Hugh Sheridan was ‘sad and lost’ when he was dropped from Hedwig role

Hugh Sheridan reveals he felt ‘sad and lost’ when he was dropped from stage musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch for not being transgender

Actor Hugh Sheridan has revealed he felt ‘sad and lost’ after being dropped from the cast of stage musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch late last year.

The actor, 35, was due to play the lead role in the production, but he lost the job after objections from LGBTQIA+ group Queer Artist Alliance Australia.

The activists objected because Hedwig is transgender but Hugh isn’t. 

Hugh told Sam Armytage’s Something to Talk About podcast he’d moved his entire lift from the U.S. to Australia for the role, only for it to fall apart.

Gutted: Actor Hugh Sheridan has revealed he felt ‘sad and lost’ after being dropped from the cast of stage musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch late last year 

‘After Hedwig was cancelled I was feeling a bit out of place because the rest of my life is in Los Angeles and it’s all stored away,’ he said.   

‘I put everything away said goodbye to my cat. I took out a [new] lease, I furnished a new apartment in Bondi and suddenly my wage was gone.’  

‘I signed up [to Hedwig] thinking I was going to have an income and actually I was feeling very sad and lost. I was wondering why I was in Australia.’ 

Unsettled: Hugh told Sam Armytage's Something to Talk About podcast he'd moved his entire lift from the U.S. to Australia for the role, only for it to fall apart

Unsettled: Hugh told Sam Armytage’s Something to Talk About podcast he’d moved his entire lift from the U.S. to Australia for the role, only for it to fall apart

Hugh revealed he was set to play eight roles in the one-man show version of Hedwig and that it was unfair he lost his job just because the title character is trans.

‘What I found very difficult was that If you told me today you wanted to explore the idea of trans, I would say “go ahead”,’ Hugh told Sam. 

‘How can you stop someone? I feel like I was denied that expression.’ 

Character: The actor, 35, was due to play the lead role in the production, but he lost the job after objections from LGBTQIA+ group Queer Artist Alliance Australia. The activists objected because Hedwig is transgender but Hugh isn't

Character: The actor, 35, was due to play the lead role in the production, but he lost the job after objections from LGBTQIA+ group Queer Artist Alliance Australia. The activists objected because Hedwig is transgender but Hugh isn’t

Hugh revealed he used to dress up as a girl when he was younger, before admitting he has ‘constantly dressed up’ throughout the years.

‘I was really excited about exploring that part of myself. I think when you’re an actor every character that you play is your exploring that mindset,’ he said. 

Hugh explained the role was more of a drag character than a ‘trans’ character, which playwright John Cameron Mitchell has said himself.

‘It has traditionally only ever been played by gay men or straight men. I think there’s one trans person who has played it. And a woman has played it,’ he said.

Interpretation: Hugh explained the role was more of a drag character than a 'trans' character, which playwright John Cameron Mitchell has said himself

Interpretation: Hugh explained the role was more of a drag character than a ‘trans’ character, which playwright John Cameron Mitchell has said himself 

Sam agreed, saying she believed the point of acting was to ‘stretch yourself’ beyond your own experience. 

‘Does that mean you can only play a mother if you have children… or a divorced person [if you’re divorced]?’ Hugh said. 

‘Should Cate Blanchett’s Oscar be taken away for playing a man?’ Hugh added rhetorically, referencing her role in I’m Not There in 2007.

Controversial: Hugh sought mental health treatment at the Prince of Wales Hospital in November following the cancellation of Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Controversial: Hugh sought mental health treatment at the Prince of Wales Hospital in November following the cancellation of Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Hugh sought mental health treatment at the Prince of Wales Hospital in November following the cancellation of Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

LGBTQIA+ group Queer Artist Alliance Australia had penned an open letter slamming producers for casting Hugh as a trans character.

The letter resulted in Hugh being inundated with hateful messages online. 

Hugh described his hospitalisation as a ‘wake-up call’ at the time.

‘I literally woke up in hospital and didn’t remember how I got there and the doctors told me I had had an anxiety attack,’ he said.

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