Soap Opera Stars and Producers Who Identify as LGBTQ
Soap operas are long-running television shows that portray the lives of many individuals through their daily, usually emotionally intense, interactions. They usually are shown during the daytime, though there are some notable evening soap operas. This genre of television show got its name from the sponsorship of soap companies in its early days. In Spanish-speaking countries, they are known as telenovas.
There have been many prominent actors in soap operas that are LGBTQ. Similarly, producers and directors include the creators of Britain's most popular soap opera 'Coronation Street', Derek Granger and Tony Warren; the producer of 'Hollyoaks' and 'EastEnders' Bryan Kirkwood; and scriptwriter Jonathan Harvey.
In terms of the content of soap operas, it is only relatively recently that the story lines have included LGBTQ characters. The American soap opera 'Soap' was the first to include a gay character in 1977 (the character Jodie Dallas), while the first openly gay character in Great Britain's soaps was the show 'Brookside' in 1982 (the character Gordon Collins).
Transgender characters have only recently been prominent in soap operas. Though Britain's 'Coronation Street' introduced the first transgender character, Hayley Cropper in 1998, most recent additions have included Ash Palmisciano in Emmerdale, and Annie Wallace in Hollyoaks.
Many prominent LGBTQ soap stars have successful careers in other entertainment areas, such as theatre, film and television. Some of the earliest include Great Britain's Amanda Barrie (who appeared in the 'Carry On' series of films) and American Farley Granger.
Simply click on their names to read their fascinating biographies.
Australia
- Tim Campbell
- Brenton Thwaites, Home and Away
Belgium
- Timo Descamps, Spring, Familia
Canada
- Gordon Thomson, The Young and the Restless, Passions
Great Britain
- Amanda Barrie, Coronation Street
- Daniel Brocklebank, Coronation Street
- Maureen Chadwick, Footballer's Wives
- Charlie Condou, Coronation Street
- Antony Cotton, Coronation Street
- Jimmy Essex, Hollyoaks
- Julie Goodyear, Coronation Street
- Derek Granger, Coronation Street
- Andrew Hayden-Smith, Byker Grove
- Jonathan Harvey, Coronation Street
- Michelle Hardwick, Emmerdale, Coronation Street
- Duncan James, Hollyoaks
- Bryan Kirkwood, Hollyoaks, EastEnders, Coronation Street
- Riley Carter Millington, EastEnders
- Ash Palmisciano, Emmerdale
- Heather Peace, Coronation Street
- Annie Wallace, Hollyoaks
- Tony Warren, Coronation Street
India
Mexico
- Christian Chavez, Rebeide
New Zealand
- Madeleine Sami, Shortland Street
The Netherlands
- Danny de Jong, Spangas
United States
- Christopher Bernau, The Guiding Light
- Thom Bierdz, The Young and the Restless
- Jim Brochu, All My Children
- Jane Chambers, Search for Tomorrow
- Scott Evans, One Life to Live
- Farley Granger
- Joanna Johnson, The Bold and the Beautiful
- James Mitchell, All My Children
- Timothy Patrick Murphy, Search for Tomorrow
- Dack Rambo, All My Children, Another World
- Greg Rikaart, The Young and the Restless
- Nicholas Rodriguez, One Life to Live
- Bobby Steggert, All My Children
- Tuc Watkins, One Life to Live
