Jane Lynch: Studios Won't Cast Gay Leading Actors

Jane Lynch: Studios Won't Cast Gay Leading Actors

America fell in love with Jane Lynch on 'Glee,' but the gay rights advocate doesn't think America is ready to fall for gay romantic leading actors.

Speaking to the website AfterElton.com on Wednesday, Lynch said that studios are hesitant to cast gay people in the role of leading actor and actress, at least in romantic films, because they don't think the audience could handle it.

"I don't know when or if that will ever happen. I think because since most of the world is straight -- and maybe we'll get to a place where this will happen -- most of the world is straight and we want the audience to project their hopes and dreams for love and romance onto those actors," Lynch said. "And if it's not in some way possible, maybe never probably, in their mind that it could never happen, then they're not going to do it. You know, most people are straight, and I think that's probably why."

Calling Hollywood a business, Lynch reasoned that people want to love and desire leads from afar, and wouldn't be able to trick themselves into thinking it was possible to be with an actor or actress if they were gay in real life.

That said, Lynch doesn't think that she's been discriminated against, per se.

"Look, I've never -- as far as I know, it's been behind my back if it has -- I've never been turned down for a role because I'm gay. I'm a character actor, and that's probably why. I don't find Hollywood, in my own experience, to be homophobic," Lynch continued. "Have I ever been turned down? I don't know because you never know when you don't get something or why you didn't get it. But I do think the straight folks will continue to play the straight roles."

Actor Rupert Everett in December agreed with Lynch's premise on gay leading actors, but went a few steps further, calling Hollywood conservative and homophobic.

For so much more from the interview, click over to AfterElton.com.

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