Jonathan Groff On His Groundbreaking Career As An Out Actor

I highly recommend this OUT Magazine interview with Jonathan Groff. As he celebrates his Tony Award nomination for Merrily We Roll Along and the 10th anniversary of the acclaimed HBO series Looking, Groff reflects on his groundbreaking and unexpected career as an out actor. https://twitter.com/outmagazine/status/1790382283209543996 On coming out and following his artistic heart:

“Being gay has allowed me to forge my own path. I don’t feel at the mercy of the traditional Hollywood machine because I never really felt like I fit in there. That equation wasn’t where I lived. And so I’ve just been sort of over here following my artistic heart, which was a choice I made long, long ago.

On the impact Looking had on his life:

I’m just so proud that it’s still there and it’s still a beacon for some people. And it’s like a forever beacon for all of us that worked on it.

I didn’t truly accept myself until I had the opportunity to do that show, and play that character, and be with those guys, and every day be talking about what it meant for us to be gay, and what we were scared of, and what we were excited about.

That was such a life-altering experience in so many ways.

https://twitter.com/outmagazine/status/1790411943519338972 How he views award nominations today versus when he was younger:

“When I was a kid, the marker of success was like an Oscar or a Tony or like whatever the award was. Now I understand 20 years later that that’s a fun part of the game of it all. But it’s not what makes your artistic heart sing.”

I really encourage you to read the full article. I’ve been a fan of Jonathan’s work for over a decade. I just saw Merrily We Roll Along last week and he was most excellent. https://twitter.com/outmagazine/status/1790502368582214049