The Evolution of Gay TV Characters

Billy Douglas (Ryan Phillippe), “One Life to Live” (1992)

At the age of 18, Ryan Phillippe signed on for his first major TV role, playing the first openly gay teen on daytime TV. His character, Billy Douglas, was struggling with the notion of coming out to his homophobic parents. Billy sought counsel from the compassionate Reverend Andrew Carpenter, but he found himself in the midst of controversy when Carpenter's rejected female suitor, Marty,... more 

Billy Douglas (Ryan Phillippe), “One Life to Live” (1992)

At the age of 18, Ryan Phillippe signed on for his first major TV role, playing the first openly gay teen on daytime TV. His character, Billy Douglas, was struggling with the notion of coming out to his homophobic parents. Billy sought counsel from the compassionate Reverend Andrew Carpenter, but he found himself in the midst of controversy when Carpenter's rejected female suitor, Marty, told a vindictive lie that the pastor was seducing Billy.

Carpenter's campaign to bring the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt to Llanview only added fuel to the opposition's fire. Inspired by the reverend, Billy finally came out to everyone gathered at St. James Church.

Seven years after he first appeared on "One Life to Live," Phillippe would marry his "Cruel Intentions" co-star Reese Witherspoon. They had two children together before splitting in 2008. As for his soap opera debut, Phillippe told Men's Health magazine in 2010 that it did have repercussions: "I would worry, 'What will the people at school think?' And they shunned me in a lot of ways… But it ended up being an incredible experience and such a time of growth for me." less