Michael Cimino, the star of the Hulu
gay teen drama Love, Victor, said in a recent interview that
he's received homophobic messages over the role.
Love, Victor is inspired by and
set in the same world as the 2018 gay coming-of-age film Love,
Simon.
The half-hour series centers on Victor
(played by Cimino), a new student at Creekwood High School, as he
adjusts to a new city and struggles with his sexual orientation.
Speaking with UK LGBT glossy Attitude,
Cimino, who identifies as straight, said that he's received
homophobic messages over the role.
“To be honest, I actually have gotten
homophobic messages,” Cimino, 21, said.
“The craziest part is it's sometimes
from people I know. I think it shows where the world's at and
possibly how much this show is actually needed. It starts a
conversation, and that's the most important thing,” he said.
When asked how he responds to the
messages, Cimino explained that he takes several different
approaches.
“As far as when it was people I know,
I would either kind of lean into it, and be like, 'OK, and what?'”
he said. “Or I would try to enlighten them as much as I possibly
could.”
“The best thing to do is try to
educate them or realize that they're ignorant and you can't really
say anything that's going to help them, unfortunately,” he added.
George Sear, who plays Cimino's love
interest in the show, said that he's received a positive response to
the show.
“The response has been nothing but
positive from what I've seen,” the 23-year-old said. “It's really
nice and touching getting messages from people who've watched the
show and it's resonated with them.”
Season two of Love, Victor is
expected to arrive sometime this year.