11 Related Duos That Both Played Queer Characters

November ushers in the festive holiday season, with families all over the world making plans to come together and celebrate bonds, give thanks, and share the holiday spirit. When it comes to queer media, there have been many instances over the years where queer roles were played by actors who happen to hail from the same family. This week's listicle highlights 11 related pairs that both played queer characters, keeping it all in the family. Leave a comment below if we missed any of your favorites. Warning: Spoilers Ahead! 
 

James Franco & Dave Franco 
James Franco is no stranger to queer films having starred in movies like Milk, King Cobra, I am Michael, Howl and played James Dean for the 2001 television movie. Franco also played the lead role in the 2011 biopic The Broken Tower, which chronicled the life of American poet Hart Crane, exploring his rebellious and self-destructive early years through his later world travels and his romance with Emile Opffer (Michael Shannon), ultimately ending with the events that led to Crane's suicide at age 32. The experimental art film was a family affair for Franco, who directed and co-wrote the drama, casting his mother Betsy to play Crane's mother. Franco also cast his younger brother Dave Franco to play a young Hart in the film, making the Franco brothers the only relatives on this list to have played the same gay character within the same project. 

 

Pedro Pascal & Lux Pascal 
Siblings Pedro Pascal & Lux Pascal both portrayed queer characters in the earlier years of their acting careers using their paternal surname of Balmaceda. Pedro hit American television screens in the MTV series Undressed in 1999 playing the gay role of Greg for three episodes in the anthology series' first season. He acted under the name Pedro Balmaceda, before making the switch to his mother's surname Pascal in 2005. Prior to her transition, Pedro's sister Lux acted under her birth name Lucas Balmaceda and played a supporting role in the queer prison drama The Prince. Based on a Spanish pulp novel, the film chronicled the sexual and violent life of young narcissist Jaime. Lux appeared as a young inmate Danny, the object of affection for older inmate Che Pibe (Gastón Pauls). Lux announced her transition in 2021, taking on her maternal surname Pascal. 

 

Mawaan Rizwan & Nabhaan Rizwan
Sibling actors Mawaan Rizwan and Nabhaan Rizwan appear to be very close in their familial relationship. The younger Nabhaan has been a supportive presence to his older brother, openly queer actor/writer Mawaan. In 2023, Mawaan debuted his gay comedy series Juice, where he acted as creator, executive producer, writer, and leading man. Mawaan also brought his brother along, with Nabhaan joining him on the series playing his character Jamma's on-screen brother Isaac. Nabhaan is also not a stranger to queer roles, as he played the personification of the bisexual god Dionysus for the 2024 Netflix dark comedy Kaos, which reimagined Greek mythology in the modern world. The role allowed Nabhaan to lock lips with a male co-star. Meanwhile, Mawaan got to do the same with his Juice co-star, and fellow out actor, Russell Tovey. 

 

David Tennant & Ty Tennant 
In 2012, David Tennant adopted Ty Tennant in the lead-up to his marriage to Ty's mother, Georgia. The UK father and son duo have the distinction of having portrayed queer characters on television that were both created by comic book writer Neil Gaiman. Based on Gaiman's novel with Terry Pratchett, the fantasy comedy Good Omens debuted in 2019, starring David as demon Crowley whose centuries-long companionship with the angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) is threatened by the fight between heaven and hell, and Crowley's growing love for his friend. In 2021, Ty Tennant would take on a role with similar conflict when he guest starred as teen ghost detective Edwin Payne on the comic book series Doom Patrol. Edwin is revealed to be harboring a crush on his detective partner Charles (Sebastian Croft). The character originated in Gaiman's The Sandman comics.

 

Gael García Bernal & Darío Yazbek Bernal 
Gael García Bernal starred in the 2001 Spanish classic Y tu mamá también, alongside his real-life best friend Diego Luna. The Oscar-nominated film saw friends Julio & Tenoch embarking on a coming of age road trip with Luisa (Maribel Verdú), an older extroverted woman who helps them explore life and their relationship, leading to a fateful sexual encounter between the three of them. The boys wake up in bed together with their relationship changed forever, and Luisa having departed in the night. Gael's younger half-brother Darío Yazbek Bernal made his own waves in 2018 starring in the acclaimed Netflix dark comedy The House of Flowers. The series followed the wealthy de la Mora family whose perfect facade is cracked when secrets are revealed. The series explored the queer romance between Dario's Julián de la Mora and Diego Olvera (Juan Pablo Medina).

