All of them have been played by cis and straight actors. In fact, apart from Ian McKellan being nominated in 19 for Gods and Monsters and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring respectively, no out gay actors have been recognized on the Oscar stage.Īccording to Vanity Fair, in the 20 years since McKellan’s last nomination, there have been three dozen queer characters whose actors were nominated for Oscars. Part of the reason has to do with the Academy’s reluctance to nominate queer actors, especially for playing queer roles. While lead star Andrew Garfield is deservedly getting Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations, De Jesús has been conspicuously absent from recent award talks. “That enabled us to have more permission to be intimate and vulnerable with one another as the characters.” “We’re realizing it, but Andrew was the one that actually labeled it a love story, and when that happened, it elevated everything,” he says.
Stepping out of the suit also helped he and Garfield realize that the movie is a love story between the two of them, even if Jonathan happens to be straight. “And so that was a big thing for me, because that allowed me just to focus on the humanity, sometimes the suit thing can take away from that.” “I didn’t really have an interest in showing executive realness, I was more interested in showing what Michael looks like when he’s chilling at home with his friends,” De Jesús says. One important decision he made was to focus on Michael as a friend, and not just as the businessman he's normally portrayed as. That was the night that was most like church.”ĭe Jesús has been listening to the Broadway cast recording of tick, tick…BOOM! since he was in high school, so when it came time to join the movie, he was ready. We finished the rehearsal, and Lin (Manuel Miranda, the film’s director) said, ‘Let’s hurry up.’ He rushed the crew because he felt there was something in the air and he was worried about losing it. “That argument scene vibrated really intensely, and we knew it was special the moment we got to set. “I’ll never forget the feeling of shooting the scene in the street with me and Andrew,” De Jesús says. The movie just wouldn’t have an impact unless the actor playing Michael was able to capture the hearts of viewers, and that's why it works. It’s through his pain, joy, and the love that he and Jonathan (Andrew Garfield) share that Jonathan is able to see why living in the now and embracing the time you’ve got matters so much. In the musical film, De Jesús puts his entire heart out for the audience to see. So why isn’t he getting the attention he deserves? As Jonathan’s best friend Michael, Robin De Jesús is tick, tick…BOOM’s Oscar-worthy heart.