• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Body
  • Daily Resist
  • POLITICS
  • Travel
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Film
  • TV
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Men
  • Marriage Equality
  • Space
  • Trans Rights
  • Books
  • Science
  • Gay Iconography
  • TowleREAD

Gay Iconography: Honoring the ‘Arc’ With Darryl Stephens

October 31, 2015 by Bobby Hankinson Leave a Comment

darryl_stephens4-2

Even with surges in LGBT representation on television over the last few years, including series like Looking, Glee, The New Normal, and Modern Family, portrayals of LGBT people of color have remained scarce. It makes Logo’s iconic series Noah’s Arc even more pioneering. Its star, openly-gay actor Darryl Stephens, not only anchored the show as the titular Noah Nicholson, but he’s gone on to play several other LGBT characters and write about his experiences.

“It’s hard for me to really grasp the impact of Noah’s Arc on TV’s landscape,” Stephens said in an interview last year. “I know I’ve heard from and continue to hear from hundreds if not thousands of people who loved the characters on that show. To me, it was a fun little soap opera. To some, it was television’s first affirmation of black gay love–ever. I’m not sure how much the show managed to change television depictions of black gay men or the weight of its impact with respect to the TV shows that followed it, but I know that the people who enjoyed it have been incredibly loyal and vocal about how much it meant to them.”

Noah’s Arc is looked at by some as a gay, black version of Sex and the City, chronicling the adventures and love lives of a group of friends. Similar to SATC, the series also led to a film. While beloved by many, the series also attracted the ire of some LGBT viewers. As the show’s central protagonist, a lot of the criticism fell onto Stephens.

In a recent interview with The Los Angeles Times, he discussed how he thinks about the pressure to present more masculine queer characters, especially under the added scrutiny of portraying a rare LGBT character of color.

“I don’t think there was ever a decision that I was going to represent the underrepresented black gay man in America. I met with casting directors who were responding to calls and the characters I played were the roles. There were a lot of lessons about what people expected of us as black gay men, and I learned to have a thick skin about how black gay men are representing themselves. Everyone has an idea of what we should look like.”

Get reacquainted with more of Stephens’ work with our clips, below.

Stephens began his career in LA with small parts, like an appearance on MTV’s Undressed. He also starred in a commercial for Dockers, which you can see above. He struggled with the notion of taking on gay roles. “You can be one or the other,” Stephens told The Los Angeles Times. “You can be black or you can be gay. You can’t be both.”

Noah’s Arc premiered in 2005 and lasted two seasons on Logo. The dramedy didn’t shy away from hot topics like HIV, homophobia, marriage and raising a family over the course of its run. Although he initially read for a different role, Stephens ended up playing Noah, a fabulous screenwriter. The power of portraying an effeminate black man was not lost on him. “You feel every time you see [a queer black character], they have to represent. When I saw [Mathew St. Patrick’s] queer black macho husband on Six Feet Under, I thought: Is there nothing soft there? I love seeing all of the different types, and not prioritizing one over the other. Sissies can be powerful.” Stephens talks more about working on the show and being an openly gay actor in his book Required Reading.

The feature film Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom premiered in 2008. Fans came out to see it in droves, resulting in a per screen average that was second only to Angelina Jolie’s Changeling during its opening weekend. The film was also honored with the GLAAD Award for Best Feature Film (Limited Release).

Stephens has appeared in other films, including Another Gay Movie and Boy Culture. The latter told the story of a male escort and his complicated relationships with his roommates and an older client.

You may also recognize Stephens from other LGBT characters he’s played on television. He portrayed a trans woman on ABC’s Private Practice (above). He also played a more masculine gay man on DTLA, the first series funded partially on Kickstarter to be picked up domestically and internationally.

What’s your favorite of Stephens’ role?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Darryl Stephens, Gay Iconography, Logo, Television, Video

Recent Posts

  • James Lankford, Dolly Parton, Vaccine Rollout, Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor, Palm Beach, The Big Lie, Joshua Bassett: HOT LINKS

    James Lankford, Dolly Parton, Vaccine Rollout, Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor, Palm Beach, The Big Lie, Joshua Bassett: HOT LINKS

    6 hours ago
  • Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney Takes Down QAnon GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert After Accusations He Named Her as Member Who Gave ‘Reconnaissance Tours’ of US Capitol Ahead of Trump Insurrection

    Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney Takes Down QAnon GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert After Accusations He Named Her as Member Who Gave ‘Reconnaissance Tours’ of US Capitol Ahead of Trump Insurrection

