Someone Came Out on Girls (And It Wasn't Hannah)

This wasn't a shocker for anyone paying attention.

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

March 09 2015 3:18 PM EST

January 01 2019 10:32 PM EST

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SPOILER WARNING: A longtime character came out on Sunday night's episode of Girls, four seasons after he made his debut in the pilot.

The father of Lena Dunham's Hannah character, Tad Horvath (played by Peter Scolari), is now out. Tad told his self-involved daughter and type A wife, Loreen, in the episode that he was not exactly straight. His true sexuality was hinted at in an earlier episode when Andrew Rannells's out character abruptly informed Hannah her dad was gay (though she didn't believe it at the time). Scolari, who became famous as Tom Hanks's comedy partner in the 1980s sitcom Bosom Buddies, spoke to Vulture about his character's new (or not so new) direction.

"It's true, Tad is gay and arguably -- not an argument I'll enter into -- always was, but that's not the life he lives," Scolari said. "I've known a couple of people like this, to be honest with you. I've thought about them, tenderly, being an actor going on 41 years in November. I knew a playwright once that probably remained until his dying day, hopelessly in love with his wife, and it was easy to see that this was someone who was living in a comfort zone outside of himself. That's something that doesn't make sense, but is true."