Lukas Gage feels affinity with Heartstopper’s Kit Connor after sexuality ‘witch hunt’
Lukas Gage and Kit Connor shared similar coming out experiences (Getty Images)
White Lotus star Lukas Gage has expressed empathy with Heartstopper‘s Kit Connor after ‘witch hunts’ that forced the pair to come out publicly.
Gage, who is arguably best-known for simulating a rarely-televised gay sex act with Murray Bartlett in The White Lotus, receiving a ‘golden shower’ in Netflix’s You, and marrying (and swiftly divorcing) celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, only publicly addressed his sexuality after his LGBTQ+ roles become a talking point in the press.
It was a coming out similar to that of Kit Connor, who wrote that he was ‘forced‘ to come out amid ‘queer-baiting’ accusations from fans.
Speaking to Attitude magazine, Gage weighed in on the ‘witch hunt’ that ensued from Gage playing gay roles before he publicly came out, and compared his experience to that of Heartstopper star Connor, who is set to star in upcoming military drama Warfare.
“I was dealing with people coming for me, being like, ‘Why is he stealing a gay role? He’s just a straight guy, how dare he,’ blah blah blah.”
On his opinions of who should play queer roles (à la Daniel Craig in, well, Queer), Gage explained, “It’s two-fold. I’m in the camp where there’s of course certain scenarios. It’s an injustice to not cast with diversity and inclusion, to tell the most authentic story.
“In other less specific cases, it’s important to remember it is acting, and we should be free to play as many different kinds of roles as possible. There has to be grace and generosity. I don’t like it when people do a witch hunt for people for doing it.”
He added: “Trying to take them down. … There’s a grey area with sexuality. Nuances. To be demanding receipts… I remember, it was the same time people were coming for me, they were coming for Kit [Connor].
“Feeling bullied into coming out at 18 years old? That area where public and private intersect is so confusing to me. I want to have visibility, to be a role model. I want little kids to see me and think, ‘He’s doing it — I could do it too.’ But it’s also the thing Tina Fey said, ‘Authenticity is expensive’.”
Gage will next be seen in psychological thriller Companion, whereas Kit Connor fans recently got a glimpse of the star in Warfare.
Warfare is set for a US premiere sometime in 2025. A UK release date is yet to be announced.
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