Jesse James Keitel and CG have explained how the reboot of Queer as Folk differentiates itself from past iterations, as well as other LGBTQ+ series on air.
A reimagining of Russell T Davies’ groundbreaking 1999 drama of the same name, which was later adapted in the US from 2000 to 2005, the series follows a diverse group of friends whose lives are turned upside down following a devastating tragedy.
Released in the US last month to acclaim from critics, Queer as Folk also stars Devin Way, Fin Argus, Ryan O’Connell, Johnny Sibilly, Juliette Lewis and Kim Cattrall, with Benito Skinner, Ed Bedgley Jr. and Nyle DiMarco in supporting roles.
To coincide with the show’s release on StarzPlay in the UK, Keitel and CG, who play Ruthie O’Neil and Shar, praised the original series for its impact on popular culture and the queer community. However, the stars admitted that they didn’t necessarily feel represented within the narrative.
“I enjoyed it, but as a 20-something when I watched it, I had the gift of all the queer content that came after Queer as Folk because of Queer as Folk,” Keitel told GAY TIMES. “There are so many shows that were able to be because of the impact of the show in 1999.”
The actress, also known for her role as Jerrie Kennedy on ABC’s crime thriller Big Sky, said she appreciated the series when she started to lean into her “queerness and transness”, but was unable to see herself reflected in the world Davies created.
“So, getting to do it now… There’s a newfound responsibility,” added Keitel.
CG agreed, saying: “When I watched the show, one of the questions in my head was, ‘Do they want me to fit into this world?’ because I realised someone like me is not in this world, but I know I am in this world.”
Keitel commended the reimagining for its depiction of the “vibrant” American South with its New Orleans setting, a historically popular LGBTQ+ city that “isn’t really often represented on TV, especially not in a way that centres its queerness.”
“That alone sets it apart, not even taking into account all the different types of queer people who are on the show – people with disabilities, people of different races and people of different trans statuses,” she said.
“It’s an organic friend group that honestly resembles my real life friend group. I think that speaks volumes for how it’s different from other queer content.”
As well as receiving praise for the cast’s performances and for its more inclusive representation of the LGBTQ+ community, Queer as Folk has been lauded for casting actors whose identities are in line with their respective characters.
Keitel also revealed that she didn’t have “much input” to her character and her season one storyline because there was no need, as a result of the writers creating Ruthie “from a lived experience that I could relate to.”
“I didn’t need to champion my character and stand up for her and an entire community, having that weight on my shoulders, because that was being taken care of for me by people whose job it was to do that,” Keitel explained, before saying the next “big hurdle” in the conversations around representation is hiring more queer people behind the scenes.
“It’s amazing that Queer as Folk, in this vibrant reimagining, got greenlit. But there are also plenty of completely original projects that are not being greenlit by queer creators and we need to see those projects made as well. Hopefully a show like ours can breathe life into those other projects.”
For CG, it’s a ‘great gift’ to be authentically themselves in their workplace. They told us: “I feel like, as a person in any marginalised place, there’s literally a certain amount of different kinds of awarenesses that you have when you’re in different spaces.
“You have to look out for yourself, because you might not think like that person or look like that person, so you have to be aware of the presence you have. You’re forgetting to just be and live in that place. In that respect, being in the Queer as Folk space, all those awarenesses were just thrown away.”
“Even down to the details of the sex lives of these characters,” added Keitel. “We’ve had some really intimate, sometimes what could’ve been awkward, conversations about how these characters have sex with each other – or themselves.
“I think, in a non-queer space, that would’ve been uncomfortable. But there was a common ground, a common language where we could say, ‘No, actually, I think my character would have a dildo in her ass.’ It’s a mutual understanding of why.”
Queer as Folk is now available to stream in the UK on StarzPlay.
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