Ryan Phillippe Looks Back on "Fears" and "Profound" Impact of Groundbreaking Gay Role

[andy]

Ryan Phillippe recently opened up about his initial "fears" regarding his role as a gay teen in the soap opera 'One Life to Live.'

Ryan Phillippe is reflecting on his truly ground-breaking role as gay teenager Billy Douglas in the ABC soap opera One Life to Live from 1992 to 1993. More than 30 years later, the actor calls it a "really profound experience" that led to an "almost instantaneous" wave of appreciation from gay fans.

While Phillippe was young at the time, he shared with People that he harboured "some fears associated with the point in time that we were at," acknowledging that "so many walls and ceilings" had yet to be broken regarding gay representation. Yet, he added, "any fears that anyone had about me doing it immediately went away once I saw the reaction that it got from the people who viewed it."

The impact of Billy Douglas was deeply personal for many. Phillippe recalled receiving heartfelt letters from viewers who expressed, "I’ve never seen someone represent me in any entertainment before in my life." Parents also reached out, sharing how "watching this show on my lunch break gave me a way to connect with my gay child."

As the first gay teen character in a soap opera, Billy Douglas paved a vital path for onscreen gay visibility. Phillippe went on to star in acclaimed films such as Cruel Intentions and Crash, and is currently appearing in the Prime Video series Motorheads.