Mean Girls star Daniel Franseze said he didn't understand why The Whale director Darren Aronofsky cast Brendan Fraser instead of an obese gay actor for the lead role in the film. Franseze made the statement as part of a larger point about the lack of roles available for LGBTQ+ actors and actresses in Hollywood.
Franseze is best known for his role as Damian in Mean Girls. He has been an actor in Hollywood for over 20 years, appearing in 53 films and television series. Despite being an overweight gay man, he was not considered for a role in The Whale, where the lead character, Charlie, is an overweight gay man trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter.
The veteran actor told People that although he loves and respects Fraser, he was 'conflicted' about the casting choice. "Seeing him get up so modest in Venice and have that moment, I was very happy for him," he said. "But why? Why go up there and wear a fat suit to play a 400-lb queer man?" Franseze went on to point out that "actors like me and my colleagues" would "jump at" the opportunity to star in a movie suited to their identities. "I mean, who knows more about being an obese queer man than an obese queer man?"
His issue with the Fraser's casting in The Whale is a microcosm for the larger struggles obese queer actors face trying to land big roles in Hollywood. "The biggest problem we have right now in our industry is that people like me and my colleagues can't really sell movies overseas... Because the world is homophobic," Franseze said. "Even if America is ready for a gay person in the lead like that, they have a hard time selling the movie overseas, so they get scared."
Aronofsky did provide some rationale about his casting selection before Franseze made his statements. The director told Fraser that he "wanted an actor to reintroduce" to the audience. It took Aronofsky a decade to find someone suitable for the role, saying, “I thought about every movie star playing Charlie, and it never made sense or clicked.” The Whale should be considered Fraser's comeback performance, as he received high praise for the role and is expected to be nominated for an Academy Award. He already received the Toronto International Film Festival Tribute Award for his compelling performance.
Though Fraser's performance in The Whale was groundbreaking, Franzese's points are valid. There is significant evidence that several countries make efforts to censor gay storylines, like China censoring Dumbledore's gay storyline in the Harry Potter spinoff, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. There should be more Hollywood roles available to LGBTQ+ members, especially when those roles specifically call for a queer lead actor. Though progress has been made on the visibility of queer actors and actresses and Hollywood, there is still a long way to go before true equality is reached.
The Whale will be available in theaters on December 9th, 2022.
Source: People Magazine