20 Queer Actors Who Famously Went Full Frontal in Films

In order to live out and proud, queer people have always had to be fearless. When it comes to fully sharing one's body, many actors have also been fearless, embracing their roles to their fullest extent. Many queer actors have embraced frontal nude scenes, whether playing gay or straight characters in movies. This week's listicle highlights 20 queer actors who famously went full frontal on film. Leave a comment below if we missed any of your favorites. Warning: Spoilers (and Nudity) Ahead!

Thomas Dekker 
Beginning his career at the age of six, Thomas Dekker is known for his roles in television, film and voice acting. In 2010, Dekker starred in the science fiction independent sex comedy Kaboom, which featured a distant frontal scene for his character Smith, a sexually-fluid college student experiencing strange dreams and quirky characters. Dekker officially came out in 2017 when he announced his marraige to fellow actor Jesse Haddock. 

 

David Marshall Grant 
Out actor David Marshall Grant has had a resume full of both gay and straight roles. In 1989, he appeared in a groundbreaking episode of the series thirtysomething where his character was shown in bed with another man. Just a few years earlier, he appeared in one of his only nude scenes for the 1985 film American Flyers, where Grant starred as David Sommers. Grant showed partial frontal nudity as his character changed clothes.

 

Lachlan Buchanan 
Australian actor Lachlan Buchanan came out publicly in 2020, coinciding with his recurring roles on the series Station 19 and Dynasty, where he played gay roles simultaneously. Buchanan's acting career first gained traction in 2008 with the series Blue Water High and the feature film Newcastle. The latter role got Buchanan completely naked as his character Jesse got an embarrassment nude scene after going skinny-dipping with co-star Xavier Samuel.

 

Alexander Lincoln 
UK actor Alexander Lincoln has taken on several queer roles in his career. For his starring role in 2022's In From the Side, Lincoln played rugby player Mark who embarks on an affair with his teammate Warren (Alexander King) causing drama in their relationships. He showed rear and frontal nudity for a team shower scene. While Lincoln has never ascribed to any label of his sexuality, he did confirm in 2023 that he is not straight. 

 

Ian McKellen 
Legendary actor Ian McKellen has an extensive resume that all started in 1964. He's played both straight and queer characters over the course of his career spanning over 60 years. Despite over 130 credits, McKellen was never known for nudity. However, for his role as allegedly bi-curious novelist D.H. Lawrence in the 1981 biographical drama Priest of Love, McKellen showed rear and frontal nudity as Lawrence frolicked on the beach.

 

Julian Morris 
For most of his career, out UK actor Julian Morris has played straight roles. Morris showed the most skin for two of those straight roles. He did full frontal nudity in the 2008 thriller Donkey Punch when a group of young people's holiday in Spain goes horribly wrong. Morris later showed partial frontal nudity in the 2012 romantic drama Kelly + Victor, where he played one-half of the titular couple. Morris married his husband Landon Ross in 2021. 

 

Ben Whishaw 
The 2005 biographical UK drama Stoned told the sordid story surrounding the life and death of Rolling Stones co-founder Brian Jones (Leo Gregory) who would be found dead after his dismissal from the band. Out actor Ben Whishaw appeared in the film playing Keith Richards. Despite his many queer roles, it was his role as the straight Richards that got Whishaw to bare all, showing frontal nudity in a scene where he's shown in an open robe during the film. 

 

Chad Connell 
Canadian actor Chad Connell's resume includes roles in movies like White House Down and the series Shadowhunters, Nikita, Undressed, Good Witch, and Degrassi: The Next Generation. The openly gay actor has also become a staple in Hallmark television movies playing straight characters. For his lead role in the 2015 gay-themed film Steel, Connell showed full frontal nudity as his character Daniel emerged from bed to get dressed. 

 

Rupert Everett 
Veteran English actor Rupert Everett has always embraced both queer and straight roles from stage to screen to animation. He's also been no stranger to nudity. For the 1994 horror comedy Cemetery Man, Everett played leading man Francesco Dellamorte, a cemetary caretaker who finds himself having to kill the dead a second time when a zombie outbreak occurs. The role got Everett naked, as he showed a brief flash of frontal nudity in the film. 

 

Zachary Booth 
Actor Zachary Booth came out publicly in 2018 after portraying queer characters in multiple films. One of those roles, in 2012's Keep the Lights On, featured brief full frontal nudity from the actor who played the love interest of leading man Thure Lindhardt. Prior to that, Booth showed full frontal nudity playing a hippie naturist alongside Emile Hirsch in the 2009 musical comedy Taking Woodstock, based on the memoir of Elliot Tiber.

