16 of TV's Best Gay/Straight Bromances

Series with queer content have often utilized the "gay best friend" trope, usually presenting gay male characters as confidantes to straight female characters. The development of relationships between gay and straight male characters has always been more rare, but in recent years things have evolved. The special bonds between friends highlight the care and support that people need. This list highlights some of the strongest explorations of platonic love between queer and straight male characters on television.

Honorable Mentions: Michael & Max (Roswell, New Mexico), Iggy & Max (New Amsterdam), Isaac & Billy (American Rust), Kai & Danny (Waterloo Road), Jamie & Cormac (Wreck)
 

Gus & Robert - Industry
Gus & Robert's friendship is rooted in their time as roommates at Oxford. They remain together after that, living together in London as they begin work together at Pierpoint. Their relationship is unique. In their high-powered professional lives they keep their distance, but at home they share a warm bond and leave the work behind. The straight Rob (Harry Lawtey) deals with his blue collar background, as his intelligence is called into question. Gus (David Jonsson) struggles to get beyond racial undertones in the work place and juggles a secret romance with Theo. Rob's need for attention causes him to turn to Gus at home, and he does often seek his help and approval. The two both see themselves as outsiders, strengthening their bond.

 

Jacob & Gregory - Abbott Elementary
Gay teacher Jacob (Chris Perfetti) and straight teacher Gregory (Tyler James Williams) are initially pushed together through their shared connection to leading lady Janine. As two of the few male teachers at the school, they often interact, leading them to develop a friendship. The awkward Jacob leans on Gregory for his personal woes, including his relationship challenges, while Jacob works to push Gregory & Janine closer together romantically. With Janine moving to a district position in Season 3, the two guys spend even more time together, providing guidance and advice to one another, even when the other isn't necessarily asking for it. Gregory even finds himself providing a shoulder to Jacob after his big break-up.

 

William & Mark - Invincible
The animated duo of lead hero Mark (Steven Yuen) and his gay best friend William (Andrew Rannells) were shown to be friends before the start of the series. They are introduced in high school, with the out William being Mark's only true friend. As his hero role of Invincible takes up more of his time, Mark continues to try to hide his identity from his best friend, until William discovers the truth. Though he jokes about doing the opposite, William keeps Mark's secret and supports him by covering during his absences to fight the forces of evil. The two become roommates after going to college, leading them to become even closer. William even steps in to convince Mark to leave Earth to help another species.

Ritter & Gallo - Chicago Fire
The close friendship between firefighters Darren Ritter (Daniel Kyri) and Blake Gallo (Alberto Rosende) has alway been a source of light-hearted relief in the constant chaos of the firefighting world of the series. The two lean on one another for advice on their romantic troubles, get into comedic shenanigans around the firehouse, and are shown to spend lots of time together outside of work. The two joined the firehouse around the same time and given their ages, compared to their older counterparts, they connected instantly. The close nature of their friendship was on full display during Gallo's recent departure from the series, which led to a teary-eyed goodbye between the two men.

 

Blaine & Sam - Glee
Blaine (Darren Criss) and Sam (Chord Overstreet) both began on Glee as side characters, but as they gained more attention on the series, a notable friendship also developed beginning in Season 4 with Sam comforting Blaine through his break-up with Kurt. Blaine would help Sam with his college admissions woes, while developing a crush on him and Sam would support Blaine in his decision to propose to Kurt while still in high school. After graduating, Sam & Blaine even moved in together in New York. The off-screen friendship between Criss & Overstreet also helped sell their characters' chemistry. The two were even nominated for a 2014 People's Choice Award for "Favorite TV Bromance."

 

Jack & Danny - Big Boys
Speaking of roommates, Big Boy lead characters Jack (Dylan Llewellyn) and Danny (Jon Pointing) are brought together to share a dorm room at college. Despite the differences in their sexualities, it's not long before the two are bonding over their similarities. The series highlighted their shared struggles with romance, family trauma, and college life. They became supportive friends, leaning on one another as they worked through their challenges both at school and at home. Season 2 of the series solidified their connection, as their friend group grew even more into a family. They both worked to find new romance, as Danny's mental health struggles remained prevalent, and Jack continued to navigate his sexuality.

 

Omar & Samuel - Élite
Omar & Samuel are a great example of friendship strengthening over time. After becoming roommates when Omar (Omar Ayuso) was left homeless after a break-up with his boyfriend Ander, Omar & Samuel (Itzan Escamilla) grew extremely close, becoming each others' trusted confidante. Omar often acted as Samuel's conscience, attempting to draw him away from the dangerous drama that always seemed to surround him. They also helped each other through their money woes, until Samuel's tragic death, which proved to be a breaking point for Omar. After attempting to move on, he returned to Madrid and his past while working to get past his depression over the death of his best friend.  

 

Victor & Felix - Love, Victor
Victor (Michael Cimino) arrives as the new kid in town, keeping his questioning about his sexuality a secret. He becomes fast friends with his quirky neighbor Felix (Anthony Turpel), who would become the first person that Victor comes out to. Felix's unwaivering support helps Victor build up the courage to continue exploring his sexuality and ultimately come out to others. Victor & Felix lean on one another through their trials of trying to lose their virginities and Victor is there for Felix after his mother's mental health leads to her being committed, leaving Felix in the care of Victor's family. Together they work through their conflicting feelings when it comes to their individual romances and support each other's decisions.