    11 hours ago
  • ‘Where They Countin’ the Votes?!’: New Video Details Tense Moments as Capitol Mob Sought Out Lawmakers — WATCH

    ‘Where They Countin’ the Votes?!’: New Video Details Tense Moments as Capitol Mob Sought Out Lawmakers — WATCH

    12 hours ago
  • Capitol Police Officer Gives Chilling Account of Being Dragged Down Steps by Trump Mob: ‘Kill Him with His Own Gun!’ — WATCH

    Capitol Police Officer Gives Chilling Account of Being Dragged Down Steps by Trump Mob: ‘Kill Him with His Own Gun!’ — WATCH

    12 hours ago
Previous Post: « Andy Cohen Says He and Anderson Cooper Aren’t F**king: VIDEO
Next Post: Jeb Bush: ‘I’m a Grinder’ – WATCH »

Primary Sidebar

  • James Lankford, Dolly Parton, Vaccine Rollout, Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor, Palm Beach, The Big Lie, Joshua Bassett: HOT LINKS

  • Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney Takes Down QAnon GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert After Accusations He Named Her as Member Who Gave ‘Reconnaissance Tours’ of US Capitol Ahead of Trump Insurrection

  • ‘Where They Countin’ the Votes?!’: New Video Details Tense Moments as Capitol Mob Sought Out Lawmakers — WATCH

Recent Posts

  • James Lankford, Dolly Parton, Vaccine Rollout, Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor, Palm Beach, The Big Lie, Joshua Bassett: HOT LINKS

    James Lankford, Dolly Parton, Vaccine Rollout, Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor, Palm Beach, The Big Lie, Joshua Bassett: HOT LINKS

    6 hours ago
  • Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney Takes Down QAnon GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert After Accusations He Named Her as Member Who Gave ‘Reconnaissance Tours’ of US Capitol Ahead of Trump Insurrection

    Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney Takes Down QAnon GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert After Accusations He Named Her as Member Who Gave ‘Reconnaissance Tours’ of US Capitol Ahead of Trump Insurrection

    11 hours ago
  • ‘Where They Countin’ the Votes?!’: New Video Details Tense Moments as Capitol Mob Sought Out Lawmakers — WATCH

    ‘Where They Countin’ the Votes?!’: New Video Details Tense Moments as Capitol Mob Sought Out Lawmakers — WATCH

    12 hours ago
  • Capitol Police Officer Gives Chilling Account of Being Dragged Down Steps by Trump Mob: ‘Kill Him with His Own Gun!’ — WATCH

    Capitol Police Officer Gives Chilling Account of Being Dragged Down Steps by Trump Mob: ‘Kill Him with His Own Gun!’ — WATCH

    12 hours ago
  • Brie Larson ‘Gay’ Comment Sends Internet into a Frenzy: WATCH

    Brie Larson ‘Gay’ Comment Sends Internet into a Frenzy: WATCH

    13 hours ago
  • No One Will Take Responsibility for That Abraham Lincoln Bust Seen Leaving the White House

    No One Will Take Responsibility for That Abraham Lincoln Bust Seen Leaving the White House

    13 hours ago
  • Cindy McCain Reacts to Arizona GOP’s Plan to Censure Her for Supporting Joe Biden and Gay Marriage: ‘I Think I’m Going to Make T-Shirts’ — WATCH

    Cindy McCain Reacts to Arizona GOP’s Plan to Censure Her for Supporting Joe Biden and Gay Marriage: ‘I Think I’m Going to Make T-Shirts’ — WATCH

    14 hours ago
  • Trump Has Forbidden Mention of Richard Nixon in the White House

    Trump Has Forbidden Mention of Richard Nixon in the White House

    15 hours ago
  • DOJ Has ‘Strong Evidence’ That Trump Insurrectionists Planned to ‘Capture and Assassinate Elected Officials’

    DOJ Has ‘Strong Evidence’ That Trump Insurrectionists Planned to ‘Capture and Assassinate Elected Officials’

    15 hours ago
  • Forbidden from Using Any of Jared and Ivanka’s 6 Bathrooms, Secret Service Spent $100K+ to Rent Toilet in Tony D.C. Neighborhood

    Forbidden from Using Any of Jared and Ivanka’s 6 Bathrooms, Secret Service Spent $100K+ to Rent Toilet in Tony D.C. Neighborhood

    1 day ago

Most Commented

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Footer

Copyright © 2021 · Log in