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Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
11 Celebrities Who Played LGBTQ+ Roles Before Coming Out Themselves
Representation matters. And for many viewers — getting to see characters like themselves — is nothing short of life-changing. Before coming out to the public, these 11 actors bravely took on groundbreaking queer roles. Let's take a look at some performances that hit different in retrospect. Kristen Stewart:The Runaways (2010) Before famously coming out in 2017 on Saturday Night Live, Kristen played Joan Jett in The Runaways, replicating the rock star's rebellious energy and romantic tension with lead singer, Cherie Currie. This was one of Stewart's first roles that hinted at her future queer icon status. Honestly, this was an AMAZING pick for her, and an underrated film to say the least. Elliot Page: Freeheld (2015) Page's emotional role as a lesbian fighting for their partner's pension rights deeply inspired Elliot to first come out as gay. They later came out as trans in 2020 through a heartfelt message on social media. Elliot shared: "I can't begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self. I've been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community." Kit Connor: Heartstopper (2022– ) Before he was Nick Nelson, Kit Connor played a young Elton John in the movie Rocketman (2019)! Connor has quite literally been playing iconic queer roles his whole life. He wasn't out during Heartstopper season 1, but later shared his bisexuality after feeling pressured to label himself. Ncuti Gatwa: Sex Education (2019-2023) Before coming out in 2023, Ncuti Gatwa lit up our screens as the bold and very fabulous Eric Effiong in Sex Education. When the time did come, he casually dropped the news in a ELLE interview. Truly iconic. Bella Ramsey: The Last of Us (2023— ) Before coming out as nonbinary, Bella Ramsey played Ellie — a queer teen surviving a zombie apocalypse. Now that's character development! Bella even recounted how creator Craig Mazin described Ellie by stating "Ellie's gay and doesn't care what you think about it." Aubrey Plaza: Happiest Season (2020) Aubrey Plaza stole the show as Riley in Happiest Season, everyone's favourite queer Christmas rom-com (wow that was a mouthful). Plaza came out publicly around the same time, sharing how she falls "in love with girls and guys." Let's be honest, we've all fallen for her too. Jonathan Bailey: Crashing (2016) Before his smash-hit role on Bridgerton, Jonathan Bailey played a bi-curious chaotic king in Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Crashing. He later came out as gay and became one of queer media's favourite actors! Chris Colfer: Glee (2009-2015) Colfer played the fashion-loving Kurt Hummel before coming out IRL — despite being warned not to. He did it anyway, stating how it was "more important" to be a role model. Chloe Grace Moretz: The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) In this 2018 drama, Moretz played a queer teen forced into conversion therapy. She later revealed her part in the queer community, and stated how she once took the role to spotlight the deep emotional harm of these practices. Lukas Gage: Love, Victor (2018) Before stealing scenes on The White Lotus (and pretty much every show you binge), Lukas Gage had a small role in Love, Victor as a flirty classmate. He later cheekily came out as gay — after hooking up with his neighbour, no less. Spicy! These days, he's fully in his queer role era, most recently playing Sammy in Overcompensating. Amandla Stenberg: The Eddy (2020) In The Eddy, Amandla Stenberg played a queer teen dealing with identity, trauma, all the while healing through music. They eventually came out, and quickly became a powerful voice in the queer community — especially for young Black women. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Stenberg shared: 'I cannot stress enough how important representation is, so the concept that I can provide for other Black girls is mind-blowing. It's a really really hard thing to be silenced, and it's deeply bruising to fight against your identity and just mold yourself into shapes that you just shouldn't be in." And there you have it — proof that the road to embracing your sexuality often takes time, even for actors in the spotlight. Whether these stars explored their identities through their on-screen roles or found themselves along the way, they've all played a huge part in shaping queer stories we know and cherish today! 🌈🌈 Know any more celebrities that we missed? Drop their names in the comments! And ofc, be sure to check out our socials on Instagram and TikTok! Looking for more LGBTQ+ or Pride content? Then check out all of BuzzFeed's posts celebrating Pride 2025.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Joan Jett remains an unapologetic rocker: 'I'm happy with who I am'