 

Lord John & Jamie - Outlander
Leading man Jamie and Lord John Grey began their relationship as adversaries. Lord John (David Berry) was loyal to the English crown and Jamie (Sam Heughan) was a Scottish outlaw. In their first encounter, Jamie spares John's life, unaware of what the future would hold for them. Jamie was later imprisoned and John was revealed to be the prison governor. The two would have weekly chats, growing their connection so much that John developed feelings for Jamie. Those feelings were destined to be unrequited, but Jamie's care for John grew as their encounters increased over several years. Some would say the two men achieved the ultimate trust when Jamie left his love child in Lord John's care to raise in his place.

 

Charlie & Tao - Heartstopper
Leading man Charlie (Joe Locke) has been best friends with the straight Tao (William Gao) for years when the series starts. Their friendship is deeply rooted in support and protection. Tao harbors secret regret that he accidentally outed Charlie, leading to some aggressive bullying that has affected Charlie physically and emotionally ever since. This leads Tao to be often overprotective of Charlie when it comes to the outside world. Charlie works to free Tao of his guilt and reassures him that their bond will not be broken. Charlie encourages Tao to follow his heart when it comes to his own romance and assures him that their friendship will always endure. This ultimately helps to soften Tao when it comes to Charlie's romance with Nick.

 

Sonny & Chad - Days of Our Lives
When Sonny (Freddie Smith) first arrived in Salem in 2011, he became fast friends with fellow teen Chad. Since then, the two have become as close as brothers. They've constantly helped each other through grief, romantic drama and even parenthood. They've been business partners, business rivals, and even planned a double-wedding together. Their friendship has always endured. In recent years, their chemistry has even led some to think something more than friendship could develop between Chad (Billy Flynn) and Sonny (now Zach Tinker), as Sonny comforted Chad after the death of his wife. Of course, the two never crossed that line that could devastate their relationships with Sonny's husband Will.

 

Mason & Liam - Teen Wolf
Liam (Dylan Sprayberry) experiences his werewolf transformation in his first episode. Mason (Khylin Rhambo) is introduced as his gay best friend in the next episode. Mason tethers Liam to the normal human world. While Liam was initially forced to keep his werewolf status a secret from Mason, he learned the truth and fully supported his BFF. Mason & Liam are inseparable, and work overtime to rescue one another whenever one of them is in danger, which occurred rather often. Mason & Liam would go on to find love with Corey & Hayden, respectively, despite Liam's reservations about Corey and his supernatural ability. To this day, the actors still reunite to chat about their friendship on-screen and off in interviews and appearances.

Ander & Guzmán - Élite
At the start of the series, Ander & Guzmán are already close friends. Guzmán (Miguel Bernardeau) accepts Ander (Arón Piper) in his coming out and Ander is always at Guzmán's side as one of the few who can talk him down from his aggressive tendencies, especially after his sister Marina is murdered. Their friendship is shattered when Guzmán learns their other bestie Polo was the culprit and Ander kept his secret. However, the two would find their way back to each other after Ander's cancer diagnosis. In the end, the two best friends would leave town together to travel the world, further strengthening their bond. It says a lot that Ander chose Guzmán even over his feelings for his love Omar.

 

Alec & Jace - Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments
In a supernatural world, the relationship between Shadowhunters Alec & Jace was surprisingly human. Bonded together through their Parabatai oath, Alec & Jace dedicated themselves to fighting together as lifelong partners. This translated to their personal lives as well, with each considering the other their brother. Though Alec (Matthew Daddario) once carried a torch for his closest friend, he settles into their brotherly bond and goes on to find the love of his life in the warlock Magnus. Jace (Dominic Sherwood) is an unwaivering confidante to Alec, supporting him through his coming out and becoming a champion for his romance with Magnus. The real-life friendship between the actors contributed to even more on-screen chemistry.

 

Eric & Otis - Sex Education
Eric & Otis were close friends before the series began. Otis (Asa Butterfield) navigates his straight coming-of-age and Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) is a perfect foil for him as he does the same as a gay man. In a series focused on sexual evolution, the friendship between Eric & Otis presented them like brothers. One would make a mistake and the other would provide guidance. It was usually Eric playing therapist to Otis, while Otis was doing the same for his classmates. Eric would call out Otis on his bad behavior and Otis would be protective of Eric when he began dating his former abuser Adam. As one of the greatest examples of gay/straight friendship, it's a shame that the series' final season saw the two disconnected for most of it's final episodes.

 

Tony & Clay - 13 Reasons Why
Leading man Clay (Dylan Minnette) and his gay best friend Tony (Christian Navarro) are a prime example of gay/straight friendship blossoming through trauma, as both worked to move on from the suicide of their classmate Hannah. Despite the trauma of the first season, Clay & Tony's bond continued to grow as they protected each other at every turn, even being willing to confess to crimes to help one another. They showcased a bond that was often closer than friendship. The two would often hug and even professed their love for each other openly, showing viewers one of the best examples of platonic love on a series. It was no surprise that the series' final scene involved Clay & Tony leaving town on a road trip together.