Neil Patrick Harris Explains Why He's Okay with Straight Actors Playing Gay Roles

There has been an ongoing debate for years on whether straight actors should be playing gay roles and now Neil Patrick Harris is sharing his thoughts.

The 47-year-old actor, who is openly gay in real life, has played both straight and gay characters throughout his career.

One of Neil‘s most famous roles, Barney on How I Met Your Mother, was a straight character.

“I think there’s something sexy about casting a straight actor to play a gay role — if they’re willing to invest a lot into it,” Neil said in a new interview with The Times. “I played a character for nine years who was nothing like me. I would definitely want to hire the best actor.”

He added, “In our world that we live in you can’t really as a director demand that [an actor be gay or straight]. Who’s to determine how gay someone is?”

Kristen Stewart, who is also openly gay, recently shared her thoughts as well after her movie Happiest Season was released in November.