Lukas Gage, the star of Smile 2, recently opened up about the challenges he faced in navigating his sexuality while under public scrutiny.
Speaking to Attitude magazine, Gage recounted the pressure he felt earlier in his career to disclose his sexuality. Despite playing multiple queer characters in his early roles, Gage had kept his personal life private, a decision that led to backlash online.
“I was 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,” Gage shared, reflecting on how social media speculation intensified before he had ever publicly addressed his identity.
The debate over whether straight actors should portray queer characters has been a hot topic, reignited recently by Daniel Craig’s role in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer. Gage offered a nuanced perspective, balancing the need for representation with the essence of acting itself.
“It’s two-fold. 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,” Gage said. “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. I don’t like it when people do a witch hunt for people for doing it.”
Gage also drew comparisons to the experience of Heartstopper actor Kit Connor, who faced intense speculation about his sexuality after skyrocketing to fame on Netflix. Fans even went as far as investigating his personal relationships, leading Connor to come out as bisexual publicly. At the time, Connor sarcastically congratulated fans for “forcing an 18-year-old to out himself.”
“Feeling bullied into coming out at 18 years old? That area where public and private intersect is so confusing to me,” Gage said. He emphasised the delicate balance between being a role model for visibility and maintaining personal boundaries.
“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.'”
