Tyler Posey says Teen Wolf allowed him to not be “ashamed” of his sexuality.
The actor reprises his breakout role as Scott McCall in the Paramount+ movie continuation of the MTV series, which also sees the return of stars such as Crystal Reed, Holland Roden, Shelley Hennig, JR Bourne, Orny Adams and Colton Haynes.
Deep breath for even more star power: Linden Ashby, Melissa Ponzio, Ryan Kelley, Seth Gilliam, Ian Bohen, Dylan Sprayberry, Vince Mattis, Khylin Rhambo, Amy Workman, Nobi Nakanishi, and Tyler Hoechlin.
Ahead of its release this Thursday (26 January), Posey tells GAY TIMES that the original series “played a part” in him coming to terms with his queerness and sexual fluidity, which he went public with in 2021.
“[Teen Wolf] definitely helped not let the subject die in my head. It was constantly there and it was constantly being accepted,” says Posey.
“For me, it was easier to not be ashamed about what I was going through. I was just instilled with this idea of acceptance for who I am.
“I owe that to the show, but also just the way that I’ve grown up and who I am and who I want to inspire people to be; to just be yourselves with no shame. I think that all played a part in that.”
Across its six-season run, Teen Wolf earned a dedicated cult following, particularly amongst the LGBTQ+ community.
The fantasy drama was praised for its camp sensibilities and inclusive storylines with a plethora of queer characters including Jackson Whittemore (Haynes), Ethan Steiner (Charlie Carver) and Mason Hewitt (Khylin Rhambo).
“Apart from it being inclusive,” Posey explains that Teen Wolf “didn’t shove the subject down everyone’s throat. It was just natural and normal.
“It was like what everyday life is like. You’re gay, you’re straight, whatever. These topics weren’t like, ‘Here’s gay! Here’s straight!’ It was all super normal. I think that’s what people really appreciated because we’re all normal.
@gaytimes Thank you, @Tyler Posey 🥹 #tylerposey #teenwolf #teenwolfedit #teenwolftiktok #teenwolfmovie #teenwolfmtv #teenwolfedits #tylerposeyedit #tylerposeyteenwolf ♬ Music In Your Heart (Instrumental) – BLVKSHP
“There’s been weird stigmas put in the air for hundreds and thousands of years and we were sort of breaking that stigma of, ‘This is just how we are. This is everyday life. This is how people are and how they interact.’
“We spotlighted it by taking the spotlight off, if that makes any sense. It was just normal and, for me, that’s what I loved about it.”
Teen Wolf: The Movie reunites the series’ original characters for the first time in seven years after a “terrifying evil” emerges in Beacon Hills.
As per the official synopsis from Paramount+, “The wolves are howling once again, calling for the return of banshees, werecoyotes, hellhounds, kitsunes and every other shapeshifter in the night.
“But only a werewolf like Scott McCall, no longer a teenager yet still an alpha, can both gather new allies and reunite trusted friends to fight back against what could be the most powerful and deadliest enemy they’ve ever faced.”
Posey was 18 when the first season of Teen Wolf debuted on MTV in 2011, so having the opportunity to continue telling Scott’s story is “special”.
He says: “There was so much relatable-ness with the show that I was really interested and excited to see how it was going to make Scott relatable again, but grown up.”
More importantly, Posey thinks the movie needed to happen for the fans who “grew up and learned a lot of ideologies” from the beloved parent series: “I think they depend on Teen Wolf a little bit.
“I’ve met a lot of fans over the years and they say, ‘Your show saved my life. It really taught me how to be comfortable with myself,’ because we were very inclusive with every single type of person.
“The fact that we can expand upon that and come back for them is beautiful.”
Teen Wolf: The Movie streams 26 January on Paramount+ in the United States and 27 January in the UK.
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