When it comes to proper representation within the LGBTQ+ world, it can be hard to find those characters that truly stand out and are accurate portrayals. What’s even better is when you find an actor behind the character who is also a part of that community and shines in that role. That’s what we aim to talk about today.
There are so many actors we could point to in both movies and TV, from Owen Thiele in Adults, to some amazing films of the last few years, such as All of Us Are Strangers, Bombshell, and more. Let’s talk about some incredible performances of LGBTQ+ characters from the LGBTQ+ community in honor of Pride Month.
All Of Us Strangers – Andrew Scott As Adam
All Of Us Are Strangers released in late 2023 to rave reviews and while I personally don’t think it got nearly as much hype as it should have, the one thing I will comment on is Andrew Scott. While the LGBTQ+ actor has taken on roles such as this before, there’s just something so raw and real about his portrayal of Adam.
The story follows a lonely screenwriter who begins a romance with his mysterious neighbor while also experiencing a strange instance where he is able to see his parents again – the movie itself certainly feels like there’s a small layer of fantasy, but the themes itself make this film that much better, including the lovely portrayal from Scott, who has talked about beinga part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Love, Simon - Keiynan Lonsdale As Bram Greenfeld
Released in 2018, Love, Simon is a story about a closeted gay young adult who struggles to balance his life amongst the blackmailer that is threatening to out him at school – while also trying to identify the anonymous classmate that he has fallen in love with. The film became so popular that a Hulu spinoff, titled Love, Victor, premiered not that long after, but was canceled after Season 3
In Love, Simon, Keiynan Lonsdale portrays Bram Greenfeld, one of Simon’s classmates and an openly gay student, and Keiynan himself came out in 2017. The film made strides for having a gay protagonist, becoming one of the first mainstream film to showcase a gay teen romance.
Adults – Owen Theile As Anton
Hailing from FX on Hulu, Adults is a series about a group of twenty-somethings literally just trying to survive daily life in New York City and going through the motions of becoming a functioning adult. One character in it that I absolutely love is Anton, who is played by the fabulous Owen Theile.
While Thiele has appeared in various shows beforehand, 2025 has really shown just how talented he is with both lead roles in Adults and Overcompensating (but I kind of like Adults just a smidge more). Anton is a hilarious character, and Owen Thiele rocks it. Thiele is a part of the LGBTQ+ community, and has even called for action to demand equal rights by donating to several charities (via Instagram).
Rustin – Colman Domingo As Bayard Rustin
Rustin itself was more of an under-the-radar critical darling of 2023, as it was one of CinemaBlend’s best movies of 2023, but you want to know what wasn’t? Colman Domingo’s performance as Bayard Rustin. It follows the story of the real-life civil rights activist who worked with MLK Jr. to organize the iconic 1963 March on Washington for equal rights in America.
Colman Domingo shines in his portrayal of Bayard Rustin, and his performance was so critically acclaimed that he earned an Academy Award nomination. Colman Domingo has become a much bigger name the last few years with many of the roles he had portrayed, and he even spoke in an interview with Advocate in 2021 that he hopes he’s breaking new ground for young Black gay men in Hollywood:
Hopefully, I'm breaking new ground for people who are like me. I believe, as a gay Black man, we don't have a lot of comparisons to a Daniel Day-Lewis or Philip Seymour Hoffman, actors who slip into different roles like I have, and are not limited in what they can portray.
Bombshell - Kate McKinnon As Jess Carr
Moving into the drama genre, we take a look at Kate McKinnon in Bombshell. You might recognize her name from her amazing performances on the classic late night television show Saturday Night Live, which she left in 2022, or maybe even from comedy movies such as the 2016 Ghostbusters or Office Christmas Party. But Kate McKinnon has an amazing range as an actress, and she showed that off when playing Jess Carr as part of the Bombshell cast.
While her character was fictional (set within a film that was based on true events), her role as the Fox News employee Jess Carr was impactful, and showed what it might be like for a closeted lesbian who works in a primarily conservative news space.
Yellowjackets – Liv Hewson as Vanessa Palmer
While Liv Hewson has been around in the TV world for a while, I absolutely love them as teenage Vanessa Palmer in the hit Showtime series, Yellowjackets. Vanessa is a character that had both stakes in the flashbacks of the world as well as modern-day, and her story of resilience is one that I truly love.
