Some actors who are publicly out as gay or bisexual have played characters portrayed as straight. That describes two different things: the actor’s public identity and the character’s story. It does not mean the character is secretly gay. The available examples support a shorter, careful list—not 20 independently verified entries.
What this list means
“Straight character” here means a role portrayed as straight in the work or period named. The examples below are drawn from published roundups by PinkNews and Out.com. Their inclusion is not evidence that an actor’s identity determines a character’s sexuality.
Out LGBTQ+ actors in roles portrayed as straight
Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother
PinkNews identifies Harris as publicly out as gay and describes Barney as a straight womanizer. Barney is a clear example of the distinction between an actor’s public identity and a character’s portrayal.
Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton in Bridgerton
Out.com includes Bailey among out LGBTQ+ actors who have played straight roles and names Anthony Bridgerton as an example. The roundup identifies the role; it should not be read as a claim about Bailey’s character beyond the show’s portrayal.
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Neil Patrick Harris as Desi Collings in Gone Girl
Out.com also lists Harris’s role as Desi Collings as a straight role. The film is a separate example from Barney Stinson, though both are played by the same actor.
When a character’s story changes
Miranda Hobbes in Sex and the City and And Just Like That…
PinkNews distinguishes the original portrayal from the revival: Miranda was portrayed as straight in the original series and first two films, while And Just Like That… depicts her exploring her sexuality later in life. The timeframe matters; describing Miranda simply as a straight character erases that development.
A related but different case: an out actor playing a queer character
Wilson Cruz as Rickie Vasquez in My So-Called Life
Rickie is a queer character, not an example of an out actor playing a straight role. In an interview with the Television Academy, Cruz discusses the character and his place in network television history. His role belongs in a broader discussion of LGBTQ+ representation, but not in a list of straight characters.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the number 20 needs qualification
The headline’s premise is a real topic, but the cited examples do not substantiate 20 separate entries. PinkNews and Out.com provide examples and framing; they do not, in the material cited here, establish a verified 20-person list. It is more accurate to name the roles that those roundups support than to fill out a count with rumor or assumptions about a performer’s identity.
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