Special Creator on Why He Only Cast Gay Actors for Gay Roles

Ryan O’Connell, the creator of the new Netflix comedy series Special has spoken in an interview with The Wrap about his decision to only cast gay actors in gay roles.

Special is based on O’Connell’s real life as a gay man living with cerebral palsy.

In the interview O’Connell spoke about underrepresentation, not just for LGBT+ people but for disabled people as well: “I’m not saying actors can’t play something that they’re not, but the world is structured in a way where disabled people have no opportunities.

“On my show there are a lot of gay characters, and it was really important to me that I hire gay actors to play that role.

“Is that because I think straight people can’t play gay? No, but I know a lot of talented gay actors that don’t have the same opportunities as straight actors because they’re gay, and that’s just the world we live in.

“Until that can be rectified, you bet I’m going to give opportunities to people who don’t have them.

“That’s what you have to do, you have to protect the powerless and give them opportunities, that’s the only way they can advance.”

O’Connell also took aim at Hollywood for only telling tragic stories involving LGBT+ people and disabled people: “Hollywood loves to profit off the pain of marginalised people without giving us any opportunities.

“For gay movies, it’s usually predicated on some sort of tragedy. We’re always getting beaten up by a baseball bat for a movie, and I’m done. I’m done with metaphorically being beaten by a baseball bat.

“I just want to see gay men living, laughing and loving. Those [other] stories are valid and deserve to be told, but when it’s the only kind of story being told, that’s a problem.”

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