Not even straight actors are immune to homophobic attacks when they play LGBTQ+ characters.
During an interview with iNews, Nick Offerman talked about the homophobic attacks he received after playing the character of Bill on HBO’s The Last of Us. On the show, Bill fell in love with Frank (played by Murray Bartlett) and had the entire third episode dedicated to their gay romance.
Though Offerman is a straight man who was just playing a gay character, he was still targeted by homophobes on social media. Specifically, the actor told the publication that he received “a lot of homophobic hate via social media” after being on The Last of Us.
He added, “I was kind of fascinated by how openly people will express hate and brand themselves as bigots. I kept thinking: ‘We can see you!’ Because here were men saying: ‘I’m a father and a Christian and a patriot and I hate queers.’”
Later in the interview, Offerman reflected on how “the public expression of that kind of hatred is still pretty safe” even in 2023, which came off as shocking to him.
As the owner of a woodworking shop in Los Angeles, Offerman is more than accepting of all kinds of customers and people who come into the store. “People who come to my shop are straight, gay, trans, non-gender-conforming,” he added. “It doesn’t matter if you want to make a table, and why should it?”
Best known for playing the alpha male character of Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation, the character of Bill was certainly a departure for Offerman – but the LGBTQ+ community definitely welcomed him with open arms.
It’s very upsetting that so much anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric is still going on right now. Hopefully, times will change in the near future.
The Last of Us is now streaming on Max.
