Michael Johnston, star of the hit film Obsession, says he hopes to take on a meaningful and deliberately queer role now that his career gives him greater choice. He said the ambition reflects both his experience growing up gay in the Bible Belt and the positive response to his earlier work, suggesting such representation can help audiences feel more able to accept themselves.

Speaking on the I’ve Never Said This Before podcast, Johnston said a character’s sexuality has generally not been central to his role choices, but that he now wants to tell a queer story with purpose. He recalled receiving thousands of messages after playing Corey Bryant in Teen Wolf from viewers who said the role helped them come out or feel better about themselves, and said he may write the project himself. Johnston recently played Bear in Obsession, which passed $300 million worldwide and became Focus Features’ highest-grossing film.