Trigger Warning: This article contains a discussion of a fictional mass shooting.Peacock’s upcoming reboot of the 2000 drama Queer as Folk is about to be the must-watch series of the summer!
Set in the energetic city of New Orleans, the reboot is backed by its original creator. Russell T. Davies, and Stephen Dunn (director of AppleTV + ‘s Little America) and joined by a cast of fresh new faces. The new version of the show follows a group of friends coming from all walks of life as they overcome the aftermath of a shocking tragedy that struck their local community.
The reboot aims to take a different direction compared to its predecessors, with a groundbreaking reimagining of the show that relates to global audiences. Filmed in one of the most unique queer communities in America, the brand-new reboot of Queer as Folk will be filled with “so much imagination, insight, and crucially, joy.”
Portraying Modern Queer Communities
The show is a reflection of modern queer life, and also features trans and non-binary representation, which weren’t as prominent as previous versions of Queer as Folk. It also does not shy away from the harsh realities and real-life headlines faced queer communities – the reimagined series strives to tackle tough issues and painful topics head-on.
In the trailer, a gunman opens fire in a gay nightclub during a drag show, a tragedy reminiscent of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. Survivors of the Pulse incident were consulted for the Queer as Folk reboot, ensuring that the plot refrains from becoming too focused on trauma, and giving the cast an opportunity to look into the healing process and the rebuilding of a community following its aftermath.
Check out who’s playing who in the 2022 reboot of Queer as Folk.
Devin Way as Brodie
Devin Way plays Brodie (he / him), an ex-med school student commitment-phobe who knows how to charm your socks off with his chaotic goodness. After an unexpected tragedy happens within his local community, Brodie chooses to stay in New Orleans. Brodie bears some similarities with Stuart Alan Jones (Aidan Gillen) from the previous British version of Queer as Folk: they’re both smart-witted and carry themselves with swagger, all while remaining humble and kind.
When recalling one of his favorite scenes of the reboot in an interview with The Today ShowWay remembers the particular moment Argus’ character Mingus performs in drag for the first time, which he watched with his straight best friend.
“He never seen drag before, the second Mingus started performing, he literally started screaming ‘Let’s go! Let’s go! ‘ And that’s so exciting. “
Prior to this, Way made an appearance in Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19.
Fin Argus as Mingus
Fin Argus plays Mingus (they / them), the dress-wearing, skateboarding high schooler whose confidence is off the charts. In the show, you can catch Mingus doing a sick ollie on school grounds in a pink floaty dress, giving a mix of James Dean and Avril Lavigne realness. Argus’ character is inspired by photos of queer skate meet-ups, which they describe as, “a self-actualized twink trying to find queer people up to their bar of coolness, through the art forms of drag and hooking up with men.”
But despite Mingus’ boldness, the drag performer-in-training still lacks experience in the real world. The self-assured character channels their angst and anger into their drag persona, resulting in emotional performances audiences can look forward to.
“I’ve never had the opportunity to play a queer character before, which is wild, so this is my first time I’m representing my community.”
Argus was previously in the Disney + biographical teen drama Clouds as Zach Sobiech.
Jesse James Keitel as Ruthie
Jesse James Keitel plays Ruthie (she / her), a former party girl who’s coming to terms with the pains of growing up. Keitel is most prominent for her work in the American crime drama thriller Big Sky and was the first nonbinary actor to have a role as a nonbinary series regular on primetime television. When asked by The Today Show Why she wanted to be a part of the show, Keitel responded:
“There were not necessarily a lot of transwomen representation in either of the previous iterations of the show.”
CG as Shar
CG plays Shar (they / them), a nonbinary professor from New Orleans who’s trying to grasp the reality of becoming an “I-don’t-play-by-the-rules” punk to a responsible, dutiful parent. Shar is in a relationship with Ruthie, and while they both have their stark differences, both of them help each other out with their major life transitions. CG made an appearance in the ABC drama pilot for Acts of Crime.
Johnny Silbilly as Noah
Johnny Silbilly plays Noah (he // him), a successful and well-to-do lawyer whose put-together facade is all smoke and mirrors. After a traumatic incident, Noah struggles with addiction as he tries to cope with his personal and professional matters, all while presenting himself as an established practicing lawyer. Silbilly is a familiar face in shows like Pose and Hacks.
Ryan O’Connell as Julian
Ryan O’Connell plays Julian (he / him), Brodie’s brother. He’s your go-to enthusiast for all things pop culture living with cerebral palsy (a condition O’Connell was born with) and has his eyes set on some much-needed independence. Throughout the show, he’s learning to let his guard down and let love come into his life naturally. Also serving as the co-executive producer and writer of Queer as FolkO’Connell previously starred in Netflix Special.
Other Characters
Not much is known about the other characters yet. But here are a couple of faces you can also expect in the Queer as Folk reboot.
Kim Cattrallfamous for her titular role of Samantha in the hit series Sex and the City, has a recurring role as Brenda, Brodie and Julian’s adoptive mother. In the show, Brenda is portrayed as a high-society southern debutante from the trailer park with a penchant for martinis.
Meanwhile, Juliette Lewis who is riding high off of Yellowjackets stars as Judy, a single mother to Mingus and acts more of a friend to her child than an actual parent to a teenager.
Model and deaf activist Nyle DiMarco is set to play a guest role as a fetching grad student. Eric Graise from Locke & Key stars as Marvin, a barfly who’s apathetic towards any problem whatsoever, along with Bussey (Armand Fields), the championing drag queen slash matriarch in the scene.
Other characters to look forward to including a self-aggrandizing social media influencer (Bento Skinner), a hedonistic party rat (Chris Rento), an emotionally distant father (Ed Begley Jr.), and an empathetic sex worker (Sachin Bhatt).