The internet is abuzz after the reveal of a new queer romance on Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, between veteran anchor Laura Peterson (Julianna Margulies) and UBA’s Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon), whom we’d presumed to be heterosexual until last week’s episode ended with a steamy Bradley-Laura backseat make-out. Fans were over the moon to see actors as huge as Witherspoon and Margulies taking part in a moment of queer representation onscreen, and the instantly-iconic kiss got us thinking about our favorite LGBTQ+ characters on TV — especially those played by LGBTQ+ actors.
While our hearts inevitably warm at any portrayal of queer romance that helps normalize these stories and raise awareness of the struggles still faced by the LGBTQ+ population, there’s no doubt that representation off-screen is just as important, ensuring that the movie and TV industry actually practices what it preaches when it comes to inclusion and equal opportunity. Take a recent example: Billy Porter’s portrayal of ballroom emcee Pray Tell in Pose.
No matter what, the character of Pray Tell would have been an important moment of representation for the queer community. But Porter’s intense ability to relate to his character, down to his HIV positive diagnosis revealed in 2021, undoubtedly transformed just how nuanced and vulnerable his portrayal was able to be.
As Porter told The Hollywood Reporter, Pose was “an opportunity to work through the shame [of HIV] and where I have gotten to in this moment…the brilliance of Pray Tell and this opportunity was that I was able to say everything that I wanted to say through a surrogate.” Pray Tell was a brilliantly-written character — but Porter’s performance and the show’s reception were deepened by the actor’s unique ability to understand the complex emotions and stigma of what he sought to represent.
In honor of all the LGBTQ+ actors who have brought us invaluable queer stories on TV, we’re taking a look at our favorite LGBTQ+ TV characters brought to life by queer actors. These roles offered queer actors invaluable opportunities to tell queer stories on TV, fighting for representation and visibility while bringing juicy drama, hilarious comedy, and meaningful relationships to our TVs every week — and we’re so thankful. Read on for our favorites.
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Pray Tell in ‘Pose’
Billy Porter is the first queer Black man to win an Emmy, and he won it for his incredible performance as Pose’s resident ballroom father figure Pray Tell. Porter’s Emmy win isn’t the only history-making happening at Pose: it also boasts a cast of the largest amount of transgender actors to ever appear on a network TV show.
Watch on Netflix.
Sophia Burset in ‘Orange Is the New Black’
Laverne Cox’s spellbinding performance as Sophia Burset gave viewers an insight into the reality of the lives of incarcerated trans women. As Litchfield Penitentiary’s resident hairstylist, Sophia showed her ingenuity, creativity, and compassion to her fellow inmates, and captivated us in the process.
Watch on Netflix.
Rickie Vasquez in ‘My So-Called Life’
Wilson Cruz was the first openly queer actor to play an openly queer teen on TV with his portrayal of Rickie Vasquez in the quintessential 90s teen show My So-Called Life. The character of Rickie helped to push LGBTQ+ representation into the mainstream; as Cruz himself told the Today show in 2021: “up until that point, we [queer people] were the sidekicks, and the people that were always thought of after the fact, but Rickie Vasquez…was demanding to be seen.”
Watch on Hulu.
Denise in ‘Master of None’
Though Lena Waithe’s Master of None character Denise caught our attention from the first moment she appeared on screen, she absolutely shone in the show’s iconic “Thanksgiving” episode in the second season. The episode jumps through time, showing Thanksgivings through the years at Denise’s family’s home, all the while depicting the process of Denise’s coming out and her parents’ strained but eventual acceptance.
Watch on Netflix.
Taylor Mason in ‘Billions’
Asia Kate Dillon made history in their portrayal of Taylor Mason, the first non-binary character on North American TV. Taylor’s storyline wasn’t centered around their queerness, but rather it was presented as just one of many integral parts of their character.
Watch on Showtime.
David Rose in ‘Schitt’s Creek’
Dan Levy’s acerbic and lovable David Rose provides us with an at once irreverent and sincere way of thinking about sexuality in the show’s first season, after drunkenly sleeping with his straight female friend Stevie, who had assumed David was gay. After a confused Stevie pointedly says while wine shopping, “I only drink red wine. And up until last night, I was under the impression that you, too, only drank red wine. But I guess I was wrong?” David responds: “I see where you’re going with this. Um, I do drink red wine. But I also drink white wine. And I’ve been known to sample the occasional rosé. And a couple summers back I tried a merlot that used to be a chardonnay, which got a bit complicated…I like the wine and not the label. Does that make sense?”
Watch on Netflix.
Poussey Washington in ‘Orange Is the New Black’
Samira Wiley won— and broke— hearts all over as Orange Is the New Black’s inimitable Poussey Washington, whose charismatic screen presence and fascinating backstory captivated us until Poussey’s tragic death in Season 4. Thankfully, we got to see more of Wiley through flashbacks right up until the show ended after its 7th season.
Watch on Netflix.
Shane McCutcheon in ‘The L Word’
Is there a more iconic queer character/queer actor combo than Katherine Moennig as The L Word’s resident apathetic hottie Shane McCutcheon? Moenning was so perfect for the role that co-creator Ilene Chaiken’s first impression of her was that she was “specifically and explicitly Shane,” and we couldn’t agree more.
Kurt Hummel in ‘Glee’
Chris Colfer charmed us all as sweet high school tenor Kurt Hummel on the mid-aughts musical comedy classic Glee. Kurt’s coming-out experience is a large part of his early storyline, and we loved following along as he came into his own queerness and became even more comfortable being himself.
Watch on Netflix.
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