Hewson in real life identifies as non-binary, and uses they/them pronouns, according to Teen Vogue. The actor says that they have “never been happier” since they received gender-affirming surgery:
To have that be in the past now… I stand differently, I walk differently, I carry myself differently. It feels different in my body than it ever has. I have just never been happier.
The Normal Heart - Jim Parsons As Tommy Boatwright
Since starring as Shelden Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, Jim Parsons continues to take on new and exciting roles in both film and television. Everyone knows who he is and how often he has spoken about his sexuality. That’s why his portrayal of Tommy Boatwright in The Normal Heart felt even more compelling than any other role he has done, at least in my opinion.
The Normal Heart, based on the Larry Kramer 1985 play of the same name, depicts the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City during the early eighties, and Parsons plays a gay activist fighting to address the issue. Parsons is a talented actor, so it’s no surprise that he absolutely rocked this role. The film gives interesting insights into what happened back in the eighties and the struggles that activists had to face every single day.
Everything Everywhere All At Once – Stephanie Hsu As Joy Wang
I think out of all the movies that released in 2022, Everything Everywhere All At Once was the one that touched fans’ hearts the most, even if some of it was just straight-up weird. However, the film tells a beautiful story of love, family, and acceptance of one's faults, mainly led by two fantastic performances from both Michelle Yeoh and Stephanie Hsu.
Hsu portrayed Joy Wang, the daughter of Evelyn Quan Wang and one of the primary characters of the movie. Joy has a girlfriend in the movie, but Hsu also identifies as queer in real-life, according to The Eagle Online.
Harlem – Jerrie Johnson as Tye Reynolds
Harlem is a great TV show, one I would recommend to anyone, and a great character in it is Tye Reynolds, whose stories in the show are always some of the best. Reynolds is a hilarious character, but the actor behind the screen is even better.
Jerrie Johnson is a part of the LGBTQ+ community and got engaged to their girlfriend, and their wedding dresses were even featured in the New York Times (via Instagram) in April 2025!
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - Tituss Burgess As Titus Andromedon
Few have truly made me laugh out loud as Titus Andromedon on the classic Netflix series, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. This show, which primarily followed a young woman learning to adapt to normal every-day life after spending more than a decade locked below ground by a reverend, has always brought the laughs and provided some hilarious inside jokes, usually because of Titus Andromedon. He’s sassy, talented, and the best gay friend that we all need in our lives that will be blunt with you no matter what.
Tituss Burgess has been active in television for some time, including guest spots on 30 Rock, performing in musicals like Annie, and more, but nothing has quite come close to the hilarious nature of Titus Andromedon and the impact he made on television as a whole. Truly, there is no one like him.
I Saw The TV Glow – Justice Smith As Owen
I Saw The TV Glow released in 2024 by A24, and while it certainly wasn’t a huge hit at the box office, it’s slowly picking up steam on the internet, mainly due to Justice Smith’s amazing role of Owen. The film tells the story of two friends whose lives begin to spiral when their favorite show is cancelled – because honestly, same.
Jokes aside, Smith’s performance of Owen is gutting and cuts straight to the core, without spoiling anything, and if you want an excellent psychological horror-drama, this is the film for you. Justice Smith came out in 2020 as a queer person, and ever since then he’s advocated for the support of Black queer and trans lives.
Portrait Of A Lady On Fire - Adele Haenel As Heloise
Released in 2019, Portrait of a Lady on Fire follows Adele Haenel portrayed Heloise, a young 19th-century lesbian who fiercely opposes the arranged marriage set up for her, but later has a romance with a woman who was commissioned to paint her wedding portrait.
Adele Haenel publicly came out back in 2014 when she won a Cesar Award, and has since been very open about who she is. The film portrays what it’s like to have that kind of romance that changes you for the rest of your life, and that it doesn’t matter what gender that you are – love is love, and when you meet that one person that can change you, it sticks with you until the end.
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies – Amandla Stenberg As Sophie
Hands down, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies is one of the best horror movies from A24, and tells a hilariously horrific story of a group of young adults who are staying in a mansion and play a murder-game that actually turns real, and soon it’s a whodunit as they try and stay alive. Amandla Stenberg plays Sophie, the main character, and while her queerness isn’t the main plotline of the film, it certainly plays an important role.
