Melvyn Hayes thinks straight actors should play gay characters on TV.
Melvyn Hayes
The 86-year-old comedy star - who played Gunner 'Gloria' Beaumont in 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum' - has rubbished the suggestion that gay roles should only be played by gay actors.
He said: "Are we going to get to a point where only green men are going to play green men, only Russians are going to play Russians, only transvestites can play transvestites?
"It’s nothing to do with the acting any more. Where is it going to end?"
Melvyn firmly believes that actors "should be allowed to play any parts".
Speaking to The Sun newspaper's Bizarre TV column, Melvyn asked: "What about Dustin Hoffman in 'Tootsie' and Robin Williams in 'Mrs Doubtfire'? What about actresses playing principal boys in pantomimes?
"Does this mean I can no longer play a pantomime dame? Should Rock Hudson have kissed Doris Day in the movies, because he was gay? Actors should be allowed to play any parts."
Meanwhile, Melvyn previously dismissed the idea that 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum' was "politically incorrect".
The series - which was set in India during the final stages of the Second World War - has been widely accused of being racist and homophobic.
Discussing the accusations surrounding the show, Melvyn said: "I don't know why they don't repeat it, it's got nothing to do with political correctness.
"You can't sit and watch television with your grandmother anymore or your grandchild because you don't know what they're going to say next.
"Our programme had nothing like that but people said it was politically incorrect. It wasn't, it was a piece of history."