Groff: The one thing ‘Looking’ taught straight viewers about gay sex
By Will Stroude
Jonathan Groff filmed his fair share of sex scenes during his time on the recently-cancelled Looking, but it seems that as well as wearing out our screenshot button, the show’s sexual escapades actually served to educate people about the finer mechanics of gay sex.
Speaking to Metro, the 30-year-old revealed that many of his friends had no idea that gay men could have sex face-to-face until they saw his saucy scenes broadcast.
Asked whether he thought the show helped bring down barriers in the States, the replied: “I do. Even in liberal cities like New York and LA there is still a lot of tension.
“I had a lot of liberal artist friends that told me they didn’y know gay people could have sex facing each other until they saw our show. I think: ‘Wow! It’s interesting you didn’t know that gay men can look at each other in the eyes when they have sex.’
“It’s an emotional thing that they didn’t believe to exist.”
After struggling in the ratings during its latest season, HBO announced that the gay-themed drama had been cancelled earlier this year, but a petition to save the show has since gathered over 87,000 signatures online.
In an attempt to appease fans of the show, the US cable network revealed that a spin-off film is being planned to tie off any loose ends and give the characters the send off the deserve.
Groff also revealed that fans of the show regularly open up to him about their own sexual exploits.
“Because of the TV show’s honest depiction of gay life, and because people watch it in their living rooms, [fans] feel really comfortable coming up and talking to me,” the former Glee star explained.
“They feel like Patrick is one of their friends. Sometimes it’s a serious talk: a guy pulled me aside at a play I am doing and said: ‘I am gay but still in the closet at 50, I don’t know what to do! Others tell me all sorts of intimate sexual stories.”
Jonathan is set to appear on stage in the UK later this month as part of How to Suceed in Business Without Really Trying – The Musical in Concert, which plays at London’s Royal Festival Hall on May 19.
Meanwhile, Looking star and Attitude columnist Daniel Franzese told attitude.co.uk exclusively that he is “walking away from the show a changed man” – find out more here.
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