The “Real Time” host made his case, and frankly, you need to hear it because it cuts to the core… that casting directors are now getting their cues from the casting police. He makes his case, starting with John Leguizamo, who was skeptical James Franco was cast to play Fidel Castro, saying “No more appropriation of Hollywood…Boycott! Bill noted that John, a Colombian actor, he’s not Venetian, but he played… he’s neither a French nor an Italian plumber… but yes, he played them too. As he says, “People become actors to spend their lives without being who they are.” He notes that Sean Penn won an Oscar for playing gay activist Harvey Milk … once considered courageous … now he’s the opposite. Eddie Redmayne played a trans woman, but now he’s calling it a mistake. Bill asks if the logical conclusion is that trans people can only play trans people, but that’s clearly not something they want. So are straight people playing gay…something Tom Hanks says he now regrets. So can gay men play a straight romantic role? The idea is to get rid of prejudice, not roles, and that’s why allies are necessary. On the subject of Hanks… should he have played Forrest Gump, who was mentally challenged? Play real-time video content with Bill Maher/HBO On a different and hilarious note — and we mean hilarious — check out Bill’s take on what the FBI seized at Mar-a-Lago. It’s absolutely hysterical!
