Reviewing The Headlines: LGBTQ Movies, Shows and Characters In The News

Reviewing the Headlines: LGBTQ Movies, Shows and Characters in the News is a weekly feature on this blog. You’ll find a roundup of news and opinion on my favorite queer content and creators every Saturday.

LGBTQ representation on television has exploded in recent years. It’s one of my favorite things about the medium, with so many options, from broadcast to streaming. I’m much more likely to watch a show if it features characters from the LGBTQ community and they have meaningful roles. Reflecting the world we live in is vital. Many queer actors or actors who play queer characters in comedies, dramas, limited series and TV movies are in the running for Emmy nominations. Let me state up front: The ensemble casts of Pose (FX), The L Word: Generation Q (Showtime), Shameless (Showtime) and Everything’s Gonna Be Okay (Freeform) amaze me. (Voting has ended; nominations will be announced on July 28.) A list (not exhaustive) of performances that must be considered:

COMEDY

Lead Actor – Eric McCormack as Will Truman in Will & Grace (NBC); DeRon Horton as Lionel Higgins in Dear White People (Netflix); Ben Platt as Payton Hobart in The Politician (Netflix); Josh Thomas as Nicholas in Everything’s Gonna Be Okay (Freeform); Julio Torres as Andres in Los Espookys (HBO)

Lead Actress – Linda Cardellini as Judy Hale in Dead To Me (Netflix); Zoe Kravitz as Robyn “Rob” Brooks in High Fidelity (Hulu); Abby McEnany as Abby in Work In Progess (Showtime); Mishel Prada as Emma in Vida (STARZ); Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson in Dickinson (Apple TV+)

Supporting Actor – Andre Braugher as Raymond Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC); Ncuti Gatwa as Eric Effiong in Sex Education (Netflix); Theo Germain as Chris in Work In Progess (Showtime); Sean Hayes as Jack McFarland in Will & Grace (NBC); Dan Levy as David Rose and Noah Reid as Patrick Brewer in Schitt’s Creek (Pop TV); John Cameron Mitchell as Gabe Parrish in Shrill (Hulu); Andrew Rannells as Blair Pfaff in Black Monday (Showtime); Nico Santos as Mateo as in Superstore (NBC); Martin Sheen as Robert Hanson and Sam Waterston as Sol Bergstein in Grace and Frankie (Netflix); Eric Stonestreet as Cam Tucker in Modern Family (ABC)

Supporting Actress – Stephanie Beatriz as Rosa Diaz in Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC); Isabella Gomez as Elena Alvarez in One Day At A Time (Pop TV); Ella Hunt as Sue Gilbert in Dickinson (Apple TV+); Brigette Lundy-Paine as Casey Gardner in Atypical (Netflix); Debi Mazar as Maggie on Younger (TV Land); Lee Rodriguez as Fabiola in Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

Guest Actor – Tim Bagley as Peter in Grace and Frankie (Netflix); Leslie Jordan as Beverly Leslie and Matt Bomer as McCoy Whitman in Will & Grace (NBC)

Guest Actress – Laverne Cox as herself in Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) and as Cynthia Fray in Dear White People (Netflix); Constance Zimmer as Claudia Nicolo in Shameless (Showtime)

Note: Ser Anzoategui, who identifies as nonbinary, is fantastic as Eddy in Vida (STARZ). Same goes for Alex Newell as Mo in Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC).

DRAMA

Lead Actor – Billy Porter as Pray Tell in Pose (FX)

Lead Actress – Jodi Comer as Villanelle and Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri in Killing Eve (BBC America); Viola Davis as Annalise Keating in How To Get Away With Murder (ABC); Ellen Page as Shawna Hawkins in Tales Of The City (Netflix); Mj Rodriguez as Blanca Rodriguez in Pose (FX); Taylor Schilling as Piper Chapman in Orange Is The New Black (Netflix); Zendaya as Rue Bennett in Euphoria (HBO)

