25 Actors Who’ve Come Out After Playing an LGBTQ+ Character

In November 2024, actor Chloë Grace Moretz came out as gay in a social media post about the presidential election—around six years after she played a gay teenager sent to conversion therapy camp in the 2018 movie “The Miseducation of Cameron Post.” Moretz’s 2024 post stated, in part, “I believe in the need for legal protections that protects the LGBTQ+ community as a gay woman.”

Though much more social and legal progress still needs to be made, film and TV representation of LGBTQ+ individuals has helped set the stage for change in the real world. From veteran performers like Ellen DeGeneres to younger actors like Noah Schnapp, many celebrities have publicly come out after playing an LGBTQ+ character on screen, marking an important milestone in the entertainment industry.

Whereas LGBTQ+ creatives like Dan Levy and Sean Hayes once concealed their sexuality for fear of discrimination, many actors today have come out without facing damage to their careers or personal lives. Several celebrities have gone on to play additional LGBTQ+ roles after coming out, providing further representation of the community both on- and off-screen.

To recognize these actors and their impact, Stacker compiled a list of 25 celebrities who have come out after playing an LGBTQ+ character, using interviews from such publications as Variety and Out Magazine and IMDb data to confirm these actors’ filmography.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Many more performers, like Aubrey Plaza, Maulik Pancholy, and Wayne Brady, have come out after playing LGBTQ+ roles.