The entertainment industry’s casting gatekeepers continue to box in talented performers based on their sexuality. Benito Skinner, the 31-year-old creator behind Prime Video’s Overcompensating, recently opened up about facing direct discrimination when seeking straight roles.
Speaking with Attitude, Skinner shared a frustrating reality many performers face. “I’ve wanted to play a straight role, and people have asked not to see a tape,” he explained. The content creator, writer and social media star described how this creates barriers for actors like himself.
“We can’t come into those spaces,” Skinner noted, “or ‘We could never do that.'” This exclusion highlights a troubling double standard in an industry that claims to champion diversity.
When discussing straight actors taking on roles depicting characters from the LGBTQIA+ community, Skinner pointed out the fundamental difference in lived experience. “You couldn’t know what it feels like to hide in a closet your entire life,” he told the publication, “or know what it means to love someone, and know that there will be people who think you’re disgusting and don’t deserve the right to love that person.”
The multi-talented performer acknowledged that acting involves storytelling across different experiences. However, he emphasised the need for better balance in casting decisions.
Skinner also addressed the complex reality facing actors who remain closeted in Hollywood. When people question why certain performers don’t come out publicly, he offers a different perspective.
“People will come to me like, ‘Oh my god. Don’t you think that gay guy should come out?'” Skinner says. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah, but look at all the praise he can get and the safety he has in it. Look how harsh it is.’ Like, he’s not ‘annoying,’ he’s straight. But this guy is out, [so] he’s ‘annoying.'”
The conversation extends beyond individual career impacts to broader representation in media. Skinner expressed desire to tell diverse stories across different eras and experiences, not just those specifically tied to his identity.
“It seems so unfair, and it’s like, ‘Why do you think that straight people could so easily do this? Because this experience is so easy?'” Skinner questioned. His comments highlight ongoing tensions around authentic representation versus acting range.
As the industry continues grappling with these casting questions, performers like Skinner are speaking up about systemic barriers. His Prime Video series Overcompensating is currently available for streaming.
