‘Weird World’ cast explains importance of Disney’s first openly gay protagonist

On November 25, ‘Mundo Extraño’, the new Disney animated film inspired by the pulp comics and science fiction stories of the writer Jules Verne, arrives in Spanish cinemas. In “Strange World” the Clade family embarks on a journey to an uncharted and treacherous land full of challenges. But the project is not only an adventure film, it is also It represents a big step in the representation of the LGTBQ+ collective by introducing the first openly gay teenager in a Disney animated film.

The character in question is called Ethan Clade (the one in the previous image) and his voice actor is the American actor and comedian Jaboukie Young-White, who as a member of the LGTBQ+ collective shared his opinion on whether to play the teenager : “It was a beautiful thing to be a part of and something I wish I had seen when I was that age.”. In ‘Strange World’ Ethan is the youngest of the illustrious Clade family, a clan that has important and famous characters such as his grandfather (Dennis Quaid), a legendary explorer, his mother (Gabrielle Union), a great pilot or his father ( Jake Gyllenhaal), a well-respected farmer. Instead, Ethan is still trying to find his place in the world through a personal journey where he also hopes that the love he has for his classmate will be reciprocated.

Young-White said in the same interview that Ethan’s family are supportive of the teenager in his feelings towards his schoolmate and that this is one of the things they liked the most about the script. The actor explained how Ethan’s sexuality is centered around the film: “This isn’t a story about coming out or his search for acceptance for his sexual orientation. That’s who he is and it’s not written or created to be a problem. It’s an aspect of Ethan and one of the many things that make him who he is. is .” is. I thought it was great.”

a proud family

Jake Gyllenhaal, who voices Ethan’s father, said he is very proud of the character’s sexuality and the fact that the main family is interracial: “It’s great to see such a diverse cast and to see these ideas normalized in the world. And what’s so beautiful about the film is that the only way this family can save the world they love so much is to start understanding and hearing each other’s ‘each other. family”. Gabrielle Union, who plays Ethan’s mother and is the mother of a trans teenager outside of the project, also shared her feelings about the film: “I love that we’ve created a place where you can showcase a loving, caring family that creates enough loving space for everyone to chart their own path in life. I’m totally honored to be a part of that story.”

‘Strange World’, directed by Don Hall (‘Raya and the Last Dragon’, ‘Moana’) and Qui Nguyen (‘She Kills Monsters’), It opens in Spain on November 25.