As we reported in January, Alan Cumming premieres this week in the procedural crime drama Instinct as an openly gay former CIA operative and is making network TV history in that role.
RELATED: Alan Cumming to Be First Openly Gay Lead Character in a Network Drama, in CBS Crime Drama ‘Instinct’
“It’s the first time on a network drama that there’s been a gay character in the leading role,” said Cumming to Seth Meyers on Late Night.
Cumming expanded on the significance of that:
“It’s like the fourth or fifth thing of the characteristics of this person is that he’s gay and married and a happy solid marriage. And actually, what I think is really amazing is that most of the time, especially on network TV when someone is gay, when there’s a gay character it’s like, ‘they’re gay gay gay’ and it’s all about their sexuality and usually in a negative way. But the fact that this has a character whose gayness is way down the list of things that are most important about him is a positive thing and also the fact that when you do see his same-sex life it’s in a really positive way and that’s two things I don’t think are represented enough in this country.”
Watch the clip above.
