Kid Cudi says he had no hesitation about playing a gay man in the new film James White, which premiered Friday at Sundance. The movie doesn't focus on the character's sexuality, but the rapper/actor told reporters there were scenes of him coming out of the closet and kissing another man that were cut from the film.
From Billboard:
"I'm mad [director Josh Mond] cut out my kissing scenes with David," Cudi said with a wry smile during an audience Q&A session after the film. "We made out so many times -- and it was so good! That's my only gripe."
Cudi added that he didn't have a problem with going there for the role.
"No. My thing is what story are we trying to tell here," Cudi told Billboard. "I didn't flinch. I'm secure with mine. I'm an artist -- it's all about playing characters that are intriguing and stimulating."
It feels like progress. There's no way to be sure about this, but it feels like 10 years ago you wouldn't have found a rapper who was down to play the role of gay character in a film. OK, Will Smith did it in Six Degrees of Separation, but his career in the sometimes homophobic world of hip hop appeared to be 100 percent over at that point.
[Via Billboard]
