He's got what it takes

If you look hard enough you can find a theme running through the recent posts on the blog - Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Meloni, and a little bit further back, Matt Battaglia. All straight actors who have taken on gay roles and, equally as important, have done so without apology. Time was when playing gay could have meant the death knell to an acting career. That's not to say that there may not be risks, but truly talented actors know that if you don't take risks you stagnate.

And that brings me to Daniel Petronijevic (petroh - NEE- vic). A name most of you will be unfamiliar with, but, trust me, one you should get to know. Daniel is only in his early twenties, but he has been in the business a while. Probably best described as a journeyman, he hasn't had many big roles – except a standout as Thad Guerwitcz in Playmakers, the one-season football drama that ran on ESPN in 2003 (if you're in Canada, it's running on Showcase now).

The Guerwitcz character is in many ways a precursor to Battaglia's "Drew" on QAF. In the closet, dating women, sleeping with guys. But Playmakers takes you deeper into the macho, generally-homophobic world of professional sports. Petronijevic makes Thad Guerwitcz tough yet vulnerable, tender yet vicious, self-assured yet completely lost. After struggling through trying to come to terms with himself, being outed to his team-mates and realising how much he has to lose, he has a magnificent moment of triumph that Petronijevic plays perfectly. But, as in real life, a moment of triumph is just that and Petronijevic skilfully takes Thad from exhilaration to glum resignation.

Ultimately, how an actor gives a memorable performance is by finding a way to attune the character to his audience. The most successful portrayals don't leave you wondering how it was done. And that's where Daniel Petronijevic has succeeded. Gueriwitcz is a character you can love because he's gay, hate because he's knowingly self-deceiving, admire because he has guts, pity because he's never happy. Petronijevic makes him all that and more – he makes him completely believable. What else can you ask for. I only hope he gets future roles deserving of his talent so that he can delight me again.