Actor Hunter Doohan says he felt pressured to hide his sexuality early in his career

Wednesday actor Hunter Doohan: “For the first time, I was in the final auditions for a TV series, and I tried to hide my sexuality. I archived and hid photos with my partner.”

Hunter Doohan, star of Wednesday, has identified as an openly gay man for the past 10 years. However, at the start of his career, he believed he needed to conceal his sexuality during auditions for certain roles.

Speaking recently to Zach Sang on The Zach Sang Show, Doohan shared what it felt like to audition for Your Honor in 2019:

“It was my first time reaching the final audition for a series, and they were really scrutinizing everything. I tried to hide my sexuality. I archived and hid my photos with my partner on social media.”

At the time, Doohan was 26, and with every new role he booked, he found himself having to come out to his co-stars. When filming for Your Honor began, he went through the process again with lead actor Bryan Cranston:

“One day, I was having lunch with Bryan and said, ‘Grace called again.’ Then I added, ‘my friend Grace.’ He asked, ‘Just a friend?’ and I thought, ‘I’ve been out for eight years, and now I have to come out again.’ It was such an uncomfortable and awful feeling. I will never do that again for a role.”

Zach Sang also asked Doohan why he felt the need to keep his sexuality private at the time:

“My partner said, ‘Are you worried about this?’ I said I didn’t know. I’d never been cast in a gay role. I auditioned for them, but I never got them. All the characters I played were straight. It’s strange, but I actually felt lucky.”

Doohan is now best known for his role as Tyler Galpin — the secret Hyde — in Netflix’s hit series Wednesday. He reprised the role in the newly released second season. In the series, Tyler is portrayed as straight, but Doohan says he hopes to play a gay character one day:

“I’m an openly gay actor, and I feel lucky to have played such a wide variety of roles. But honestly, I haven’t been offered enough gay roles. I’d love to play a gay character — not just because he’s gay, but because he’s a great character. I’ve auditioned for many, but I didn’t get them. Still, I know one day it will happen, and I’ll find an amazing script.”

Doohan cited Bridgerton and Wicked star Jonathan Bailey as a key inspiration, praising actors who refuse to be pigeonholed into only playing gay roles:

“I’m grateful to the queer actors — and all queers — who paved the way for me and allowed me the privilege to play these characters. Jonathan Bailey is a huge inspiration for me.”

In 2022, Doohan married his partner, Fielder Jewett, in a ceremony officiated by his Your Honor co-star Bryan Cranston.

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