Twenty years after its finale, the American version of Queer As Folk remains a landmark in LGBTQ+ television.
From steamy nights at Babylon to groundbreaking storylines, this show didn’t just push boundaries – it obliterated them, with a cast that excited us (in more ways than one) week after week.
Gale Harold (Brian Kinney)
At 55, the man who embodied TV’s most unapologetically sexy bad boy still turns heads.
While Brian Kinney remains his most iconic role, Gale has kept busy with diverse projects that showcase his range. He returned to LGBTQ+ storytelling in the 2020 docuseries Equal, playing Howard Smith, and starred in the queer murder mystery film Kiss Me, Kill Me.
Most recently, he appeared in the 2024 drama Good Girl Jane as Elliott Rosen. Whether playing doctors (Criminal Minds) or diving into sci-fi (Andron), he’s proven there’s much more to him than just Brian’s legendary charm.
Randy Harrison (Justin Taylor)
That fresh-faced teenager who stole Brian’s heart (and ours) has blossomed into a powerhouse stage performer at 47.
Randy has been lighting up theaters across America, most notably as the seductive Emcee in the national tour of Cabaret and taking on the powerful role of Prior Walter in Angels in America at Berkeley Rep.
Most recently, he’s tackled challenging roles in Cock and …what the end will be, proving that like fine wine, talent only gets better with age.
Hal Sparks (Michael Novotny)
Our beloved comic book geek has kept his nerdy charm at 55, continuing to make us laugh in Disney XD’s Lab Rats and voicing characters in Milo Murphy’s Law.
Peter Paige (Emmett Honeycutt)
Who knew our fabulous Emmett would become one of TV’s most influential creators?
At 55, Peter has transformed from scene-stealer to kingmaker and writer, co-creating and executive producing both The Fosters and its spin-off Good Trouble.
He even directed the LGBTQ+ romantic comedy The Thing About Harry, proving that telling our stories is still close to his heart.
Between directing episodes of Station 19, running his own shows, and guest starring here and there (he was on Rebel in 2021), he’s come a long way from working at the Big Q!
Scott Lowell (Ted Schmidt)
Ted’s journey from accountant to porn producer has nothing on Scott’s real-life evolution.
At 59, he’s added “writer” to his resume with the personal project Adoptable, a mockumentary series based on his own experiences.
He even shared the Broadway stage with Bradley Cooper in The Elephant Man, and guest starred in quite a few TV shows – not bad for someone whose character once thought he wasn’t good enough for the spotlight!
Robert Gant (Ben Bruckner)
The ultimate Daddy of our youth (and even more so now), Professor Ben would be proud of Robert’s career trajectory.
At 56, he’s become a familiar face on some of TV’s biggest shows, from playing Superman’s uncle Zor-El in Supergirl to recurring roles in 13 Reasons Why and Good Trouble (which was co-created by fellow Queer as Folk alumni Peter Paige!)
He even co-produced and starred in the historical drama Milada – proving that, like his QAF character, he’s got both brains and beauty.
Dean Armstrong (Blake Wyzecki)
At 51, the actor who played Ted’s complicated love interest has kept his foot in the TV world.
Most recently, he appeared in the Netflix show The Madness and had a role in Sullivan’s Crossing, proving Blake’s charm wasn’t the last we’d see of him.
Jack Wetherall (Vic Grassi)
Our beloved Uncle Vic is now 74.
While we haven’t seen Jack in major productions recently, his impact as one of TV’s first long-term HIV-positive gay characters remains significant, and he’s been appearing on various theater shows, including a production of Henry V a few years ago.
Harris Allan (Hunter Montgomery)
The former teen actor who played Michael and Ben’s adopted son is 29 now.
In recent years, he occasionally appeared as a guest star on a few TV shows (including A Million Little Things and Supernatural!), but his portrayal of Hunter’s journey from street kid to family man touched many hearts.
Fabrizio “Fab” Filippo (Ethan Gold)
At 51, the man who played Justin’s musical paramour has kept a somewhat low profile since his QAF days – though he did recently star in a TV show called Save Me.
While Ethan may not have been the one for Justin, Fab’s portrayal of the passionate violinist added an unforgettable melody to the show’s symphony of characters.
Whether they’re directing groundbreaking shows, commanding Broadway stages, or choosing quieter lives away from the spotlight, one thing’s certain – the men of Queer As Folk continue to make their mark, just like they did all those years ago at Babylon.
