Lukas Gage felt subjected to a "witch hunt" about his sexuality.
The 'White Lotus' star - who came out as gay in 2023 - has addressed the frustration he felt when people were questioning why he had taken on so many queer roles after assuming he was straight, as he had wanted to keep his personal life to himself.
He told Attitude magazine: "When I did [come out], my friends and family knew I wanted to keep it sacred for myself. I felt like I didn't need to prove anything to anyone. But I was also 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.' ...
"I don't like it when people do a witch hunt for people for [playing a gay role]."
Lukas compared his situation to that of ‘Heartstopper' actor Kit Connor, who came out as bisexual at the age of 18 after being subjected to similar scrutiny.
He said: "There is 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.
“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.'”
And when it comes to straight actors playing queer roles, the 'Smile 2' star insisted it is "two-fold" and while representation is important, the nature of acting means people should be free to play "as many different kinds" of characters as possible.
He said: “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.”
