20 great roles: Our favorite straight actors who have played gay characters

Michael Douglas stars as Liberace and Matt Damon stars as Scott Thorson in “Behind the Candelabra.”

Whether it’s for television or a feature film, it’s not easy to pull off a gay role as a straight actor. Many have tried, but it takes a great actor to make the role three dimensional and believable.

Steven Soderbergh’s “Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace,” which aired on HBO on Sunday, is being lauded by critics, especially for its touching, respectful, and well-rounded performances by Michael Douglas and Matt Damon.