11 Straight Actors who Jump-Started Their Careers by Playing Gay

Success in acting often comes down to opportunity. Most successful actors hope to reach the A-list and it's been proven true that one never knows where the best opportunity to show off one's acting skills will come. Most young actors looking to break through have taken on unique roles and sometimes those roles are queer characters. This week's listicle highlights 11 instances where straight actors took on gay roles in film or television before finding success in their acting careers. For some, these roles were a stepping stone to bigger things and for others, these roles left a major mark on their film legacies. Leave a comment below if we missed any of your favorites. Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Rome Flynn
Drumeline: A New Beat (2014)
Most known for his television roles on series like How to Get Away with Murder, The Bold & the Beautiful, Chicago Fire, Grey's Anatomy, The Haves and the Have Nots, and Dear White People, Flynn actually began his career with a television movie, starring in the sequel Drumline: A New Beat. Flynn played openly gay college student Leon, a member of the drumline who immediately befriends leading lady Dani (Alexandra Shipp) upon her arrival at college and happens to room with her eventual love interest Jayven (Jordan Calloway). Leon gets his own romantic subplot during the film, when he takes an interest in fellow student Quentin (Quentin Plair). His romantic hopes get dashed when he discovers Quentin's girlfriend, but the two guys do get to share a kiss before the revelation.

 

Nicholas Gonzalez
Undressed (1999)
After a bit part on Dharma & Greg, Gonzalez appeared in six episodes of the late-night MTV anthology series Undressed, playing Andy, a young gay man whose relationship with his boyfriend Joel (Eyal Podell) comes into conflict when he finds Joel's hidden straight porn, leading to several questions stemming from Joel's past. Gonzalez would go on to appear in television series like Resurrection Blvd., The O.C., Sleepy Hollow, Pretty Little Liars, How to Get Away with Murder, Being Mary Jane, The Good Doctor and the recently cancelled NBC drama La Brea. Gonzalez was joined on Undressed by a young Pedro Pascal playing Alex's gay best friend. Gonzalez would reunite with Pascal years later when he guest starred on Pascal's series Narcos.

 

Steve Zahn
Reality Bites (1994)
Zahn's first notable feature film role came in the coming of age romantic comedy Reality Bites, directed by his fellow actor Ben Stiller. The film followed documentary filmmaker Lelaina (Winona Ryder) and her three roommates as they pursued work and love after college graduation. Zahn played Sammy Gray, a member of the roommate quartet struggling to come to terms with his homosexuality. Zahn would later gain notoriety for his roles in Crimson Tide, That Thing You Do!, Out of Sight, Stuart Little, Joy Ride, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dallas Buyers Club, War for the Planet of the Apes, The Righteous Gemstones and The White Lotus. He also returned to queer cinema with his starring role in the drama Uncle Frank.

 

Josh Radnor
ER (2003)
After a few bit parts in Not Another Teen Movie and Law & Order, Radnor was cast in a notable guest spot on the long-running hit medical drama ER, playing Keith, a young staffer for local Alderman John Bright (Bruce Weitz). The recurring politician pressures Dr. Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) to treat Keith for syphilis in secret, revealing his affair with his employee. Keith arrives at the hospital and Weaver fulfills the request off the record, only for Keith to die from an allergic reaction to his treatment, putting Weaver into further conflict with Bright and her own choice. Radnor would go on to be best known for his role as lead character Ted Mosby in the nine-season hit comedy How I Met Your Mother, which would premiere two years after his guest spot on the medical drama.  

 

Charlie Hunnam
Queer as Folk (1999)
Before he gained notoriety in the US for his roles in Cold Mountain, Pacific Rim, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and the drama series Sons of Anarchy, buff heartthrob Charlie Hunnam played the role of young twink Nathan Maloney in the groundbreaking UK series Queer as Folk. The critically-acclaimed adult drama ran for 10 episodes, exploring the lives of gay best friends Vince (Craig Kelly) & Stuart. When Nathan & Stuart (Aiden Gillen) share a tryst, the teenage Nathan is unable to let go of the older man, though Stuart intends on just adding Nathan to his long list of one-night stands. Despite moving on to more straight leading roles, Hunnam allowed the 2022 US reboot to use his current image for a dating app where a present-day Nathan could be seen.

