Gay actors in real life

Living Out Loud: A Salute to Soaps’ LGBTQ+ All-Stars [PHOTOS]

  • Love Wins

    In honor of LGBTQ+ Pride month, Soaps.com is saluting the stars of The Young and the Restless, Days of Our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful, Beyond the Gates and General Hospital who are living their truth.

  • Greg Rikaart

    In 2013, the Young & Restless and Days of Our Lives leading man (as Kevin Fisher and Leo Stark, respectively) came out following the Supreme Court’s decisions in favor of same-sex marriage and equality. Since 2015, the Emmy winner has been married to writer/producer Robert Sudduth (Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies), with whom he has a son, Montgomery.

  • Joanna Johnson

    Just before Bold & Beautiful revealed that Bill Spencer’s sister Karen is a lesbian, her portrayer toldTV Guide that she is, too. For years, “I was so worried I wouldn’t be employable as an actress if people knew,” she said, “or that I wouldn’t be believable in romance stories. I had to deal with a lot of self-loathing.” Now a TV producer, Johnson has been married since 2008 to club promoter Michelle Agnew, with whom she has two children.


    119 Out LGBTQ Performers Modifying the Face of Hollywood in the 21st Century

    Editor’s note: This list was originally published in June 2018, and has been updated multiple times since to reflect new comings outs and groundbreaking LGBTQ castings. It could never and will never be complete, but we wish it reflects the transforming face of Hollywood as we bid hello to Pride 2024.

    With LGBTQ stories in filmand on TV more popular than ever before, it’s important to celebrate out-and-proud acting talents — particularly those without the non-binary awards’ categories they deserve.

    In 2024, the mention of Hollywood is unsure to say the least. But even as existential questions about the business of making entertainment persist, audiences and artists are grappling with equally critical questions of representation on screen. Among those questions: should queer roles be played exclusively by lgbtq+ actors?

    It’s an evolving conversation, getting at the very core of what makes the art of acting, well, acting. Last year, the industry’s resident superb guy Tom Hanks gave an answer in regards to his Oscar-recognized role in 1993’s “Philadelphia.”

    “Let’s talk to

    20 LGBTQ movie characters who were played by LGBTQ actors

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    • Because of increased LGBTQ visibility in recent years, queer and trans actors are getting more opportunities in Hollywood.
    • These performances can be launch in films spanning many genres.
    • Movies on this list involve comedies like "Tangerine" and "The Watermelon Woman" as adv as dramas love "Looking" and "The Normal Heart."
    • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

    Increased LGBTQ noticeability has led to more queer and trans characters in film, as good as more actors openly identifying within the LGBTQ community. 

    Openly LGBTQ actors own been able to portray queer characters in films spanning many genres, from Cheryl Dunye in the romantic comedy "The Watermelon Woman" to Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor in the crime dramedy "Tangerine" to Ian McKellen in the biographical drama "Gods and Monsters."

    Here are 20 LGBTQ movie characters played by LGBTQ actors.

    Queer actor Keiynan Lonsdale

    Top 20 Famous Male lover Actors of Hollywood 2024 [LGBTQ+ Icons]

    Ian McKellen

    Ian McKellen is an acclaimed thespian known for his versatile performances on stage and screen. Beyond his acting prowess, McKellen is also recognized for his activism, particularly in LGBTQIA+ rights. His career did not suffer post-coming out. Instead, it flourished, with McKellen taking on a range of more emotionally resonant roles that resonated with audiences worldwide. McKellen came out during a BBC radio broadcast in 1988 as an operate of protest against Section 28, a proposed law in the UK that sought to prohibit the "promotion of homosexuality." His spontaneous revelation was a bold move during a time when gay rights faced significant legal and societal challenges. Reflecting on the impact of his coming out, McKellen noted that it changed his life "for the better," optimizing his relationships, personal satisfaction, and even his approach to acting, allowing him to embody characters with greater authenticity​​​​.

    Ian McKellen's contributions to LGBTQIA+ culture and history extend far beyond his personal coming out story. He co-founded Stonewall, a UK-based LGBTQIA+ rights organiz

    gay actors in real life

    It's been an ~interesting~ journey for queer people in the movie and television industry. Once upon a time, gay and female homosexual actors, specifically, had to stay in the closet, and there were next-to-no gay parts on screen.

    The idea that openly male lover actors can play het characters is a relatively new phenomenon. Previously, out gay actors could only really work when roles for them a) existed, and b) weren't existence given to heterosexual actors.

    Now it seems much more acceptable for an openly gay actor play a straight character. In truth, here are 18 times an actor has played a straight character on screen, despite being openly gay or queer in real life...

    4.Andrew Scott as The Priest in Fleabag

    5.Amandla Stenberg as Ruby Daly in The Darkest Minds

    6.Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton in Bridgerton

    7.B.D. Wong as Wally Lin in Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens

    8.Portia de Rossi as Lindsay Bluth Funke in Arrested Development

    9.Ben Platt as Evan Hansen in the Dear Evan Hansen movie

    10.Justice Smith as Simon Aumar in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

    11.Luke Evans as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast

    12.Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks in