Arts & Entertainment
‘Queer as Folk’ cast reunites for first time in 13 years
The group reminisced about the iconic Showtime series
‘Queer as Folk’ cast (Photo courtesy of Entertainment Weekly)
The cast of “Queer as Folk” reunited for the first time in 13 years for a photo shoot and interview for Entertainment Weekly.
Michael (Hal Sparks), Brian (Gale Harold), Emmett (Peter Paige), Ted (Scott Lowell), Justin (Randy Harrison), Ben (Robert Gant), Debbie (Sharon Gless), Lindsay (Thea Gill) and Melanie (Michelle Clunie) remembered their time filming the Showtime series which was an American remake of the British series.
“We saw it as an opportunity to address a lot of issues that had never been shown on American TV before,” executive producer Ron Cowen explained to Entertainment Weekly. “That was very important to us because we gay people didn’t really see a true reflection of ourselves on TV very often. Back then, you couldn’t get married. There was ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ in the Army. In 14 states, there were still sodomy laws on the books. It was a very hostile atmosphere.”
Now, the series has received a new generation of fans tuning into the series.
“We stopped making this like 90 years ago and people are still discovering it for the first time and thinking it’s real,” Lowell says.
A “Queer as Folk” reboot isn’t in the works but Paige thinks a remake would still ring true today.
“God knows the clothes and the hairstyles have changed, but the emotional stories are eternal,” he says. “I often say people came for the queer, but they stayed for the folk.”
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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