 

Ben Foster & Jon Foster 
Acting siblings Ben Foster and Jon Foster have been known for taking dramatic roles with a focus on independent films. In 2008, younger brother Jon starred in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, a coming of age drama that finds his character Art Bechstein exploring life, love and sexuality during a life-changing summer. His exploration of his sexuality leads to a bisexual awakening when he crosses paths with Jane (Sienna Miller) and her boyfriend Cleveland (Peter Sarsgaard). Five years later, Ben would take on his own queer role, for the award-winning biographical drama Kill Your Darlings. Ben played celebrated queer poet William Burroughs who forms a fateful bond with fellow poets Allen Ginsburg (Daniel Radcliffe) and Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston), told upon the backdrop of a murder investigation in which they are suspects in 1944. 

 

Macaulay Culkin & Kieran Culkin 
Macaulay Culkin and his younger-by-two-years brother Kieran Culkin shared the big screen in 1990's Home Alone. They both also got to take on queer roles later in their careers. Macaulay starred in the 2003 dark comedy Party Monster. The docudrama cast Macaulay as Michael Alig, a real-life queer club kid party organizer in the late 80's and early 90's who finds his world of partying and drugs crumbling after he boasts about killing his roommate/drug dealer on television. Meanwhile, Kieran took on less heavy material with his supporting role as Wallace Wells in the 2010 comic book film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Wallace was Scott's much cooler gay roommate who served as confidante and foil to Scott. Wallace provided Scott with advice as he battled the evil exes of his new love interest Ramona, all while attracting his own male attention with seemingly little effort. 

 

Luca Calvani & Marco Calvani  
Italian actor Luca Calvani began his acting career back in 2000, with younger brother Marco Calvani following in his footsteps seven years later. Neither sibling is a stranger to queer roles. Marco currently stars on the Netflix series The Four Seasons as Claude, the eccentric husband of Danny (Colman Domingo). The series is currently in production on a second season. Brother Luca notably starred in the gay drama Poised as Richard, the object of affection for leading character Aris (Yiannis Alexiou). Their blossoming romance faces a major obstacle in the form of Aris' physical therapy patient Anna (Johanna Taylor) who falls in love with Aris and is dependent upon his care, given her medical condition. Both Calvani brothers are also openly queer actors, with Luca married to entrepreneur Alessandro Franchini and Marco married to fellow actor Marco Pigossi. 

 

Sean Penn & Chris Penn  
In 2009, Sean Penn won his second Academy Award for Best Actor for his starring role as politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk in the acclaimed drama Milk. However, Sean's younger brother Chris Penn beat him to the punch when it came to playing gay. Chris guest starred on the long-running comedy sitcom Will & Grace in 2003, appearing in the sixth season episode "Fanilow" as singer Barry Manilow's tour manager Rudy, who propositions superfan Will (Eric McCormack) in exchange for meeting Manilow himself. This was years after Chris played homophobic villain Sheriff Dollard in the 1995 comedy To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Older brother Sean would later court controversy among the gay community through his friendship with Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, who maintained a strong anti-LGBT position in politics.

 

Gustaf Skarsgård & Alexander Skarsgård 
The Skarsgård family of actors have all found success during their careers, from father Stellan to his three sons, Gustaf, Alexander, and Bill. When it comes to queer films, it's brothers Gustaf and Alexander that made the biggest impact. For the 2008 Swedish comedy Patrik, Age 1.5, Gustaf Skarsgård starred as Göran Skoogh, a gay man looking to adopt a child with his husband Sven (Torkel Petersson). They apply for an 18-month old baby but through clerical error end up with homophobic 15-year-old Patrik, setting them on a journey of acceptance from both sides. Gustaf's younger brother Alexander Skarsgård took on the role of biker Ray who strikes up a romance with the timid Colin (Harry Melling) in the kinky dramedy Pillion, which explored dom/sub culture in the queer community. The film made its debut at this year's Cannes Film Festival and premieres in UK theaters on November 28.

 

Bobby Cannavale & Jake Cannavale 
Straight actor Bobby Cannavale made waves when he joined the cast of the sitcom Will & Grace in the role of gay police officer Vince D'Angelo, who would become a recurring love interest for leading man Will (Eric McCormack). Cannavale appeared in 16 episodes and would later reprise the role for an episode of the 2018 reboot of the series. The apple didn't fall far from the tree when it came to Bobby's son, Jake Cannavale, who dipped his toe into queer drama with a recurring role on the 2024 Ryan Murphy anthology series American Sports Story. Based on a true story, the first season of the series focused on New England Patriots football player-turned-murderer Aaron Hernandez (Josh Rivera). The series gave some focus to the closeted athlete's secret romances with Dennis SanSoucie (Kalama Epstein) and Chris Taylor, with the latter played by the younger Cannavale in 5 episodes.