‘Obsession’ Star Michael Johnston Says He Was Scared to Come Out After Taking Gay Role in ‘Teen Wolf’

Michael Johnston, a star of the show "Obsession," discussed his experiences coming out as gay and his role in the series "Teen Wolf." Johnston, who grew up in North Carolina, reflected that playing a queer character in "Teen Wolf" aligned with his own journey of self-discovery, but admitted it was terrifying. He explained that during his time in the south, he was in complete denial about his sexuality, which made the experience frightening.

Johnston, who played a gay high school student named Corey Bryant in "Teen Wolf," recalled reassuring his family that his on-screen character's sexuality was not real. He also mentioned a particularly challenging relationship with his aunt, who warned him that being gay would "poison" him. Despite these challenges, Johnston was gratified to hear from LGBTQ+ fans of his character Corey and his on-screen partner Mason Hewitt that his character's representation meant a great deal to them.

Johnston emphasized that his philosophy is that a character's sexuality is just another part of who they are. He expressed his enthusiasm for playing an intentional queer role in the future, and shared a personal insight he gained from his experiences: "Just that I'm glad I'm not heterosexual."