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He might have said it in a joke, but the Bros star's message was heard.
Billy Eichner pulled no punches about LGBQT+ representation in Hollywood on Wednesday night, highlighting the previous lack of titles centering honest queer characters and storylines.
Eichner made the remarks during the Universal presentation at CinemaCon 2022 in Las Vegas.
"I think it's important that before we got one movie about a gay couple we got two movies about a talking hedgehog," Eichner joked, according to Indiewire.
Eichner was referring to his upcoming film Bros,the first LGBTQ+ romantic comedy green-lit by a major studio, Universal Pictures. Eichner co-wrote, produced, and is one of two male leads in the film. The story follows Eichner, a podcast host hired by a studio to pen a gay romantic comedy. Every major cast member in the film is LGBTQ+, including Luke Macfarlane, Amanda Bearse, Harvey Fierstein, Bowen Yang, Ts Madison, Symone, Miss Lawrence, Guillermo Diaz, and Guy Branum. Even the straight parts are portrayed by LGBTQ+ actors.
"You don't believe a gay man can play straight, but you suspend disbelief for Chewbacca," Eichner told the audience.
This was not the first time Eichner highlighted the plight of gay actors vying for parts. Last year he blasted producer Aaron Sorkin for his comments on the issue, saying he was "completely ignorant" on the issue.
\u201cCompletely ignorant of how Hollywood has treated its openly LGBTQ+ actors for a century. Talking about shit he doesn\u2019t fully comprehend. Scared that Hollywood isn\u2019t (entirely) ruled by straight men anymore. Go write yourself a \u201cwalk and talk\u201d back into the past. Merry Christmas!\u201d— billy eichner (@billy eichner) 1640038142
Eichner also played a clip from Bros for the audience Wednesday, which revealed for attendees just how honest the film will be in representing LGBTQ+ relationships on screen.
The brief look showed circuit parties, family moments, gym workouts, business meetings, and even a four-man orgy. "You're both bottoms, that's the problem," a character played by Diaz says in one scene, The Hollywood Reporter notes. Eichner's butt is on display in another.
"I don't want any Hollywood bullshit, no scenes where two gay guys are about to hook up and all of a sudden the camera conveniently pulls away," Eichner's podcast-hosting character says in the clip.
Bros is set to be released September 30.
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