Myha’la Says “All My S—— Is Gay, Actually. All Of It.” As She Shares What Projects She’s Been Working On

Them’s latest digital cover stars Industry breakout Myha’la, who spoke with writer Tefi Pessoa about the show, queer storytelling, and what comes next in her career. The interview dives into fandom culture, personal projects, and even the DMs that led to her recent wedding. Staying Driven and Creating Queer Stories

Reflecting on her career trajectory, Myha’la says she’s never content, but in a motivating way. “I feel very driven. I need to be stimulated,” she told Them. Part of that drive comes from writing and developing her own projects.

“I have a queer series that I’ve written with one of my best friends that is essentially just me and my gay friends at college and drama school,” she explained. “I’m like, okay, you made Overcompensating and you made Euphoria. Somebody will understand what this is.”

Another project she’s developing centers on a blended family: a single mom, a young child, and a gay friend. “All my stuff is gay, actually. All of it,” she said. Her focus is finding collaborators to bring these stories to life while planning for life after Industry, which has spanned nearly eight years of her career.

“I love that I get to develop a character over seasons. I want to be able to make my films on the side and then be on a series with something I can nourish for years,” she said. Navigating Fandoms and Online Spaces

The conversation also touched on the sometimes chaotic world of online fandoms. When asked about shipping her Industry character Harper, Myha’la laughed: “Y’all lesbians want a toxic relationship so badly. Stop trying to force people together that shouldn’t be together.”

She noted that fans often interpret Harper’s romantic life through the lens of sexuality, saying, “I don’t think she has even given herself the opportunity to explore what true romance and sexuality really could look like for her outside of the context of power and work.”

Myha’la also reflected on her own fandom experiences, admitting she spent time on “Eurocentric anorexic Tumblr” rather than high-profile fan communities. “I found community, but it was a sadder corner of the internet,” she recalled. Queerness and Relationship Labels

A key part of the discussion explored queerness and labels. As someone who has played several gay roles, Myha’la said she’s often viewed differently depending on who she dates.

“There’s no hullabaloo about me being with a man. Somehow it feels like the privilege of being straight-passing, but also being a girl,” she said. “Women can be with women because it’s hot to men, whatever. They’re like, ‘Oh, you’re bi, lucky him.’ And I’m like, that has nothing to do with him.”

She emphasized the value of supportive communities. “I feel really lucky that I’m surrounded by people where that’s never an issue,” she told Them, adding that she no longer feels the need to defend her place in queer spaces. Choosing Humanity in Her Roles

Myha’la explained that the key factor in selecting projects is the humanity of the characters. “What I love so much about playing Harper is that she is super-duper human. She is really complicated. She has so much trauma that she hasn’t dealt with, so it makes her behave in a way that is complicated,” she said.

She values authenticity over stereotypes. “I just want it to feel real, whatever it is—good, bad, ugly, comedy, drama, thriller. I don’t want these forced, half-assed caricatures of something being force-fed down my throat.” Inspiration and Advocacy

Finally, Myha’la highlighted artists who inspire her. “Any artist who has spoken up about Palestine. Mark Ruffalo is a great example of someone who uses every opportunity he can to speak about social justice,” she said. On a smaller scale, she prides herself on uplifting people around her: “If I see that someone’s not being seen or heard or appreciated, I’ll make a point to go up to them and be like, ‘Hey, you’re doing great today. I just wanted you to know.’”

For Myha’la, talent is inseparable from kindness and awareness, making her one of the most thoughtful voices to emerge from Industry.

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