While queerness in the entertainment industry has always existed, queer people haven’t always been welcome, taken care of, or even loved by Hollywood. That’s why for our next Pride Month feature, we talked to Natasha Behnam (she/they) from The Girls on the Bus and the final season of You, to discuss her own experience as a queer actor, a character she wish she had on her childhood TV screen to look up to, and her hope for the future of LGBTQ+ representation in film. Plus, we got them to share their dream queer cast for a movie—plot and all!

What are the ups, downs, and everything in between of being a queer actor?
I love being queer. I think it makes me more whole, ya know? I have a broader understanding of my own existence because I’ve had to deconstruct and unlearn the heteronormativity that I was taught. Whether a character I’m playing is queer or not, I think being queer just brings more depth and understanding to all of my work, as any nuanced layer of a human being does.

How would you describe the state of queerness in the media today?
I’m happy to see more queer stories being told, but of course we always need more representation and diversity. Our films only become more beautiful and touching when they reflect the reality of our world, which is diverse and trans and queer.

Growing up, did you feel like there was a character that you could see yourself in?
I never saw myself on TV growing up. I mean, I always associated myself with the hot, cool, leading girl, but I never, never looked like her [laughing]. I think it would have saved me a lot of self-doubt if I had seen someone on screen who looked like me in any way.

Have you found a community in the entertainment space for you to be yourself, relax, and breathe in?
I think I’m very lucky to have a beautiful community of queer friends. Some of them are in the entertainment space, but not all of them. I released the idea that I would find a sense of belonging in Hollywood a long time ago, because at the risk of sounding like a broken record, that system was simply not built for me. But, my beautiful friend-family of diverse queer people is definitely what keeps me grounded.

Ok, now it’s time for some fun ones! What would be your dream queer cast for a movie? What would you love for that flick to be about?
Dream cast: Ilana Glazer, Terry Hu, Patti Harrison, Colman Domingo, Jonathan Bailey, Geraldine Viswanathan, Janelle Monáe, Brandon Kyle Goodman, Cole Escola, Katherine Moennig, Bowen Yang, Julio Torres, Reneé Rapp, and my best friend, Damian Joseph Quinn. The movie would be an absurd, insanely silly character-driven comedy about all of us being stuck on a deserted island with no way of getting home, so we end up having to build our own society. And we make governmental rules by playing spin the bottle.

We need that made, like, now. And who is your fave queer-coded cartoon character? (Also, if you have a cartoon crush you wanna share, we don’t judge!)
I feel like when I was a kid, I was obsessed with Shego from Kim Possible and also in love with Meg from Hercules. They’re both baddies.

What is your fave queer TV show and/or movie of all time?
I feel so basic saying The L Word, but it’s a classic for a reason! I also love Our Flag Means Death and Sex Education. For movies, I’ll shout out All of Us Strangers, Bottoms, and Love Lies Bleeding.

And finally, what do you hope for the future of queer representation in film?
I hope for safe set experiences for queer artists. I hope for beautiful, nuanced stories about life and love and humor and change where queer people just exist no matter what the circumstance, and our stories are told in a completely normalized way. I also hope for a world where our leading roles can be easily played by trans and non-binary actors, especially BIPOC trans actors, and it’s normal. May our screens reflect the world we live in, and may the representation be fueled by love, understanding, and connection.