Michael Urie has played just about every type of queer character imaginable.
Over the years, he has appeared in groundbreaking series such as: ugly bettyhelmed Netflix’s first gay holiday romance comedy. Always singleconquered Broadway, took on Shakespeare, and earned his first Emmy nomination for his role as Brian on Apple TV+. contraction.
So when Yuri says he was surprised by the storyline because he hadn’t seen it explored before, we listen.
In a recent conversation with Gaity, the actor reflected on everything from queer representation and chosen families to being a TV dad, working with a baby, and why Pride shouldn’t stop when June ends. However, the following topics kept coming up: contraction A storyline that asks surprisingly complex questions about friendship, identity, and what happens after you come out.
For context, Urey co-stars with Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, and Christa Miller in the hit comedy-drama. The series follows Jimmy Laird (Siegel), a therapist who begins to throw his professional boundaries out the window after the death of his wife, leading through equal parts emotional breakthrough and complete turmoil.
Urie plays Brian, Jimmy’s longtime best friend. Brian is a successful lawyer whose role on the show has increased significantly since the series began. Over the years, viewers have watched Brian fall in love with Charlie, marry him, overcome his adoption, and become one of the emotional centers of the series.
Question Brian asked Jimmy
One of Yury’s favorite episodes in the series focused on Brian and Jimmy’s friendship and the complicated reality of maintaining a relationship after coming out.
When Brian first met Jimmy in college, he wasn’t living his true self.
“When Brian was in college, he was in the closet trying to prove to everyone that he was straight,” Urey explained. “And he came out of the closet. My best friend from my straight days remained my best friend.”
Years later, that past leads Brian to ask Jimmy questions that are both heartbreaking and empathetic.
“There was a really exciting storyline that we did contraction “So my character confronts Jimmy, played by Jason Segel, and says, ‘If we met today, could we be friends?’ When we met, I was a different person,” Urie recalled.
For many LGBTQ+ people, coming out is not the end of the story. It’s the beginning of understanding who you are outside of the self you’ve spent years presenting to the world.
“Whenever we come out, whenever we finally come out, we don’t live that lie anymore. We don’t wear a mask anymore. We reincarnate into who we really are,” Urie said. “So what happens to that friendship? That relationship also needs to be reborn in a way.”
The actor admitted that he has been asking himself similar questions throughout his life.
“If I met you now, would I be able to be friends with this person?” he said.
That’s what made the storyline feel so unique.
“I thought, ‘Wow, this is really real,'” Yury recalled. “We’re dealing with something that I don’t know if I’ve ever seen before. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that kind of conflict between friends.”
What’s especially refreshing about Brian’s story is that his life isn’t defined by conflict. This character certainly faces hardships, but he is also surrounded by people who love and support him.
“What really excited me was that his family, and most of the families that were found, were straight,” Yury said. “I know what it’s like to be the only queer person in a group of straight people, and that can be a great thing.”
From the chosen family to the starting family
Brian and Charlie’s adoption journey contraction‘s most emotional storyline resonated far beyond the show’s audience.
“These are the stories we hear from people who have seen our adoption story. contraction “And we were inspired to follow the path that we took as these real-life characters. It’s great to hear back from people,” Urey said.
Now, Season 4 is pushing Brian into a whole new stage of life.
Thanks to a two-year time jump, Brian is no longer preparing to raise a family. He lives it to the fullest.
“I love this part of parenting,” Yury said. “I think it’s really interesting to play a parent right now. We jumped two years in Season 4. So now we’re having a toddler on the show, which is really cool.”
Of course, having young children on screen comes with its own challenges.
Yuri laughed and talked about working with babies and young children, admitting that he was nervous at first until he realized that they were the most honest scene partners for actors.
“You can’t train a baby,” he joked. “It’s like a great truth teller.”
She added: “You can’t lie when you’re holding a baby.”
This is a very different version of Brian than the one viewers met in season 1, but it’s also part of what Yury loves most about the character. He can continue to grow.
The evolution of queer storytelling
The conversation also touched on how much LGBTQ+ representation has changed during Urie’s career. Few actors have had as much of a front row seat as he has.
After helping make Mark St. James one of the most memorable gay characters on television, ugly bettyYuri later found himself helming what would become Netflix’s first gay rom-com. Always single.
Even now, he is amazed at how many milestones are still happening.
“This was the first gay romantic comedy Netflix ever produced,” he said. “One of the first Christmas movies about queer people.”
The film, which also stars Luke MacFarlane and Philemon Chambers, was shot during the pandemic and reunited Urey with MacFarlane, who were classmates at Juilliard.
But it’s not the work itself that he is most remembered for. It’s the fact that no one cared that the main character in the movie was gay.
“Always single “This movie was a completely homophobic movie. There was nothing about homophobia at all,” Yury said.
Instead, the film gave its protagonist more familiar romantic problems.
“His problem isn’t that he’s gay,” Yury said. “His problem is falling in love.”
Yury believes stories about discrimination remain important, but she also sees value in showing queer joy.
“We can also show what life should be and how it should be now, show possibilities, show love and joy,” he said.
What’s next for Michael Urie?
between contractionBroadway, Shakespeare productions, and television appearances, Ury admits that life moves fast.
Still, he tries to enjoy every moment.
“I feel very lucky,” he said. “Being in this industry, going from Broadway to TV and back to Broadway, off-Broadway, Shakespeare, musicals, contraction. i’m going to wheel of fortune. i was on sesame street. what’s happening? What is my life? ”
And as Pride Month continues, he hopes people remember that Pride doesn’t start and end with a parade.
“This is just one month. Please be proud of it all year long,” Urie said. “This month is actually about letting others see us proud, but our job is to continue this every month and, like the Care Bears, let it emanate from our hearts all year long.”
Source: Gayety – gayety.com
