Queer as Folk: The Supporting Cast
The QAF Ensemble Actors Added Depth to Emotional Storylines
Oct 24, 2009
The main characters of Queer as Folk, over the five seasons, created the brunt of the excitement and energy of the show. But the surrounding cast contributed to the development of the characters, and created new dimensions that took the men in unexpected directions. This applied in particular to the role of Ted Schmidt played by Scott Lowell.
Teddy and His Twinkie
Ted Schmidt, unassuming, conservative accountant, found himself entangled with a drug addict named Blake Wyzecki, played by Dean Armstrong. Armstrong had a recurring role in the show returning to provide support to Schmidt who also fell into drug addiction. In an interview with the Windy City Times, Armstrong said the hardest part about being on the show was 'not being a regular fixture.'
David Guarino, writing for the Windy City Times notes that Armstrong became a fan favourite over the course of the show for his solid performance as Blake. His character's story had a wide ranging impact on youth as well, leading Armstrong to become spokesperson for Youthquest. Armstrong tells Guarino that the impact of his character showed that 'a number of struggling teenagers with identity crises also have drug addiction as well as their identity issues.'
Following his role on Queer as Folk, Armstrong starred in the Broadway musical Rent for 18 months.
He hosts a showed called Triple Sensation on the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) as well as owning his own production company (with Glenn Ripps) called Appulse Films. Armstrong also owns The Armstrong Acting Studio in Toronto, Canada.
The Women of Queer as Folk
One of the biggest criticisms of Queer as Folk was the treatment of the lesbian element on the show. Gregg Kilday reported in Curve Magazine, 'Viewers felt that the lesbian couple (played by Michelle Clunie and Thea Gill) existed only to further storylines featuring the guys.'
Michelle Clunie and Thea Gill played partners Mel and Lindsay on the show, and were parents of a baby fathered by Brian Kinney. Melanie's dislike of Brian was an on-going storyline, and Kate Kendall, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights considered it "a disservice to the intentionality with which lesbians and gay men go about having children."
Neither actress is gay in reality, but Gill and Clunie were both very comfortable in their gay-for-pay roles and though they were aware of the criticism chose to look at the positive side of things. In a Curve magazine article in 2001, of her lesbian role, Gill stated that "I don't see it as very much of a stretch for me...A lot of people interpret this as bisexuality, and it could be."
Thea Gill has a few roles upcoming in 2010, including The Putt Putt Syndrome as well a movie titled Copacabana. She also starred in Dante's Cove for 10 episodes in 2007.
Clunie has been on The Closer, CSI and Without a Trace and worked under Peter Paige's direction in Leaving Barstow.
Sharon Gless of Cagney and Lacey fame played the mother of Michael Novotny, and served as a den mother for all the gay men who came into her diner. A larger than life, rainbow flag-waving, red-haired eccentric, Gless brought both comic relief and a passionate voice to gay rights on the show, as she continues to do in reality. Gless currently plays Madeline Westen on the hit show Burn Notice, one of her many roles both in television and live theatre since Queer as Folk went off the air.
The Straight Men of Queer as Folk
Gless' character starts dating a cop much to the chagrin of her son, Michael. Peter MacNeill played Detective Horvath, a man coming to terms with his comfort level around the gay community. MacNeill is an accomplished Canadian actor but recently got jilted from a new comic drama series called Republic of Doyle. MacNeill starred in the pilot but was replaced with an Irish actor named Sean McGuinley as he may have broader international appeal. A well known character actor, MacNeill has worked steadily since Queer as Folk ended including appearances in Sea Wolf, Flashpoint and recently in a made-for-tv movie The Good Witch's Garden.
Carlo Rota who played Brian Kinney's boss, the smug Gardner Vance did not have a significant role on the show but his exploits since the show deserve mention. He hosts a show called The Great Canadian Food Show and more significantly joined another controversial show titled Little Mosque on the Prairie. Rota also appeared on 24 for 29 episodes as Morris O' Brian.
Queer as Folk Never Replaced
Ron Cowan, executive producer of Queer as Folk, responded to criticism about the show's high sex quotient. He eloquently told Gregg Kilday of Curve Magazine, "We are doing a show about guys...who are single...and have a lot of sex partners. We're not writing about a middle-aged gay couple living in the suburbs. If anyone wants to see that show, then someone should go out and do it." To date, that show has not been made and nothing has filled the void since Babylon closed its doors for the last time.
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