Jack Innanen Says ‘Adults’ Character Paul Baker Was Not Queerbaiting
Photo Credit: FX
by Chris Tremblay Oct 2
3 MIN READ
Jack Innanen has addressed queerbaiting questions about Paul Baker, the sexually fluid character he plays in FX’s comedy series "Adults". In a September 30 interview with "Variety", the Canadian actor was asked whether, as a straight actor playing a sexually fluid character, he was sensitive to charges of queerbaiting.
“I think my understanding is that queerbaiting is when someone is falsely portraying themselves as queer,” Innanen said. He added that Paul Baker is “pretty fluid to the core” and said that quality had resonated with people.
Innanen also acknowledged that some viewers had criticized the storyline for placing a bisexual or fluid man in a heterosexual relationship. He said the love triangle felt accepted, natural and true to the character, concluding: “I think that there wasn’t much queerbait to him.”
PinkNews and Elite Daily published coverage of the remarks on October 1. Both reported that Innanen’s comments came in the "Variety" interview and highlighted the tension he described between Paul’s relationships with women and men.
"Variety" describes Paul Baker as a newer member of the show’s central friend group and says that the second season places him at the center of a love triangle involving Issa, played by Amita Rao, and Anton, played by Owen Thiele. The interview characterizes Paul as “sexually fluid” and describes the relationships as part of the season’s story.
The coverage distinguishes the character’s on-screen sexuality from Innanen’s identity: "Variety" frames the question around Innanen as a straight actor portraying Paul, while the character is sexually fluid. PinkNews likewise reported that distinction and described the criticism as focused partly on a fluid male character being involved in a relationship with a woman.
In the interview, Innanen said some viewers had told him that Paul’s story helped them learn about their own sexuality. He recalled people saying they had discovered they were fluid rather than bisexual, and described feeling a “representative responsibility” while being glad the experience could be represented.
Those comments describe what Innanen said viewers shared with him; they do not establish how widely the character’s storyline has affected audiences. The interview provides no audience survey or broader measure of the show’s impact.
The reporting supports a specific account of Innanen’s position: he does not think Paul Baker’s story amounts to queerbaiting because the character’s fluidity is explicit and shapes the plot, while acknowledging that viewers questioned a fluid male character’s involvement with a woman. The comments are Innanen’s interpretation of the term and of the show’s character—not a ruling on the meaning of queerbaiting or proof that every viewer agrees with his assessment.
Elite Daily also situated the discussion within broader online debate about queerbaiting and cited a dictionary definition emphasizing the deliberate teasing of LGBTQ+ characters or relationships while keeping their identities ambiguous. That framing differs from Innanen’s brief explanation, which focused on someone falsely presenting themself as queer. The sources therefore document his answer and the criticism he acknowledged, rather than a shared definition of the term.
Innanen’s interview also touched on what might come next for Paul and Anton. He said he hoped there would be stability for the pair, while noting he did not know whether that would happen. The interview did not confirm a future storyline.
Innanen also acknowledged that some viewers had criticized the storyline for placing a bisexual or fluid man in a heterosexual relationship. He said the love triangle felt accepted, natural and true to the character, concluding: “I think that there wasn’t much queerbait to him.”
PinkNews and Elite Daily published coverage of the remarks on October 1. Both reported that Innanen’s comments came in the "Variety" interview and highlighted the tension he described between Paul’s relationships with women and men.
Paul Baker’s storyline
"Variety" describes Paul Baker as a newer member of the show’s central friend group and says that the second season places him at the center of a love triangle involving Issa, played by Amita Rao, and Anton, played by Owen Thiele. The interview characterizes Paul as “sexually fluid” and describes the relationships as part of the season’s story.
The coverage distinguishes the character’s on-screen sexuality from Innanen’s identity: "Variety" frames the question around Innanen as a straight actor portraying Paul, while the character is sexually fluid. PinkNews likewise reported that distinction and described the criticism as focused partly on a fluid male character being involved in a relationship with a woman.
In the interview, Innanen said some viewers had told him that Paul’s story helped them learn about their own sexuality. He recalled people saying they had discovered they were fluid rather than bisexual, and described feeling a “representative responsibility” while being glad the experience could be represented.
Those comments describe what Innanen said viewers shared with him; they do not establish how widely the character’s storyline has affected audiences. The interview provides no audience survey or broader measure of the show’s impact.
What the coverage establishes
The reporting supports a specific account of Innanen’s position: he does not think Paul Baker’s story amounts to queerbaiting because the character’s fluidity is explicit and shapes the plot, while acknowledging that viewers questioned a fluid male character’s involvement with a woman. The comments are Innanen’s interpretation of the term and of the show’s character—not a ruling on the meaning of queerbaiting or proof that every viewer agrees with his assessment.
Elite Daily also situated the discussion within broader online debate about queerbaiting and cited a dictionary definition emphasizing the deliberate teasing of LGBTQ+ characters or relationships while keeping their identities ambiguous. That framing differs from Innanen’s brief explanation, which focused on someone falsely presenting themself as queer. The sources therefore document his answer and the criticism he acknowledged, rather than a shared definition of the term.
Innanen’s interview also touched on what might come next for Paul and Anton. He said he hoped there would be stability for the pair, while noting he did not know whether that would happen. The interview did not confirm a future storyline.
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