Out of the Castle Closet: 5 Queer Actors Who Got Their Start in the House of Mouse
Joshua BassettPhoto Credit: Joshua Bassett / Instagram
by Timothy Rawles Apr 3
13 MIN READ
Disney seems afraid to decode its queer characters. And even if they do like in the 2022 movie “Strange World” hardly anyone buys tickets. However, they do have an average in the hole and that’s in its cache of queer alums that graduated from their wholesome school of family-friendly movies and TV shows to expansive contemporary silver and small screen careers.
Although some have been more prolific than others, we can’t help but applaud those who went from the closet within the house of mouse to the center stage in Hollywood.
Dove Cameron: Liv and Maddie / Descendants
Dove Cameron became a Disney Channel staple playing dual roles on “Liv and Maddie” before leading the wildly popular “Descendants” franchise. Since coming out as queer in 2020, she’s evolved from a child star to embrace a more mature, expressive identity in both her music and public persona. It goes to prove that Disney can raise them but, after that, they’re on their own. And Dove is doing just fine.
Joshua Bassett: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
No one else could have rebooted “High School Musical” like Joshua Bassett. He recaptured a heartthrob energy that Zac Ephron created for the original movies. But it’s his real-life vulnerability and openness about fluidity that’s resonated with fans beyond the Mouse. His journey to adulthood is playing out in the public eye and we are loving every step. When he looks into the camera and speaks on Instagram it’s like he’s your best friend.
Raven-Symoné: That’s So Raven
A legacy Disney star, Raven- Symoné who blew up the channel with her starring role in “That’s So Raven.” Her comic timing was masterclass for a kid her age; it spoke to her peers but also adults who could appreciate her talent. She was a Disney superstar in every sense of the word. Now as a grown woman she has shed that kid-friendly persona and become an edgy and outspoken voice for the queer community. Her stint on “The View” proved that the brilliance she showed on her sitcom wasn’t a fluke, there was intelligence and intention behind it all.
Auliʻi Cravalho: Moana
Disney hates controversy and even though “Moana” came out in 2016, they might have frowned upon its voice acting lead Auliʻi Cravalho coming out at the same time. Millions of dollars later, she did just that in 2020, and she didn’t lose the keys to the castle. Since then, her advocacy and openness have made her an inspiring figure beyond the screen. She explains in pink news that she was getting offered a lot of queer roles after coming out as bisexual. That was fine, “But don’t just show us in the light of ‘my sexuality is this burden’, because it’s not. It is so joyful.”
Luke Evans: Beauty and the Beast
Here’s a twist, an adult gay Disney star who’s been out since the beginning of his career and starred in one of the most successful live action remakes of the studio’s animated classics. In “Beaty and the Beast” Evans brought swagger and menace to Gaston, its narcissistic womanizing villain. It might have been against type but if Disney does anything well it keeps kids entertained while keeping adults in on the joke. Evans has carved out a space as a leading man who never hid who he is—something that still feels quietly revolutionary in Hollywood.
Dove Cameron: Liv and Maddie / Descendants
Dove Cameron became a Disney Channel staple playing dual roles on “Liv and Maddie” before leading the wildly popular “Descendants” franchise. Since coming out as queer in 2020, she’s evolved from a child star to embrace a more mature, expressive identity in both her music and public persona. It goes to prove that Disney can raise them but, after that, they’re on their own. And Dove is doing just fine.
Joshua Bassett: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
No one else could have rebooted “High School Musical” like Joshua Bassett. He recaptured a heartthrob energy that Zac Ephron created for the original movies. But it’s his real-life vulnerability and openness about fluidity that’s resonated with fans beyond the Mouse. His journey to adulthood is playing out in the public eye and we are loving every step. When he looks into the camera and speaks on Instagram it’s like he’s your best friend.
Raven-Symoné: That’s So Raven
A legacy Disney star, Raven- Symoné who blew up the channel with her starring role in “That’s So Raven.” Her comic timing was masterclass for a kid her age; it spoke to her peers but also adults who could appreciate her talent. She was a Disney superstar in every sense of the word. Now as a grown woman she has shed that kid-friendly persona and become an edgy and outspoken voice for the queer community. Her stint on “The View” proved that the brilliance she showed on her sitcom wasn’t a fluke, there was intelligence and intention behind it all.
Auliʻi Cravalho: Moana
Disney hates controversy and even though “Moana” came out in 2016, they might have frowned upon its voice acting lead Auliʻi Cravalho coming out at the same time. Millions of dollars later, she did just that in 2020, and she didn’t lose the keys to the castle. Since then, her advocacy and openness have made her an inspiring figure beyond the screen. She explains in pink news that she was getting offered a lot of queer roles after coming out as bisexual. That was fine, “But don’t just show us in the light of ‘my sexuality is this burden’, because it’s not. It is so joyful.”
Luke Evans: Beauty and the Beast
Here’s a twist, an adult gay Disney star who’s been out since the beginning of his career and starred in one of the most successful live action remakes of the studio’s animated classics. In “Beaty and the Beast” Evans brought swagger and menace to Gaston, its narcissistic womanizing villain. It might have been against type but if Disney does anything well it keeps kids entertained while keeping adults in on the joke. Evans has carved out a space as a leading man who never hid who he is—something that still feels quietly revolutionary in Hollywood.
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