In 2016, Amandla Stenberg came out as bisexual, but she also said that “pansexual” was a good term to describe her as well, according to Elle. The actress has appeared in a variety of roles since then, but personally, I don’t think any of them have come as close as the craziness that is Bodies, Bodies, Bodies.
Looking - Jonathan Groff As Patrick Murray
Jonathon Groff has an impressive resume for plenty of people to admire. From voicing Kristoff as part of the Frozen and Frozen II cast to portraying the king in Hamilton, he’s been around the block plenty of times, showing off his amazing acting and singing skills. But one show that you may or may not remember him from was in the HBO series Looking, where he portrayed Patrick Murray.
The series follows the story of three gay men living in San Francisco, and their lives and friendships. The series went on for two seasons, which were followed by a feature-length film in 2016. Looking may have only lasted for a short amount of time, but its impact on television is felt all the same. In an interview with the New York Times, Groff talked about the significance of the show. When asked how he'd feel if he were able to watch the show as a teenager, he said:
The whole show is very romantic. It’s about relationships. In the commercial, it’s two men kissing each other. I just never saw that except on “Will & Grace,” and that was very powerful for me to see.
Bottoms – Ayo Edebiri As Josie
Bottoms was the queer comedy of 2023 in my eyes. The movie tells the story of two teenagers in high school who start a female-only fight club in order to have sex with cheerleaders. Yes, this sounds exactly like a 2000s teen comedy and yes, it’s just as funny as you can expect it to be, especially with two leads like Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri as part of the Bottoms cast.
While Ayo Edibiri’s best roles include plenty of other shows and movies, like The Bear or Big Mouth, I freaking love her in Bottoms as Josie because she perfectly exemplifies what it’s like to be a young LGBTQ+ person in high school who is just trying to survive and be somehow cool. Even Ayo Edebiri said in an interview with Refinery 29 in September 2023 that it’s “radical” she gets to be a young Black queer person and do the crazy stuff she’s done in a movie in Hollywood nowadays.
Glee - Chris Colfer As Kurt Hummel
Glee, when it released, was an iconic show, becoming a huge hit for Fox. The series was all about misfits coming together in a high school glee club in order to find companionship when it felt there was no one there for them, and one of those characters that stuck around from the very first season was Kurt Hummel, a closeted gay student (at first) at William McKinley High School.
Chris Colfer played the character, and over time, Kurt became more sure of himself not only as a gay man but as a voice for his community, and showing that just because someone might not like your sparkle, that doesn’t mean you need to dim it for anyone else. His voice was always unique and made for some amazing covers. The Glee cast was so talented in so many ways, but Colfer stood out amongst the rest.
The Last Of Us – Bella Ramsey As Ellie
As someone who grew up playing The Last of Us, Ellie was a bit of a gay icon for me. She was a lead character (in a HUGE video game) that was openly lesbian and as someone who was struggling with her own bisexuality at the time, it was freaking fantastic to see the representation on screen. That’s why when I discovered that the young person also playing Ellie, Bella Ramsey, was non-binary in real-life, I knew it would be a perfect fit.
I just knew they would understand how Ellie was portrayed, and my favorite video game character suddenly turned into my favorite TV character. Ramsey is known for their portrayal of Lyanna Mormont as well as in the Game of Thrones cast, but her role in The Last of Us Season 2 has been a game-changer.
Hearts Beat Loud - Kiersey Clemons As Sam Fisher
Kiersey Clemons has had some awesome roles in the past, from her breakout role as a teen lesbian in the 2015 comedy-drama Dope to her role in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, or even her more recent role in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. However, one of her best roles from the films I have seen has to be Hearts Beat Loud, the musical comedy, where she stars as Sam Fisher.
Hearts Beat Loud is all about Sam Fisher and her father, played by Nick Offerman, who is a record store owner and tries to convince her to start a band with him after a song they recorded went viral. The story not only has some great music but captures what it’s like as a young gay teenager to try and develop a true relationship with their family when some of them don’t quite understand what you’re going through. It’s definitely one of the underrated picks on this list and deserves so much more praise.
Jennifer’s Body - Megan Fox As Jennifer
In Jennifer’s Body, the titular character, characterized as bisexual, is possessed by a demon, who goes on a rampage in school to fill its need for human flesh, whether that be boys or girls.
