Nick Jonas says that playing gay MMA
fighter Nate Kulina on DirecTV's Kingdom was an absolute
honor.
The show ended its three-season run on
Wednesday.
Kingdom's first season ended
with the revelation that Kulina is gay, a subject explored in
subsequent seasons.
Jonas, 24, thanked fans in an Instagram
post.
“Kingdom was an unforgettable
journey,” he
wrote. “I was able to grow as a man and as an actor. Playing
Nate was an absolute honor. My cast mates are some of the greatest
people I know, and truly remarkable actors. The creative team was the
kind you only dream about. Watched the series finale episode with all
of them tonight and I'm so grateful to close this 4 years chapter of
my life the same way it started. Long live @kingdomaudience keep
fighting people. Thanks to all our amazing fans. Love you all.”
Jonas also expressed his appreciation
in a short video attached to the post that also featured the show's
cast and creative team.
Last year, Jonas revealed that he was
frustrated by claims that he's exploiting the gay community.
“There’s always
going to be negativity toward anything that is a positive effort
toward change,” Jonas
said. “As a heterosexual male, [I am] open and comfortable
about loving my fan base, gay or straight, because to me there is no
difference, it is my fan base. Your sexual preference does not matter
to me and it shouldn’t matter to anybody. I thought [the criticism]
was kind of dumb, considering I play this gay character on a gritty
show. There’s a gay sex scene. I kissed a man.”
“I have nothing
to prove. I'm very comfortable in my own skin and I'm thankful to
have as many close gay friends as I have, people who have been so
supportive in my life, and have always been there for me,” he
added.