it’s great that the conversation is happening and that these movies are getting made more and more, but it should be up to the point where it’s completely normal and it’s not even something that people have to keep feeling is unusual.

Are you encouraged to be part of the movement by seeking out roles that may push that movement forward?

Obviously you want to be part of things that are relevant, if possible, but mostly you just want to tell good stories. You can’t always determine the effect that something is going to have or the place it’s gonna fill when the end-product comes out. You just try to work with the right people and tell stories you find interesting.

If you were caught in a gay love triangle with a king and his longtime secret lover and his secret lover’s cousin, who’d be playing the other roles?

It’d be people I look up to acting-wise: It’d be Christian Bale and Joaquin Phoenix.

And you’d be the cousin?

I guess so in that scenario, yeah. Christian’s probably the king, right?

I believe Batman has to be the king.

Always.

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/01/10/nicholas-hoult-talks-beyonce-wigs-and-hollywood-inclusion/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/181898829560

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hotspotsmagazine · 5 years

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Nicholas Hoult Talks Beyoncé, Wigs and Hollywood Inclusion

As great as you are in The Favourite, perhaps your best performance to date was posted to Instagram on November 21: a Beyoncé lip-sync.

(Laughs) Thank you. Yes, it was. A fine moment. I actually did that the year before but I had to wait until the movie was out to release it. Yeah, that was in my trailer before I got onto set.

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IMPORTANT The Favourite is in theatres now @thefavouritemovie

A post shared by Nicholas Hoult (@nicholashoult) on Nov 21, 2018 at 1:14pm PST

And you picked Beyoncé’s “Hold Up” as your song? That was all you?

Is Beyoncé your gay icon?

(Laughs) She’s the Queen Bey. I went to her tour. She was phenomenal.

I wish I could move like that.

Don’t we all.

Are you already planning your next lip-sync?

(Laughs) Yeah, I’ve got a whole back catalog, so it’s just in terms of when they’re released.

Now, The Favourite: Harley has been described as “effeminate.” Is that what you were going for?

youtube

Considering the costume, do you have a greater appreciation for what drag queens have to go through?

I guess so – just anybody who has to wear high heels. I know the pain of wearing those now.

One of your wigs was named Barbara, Babs for short. Which one was she?

Something tells me you’ve seen a drag queen or two in your lifetime – or have maybe watched some RuPaul’s Drag Race?

I think you could be a contestant at this point.

Yes, a contestant.

I think you��ve already auditioned. It’s this movie.