Beth Ditto plays a lesbian character in Fox’s ‘Monarch’
Queer musician Beth Ditto had been contemplating a drastic career change when destiny came calling with a perfect opportunity: a leading role in Fox’s new family drama “Monarch”.
Created by Melissa London Hilfers, “Monarch” is described as a Texas-sized, multigenerational musical drama. The premise of the Fox musical series sounds a bit like its other hit “Empire”, only this one is set in the South and features a country music dynasty.
‘Monarch’: Keeping up with the Romans
In this fictional world, the Romans have been dominating the country music industry for four decades. The matriarch of the Roman family is Susan Sarandon’s Dottie, and the patriarch is her husband, Albie (played by real-life country music legend Trace Adkins).
Dottie chose her daughter, Nicky (Anna Friel), to be the heir to the Roman legacy. The only Roman son, Luke (Joshua Sasse), is the head of their record label. That leaves Beth Ditto’s Gigi Roman, a married lesbian with kids and a full-time job that’s not in the music industry.
Ditto’s Gigi is a fantastic foil to Friel’s Nicky, playing a thirtysomething newbie who must undergo a steep learning curve about the business and live up to her famous family’s legacy.
Beth Ditto: Becoming Gigi Roman
In an interview with Who What Wear, Ditto shared how she auditioned for the role: “I thought maybe I could go into childcare development and take online classes or something. But then [Monarch] came up, and they described the character as a fat lesbian country singer, and I was like, I really want that part.”
She was considering what kind of work she could do as she had not been touring at the height of the COVID pandemic, and she had been taking care of her nieces a lot at the time.
“I tried really hard to get it. I auditioned four times, and I was like, they are crazy if they don’t pick me. For one, I’m a Southerner and familiar with all of that stuff. I [also] play music for a living. I was up against really great people, and I’m really flattered that I got it. It came in at the 11th hour,” Ditto explained how she got the part.
Beth Ditto: Perfectly cast
Beth Ditto is the perfect casting choice for the role of Gigi in more ways than one: she is a lesbian in real life. She married her then-girlfriend (and best friend since 18) twice: first, in a ceremony in Hawaii in 2013; and again in 2014 in Oregon after same-sex marriage had become legal.
Alas, Ditto announced that she and her wife had split in March 2018 and was dating trans musician Ted Kwo. In the same year, she made her film acting debut in Gus Van Sant’s “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot”.
Now “Monarch” is setting up Ditto’s Gigi as the emotional core of the musical drama, and she may very well be the character to watch on the show.