Cate Blanchett defends straight actors' right to play LGBT roles

Actor Cate Blanchett, who played a lesbian in the 2015 film 'Carol', has staunchly defended straight actors playing LGBT characters on screen.

The 'Ocean's 8' star further stated she would "fight to the death" to take on those roles.

Speaking at the Rome Film Festival, the 49-year-old revealed she had never been asked more questions about her sexuality than when she played a lesbian character. The questions implied whether having a lesbian experience was essential to understanding such a role.

"This defies the whole point of acting. It also speaks to something that I'm quite passionate about in storytelling generally, but in film specifically, is that film can be quite a literal medium," Blanchett said, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

"And I will fight to the death for the right to suspend disbelief and play roles beyond my experience. I think reality television and all that that entails had an extraordinary impact, a profound impact on the way we view the creation of character," she added.

Earlier this year, Scarlett Johansson was criticised for taking on the role of a transgender man. She later exited the drama film 'Rub and Tug' after her casting sparked backlash among trans-groups and activists. In August, Ruby Rose quit Twitter amid a backlash over her role as lesbian superhero in TV series 'Batwoman'.