From show creator Stephen Dunn, the Peacock re-imagining of Queer as Folk, inspired by the groundbreaking British series from Russell T. Davies, follows a group of queer and trans friends in New Orleans as they figure out all the messy parts of life and love. When they find themselves reeling after a tragedy, new relationships and resurfaced insecurities lead to even more drama that they’ll have to deal with, in order to move forward.
During this interview with Collider, co-stars Ryan O’Connell (who plays Julian, a pop culture nerd whose cerebral palsy doesn’t get in his way of being sexy) and Fin Argus (who plays Mingus, a high schooler trying to figure out who they want to be) talked about why they wanted to be a part of this series, playing NSFW characters, the importance of not letting a disability inhibit your sexuality, learning how to pull off a great drag performance, Mingus’ cathartic character journey, and what it’s like to have Kim Cattrall and Juliette Lewis as part of the cast.
Collider: When the possibility of being a part of this show came your way, what was your initial reaction to learning that Queer as Folk was coming back?
FIN ARGUS: My thought was, “Oh, yeah, this sounds familiar.”
RYAN O’CONNELL: They’re really young. They weren’t around for the original.
ARGUS: I was one year old, when the original show came out, but I did my research. I read the script, and I was like, “Oh, my gosh.” I was so parched for some really good, meaty queer content. I read the script, and I was like, “Oh, my goodness, I need to book this, stat.”
O’CONNELL: And book it, they did.
ARGUS: And here I am. It was just refreshing to see these really authentic representations of queer characters written into a show. I was like, “It’s already greenlit? This isn’t a pilot? Oh, my gosh! I can’t wait to see this.” I just couldn’t wait to see it, either way.
O’CONNELL: I was really excited because I had seen the original. Don’t worry, I was still young. I feel like, what it means to be queer, there have been so many changes in the last 20 years, so it felt like one of those rare reboots that justifies its existence. There were a lot more stories to tell and, even though TV is, in some ways, queerer than it ever has been, it is medium rare for a show to be completely queer. Queer characters are usually relegated to the sidelines. There might be two of us now instead of one, but the creative freedom of being able to dive into an all-queer cast and not have to deal with a floppy straight character was incredible, and I was very, very excited.
It also tends to feel much safer when it’s the one gay character on a show, as opposed to a show entirely about gay characters, and these are not safe characters.
O’CONNELL: We are NSFW. But it was our work, so make that make sense.
ARGUS: That’s an interesting point. What I hope happens is that this show is gonna make the space for messy queer characters to exist, outside of the realm of just our show, which is really exciting. I’m trying to think of a time this diverse queerness where we’re not sanctified in any way was on TV.
O’CONNELL: How about my show, Special, on Netflix? It was gone too soon.
ARGUS: I love that show. I watched the show and I DMed Ryan and was like, “You’re so talented. Oh, my gosh, I hope I get to work with you soon.” And here we are.
O’CONNELL: Oh, my God, you manifester.
Ryan, you’re also a producer and writer on this show. Was that important to you, knowing that would mean you’d also get to have a voice and a say in making sure that your character and his disability was properly and authentically represented?
O’CONNELL: I did not know I was actually gonna be in the show. Stephen [Dunn] surprised me with that, and I was really, really excited. I was really gonna just be a writer and producer. I like doing a lot of things. I like being in front of the camera and behind the camera. It was really, really exciting to be able to shape this character and give it all its meaning complexities. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I love that Julian gets to have sex and be sexy. He has a very full life and he isn’t stigmatized, in some way, because he has a disability. What do you hope that kind of representation gives to individuals watching this show, who could be seeing that and seeing themselves for the first time?
O’CONNELL: In terms of sex, we deem, as a society, who’s worthy of having sex and who’s not, and disabled people have always been left off of that. I feel like we’ve been castrated at birth. I spent my whole life searching for my dick, and I’ve finally found it. I think it’s really important to show that disabled people have wants and desires, and they have agency, and they can be really fucking hot, and that’s chic too.
Fin, I love a good drag performance, but drag is also not easy. It’s not just putting on a costume and strutting around a stage. How did you approach that? What was it like to figure out what those performances would be and to prepare for those performances?
ARGUS: I knew very little about drag, prior to doing this show, which I can’t believe is true. I did drag, in a non-traditional way, just in the sense that I wasn’t in full glam and didn’t have padding. I thought there was a rule book for drag. What I learned throughout the process of filming this show and getting more involved in the drag community is that there aren’t rules. Drag is just an expression of yourself, to the nth degree, whatever that means to you. Oftentimes, it can be gender liberation. For me, the art form of drag was liberating. I really came into my gender queerness in a new and refreshing way. There is an element of glam with the performances, but for the most part, it’s pretty edgy and even creepy, which speaks to the angst that Mingus experiences, as a 17-year-old punk, and I relate to that. I write very angsty music. It was cool to express myself, in that way. I’m such a huge fan of the art of drag. It’s the best.
Mingus finally gets the courage to get on stage and perform for an audience, only to have that end in tragedy, and then take this very drama-filled journey to get back to that place again. What was it like to take that journey with them and to really bookend the story this season with those performances?
ARGUS: It was very cathartic. It’s sad to see the development of Mingus’ queerness gets stunted. They’re so self-assured, at the top of the season, and very open with their queerness. You see them skate through the school courtyard in a skirt and makeup, in their opening scene. It’s a tough thing. Even in my life, sometimes when I’m feeling hurt or in pain, I find myself not wanting to express myself in more edgy or fabulous ways. I can relate to that, and I think a lot of queer people can experience that. You get beaten down, and it’s hard to turn off those voices, but it’s possible. A way that can happen is through community building and realizing that you have a family within the queer community. Mingus finds that, specifically in the drag scene, which I think is a particularly strong and loving community. That’s the basis of it. I feel like not a lot of people, or maybe not enough people, know that drag is about family.
What was it like to have Kim Cattrall and Juliette Lewis playing your mothers? Did you ever think you would be in a position where that would be the case?
O’CONNELL: No. If I did, you’d probably have to have me 5150-ed. I definitely was so beyond delighted to have Kim Cattrall play my TV mom. I’m such a huge fan. Samantha Jones is such an iconic character. I was definitely overwhelmed. At first, but Kim, IRL, is truly a gift. By the way, I think people are beginning to realize that, by the iconic interviews that she’s been giving, where she’s so funny and so smart. IRL, she’s super smart, she’s super funny, and she’s super welcoming. I just love her. I really, really do. It was such an honor to be able to be in the show with her. The adoption papers are going through. I’m gonna be her real son now, whether she likes it or not.
Fin, did you get to bond over music with Juliette Lewis?
ARGUS: Yeah. We’re both musicians and we both play rock stuff. We hit it off from the get-go, mostly through music. I’ve played her bits and pieces of my stuff, and I’ve listened to her music. She’s very cool. We became good friends. I feel like the family resemblance was there, from the get-go. We’re both a little mischievous and playful. She inspired me to push myself in our scenes. She’s such a strong performer, and it was just so much fun. She’s iconic. It was confusing to me, just getting to play opposite Juliette Lewis. And oftentimes, it was just us two. It was like this weird fever dream. Because she’s booked and busy, she would fly in for three days, and we’d do all of our scenes in a row. Seeing it all cut together with the rest of the show, I’m like, “Oh, my gosh, this is so cool.” It makes so much sense.
Queer as Folk is available to stream at Peacock.