Benito Skinner reveals directors have asked him not to audition for straight roles (EXCLUSIVE)
Skinner stated that he understands why some actors choose not to come out because they can avoid the harsh criticism many queer performers face
By Gary Grimes
Benito Skinner has revealed that he has been asked not to submit audition tapes for straight character roles in the past.
The actor, who plays a version of himself as a closeted college student in the new Prime Video sitcom Overcompensating, spoke exclusively to Attitude ahead of his recent digital cover. During that conversation he was asked about his thoughts on straight actors playing queer roles.
“I’ve wanted to play a straight role, and people have asked to not see a tape,” Skinner revealed. “And I’m like, okay… So I think a lot of queer actors feel that way, like we can’t come into those spaces or we could never do that.”
“And it’s like, ‘Well, then you couldn’t know what it feels like to hide in a closet your entire life, 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 social media star continued.
“I think if there was more of a balance, I would feel like, ‘Of course, it’s acting. You’re telling stories.’ I think it’s beautiful that a lot of people can tell these stories,” Skinner explained.
“If there was more of a balance, I would feel a little bit less like ‘ugh’ every time I see two straight guys are cast in gay roles,” – Benito Skinner
“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?’
“It can be complicated because I understand that it is still acting, but I think if there was a little bit more of a balance, I would feel a little bit less like ‘ugh’ every time I see an announcement that two straight guys are cast in gay roles,” he went on. “It would also just be nice because there aren’t that many stories that we get, so sometimes it feels like, damn it, I would have loved to see a queer actor take that on and dive into it. Those are our stories.”
Skinner went on to say that he understands why some queer actors might choose to stay in the closet because they will not face the same harsh criticism that many queer performers are met with.
“I get why some actors are in the closet,” he stated. “People will come to me like, ‘Oh my God. Don’t you think that gay guy should come out?’ 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, he’s ‘annoying’.”
Overcompensating is available to watch in full now on Prime Video. You can read Skinner’s full cover feature here.
This interview is taken from issue 365 of Attitude, on sale 4 July 2025. You can order copies of Attitude here and alongside 15 years of back issues on the free Attitude app.