Oscar Winner Christopher Plummer on Straight Actors Playing Gay: "We All Do a Great Job"

Beginners Best Supporting Actor winner defends straight playing gay

By Ted Casablanca Feb 27, 2012 5:57 AMTags
Christopher PlummerKevin Winter/Getty Images

"The sexual differences cancel each other out," Christopher Plummer, 82, explained to me backstage after nabbing the first Oscar of his life for playing a gay man.

I'd just asked Plummer if he felt Hollywood and the Academy liked showing support for gay roles, less so actors who are gay in real life.

Plummer was adamant:

"We all do a great job, gay and straight," Plummer said about straights taking on the often award-winning gay roles.

And the man who has now joined an illustrious list of heterosexuals winning Oscars for going gay (Sean Penn for Milk, Tom Hanks for Philadelphia, Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote) summed it up:

"All actors do our best," finished Plummer, who thinks no double standard exists.

Interesting thought. How many gay Oscar winners are there?

In the plum acting category, that is?

PHOTOS: 2012 Oscars: Arrivals