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From theater to television to film, Jonathan Groff has played lots of gay characters.
Jonathan Groff in A Nice Indian Boy'; 'Looking'; 'The Normal Heart.'Levantine/Wayfarer Studios; HBOJonathan Groff first made his name on Broadway in productions of Fame and Hair, as well as his breakout performance in Spring Awakening. He subsequently landed various roles in film and TV shows, which turned him into one of the biggest LGBTQ+ stars in the world.
Though he certainly played several non-queer characters throughout his career, Groff did get the chance to play a few gay men on stage and on screen who have left a significant mark in pop culture. Between his high-profile (but non-queer) roles in Glee, Frozen, Mindhunter, and Hamilton, Groff also found time to play gay characters and brought a lot of authenticity to each of them.
Scroll through to learn more about Jonathan Groff's best gay roles throughout his career.
'Prayer for My Enemy'
Jonathan Groff walking a red carpet.
Shutterstock
Groff played the character of Billy Noone in the 2008 off-Broadway production of Prayer for My Enemy. In the play, Billy is a closeted American soldier who comes back home and has to deal with certain private struggles within his family. Throughout the story, Billy reveals that he had a romantic relationship with his childhood friend, Tad, which shakes the Noone family to its core.
'C.O.G.'
Jonathan Groff in 'C.O.G.'
Focus World
Groff has also starred in 2013's C.O.G., a movie based on a short story from David Sedaris' book of collected essays, Naked. In the film, Groff plays the queer character of David (a.k.a. Samuel), a Yale University graduate who wants to disconnect from the world. To do so, he starts working for an apple farm in the state of Oregon.
C.O.G. is streaming on Fubo.
'The Normal Heart'
Jonathan Groff in 'The Normal Heart.'
HBO
2014's The Normal Heart featured Groff playing the character of Craig Donner. At the start of the film, a group of gay friends get together to celebrate Craig's birthday. Alas, it doesn't take long in the story for Craig to suddenly collapse while walking at the beach and to start coughing after blowing the candles on his birthday cake. The HBO film deals with the rise of the HIV epidemic, and Craig is one of the characters who first show symptoms of this new virus plaguing the LGBTQ+ community.
HBO's The Normal Heart is streaming on Max.
'Looking'
Jonathan Groff on 'Looking.'
HBO
Groff played the protagonist of HBO's Looking, Patrick Murray, a gay man in his late 20s living in San Francisco and getting entangled in different relationships. His two main love interests were Kevin Matheson (played by Russell Tovey) and Richie Donado Ventura (played by Raúl Castillo). Even though the series only ran for two seasons, HBO did release Looking: The Movie as a conclusion to the story.
HBO's Looking is streaming on Max.
'The Matrix Resurrections'
Jonathan Groff in 'The Matrix Resurrections.'
Warner Bros. Pictures
Agent Smith was played by a different actor in the first three installments of The Matrix, but Groff was one of the actors who took on that role in the recent sequel The Matrix Resurrections. In the Matrix franchise, Smith is known as the main arch-nemesis of Neo (played by Keanu Reeves).
The Matrix Resurrections is streaming on Max.
'Knock at the Cabin'
Jonathan Groff in 'Knock at the Cabin.'
Universal Pictures
2023's Knock at the Cabin featured gay couple Eric (played by Groff) and Andrew (played by Ben Aldridge). In the film, Eric and Andrew go on vacation at a remote cabin but are suddenly held hostage to four strangers bringing upon the news of the apocalypse.
Knock at the Cabin is streaming on Prime Video.
'Doctor Who'
Jonathan Groff and Ncuti Gatwa on 'Doctor Who.'
BBC/Disney+
Ever since Ncuti Gatwa assumed the role of the Fifteenth Doctor on the long-running BBC series Doctor Who, we've gotten some of the most queer-inclusive episodes in the history of the show.
Groff appeared in an episode of the show titled after his character's name, Rogue. As the story unfolded, the Doctor and Rogue developed a romantic connection and even shared an on-screen kiss — marking the first time in Doctor Who history that the Doctor kissed someone of the same gender after showing feelings for that person.
Doctor Who is streaming on Disney+.
'A Nice Indian Boy'
Jonathan Groff and Karan Soni in 'A Nice Indian Boy.'
Levantine/Wayfarer Studios
A Nice Indian Boy follows Naveen Gavaskar (Karan Soni) bringing his fiancé, Jay (Jonathan Groff), to meet his traditional family.
Even though Jay is a white man who was adopted by Indian parents, the cultural clashes of the film — and the relationship between Naveen and Jay — are pretty hilarious.
A Nice Indian Boy premieres April 4, 2025 in theaters.