 

François Arnaud 
2017's Permission follows Anna (Rebecca Hall), a woman who decides to explore her sexual horizons before accepting a marriage proposal from her boyfriend. François Arnaud appeared as Dane, one of Anna's lovers. He showed frontal and rear nudity for a bedroom scene. Interestingly, the bisexual Arnaud did not provide the film's queer content. Morgan Spector, the real-life husband of Hall, appeared in a queer role for the film's subplot.

 

Jordan Firstman 
Jordan Firstman is a man of many talents. As a writer, comedian, singer, and producer, he's made waves both online and on screen during his career. The out entertainer played a fictionalized version of himself for Sebastián Silva's 2023 satirical comedy Rotting in the Sun. The experimental film pulled no punches when it came to graphic depictions of queer sex, allowing Firstman to show both frontal and rear nudity in multiple scenes. 

 

Jaye Davidson 
1992's The Crying Game introduced one of the most notable trans characters on film. In his film debut, Jaye Davidson played Dil and showed full frontal nudity for a pivotal scene where main character Fergus (Stephen Rea) discovers that Dil is trans upon seeing her naked for the first time. The role brought an Oscar nomination for the openly gay actor in 1993 for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Davidson retired from acting just a few years after the film's release.  

 

Cooper Koch 
Cooper Koch got his start as a child actor before making a splash in the 2022 horror film Swallowed which got him naked. Koch played Benjamin, a young man who lives through a harrowing fight for survival while abducted. Koch is the only actor on this list who managed to show frontal nudity in both film and television, thanks to his role on Season 2 of Monsters, where he played Erik Menendez and gained his first Emmy nomination. 

 

Omar Ayuso 
Out actor Omar Ayuso got his start on the hit Netflix drama Élite in 2018. In 2022, the Spanish actor departed the series and filmed the indy road movie On the Go. Released in 2023, Ayuso played Jonathan, the queer best friend of leading lady Milagros (Julia de Castro), and the two both got naked as they spent time lounging on the beach. Ayuso showed frontal nudity in multiple scenes of the film. The actor would make his return to Élite in 2023 as well.

 

Brian Jordan Alvarez 
As a film maker and content creator, Brian Jordan Alvarez has never been shy about incorporating revealing skin scenes in his projects. The out actor wrote and directed the 2017 comedic drama Everything is Free. He also starred in the film as Ivan, a painter living in Colombia who finds himself in a major conflict when he strikes up a romance with the sexually confused brother of his best friend. Alvarez showed rear and frontal nudity in the film.

 

Roger Rees 
The career of UK actor Roger Rees spanned over 40 years. He spent the majority of his career playing straight roles. One of his most notable roles was in the controversial 2004 film Going Under where he played Peter, a man who attempts to romance his S&M dominatrix. The role included full frontal nudity for the actor. In 2011, Rees married his partner of 33 years, actor/writer Rick Elice. The two were married until Rees' death in 2015 from brain cancer. 

 

Colman Domingo 
A two-time Oscar nominee, Colman Domingo is known for being a powerhouse performer on stage and screen, taking on both queer and straight roles. At the age of 52, Domingo surprised audiences with his decision to bare all in his first nude scene for the 2022 short film North Star, where he played James, a gay rancher caring for his dying husband (Malcolm Gets). Domingo married his real-life husband, producer Raúl Domingo, in 2014.

 

Neil Patrick Harris 
Based on the best-selling novel, the 2014 thriller Gone Girl told the story of a husband (Ben Affleck) who becomes the chief suspect in his wife Amy's disappearance. As his life and her secrets begin to unravel, so does the shocking mystery. Neil Patrick Harris showed full frontal nudity for his supporting role in the film. The pivotal scene features his character Desi being murdered by Amy (Rosamund Pike) after a sexual encounter in the bedroom. 

 

Jonathan Groff 
Out actor Jonathan Groff has won both a Grammy and Tony Award for his acting, in addition to an Emmy nomination. Groff's career spans over 18 years of stage, screen, and voice roles, where he's played both queer and straight characters. For his straight role in 2010's Twelve Thirty, Jonathan bared all, showing frontal and rear nudity for his role as Jeff, a young man who quickly adds to the dysfunction of a family of adults living under the same roof.