Neighbours star Takaya Honda has ‘no difficulty’ playing gay character
Takaya Honda and Matt Wilson (Instagram)
Neighbours star Takaya Honda, who plays David Tanaka in the soap, has hit back at people who ask him if he finds it “difficult” to play a gay character.
The actor said that he is still asked that question too often, and said that he has “no degree of difficulty” in playing the role.
Takaya Honda – who made history alongside co-star Matt Wilson last year when they depicted the first gay wedding on the soap – made the comments in an Instagram post.
“Who could find it hard to play gay opposite this incredible man?”
– Takaya Honda
The post was accompanied by a photo of Honda alongside Wilson at Sydney Mardi Gras yesterday.
Takaya Honda: ‘Everyone understands love’
Writing on Instagram, the actor said: “We get asked, more often than I think we should, ‘what’s it like to play a gay character as a straight actor, do you find it difficult?’
“Firstly, who could find it hard to play gay opposite this incredible man?
“Secondly, #LoveisLove, our jobs, as actors is to communicate a story by adopting the lives of the characters we play. Who they are attracted to is only one part of who they are.
“Everyone understands love and most have an intimate understanding of what true romantic love is.”
– Takaya Honda
“Everyone understands love and most have an intimate understanding of what true romantic love is. The task we are given is to evoke within the audience that feeling of love and have them believe that we are in love, and that would go whether our characters were gay, straight or other.”
Scott Barbour/Getty
He continued: “There is no degree of difficulty added because these are characters are gay. This is our job and we work bloody hard to do it the best we can – with the hope of honouring the story we have been given the responsibility of telling.”
Elsewhere in the post, Honda said that love is “universal and transcends boundaries.”
Gay wedding was ‘biggest moment’ of his career so far
Speaking to PinkNews last September, Honda expressed hope that he and his on-screen husband would have children in the soap, saying: “I’d love there to be the pitter-patter of tiny feet for #Daaron.
“But we’re just getting married now, so we’ve got to take it one step at a time.
“I can’t even put into words how proud and fortunate I feel to be able to be a part of it.”
– Takaya Honda
When he spoke to PinkNews just before the wedding was set to air, he said it would be “the biggest moment” of his career so far.
“Being part of a first for anything really can’t be taken away from you, and it is historic. I can’t even put into words how proud and fortunate I feel to be able to be a part of it,” Honda added.
“It’s an absolute honour to be a part of, and the size of it isn’t lost to me at all. Both Matty and I feel the significance of this moment.”