 

Sam Heughan
A Very British Sex Scandal (2007)
Best known for his television roles on Doctors, The Couple Next Door and the acclaimed drama Outlander, Heughan's first film role came seven years before he took up the role of heartthrob Jamie Fraser. He played Edward McNally in the television movie A Very British Sex Scandal, which chronicled the events in the life of royal correspondent Peter Wildeblood (Martin Hutson) that would eventually lead to the decriminalization of homosexuality in Great Britain. In the 1950s, Wildeblood engaged in a lengthy, and secret, affair with Air Force soldier Eddie. The docu-drama detailed their fateful weekend getaway that would lead to the titular scandal. Wildeblood would be arrested for gross indecency and buggery in a landmark case that would mark a turning point in the treatment of homosexuality in Britain.

 

Karl Urban
Shortland Street (1993)
26 years before he became Billy Butcher on The Boys, Urban was preparing for university in his native New Zealand when he was snapped up by the long-running NZ soap opera Shortland Street, where the then 21-year-old Urban played paramedic Jamie Forrest. In addition to ferrying patients into the hospital, Jamie's personal life got some attention, as it was revealed that he was gay. The groundbreaking character was the first openly homosexual character on the soap. In what was initially a guest appearance that turned into a 6-month stint, Jamie struck up a romance with local teen Jonathon McKenna (Keiren Hutchison) until Urban's departure in 1994. In addition to The Boys, Urban is now well known for his roles in major film franchises from Star Trek to Marvel to Lord of the Rings.

 

Rami Malek
The War at Home (2005)
Rami Malek won his lead actor Academy Award for playing queer music icon Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. 13 years earlier, Malek played the role of Kenny on the family sitcom The War at Home. Kenny was the neighbor and best friend of the Gold family's teenage son Larry (Kyle Sullivan). Given the boys' quirky relationship and off-beat tastes, Larry's father Dave (Michael Rapaport) assumed both boys were gay. However, Larry would come out as straight while Kenny did come out as gay. Despite the comedy, the series did not shy away from serious topics related to Kenny's coming out in Season 2. After Dave convinced Kenny to tell his parents the truth about his homosexuality, they kicked him out. This led to Kenny being taken in by the Gold family.

 

Ryan Phillippe
One Life to Live (1992)
The year before Karl Urban's groundbreaking queer soap opera role in New Zealand, it was Ryan Phillippe who made US television history, playing the first gay teen on daytime television with his role on the soap opera One Life to Live. Phillippe made his television acting debut as Billy Douglas, a tormented teen whose coming out was a groundbreaking moment in television history. Phillippe would later find success with the films Crimson Tide, I Know What You Did Last Summer, 54, Cruel Intentions, Gosford Park, Crash, Flags of Our Fathers, The Lincoln Lawyer, and the dramatic series Damages and Shooter. Phillippe has spoken on several occasions about the life-changing role of Billy and how it influenced his life and affected his later career.

 

Pedro Pascal
Undressed (1999)
The previously-mentioned MTV series Undressed provided a notable role in the early career of Pedro Pascal. Under the name Pedro Balmaceda, Pascal played the role of Greg, the gay friend of feuding couple Andy & Joel. For three episodes, Greg attempted to help Andy & Joel (Eyal Podell) through their conflict, suggesting an intervention for Andy (Nicholas Gonzalez) to host so that he can get to the bottom of Joel's interest in straight porn. Pascal would follow-up with a role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer before gaining notoriety for his roles on the series Game of Thrones, Narcos, The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. 24 years after Undressed, Pascal would take on another notable queer role in the short film Strange Way of Life, alongside Ethan Hawke.  

 

Bradley Cooper
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
After a brief one-episode appearance on Sex and the City, Cooper made his feature film debut playing a supporting role in the summer camp comedy Wet Hot American Summer. While his character Ben seemed inseparable from his fellow female counselor Susie (Amy Poehler), it would be revealed that he was in a romance with fellow counselor McKinley (Michael Ian Black) in the 80s-themed comedy. The plot even included a gay wedding scene for the couple. Cooper reprised the role in the 2015 prequel miniseries Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. In 2023, Cooper would play gay again, taking on the role of legendary orchestra conductor Leonard Bernstein in Maestro, a role for which he secured his fourth Academy Award nomination for lead actor.