Matt Smith has defended playing a gay man in new film Mapplethorpe (Picture: Getty)

Doctor Who’s Matt Smith has defended taking on the role of a gay character in upcoming film based on Robert Mapplethorpe.

The 36-year-old, who was the 11th incarnation of the Time Lord, played the photographer in 2018 biopic Mapplethorpe which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

‘I think your sexual orientation, or your sex and your choices outside of work, shouldn’t influence – in either way, positive or negative – what happens,’ Matt told a crowd in New York, with Vulture in attendance.

‘So, to me, it doesn’t matter if you’re gay or straight. That has no bearing on whether you should get the part.’

Matt plays photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in a new biopic (Picture: Getty)

Matt continued: ‘Where does it stop? Like, do we then say, do we apply that logic to going, “OK, I’ve got a part, and it’s playing a brother, and he’s addicted to heroin.”

‘Do we then go to people that have only taken heroin?’

Last October, Cate Blanchett also defended straight stars taking on LGBT roles in Hollywood after she played a lesbian in 2015 film Carol.

‘I will fight to the death for the right to suspend disbelief and play roles beyond my experience,’ she said.

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‘I think reality television and all that that entails had an extraordinary impact, a profound impact on the way we view the creation of character.

‘I think it provides a lot of opportunity, but the downside of it is that we now, particularly in America, I think, we expect and only expect people to make a profound connection to a character when it’s close to their experience.’