Megan Fox herself is bisexual, telling Esquire back in 2011 about her thoughts about her sexuality.
I think people are born bisexual and then make subconscious choices based on the pressures of society. I have no question in my mind about being bisexual.
After seeing her star in several films for her beauty and talent as an actress, it’s empowering to hear Megan Fox speak so openly about who she is, and even more interesting to rewatch her portrayal of Jennifer years later. It’s awesome to see sexuality portrayed in something like a horror movie, but I’m here for it regardless.
Happiest Season - Kristen Stewart As Abby Holland
2020 was a year of few big film releases, with so many dates changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many viewers turned to streaming for their entertainment and Happiest Season was one of them, telling the story of a woman who is struggling to come out to her conservative family when she brings her girlfriend home for the holidays.
Kristen Stewart takes on the lead role as Abby Holland in the Happiest Season cast, the girlfriend of Harper, who comes home with her during the holidays. Kristen Stewart herself has come out as queer, and discussed in an interview with InStyle, how her journey of coming out helped her portray the character in the film. When asked if it was her own experiences that drew her to the role, she discussed the challenges of dating and fame during her early twenties, and being asked about her sexuality, stating:
I felt like maybe there were things that have hurt people I've been with. Not because I felt ashamed of being openly gay but because I didn't like giving myself to the public, in a way. It felt like such thievery. This was a period of time when I was sort of cagey. Even in my previous relationships, which were straight, we did everything we could to not be photographed doing things — things that would become not ours. So I think the added pressure of representing a group of people, of representing queerness, wasn't something I understood then. Only now can I see it. Retrospectively, I can tell you I have experience with this story. But back then I would have been like, "No, I'm fine. My parents are fine with it. Everything's fine." That's bullshit. It's been hard. It's been weird. It's that way for everyone.
When an actor goes through something so personal, it’s not a surprise that the character comes off so organically real, and that was the case with Happiest Season. Not only is it a great Christmas film, but it’s certainly a great portrayal of what coming out to a conservative family can be like.
Clean Slate – Laverne Cox as Desiree
While Laverne Cox has been in the business for a while, there are so many amazing roles we could point to that I knew I wanted to focus on a new one of hers. While everyone knows her as Sophia from Orange is the New Black, I wanted to focus on Desiree, a trans woman from Clean Slate who wishes to rebuild her relationship with her father.
Cox has identified as transgender for many years and is actively a part of the LGBTQ+ community. The show, which is on Amazon Prime, actively dives into modern-day complexities within the American family of learning to adjust to life changes and how people live their lives while also dealing with the topic of rights within the LGBTQ+ community – all while telling jokes that make you chuckle throughout it. Cox is a star, as always.
Schitt's Creek - Dan Levy As David Rose
Of course I had to put Schitt’s Creek on here. Schitt's Creek ended up becoming extremely popular in 2020, even going on to sweep the comedic awards at the 2020 Primetime Emmys for its final season. One of the stars of the show - as well as one of the creators - was Dan Levy, who played David Rose, the pansexual son of Moira and Johnny. And in my opinion, David Rose was one of the funniest characters that Schitt's Creek had, and I am going to miss him terribly now that the show is over.
Dan Levy, who is gay, did an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2022 about David's pansexuality, and how it affected Schitt's Creek as a whole.
When you break down a character, certain things just appear. And there’s something exciting about exploring things that haven’t necessarily been represented on television before. But I knew we never wanted it to be a “teachable moment.” We made a conscious choice that his sexuality would never be in danger—that the town was going to be completely accepting of everybody. I wanted to show a projection of our own world that was kinder, show how much people can grow and the capacity with which people can love when they are not fearing for their lives. We never really tackle politics on the show, but in a way, that was the political stand I took.
All representation starts somewhere, and I believe that David Rose was the perfect step in the right direction. Besides, who else would have been able to pull off that character other than Dan Levy? And if you had another option, I'm very uninterested in that opinion.
I can’t wait to see who from this list appears in our 2025 movie schedule or what they might be doing next in the 2025 TV schedule. I’m champing at the bit for any new projects they might have coming – but maybe I could just rewatch some of these and enjoy the ride all over again.
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