We’re no stranger to a bit of controversy on Out Takes so this week we’re taking on one of the biggest controversies in the global film industry: casting.

Since its early days, Hollywood has been plagued by casting controversies: whitewashing, cultural appropriation, and since the days of new queer cinema, the charge that straight actors are taking gay roles, or that cis actors shouldn’t play trans, or that, well, there just aren’t any bi roles for straight actors to take.

So this week on Out Takes, we’re unpacking the question of who should play what and why the question of why casting has become just so controversial. Are there some roles that some actors shouldn’t play or is this just another case of the squeaky wheel?