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PHOTOS: 19 throwback pics of some of our favorite LGBTQ+ celebs when they were younger
How many of them can you immediately recognize?
We all have a past, and social media now provides platform for us to reflect upon are formative years. That’s exactly what many of these gay and queer figures have done. Some may be instantly recognizable, while others less so. All offer a glimpse into their journey toward the limelight.
Swipe through to check them out…
1. Colton Haynes
Colton was born born July 13, 1988. Last year, he published an acclaimed memoir of his younger years and breaking into Hollywood, entitled Miss Memory Lane. He reflected upon his nomadic, troubled childhood, and the challenges of being a queer actor while trying to break into Hollywood.
2. Charlie Carver
Charlie was born July 31, 1988, in San Francisco, California (along with his identical twin brother, Max). He has appeared in Desperate Housewives, Teen Wolf, and the theatre and movie versions of The Boys In The Band, among other credits.
3. Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen was born in 1939 in Burnley, Lancashire, England. Here he is at some time in the 1960s, when he began to make a name for himself in the British theatre industry.
4. Jeffrey Boyer-Chapman
Canadian actor and model Boyer-Chapman was born in 1984 in Edmonton, Alberta. Besides his acting work, he came to wider attention as a judge on the Canadian version of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
5. Sam Smith
Some people have suggested Sam Smith’s recent looks do not represent the person they were when they first found musical success around ten years ago. A recent throwback photo Smith, 31, posted, from when they were 18, suggests they’ve long explored their gender fluidity.
6. Todrick Hall
Todrick Hall was born on April 4, 1985, in Plainview, Texas. He began building a following with his YouTube videos, which he started posting in 2008. He shot to wider attention after appearing on American Idol in 2009.
7. Troye Sivan
Sivan was born in 1995 in South Africa but raised in Perth, Western Australia. A precocious talent from a young age, he made his first appearances on local TV in 2006, singing on a local telethon, and released his first record the following year.
8. Dustin Lance Black
Screenwriter and producer Dustin Lance Black was born June 10, 1974. He was raised in a strict, Mormon household, first in San Antonio, Texas, before moving to Salinas, California. He documented his upbringing in his 2019 autobiography, Mama’s Boy: A Story From Our Americas.
9. Russell Tovey
Actor and art lover Russell Tovey was born 14 November 1981 in Billericay, Essex, England.
10. Brian Sims
Brian Sims was the first out gay man elected as a Representative to the Pennsylvania House. He served from 2013-2022. Since stepping down last year, he’s taken on the position of Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs for the non-profit, Out Leadership.
11. Billy Porter
Actor and singer Billy Porter was born September 21, 1969, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He’s been working looks since a young age!
12. Johnny Sibilly
Johnny Sibilly was born September 5, 1987. Raised by a military family, his childhood included spells in Texas, Germany and Miami. He has said he wanted to be an actor since an early age.
13. Darryl Stephens
Darryl Stephens grabbed attention as lead character, Noah, in the cult show, Noah’s Arc – due to return as an MTV movie later this year. Most recently, he was a regular cast member on the sitcom, B Positive on CBS.
14. Andy Cohen
Andy Cohen was born June 2, 1968, in St. Louis, Missouri. One of the best known radio and TV hosts in the country, he is now a father himself to two young kids: Benjamin, born in 2019, and Lucy, born in 2022. Here he is in 1983.
15. Ross Mathews
Ross was born September 24, 1979, and raised in Mount Vernon, Washington. Mathews began his TV career as an intern on The Jay Leno Show. He found greater fame with his appearances as a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race and then The Drew Barrymore Show.
16. Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Ferguson was born October 22, 1975, in Missoula, Montana. Most of his upbringing was in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He shot to fame with his long-running role as Mitchell Pritchett in the sitcom, Modern Family.
17. Noah Galvin
Galvin was born May 6, 1994, and raised in Katonah, New York. He came to attention with roles on Broadway and the ABC sitcom, The Real O’Neals. He’s also known for his recurring role on The Good Doctor. He’s engaged to Ben Platt and they will both be seen soon in the movie, Theater Camp.
J. Harrison Ghee
Ghee was raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Ghee shot to fame in recent years with a string of Broadway credits. Earlier this month, they became one of the first non-binary actors (alongside Alex Newell) to win a Tony Award for their performance in Some Like It Hot. Ghee is nonbinary and pansexual, and uses he/she/they pronouns.
19. Stephen Fry
Actor, writer and comedian Stephen Fry was born August, 24, 1957, in Hampstead, London. He rose to fame in the 80s in the UK with his TV comedy work, before taking on movie roles such as Oscar Wilde in Oscar. His diverse career has include documentaries, theatre, quiz shows, awards ceremony hosting and audio books. Here he is (left) in 1981 with fellow actor Robert Bathurst.
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