Supporting Actor – Jake Borelli as Dr. Levi Schmitt in Grey’s Anatomy (ABC); Ryan Jamaal Swain as Damon Richards, Dyllon Burnside as Ricky and Angel Bismark Curiel as Lil Papi in Pose (FX); Charlie Barnett as Ben Marshall and Garcia as Jake Rodriguez in Tales Of The City (Netflix); Tommy Martinez as Gael Martinez on Good Trouble (Freeform); Ronen Rubinstein as T.K. Strand and Brian Michael Smith as Paul Strickland in 9-1-1: Lone Star; Jake Weary as Devan Cody in Animal Kingdom (TNT); BD Wong as Whiterose in Mr. Robot (USA); Jack Falahee as Connor Walsh and Conrad Ricamora as Oliver Hampton in How To Get Away With Murder (ABC)

Supporting Actress – Sherry Cola as Alice Kwan on Good Trouble (Freeform); Aisha Hinds as Henrietta “Hen” Wilson in 9-1-1 (FOX); Olympia Dukakis as Anna Madrigal in Tales Of The City (Netflix); Yael Stone as Lorna Morello, Natasha Lyonne as Nicky Nichols and Laura Prepon as Alex Vause in Orange Is The New Black (Netflix); Indya Moore as Angel, Angelica Ross as Candy, Hailie Sahar as Lulu, Dominique Jackson as Elektra Abundance and Sandra Bernhard as Judy Kubrak in Pose (FX); Amirah Vann as Tegan Price in How To Get Away With Murder (ABC); Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn in Euphoria (HBO)

Guest Actor – Ron Cephas Jones as William Hill in This Is Us (NBC); John Cameron Mitchell as Felix Staples in The Good Fight (CBS All Access)

Guest Actress – Alexis Bledel as Emily Malek and Clea DuVall as Sylvia in The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu); Laverne Cox as Sophia Burset in OITNB (Netflix)

Note: Asia Kate Dillon, who identifies as nonbinary, does exceptional work as Taylor Mason on Billions (Showtime).

I’ll look at the Limited Series and TV Movie categories next week.

NEWS AND NOTES

I wrote about GLAAD’s new report on LGBTQ representation in 2019 films. Not great.

Step Up Creator Holly Sorensen Mourns Naya Rivera, Shares Stories Of “One Of The Coolest And Most Beautiful People We Will Ever Know” (Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva)

P-Valley Is A Queer Revolution For Strip Club TV Dramas (MEL’s Joseph Longo)

Hallmark Says It Is In “Active Negotiations” To Include LGBTQ Storylines In Its Holiday Movie Lineup (NBC News’ Gwen Aviles)

TAKE OF THE WEEK

Film review: Summer of 85 (Hollywood Reporter’s Boyd van Hoeij)

LGBTQ FILM SPOTLIGHT

The Half of It (2020, Netflix original)

Written by: Alice Wu
Directed by: Alice Wu
Main cast: Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, Collin Chou, Wolfgang Novogratz, Becky Ann Baker and Catherine Curtain
Critical reaction: Roger Ebert
The good: Wu’s smart script and Lewis’ honest portrayal of a girl figuring out who she is. Diemer is very funny, too.
The bad: Nothing, really.
Verdict: One of this year’s best movies. Grade: 4 stars (out of 4).

LGBTQ TV SPOTLIGHT

Love, Victor (2020, Hulu original series, 10 episodes)

Created by: Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger
Main cast: Michael Cimono, Rachel Hilson, Anthony Turpel, Bebe Wood, Mason Gooding, George Sear, Isabella Ferreira, Mateo Fernandez, James Martinez and Ana Ortiz
Critical reaction: Primetimer, AV Club, Vulture
The good: Relatable (though not exactly groundbreaking) storylines. Half-hour episodes. The nuanced exploration of Victor’s relationships with his friends and parents (especially the wonderful Ortiz).
The bad: Straight actors (such as Cimono) playing gay characters. Cimono is good in the leading role, but it’s still not ideal.
Verdict: Definitely worth watching. Grade: B+.