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Gay Actor Jonathan Groff Praised for Straight Role on Netflix's Mindhunter

Gay Actor Jonathan Groff Praised for Straight Role on Netflix's Mindhunter

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Groff successfully segues from a young gay man coming of age on HBO's Looking to a straight FBI agent chasing serial killers on Netflix's Mindhunter.

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Jonathan Groff is proving audiences will embrace openly gay actors playing sexually active heterosexual characters with his much-praised role on Netflix's Mindhunter.

After starring as a gay man seeking romantic and career fulfillment on HBO's acclaimed but short-lived Looking, Groff is now getting some of the best reviews of his career with Mindhunter. Groff plays Holden Ford, a real-life, 1970s-era FBI agent interviewing serial killers to better understand why they kill (similar to Jodie Foster's character in The Silence of the Lambs). Ford has a girlfriend on the show (played by Hannah Gross), which includes explicit sex scenes.

Since premiering Friday, the David Fincher- and Charlize Theron-produced Mindhunter has received near universal praise, holding a 96 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Social media has lit up about the show, and specifically the performance of the out actor, who's also established a Broadway career with Spring Awakening and Hamilton.

Groff recently discussed how he once worried coming out could harm his career:

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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.
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.