Norwegian Actor David Menkin officially came out in an interview with Gayming after over 20 years of his career on television, film and video games.
In the said interview, the 45-year-old actor was asked: “You openly identify as gay have you ever voiced an LGBTQ character?” And to that, he admitted that he had never really come out before, and it was the first time he was going to address it publicly.
“It’s strange to say this, but I’ve never officially come out as queer. If you follow me on social media it’s pretty damn easy to see, but I’ve never had the opportunity to answer that specific question in a public manner before. So, yeah…,” Menkin expressed.
He continued by naming queer characters as an example, sharing:
“Several of the characters I’ve voiced through the years have let me know that they were queer, without there being anything necessarily implicit in the writing. An example is Malos: nowhere does it say that he is actually in love with Jin…but come on!?”
Moreover, the actor touched on the topic of whether or not LGBTQ+ characters should be voiced by LGBTQ+ actors, stating:
“The days of straight actors playing gay or trans roles for clout or awards are mostly over, thank god. But as a gay man I don’t want to play only gay roles – I want to be stretched and challenged, as long as I’m not taking an opportunity away from someone more qualified, be it due to sexuality, race, gender or age. So, should an LGBTQ character be played by an LGBTQ actor? Hell yes!”
However, he has an exception when it comes to playing a character, noting:
“I also have a personal rule: if the character I’m asked to play has been suppressed by someone of my cultural heritage, I shouldn’t be playing that part. But at the end of the day, I have faith in directors, casting directors and producers to find the right actor for the job.”
Menkin has played roles, including Luke Skywalker in Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Malos in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Breach in VALORANT, and Dag in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, among others.
Source: gaymingmag.com
It’s always welcome news to find out another gay guys has come out. The more gay representation the better if you ask me.