11 LGBTQ+ Actors You Should Know About
LGBTQ+ representation in film and television has improved over the years, but there's still plenty of work to be done. Often, straight actors still end up getting cast for lesbian, gay, or bisexual roles, and many trans characters are continually played by cisgender performers. Portraying queer narratives without queer actors is an issue not just because it makes the role feel less authentic — it also leaves queer people with fewer opportunities to be lauded for their work. If we’re celebrating queer narratives, why aren’t we celebrating queer actors by allowing them to play these roles?
This issue is even more apparent when considering just how many incredible LGBTQ+ actors are around to fill these roles. It’s not a new problem, but it’s one that’s easily solved. And while it’s up to creators and casting to showcase queer talent, it’s up to us to keep talking about it.
Hey, Hollywood — here are some suggestions for LGBTQ+ performers to cast:
©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection1/11Ian Alexander
Ian Alexander got his big break as Buck in the Netflix series The OA back in 2016, and he made waves doing so. At the time, he was lauded by GLAAD as the only Asian-American trans actor on television screens — at only 15 years old. He acted in community theater productions in Washington, D.C., before finding out about the role of Buck via Tumblr. Since The OA, he also appeared in the teen movie Every Day and is currently working as one of the leads in the much-anticipated video game The Last of Us: Part II. He’s very vocal on social media about trans causes, and his fans love him for his funny responses. Like when he epically shut down a couple of bigots.
Tony Rivetti2/11Elliot Fletcher
Elliot Fletcher’s first television role was on MTV’s Faking It, where he played a trans man named Noah. Following that gig, he had a standout role on Freeform’s The Fosters as a recurring character. Most recently, he’s been bringing to light trans issues as Trevor in Shameless, in which his character works as a social worker at the local LGBTQ+ center. He’s also become an advocate for trans actors in Hollywood. Last year, he was part of an open letter series that shined a spotlight on trans issues and urged creators to bring more trans representation to the film industry.
Mike Coppola3/11Nicole Maines
At Comic-Con 2018, it was announced that Nicole Maines would join the next season of Supergirl as a transgender superhero — the first on television. She’ll be playing Nia Nal, also known as Dreamer, a fellow employee at CatCo Worldwide Media. Before landing the role on the CW series, Nicole appeared on HBO’s The Trans List as herself and had a couple of small roles as a performer. When asked about her new role, Nicole told Variety, “I think we’re in a time right now where more than ever representation in the media matters. And what we see on television has a very dramatic effect on our society.”
Annapurna Pictures4/11Tessa Thompson
Many fans remember when Tessa Thompson played Jackie Cook on cult favorite Veronica Mars. Since then, she’s made a name for herself as a powerful actor in movies such as Selma, Thor: Ragnarok, and Annihilation. She has also made numerous television appearances and appeared in an off-Broadway production of Smart People. In a June 2018 interview, she opened up about her sexuality and confirmed that she is attracted to both men and women. Tessa also spoke about her relationship with Janelle Monáe, saying that they “love each other deeply.”
Photo by: Nikko Lamere5/11Josie Totah
Josie Totah is another actor bringing queer representation to the world of teen acting. Most recently, she starred in Mindy Kaling’s Champions as an openly gay teenager, breaking stereotypes with comedy and zeal. Before Champions, she made numerous guest stints on popular shows, including Glee, New Girl, and Disney Channel’s Jessie, along with being a scene stealer in the movie Other People. Besides being outspoken about LGBTQ+ representation, Josie also understood the importance of her Champions character being multiracial: In a recent interview with [Teen Vogue]((https://www.teenvogue.com/story/champions-star-jj-totah), she said, “I think it's really cool that our show not only represents a few LGBTQ characters, but they also represent characters of multiple identities, whether that's their background, their ethnicity, or just where they're from. We really don't see that in media nowadays.” Since the ending of Champions, Josie has come out as transgender and continues to push for LGBTQ+ representation in media.
Clay Enos6/11Ezra Miller
Ezra Miller began his career in the 2008 film Afterschool, but he began to garner more attention from Hollywood for his role as Patrick, a gay man, in 2012’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower. His talents go beyond acting — he’s also a musician who plays the band Sons of an Illustrious Father. Ezra identifies as queer, telling Out magazine back in 2012, “I have a lot of really wonderful friends who are of very different sexes and genders. I am very much in love with no one in particular. I’ve been trying to figure out relationships, you know?” He’s set to star in the next Fantastic Beasts movie as Credence Barebon and will be reprising his role as the Flash in the upcoming solo superhero flick Flashpoint.
Jaap Buitendijk7/11Lena Waithe
Lena Waithe has been killing the game in the public eye for the last few years, notably for her role acting and writing on Netflix’s Master of None. When she won the Emmy for outstanding writing in a comedy series in 2017, she used her speech to address her LGBTQIA family. She also created Showtime’s The Chi, guest-starred on Dear White People, and appeared in the movie Ready Player One. On top of all this, she manages to find time to be the cochair of the Committee of Black Writers at the Writer’s Guild, working to bring more people of color and queer artists into the world of television and film. All this important work landed her on the cover of Vanity Fair’s April issue.
Participant8/11Josh Thomas
On top of being a comedian, Josh Thom is also a talented writer, actor, and director. He’s best known for creating and starring in the Australian comedy series Please Like Me, which explores issues like coming out and mental health with deft humor. And he’s an activist, too: In 2014 he appeared on ABC in Australia and argued relentlessly with a government official about mental health for the LGBTQ+ community.
Copyright 2018, FX Networks. All Rights Reserved.9/11Mj Rodriguez
Mj Rodriguez has recently been making headlines for her fabulous role as Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista on FX’s new hit series Pose. In the past, she has made appearances on shows such as Nurse Jackie and Luke Cage. But she really started her performance career as a teenager in the ballroom scene, when she was discovered by her house father at the age of 14. She has publicly praised the opportunity to play a trans woman on Pose, stating in a recent interview: “I'm glad that we get to be the spokespeople for the story. It's a huge responsibility, but it's the best responsibility to ever have.”
©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection10/11Jamie Clayton
Jamie Clayton’s first major role was on the third season of HBO’s Hung. But she’s perhaps best known for her role in Netflix’s Sense8, where she played the brilliant hacker Nomi Marks. About her coming out as a trans woman, Jamie once said, “I’m here; I’m this girl. I’m totally like everybody else.” In the tumultuous backlash following Scarlett Johansson’s casting as a trans man in an upcoming movie (she dropped out following criticism), Jamie tweeted: “Actors who are trans never even get to audition FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN ROLES OF TRANS CHARACTERS. THATS THE REAL ISSUE. WE CANT EVEN GET IN THE ROOM.”
Monica Schipper11/11Keiynan Lonsdale
You might recognize him as Bram from the queer teen hit Love, Simon, but Keiynan Lonsdale’s first major roles included turns in Dance Academy and the movie Insurgent, alongside Shailene Woodley and Theo James. He also starred in The Flash as Wally West and eventually made his way to Legends of Tomorrow as Kid Flash. In a June 2018 interview with MTV News, he said that seeing Ezra Miller play a superhero as an openly queer actor helped give him the confidence to come out.
