Up and Coming LGBTQ Actors and What You Should Know About Them

Act up! 7.1% of Americans identify as something other than heterosexual, including roughly 21% of Generation Z adults.

But LGBTQ people are more than their sexual orientations and gender identities. We are innovators, activists, and artists. Learn about actors in the LGBTQ community, and you’ll be surprised by how diverse the community can be. 

Who are some of the biggest LGBTQ actors? What roles have they done, and what will they appear in next? What have LGBTQ stars done besides acting? 

Answer these questions and you can enrich your sense of famous LGBTQ people. Here is your quick guide.

Lena Waithe

Lena Waithe is one of the most prominent LGBTQ stars on television. Her breakout role was in the Netflix series Master of None, and she served as an actress and a writer. She became the first Black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 2017. 

She is also the creator of The Chi, a drama on Showtime following a group of people living on the South Side of Chicago. The show has been renewed for a fifth season.

Waithe has branched out into film as well. She wrote and produced Queen & Slim, which she won several awards for.

Indya Moore

Indya Moore started their career as a model when they were 15 years old. They did photoshoots for Dior and Gucci and walked in New York Fashion Week. 

In 2017, Moore landed a role in Pose. They were one of the main actors on the show for all three seasons, receiving critical acclaim for their work.

Since appearing on Pose, they have been cast in Steven Universe Future and Escape Room: Tournament of Champions. Their next film is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and they will play Karshon. 

Ben Platt

Ben Platt began performing on stage when he was nine years old. By the time he turned 18, he had appeared in productions of Caroline, or Change and Les Misérables. 

In 2015, Platt was cast as Evan Hansen in the musical Dear Evan Hansen. The show was an immediate success, moving from Washington, D.C. theaters into the Music Box Theatre on Broadway.

At 23, Platt won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, the youngest actor to do so. In 2019, he released his debut album Sing to Me Instead, which reached the top 20 spots on the Billboard 200. 

The World’s Most Talented LGBTQ Actors

LGBTQ actors are rising through the ranks. Lena Waithe is a phenom, being a successful actress, writer, and producer. She has worked in comedies and dramas on small and large screens.

Indya Moore started as a successful model and then turned their attention to acting in television and blockbuster films. Ben Platt was a Broadway actor, but he’s now trying his hand at film acting and music. 

Pride Month is underway, and now is the perfect time to learn more about actors who are LGBTQ and their works. Read more guides to LGBTQ artists by following our coverage.