Gay villain on CW’s ‘The Flash’ is “a huge step forward”
“I’m glad they are introducing the character to the show. It’s a huge step forward, and I’m thrilled to help make that happen.”
— Actor Andy Mientus, who will portray openly gay and hearing impaired villain Pied Piper (also known as Hartley Rathaway) on The CW’s The Flash. Speaking with Variety, Mientus — who currently stars as Marius in Les Misérables on Broadway — commented on the potential importance of his role, which will be the first gay supervillain to be featured on TV or film.
“With the gay thing, I feel like I’m representing a whole community,” said Mientus, who is openly bisexual and engaged to fellow Broadway actor Michael Arden. “People are excited to see this character, so it is a lot of pressure. But I’m glad they are introducing the character to the show. It’s a huge step forward, and I’m thrilled to help make that happen. It’s awesome.”
Miertus debuts January 27. The Flash airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. on The CW.
Image Credit: Peter Hurley / IMDB
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