Randy Harrison

When out actor Randy Harrison took the role of Justin Taylor in 2000, no one knew how revolutionary Queer as Folk would prove. The first hour-long drama focusing on the lives of gays and lesbians in America, the show tackled a ton of issues that affect the gay community--and Justin Taylor was in the center of the lion's share. He started the series as a high-school student, and in the course of five seasons lost his virginity, navigated a fraught attraction to an older man, survived a brutal hate crime, and learned to pursue his career as an artist. For the breadth and depth of his experience, in 2007 AfterEllen voted him one of the three best LGBT characters of all time--and for his skill at playing this role, and for the impressive acting career he's built since then, OUT magazine takes out hat off to Randy Harrison.