The comedian, one of the first actors to play a gay character on TV, criticizes the current portrayal of LGBT characters, saying it's too much for him.
- Jan 20, 2015
AceShowbiz - Billy Crystal is not really impressed by today's portrayal of LGBT characters on TV. While he was annoyed by people who took issue with his gay portrayal on the classic series "Soap" years ago, now he's the one who is uncomfortable with certain aspects of gay scenes on the small screen.
"Sometimes I think: 'Ah that's too much for me'," the actor/comedian opened up at the Television Critics Association press tour Sunday, January 18 in Pasadena, Calif. while promoting his new show "The Comedians". "Sometimes, it's just pushing it a little too far for my taste."
"I'm not going to reveal to you which ones they are," he added. "I hope people don't abuse it and shove it in our face to the point where it feels like an every-day kind of thing."
"It was very difficult at the time," he recalled his own experience of portraying a gay character back in the 1970s. "It was awkward. It was tough." He continued, "I did it in front of a live audience, and there were times when I would say to [on-screen boyfriend], 'I love you,' and the audience would laugh nervously. I wanted to stop the taping and go, 'What is your problem?' "
