We love ourselves some Murray Bartlett!
(L-R) Murray Bartlett on 'Looking'; 'The White Lotus'; The Last of Us.'
HBO/Max
Murray Bartlett is one of the most talented and charismatic actors working today. Over time, the Australian actor earned three Emmy nominations and even won an Emmy Award for his role on The White Lotus. To the delight of many fans, Bartlett has played several queer characters in various projects.
From making a cameo as a gay best friend (GBF) on Sex and the City to his Emmy-winning performance on The White Lotus to his heartbreakingly beautiful role on The Last of Us, Bartlett has been a poster child for queer representation in mainstream media for many years now.
Scroll through to see Murray Bartlett's most memorable gay characters in film and TV.
Oliver — 'Sex and the City'
Murray Bartlett as Oliver on 'Sex and the City.'
HBO
An iconic episode of Sex and the City that aired in 2002 showed Bartlett playing an Australian shoe importer named Oliver Spencer who befriended Carrie at a gay nightclub.
Troy — 'August'
Bartlett played a man who returns to Los Angeles after leaving his long-term partner to live in Spain for five years in this 2011 indie film titled August.
Dom — 'Looking'
Bartlett played gay sommelier and prospective restaurateur Dom Basaluzzo in the HBO series Looking, which was canceled after season 2 but got a proper ending in Looking: The Movie.
Michael — 'Tales of the City'
2019's Tales of the City had Bartlett starring as Michael "Mouse" Tolliver. The character was a gay guy dating a younger man, Ben, played by actor Charlie Barnett. This limited series was based on the novels by Armistead Maupin and served as a follow-up installment to previous television adaptations of Tales of the City.
Armond — 'The White Lotus'
Though the gays had been keeping up with Bartlett's career for years, the actor had a massive breakout role on The White Lotus season 1 as Armond — the drug-addicted and stressed-out hotel manager at the White Lotus resort in Hawaii. Bartlett won a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance on the show.
Vinnie Green — 'Physical'
Bartlett joined the second season of Physical, an AppleTV+ series about the fitness world in the 1980s. He played Vinnie Green on the show: an energetic and popular aerobics instructor.
Nick De Noia — 'Welcome to Chippendales'
Based on the true story of Steve Banerjee — the Indian immigrant who founded the male strip club Chippendales — Hulu's Welcome to Chippendales also featured Bartlett as choreographer Nick De Noia. Over the course of the show, Nick starts a rivalry with Steve Banerjee.
Frank — 'The Last of Us'
This Emmy-nominated performance by Bartlett brought to life apocalypse survivor Frank during a special episode of The Last of Us that focused on the love story between him and another gruff survivor, Bill (Emmy winner Nick Offerman). The episode is generally considered one of the best of the series.
Bruce — 'Ponyboi'
Bartlett starred as a mysterious hunky cowboy in the Sundance drama Ponyboi. Written by and starring River Gallo as an intersex sex worker, the film is scheduled to premiere on June 27, 2025.
