Kristen Stewart discusses 'grey area' of only gay actors cast as gay characters

This Christmas season, we are getting a holiday rom-com with Schitt's Creek star Dan Levy and Twilight's Kristen Stewart playing gay best friends in Happiest Season. Stewart plays Abby, an art history student whose girlfriend Harper, played by Mackenzie Davis, has invited her home for Christmas. Abby decides she will propose to Harper while at her family's house, but *plot twist* Harper lets Abby know that she hasn't come out to her parents yet, and they both have to pretend to be straight.This holiday-themed LGBTQ+ love story will be distributed theatrically in Canada by eOne on Nov. 25. The same day, the film will become available on Hulu in the U.S., and Kristen has been making her rounds to discuss the movie with different outlets. While speaking with Variety, she weighed in on the debate of the importance that gay actors play gay characters.“I think about this all the time,” Kristen said. “Being somebody who has had so much access to work, I’ve just lived with such a creative abundance. You know, a young white girl who was straight and only really was gay later and is, like, skinny — do you know what I’m saying? I so acknowledge that I’ve just gotten to work.” The Twilight star said that she would never want to tell a story that should be told by somebody who's lived that experience. “Having said that, it’s a slippery slope conversation because that means I could never play another straight character if I’m going to hold everyone to the letter of this particular law,” she added. Kristen said she thinks, “it’s such a grey area." "There are ways for me to tell women's stories and women to tell men's stories, but we still need to have our finger on the pulse and actually have to care," she said, adding "you kind of know where you’re allowed. I don’t have a sure-shot answer for that.” She mentioned Mackenzie Davis, who plays her love interest in the rom-com, and said that she isn't somebody who identifies as a lesbian. "She was the only person in my mind that could have played this with me," Kristen shared. "Sometimes, artfully speaking, you're just drawn to a certain group of people."The Underwater star continued, "I could defend that, but I’m sure that somebody with a different perspective could make me feel bad about that — and then make me renege on everything I’ve just said. I acknowledge the world that we live in. And I absolutely would never want to traipse on someone else’s opportunity to do that — I would feel terrible about that."In conclusion, Kristen's answer to the debate is, "f--king think about what you're doing! And don't be an asshole."Many straight actors have vowed to stop playing gay actors because they don't want to take roles away from people who identify as gay.  In December 2018, American Horror Story actor Darren Criss told Bustle, “There are certain [queer] roles that I’ll see that are just wonderful. But I want to make sure I won’t be another straight boy taking a gay man’s role.” Criss, who has played many queer characters, including Blaine Anderson in Glee and Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace, said it's "been a joy" to perform in those projects, but he no longer feels comfortable playing those parts. "The reason I say that is because getting to play those characters is inherently a wonderful dramatic experience,” he explained. “It has made for very, very compelling and interesting people.”Along with the amazing cast of Kristen Stewart, Dan Levy and Mackenzie Davis, Happiest Season also stars Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber, Mary Holland and Clea DuVall.