Tyler Posey hopes Now Apocalypse gay character inspires others
Tyler Posey attends the premiere of ‘Now Apocalypse’ in which he plays a gay character for the first time. (Frazer Harrison/Getty)
Actor Tyler Posey has opened up about his excitement at playing a gay character for the first time in the new Starz comedy series Now Apocalypse.
Posey, best known for playing the lead role in MTV’s Teen Wolf, stars as Gabriel in Now Apocalypse. The character develops an intimate relationship with main character Ulysses Zane, played by Avan Jogia, after the two meet on a gay dating app.
Posey has previously played a bisexual character in Jane The Virgin, but his role in Now Apocalypse includes several gay sex scenes, as well as full-frontal nudity.
“I was excited to play a gay character, because I’m really comfortable with my sexuality.”
— Tyler Posey
“I was excited to play a gay character, because I’m really comfortable with my sexuality” Posey told AOL in an interview published on Friday (March 15).
Posey said he hoped his character will inspire others to be just as self-confident.
“I think it’s cool that somebody could see me on the show and say, ‘Hey, that kid is really comfortable with his sexuality, and he’s going all for it and that can inspire me to love myself,'” he said.
The cast of Now Apocalypse, L-R: Tyler Posey, Karley Sciortino, Roxane Mesquida, Avan Jogia, Beau Mirchoff, Kelli Berglund, and Gregg Araki. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Now Apocalypse star Jogia instead defined his character as “a sexual astronaut” in an interview with TVLine.
“Sexuality is a spectrum, and he moves around it. He definitely has the realms in which he’s most comfortable, but he’s also down to try new stuff out. I like playing a character that’s asking a different question about sexuality, even blurring of the lines of sexuality,” he said.
Jogia added: “It’s not so cut and dry. We can explore many things all at the same time. There aren’t enough characters doing that in movies or on TV.”
Tyler Posey weighs in debate on actors playing LGBT+ roles
Posey was asked about how he feels about being a straight actor playing a gay character, amid an ongoing debate over the portrayal of LGBT+ characters on the small and big screen.
Several other actors, both straight and LGBT+, have been expressing their opinions on the matter.
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace star Darren Criss, who is straight, recently vowed to never play another gay character again, as to avoid being “another straight boy taking a gay man’s role.”
Posey, who in 2017 apologised after posting a video on Snapchat in which he appeared to come out as gay, welcomed the debate. He questioned, however, the idea of imposing limits on what actors can and cannot play.
He said: “Does that mean that gay people are only limited to play gay roles and can’t play straight roles? It puts lines and barriers around what we’re trying to portray on the show of being fluid and open and everyone being accepted.”
