6 of Jonathan Groff's best (and most iconic) gay roles

From theater to television to film, Jonathan Groff has played lots of gay characters.

Jonathan 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

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.

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.

Stream C.O.G. on Fubo.

The Normal Heart

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.

Stream The Normal Heart on Max.

Looking

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.

Stream Looking on Max.

The Matrix Resurrections

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).

Stream The Matrix Resurrections on Max.

Knock at the Cabin

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.

Stream Knock at the Cabin on Prime Video.