Nick Offerman has received universal acclaim for his performance in The Last Of Us episode three.
The 52-year-old actor’s performance was so exceptional that fans are stating he is the only straight actor allowed to play a gay role.
There has been much criticism in recent years of having heterosexuals actors play homosexual roles, arguing they are taking the parts away from LGTBQ+ actors.
Sir Ian McKellen has rejected calls for only gay actors to play gay roles, while Luke Evans Luke Evans has said he ‘wouldn’t have a career’ if that rule was applied across the board.
But Russell T Davies has urged Hollywood stars to turn down gay roles in films and instead encourage producers to instead cast an LGBT actor, while Adam Lambert slammed the prospect of Theo James playing George Michael in an upcoming biopic about the Wham! singer.
But Nick’s performance has changed many minds and convinced viewers that he is the ‘exception to the rule’.
One wrote: ‘There are plenty of gay actors who should get the chance to play gay characters on screen. Them and Nick Offerman.’
Someone else echoed: ‘congratulations to Nick Offerman for officially joining Stanley Tucci as the co-president of the “Cis Straight Dudes With A Lifetime Pass to Play Gay Characters” club after this episode bc wow I’m still crying #TheLastOfUs’.
A third agreed, writing: ‘Nick Offerman is the only straight man I’m okay with being cast as a gay character. He is the exception to the rule’.
Another person added: ‘Though it obviously would have been nice for both Frank AND Bill to be played by a gay actor…. Offerman was PERFECT.
‘His performance was phenomenal, raw, beautiful, and 100% believable. You can tell nothing but love and respect was put into his role.’
A fifth said: ‘To all the straight actors wanting to play queer roles: learn from Nick Offerman. Be brilliant. Knock it out of the park. It’s that easy.’
And a sixth tweeted: ‘say what you will about straight actors playing gay characters but nick offerman can play gay whenever he wants idc!!!!!’
Justified: But Nick’s performance has changed many minds and convinced viewers that he is the ‘exception to the rule’
The third episode of The Last Of Us, – entitled Long Long Time – introduced two new characters, Bill, played by Nick, and Frank, played by Murray Bartlett, whose ‘achingly beautiful’ love story and ultimate deaths moved fans to tears.
The zombie outbreak sees closeted doomsday prepper Bill take in traveler Frank, with the pair falling in love and remaining together for all their lives – with fans lauding Bill’s romantic line: ‘I’m old. I’m satisfied. And you were my purpose.’
Viewers took to social media to praise the show for depicting a gay romance through a positive lens, with one writing: ‘The last of us created one of the most beautiful depictions of love and devotion and growing old together i can’t stop thinking about it it was perfection’.
