GLEE’S JANE LYNCH ON GAY ACTORS IN HOLLYWOOD

Glee actress Jane Lynch says that she doesn’t think that audiences are ready for openly-gay actors being cast in leading straight roles.

The openly lesbian Lynch (50), who won an Emmy Award for her role in Glee, made the observation in an interview with AfterElton.com.

When asked if she thought more openly-gay actors would be cast in leading roles in the future, she replied:

“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.

“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.”

She added: “What studios want, is for people to project their hopes and their dreams for romance onto these people, and I think that’s what stops them from casting gay people.”

Lynch said, however, that as far as she was aware she had never personally been turned down for a role because of her sexuality.

“…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. 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.”