Actor Luke Evans says there’s no political litmus test that comes with being gay, pushing back on the idea that gay people are expected to hold left-leaning or “woke” views.
In an interview published Friday discussing his upcoming ITV drama “The Party,” Evans was asked whether gay people are still expected to embrace left-wing politics. He said sexuality doesn’t dictate a person’s broader outlook on society.
“Just because you are gay yourself doesn’t mean you have to be woke,” Evans told The Telegraph. “Your sexuality is one part of who you are, but our opinions on society and life differ in every single person. I’ve got very woke gay friends and very unwoke gay friends. We don’t all agree on the same thing.”
Evans, known for roles in “Beauty and the Beast,” “Fast & Furious 6” and “The Hobbit” franchise, has spent much of his career playing what he called “straight macho” characters despite being openly gay. He said that experience shaped his view that an actor’s sexuality shouldn’t define the roles available to them.
“I’ve played mostly straight macho roles my whole career, and I’ve loved it,” Evans said. “In my own way, I’ve sent out a message that who you are and who you love has absolutely no relevance to your talent and that you can pull off playing a straight guy just as well as anyone.”
He also rejected the notion that gay actors should be limited to gay roles, saying that standard would have narrowed his own opportunities, even as he argued Hollywood still falls short in offering roles to gay and transgender performers.
“If gay people only played gay characters, then I’d have had no career,” Evans said. “But I understand there’s also not enough opportunities for gay actors to play gay characters, or for trans actors to play trans characters.”
Other voices echo the sentiment
Evans joins a number of other gay public figures who have voiced similar views in recent interviews. Black, gay influencer Amir Odom said in 2024 that he once believed being gay obligated him to support Democrats and LGBTQ political causes, describing it as a political “script” tied to his race and sexuality.
“That, because I’m gay, I have to be [a] Democrat, I have to support all the LGBTQ causes because that’s who was there for me,” Odom said. “Until I realized that wasn’t the truth.”
Actor and activist Yuval David, a self-described gay, progressive American-Israeli who said he ultimately voted for President Donald Trump, told Fox News Digital in 2025 that he became “politically homeless” after feeling disconnected from communities he once expected to represent him.
“Ironically, I’ve found that conservatives are the ones who allow LGBTQ+ people to speak freely,” David said. “I’ve had real conversations with moderates and even right-leaning individuals. Meanwhile, the progressive left tries to shut me down the moment I don’t align with all of their talking points.”
Separately, openly gay actor Billy Porter said earlier this week that his career had benefited from what he called an era of “performative wokeness.”
“As a Black, gay, out artist, I caught the wave of what we now know as performative wokeness,” Porter said.
