SHOULD go to actual lgbt actors....
Just a thought...

Straight guys can play gays.

and is playing the worst possible horn dog on a sitcom--Neil Patrick Harris, I think his name is?

I think it's down to good acting--old Doogie is entirely convincing as a heterosexual reprobate.

Really, who cares what they are, so long as they are good actors? Anyone who can tell the story is fine with me.

parts to go to LGBT actor. There are too many parts that seem to go to the same few actors over and over again, whether or not they're qualified for the parts and so many actors of color don't get work, with just a miniscule few getting the parts over and over again.
ON the other hand, I feel that the best actors should get the parts they're best qualified for. whether they're considered A list or lesser known. Coming from Southern California and having grown up with a mother who worked in Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, (now known as Cedars Sinai), there are NUMEROUS closetted actors, who's sexuality is an open secret among those in Hollywood. I bet that alot of "Straight" actors who've gotten parts that prtray LGBT are indeed LGBT, but closetted.

Silent movies.

would want to portray hetero characters.

You sure aren't saying that only straight actors should portray straight characters are you?

If not, it doesn't seem like a defensible position to argue that LGBT actors can portray straight and gay characters, but straight actors can only portray straight characters.

Consider the character "David" in the HBO series Six Feet Under as portrayed by talented non-gay actor Michael C. Hall (now the crafty serial killer in ShowTime's eponymous series Dexter). I cannot imagine another actor in his place who could have given a better portrayal of the conflicted, quasi-closeted David Fisher.

I know the intent is to recognize an actor's abilities, but the idea of 'authenticity' in something that is essentially about the suspension of disbelief is a misnomer. We're talking about acting.

And the actor's orientation shouldn't make any difference in their ability to portray character. They're simply good or bad actors.

On the other hand, does knowing the actor's orientation bias you towards or against their acting? Because as a profession, acting is so prominent, are they by definition role models of any sort? I think Ian McKellen is a genius, but I'll admit I'm biased.

But seriously, I think it would be potentially harder for a straight person to play a LGBT one... just simply because of a lack of the internal struggles of an LGBT person. However, if they are immersed in the culture and so on, I see no reason why they wouldn't be able to. It's the same with any other type of character played. If you understand the character, you play them well. If not. You don't.

In terms of the other way around... LGBT playing straight... we do that plenty often growing up and I think we'd have less of a difficulty "playing straight" based on that experience... sadly might I add.

I've just in the past three years been portraying on stage in local stuff. I'm in my 60's. So far, all the roles that I have had have been non GLBT. In fact, in one play, I was a raging heterosexual. The female that I lusted after was in real life the wife of the guy who played the flaming homosexual. I don't think it makes a difference. It's acting. Whomever is best suited for the part. In our local situation, I was consulted about whether I was offended by the flamer being protrayed by a hetero. I was not. I actually had a lot of fun playing the role of the raging hetero, lusting after every woman on stage. Thought it was quite funny, actually. Each role I've had the good fortune to portray has been a different character and I feel that my sexuality really didn't have a place affecting my ability to portray a role.

"Only one of those five characters was portrayed by an openly LGBT person. That bothers me as I can't help but wish that all five or at least a majority had been portrayed by out LGBT performers."

This raises a separate issue: is Hollywood hiring out lgbt actors, or are there barriers? But it also involves issues of personal privacy. Is a Declaration of Orientation a requirement for employment, if only for role models? Or necessary for the audience to know?

Regardless if that is or is not true in reality, it would seem there should be no impediments to openly gay performers portraying gay characters. That small sample I watched suggested barriers may still exist.

I do not support outing of people who do no harm to the LGBT community. I do not support sexuality litmus tests, either. I simply want more visibility for openly LGBT performers and portraying LGBT characters would be an ideal starting point. That's the "It Gets Better" campaign we need to see more of in television and movies.