Actor Haaz Sleiman is on a mission to take part in stories that broaden the pool of queer perspectives on the screen. And if you already know his work, you know he’s on a roll.
For "The Son," an episode of Apple TV+’s acclaimed anthology centered on the immigrant experience, Little America, Sleiman portrayed a gay Syrian refugee trying to gain asylum in the United States after his father brutally condemns him for kissing a man. Sleiman must be doing something right: The episode has been banned in 10 Arab countries and in Russia.
Then, in writer-director Mike Mosallam’s indie rom-com Breaking Fast, which is currently seeking wider distribution while also making its virtual Pride rounds this summer, Sleiman plays a gay Muslim Arab navigating life, love and loss in West Hollywood during Ramadan.
But the queer storytelling mission that’s so important to Sleiman, who has also starred in Nurse Jackie, 24, Veronica Mars, The Good Wife and Jack Ryan, will reach towering heights when he plays the husband of gay superhero Phastos in Marvel’s The Eternals, due in theaters in early 2021.
Here, Sleiman talks about telling stories that are long overdue, how Madonna’s sex-positivity influenced him as a gay man, and why he makes a convincing straight guy onscreen.
GayCalgary: After "The Son" aired, what kind of feedback did you get from LGBTQ immigrants whose experiences were similar to Rafiq?
Haaz Sleiman: I am so grateful for amazing, positive feedback on Instagram, just comments thanking me and saying they felt seen. The importance of what we do, and storytelling and television itself, is that you can feel like if your story is being told, you matter somehow. It was really just very gratifying.
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