Last week we learned that Nick Jonas’ character on Ryan Murphy’s soapy horror show Scream Queens is gay. It’s the second gay role for Jonas, following his turn as a closeted boxer in the MMA drama Kingdom.
Jonas, who has spoken of his love for his LGBT fans and has been accused of queerbaiting in the past, told USA Today his decision to play a role is “not based on whether the character is gay or straight” but instead focuses on “what the story is and what the audience is going to get out of it.” He added:
“In the case of Scream Queens, there’s comedy within the role and I think at its core it really is a social commentary about stereotypes and breaking down some of those barriers. Ryan Murphy obviously does that so well.”
RELATED: Yes, Nick Jonas Is (Sort of) Queerbaiting His Gay Fans. So What?
On the choice to play gay in Kingdom, Jonas remarked:
“With ‘Kingdom’, my character is going through a really different journey where he’s struggling with who he is. I think that’s a highly relatable story line that a lot of my fans, both gay and straight, have come and told me that that’s been incredibly important for them: to see the journey he’s on and to know they’re not alone, whatever it is that they’re going through in their life that makes them feel different or strange. There’s real peace and a community and a story being told that feels honest and grounded.”
We look forward to see what else Jonas’ gay roles have to yield.
