Alan Cumming says gay TV characters are important in age of Trump
Actor to portray first lead openly gay character in a broadcast network drama through role in CBS show "Instinct"
“I applaud everyone at CBS for having the courage to put that on, in the climate that might not be the best time to do it.”
–Actor Alan Cumming, talking about his new role in the CBS one-hour drama Instinct, in which he portrays Dr. Dylan Reinhart, a married gay man, author, and university professor who is an expert on serial killers.
In the show, Reinhart is asked by New York police to help solve a case where a criminal is basing his behavior on one of his books. The character is based on one from James Patterson’s novel of the same name.
Speaking at the show’s TCA winter press tour panel, Cumming says he thinks its the “perfect time” to have a show featuring a lead gay character in a “healthy same-sex marriage,” reports Deadline. Cumming’s character is believed to be the first gay lead character in a broadcast network drama, something the 52-year-old actor, who identifies as bisexual, says is particularly important in the age of Donald Tump’s presidency.
Cumming criticized President Trump for “actively condoning, by his silence, violence and persecution against the LGBT community.” The White House did not respond to inquiries about Cumming’s remarks.
Instinct premieres on CBS on Mar. 11.
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