Joan Jett remains an unapologetic rocker: 'I'm happy with who I am' Show Caption Hide Caption AMA winners include SZA, Gracie Abrams, Eminem and Billie Eilish This year's American Music Awards in Las Vegas honored both music legends and service members, who were recognized for Memorial Day. She's part of a dwindling species, an unapologetic rock chick more focused on the tone of her guitar than the cut of her hair. Joan Jett's fierceness has been splayed across stages for 50 years, first with the all-girl glam-punk pioneers The Runaways and then through her own 40-plus years of solo stardom with her band, the Blackhearts. Her ingrained fist pumpers – 'Cherry Bomb,' 'I Hate Myself for Loving You,' 'Bad Reputation' and the cover song that changed her life, 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll' – were sonic wallpaper during MTV's heyday and most still haven't left pool hall jukeboxes. Jett appreciates her legacy and the fans who express their loyalty and gratitude for her music. 'It's medicine for the soul. I'm just blessed to be a conduit for it,' Jett says. Jett packed up with the Blackhearts – Dougie Needles on guitar, Hal B. Selzer on bass and Michael McDermott on drums – and hit the road with Billy Idol in April. They'll resume the It's A Nice Day to Tour Again! romp Aug. 14, but first, she and the band will park at Las Vegas' House of Blues June 13-14, 18 and 20-21. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. In a recent conversation, Jett and career-long producer, business partner and keyboardist Kenny Laguna (who offered some humorous interjections during the call) talked about her Vegas show plans, playing the Nirvana reunion and why she feels wiser than ever. Question: You're heading to the House of Blues for several shows, you're also touring amphitheaters and arenas with Billy Idol and you've recently been part of stadium tours with Def Leppard and Poison. I get the feeling you prefer the smaller places. Answer: I do. I like the intimacy and when I can really feel the crowd and get a better sense of everything, that immediate feedback whether good or bad. It's exciting to play to a lot of people, but when you lose that connection with the crowd, it's like a black hole out there. Are you planning anything special for the Vegas shows? We'll look through all our records and choose what will work best live. I picked out a bunch of songs from every album and we went into rehearsals (before the Billy Idol tour) and ran through a bunch of them. There were a few I'd never done live, like 'Lie to Me,' and that's really worked out well. Have you ever thought of doing one album front to back? I'm not really into that. I didn't always love every song on my albums and I want to play what I enjoy. And there might be a few fans who might be happy to not hear the hits, but that's not most people. So I want to do what people want to hear and it's going to be fun. You were part of the Nirvana reunion at the FireAid show in Los Angeles in January. How did that come about and how did you get assigned 'Territorial Pissings'?Dave (Grohl, Nirvana's drummer) called me and asked if I wanted to perform with them and I thought, oh yeah, we'll do 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' like we did at my (Rock & Roll) Hall of Fame induction (in 2015). But it was more that Dave picked out the songs they wanted to try and he knew I liked that one. I recently talked to Billy Idol about touring with you and he said you've known each other since a 1978 Germs/Dead Kennedys show at the Whiskey in LA. Do you remember that night? Is that the show? I couldn't remember, but I do remember when we met. I I used to live across from the Whiskey. The apartment is still there and I've been dying to knock on the door and see who lives there. But everybody used to come to my house before concerts and party. There's a picture of Billy and me in my living room, sitting and talking with some of my friends. I have a drink in my hand. You have somehow managed to look the same for more than 40 years. Please tell us how you do it. I never had to work out my whole life. I was just lucky I had an athletic body. But now it's a different story. I see an arm and am like, 'Whose arm is this with the crepe-y skin?' (Laughs). But I try to walk every day and I do some weights. I had a shoulder operation so it's important to keep my muscle strength up and I do a lot of core work. And you know, traveling, walking through airports and venues, that's my exercise. But the traveling, that's the one part of my job that I don't love. It's all wear and tear on your body. Will you be able to get some rest after Vegas? I'm taking my brother and sister to Ireland. I've been there to tour but not in many years. I'm Irish, so to see Dublin and County Mayo where my grandparents are from … I'm really looking forward to not working and being able to take it all in and learn about the people. That worked out well to have a few weeks off before rejoining Billy's tour. You know, we get all wrapped up with what we're doing and time is limited. No matter how much money you've got, you can't buy time. I've done a lot of growing up. I've learned more from 50 to my age now at 66 than I did the entire first part of my life. You had a vision of the world and that's what it was and maybe you didn't question it enough. But I'm happy with what I've done and who I am.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Concert marks 40 years of The Rich Center
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Lita Ford, best known for her chart-topping hits and fierce guitar riffs, headlined this year's Rock The Rich Center concert. You might recognize Ford from her days with The Runaways, before she kicked off a solo career. Her stop at the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre marks 40 years of the Rich Center. Her performance is drawing national attention to a local mission and driving critical funding to help the center's programs, taking it to new heights. 'It is a great honor and a great pleasure for me to be here today to perform for everybody. Some of the younger girls who were backstage were asking for autographs and taking pictures, and I'm just so happy to support the foundation and the charity,' Ford said. 'Let's rock and roll.' Our very own Lindsey Watson was the event ambassador. The Vindys also hit the stage to support the center's biggest fundraiser of the year. Tino DiCenso contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
