Star of the MTV series Teen WolfTyler Posey credited the show for its positive and nurturing culture allowing him to feel comfortable about his fluid sexuality.
Posey came out as sexually fluid in a series of posts on his OnlyFans in 2021.
The actor is reprising his role as alpha werewolf Scott McCall in the Teen Wolf movie that premiered on Paramount+ on January 26.
The preceding series–which aired from June 5, 2011 to September 24, 2017–was based on the original 1985 movie of the same name. It was created by openly gay executive producer Jeff Davis.
Davis aimed to make a "darker, sexier and edgier version" of the film in line with the comedic and thrilling tones of the 1987 vampire movie The Lost Boys. Posey was 18 when he started work on the first season of Teen Wolf.
Speaking to Gay Times, the now 31-year-old actor expressed his gratitude for the show that prevented him from feeling "ashamed" of his sexuality
“[Teen Wolf] definitely helped not let the subject die in my head."
"It was constantly there and it was constantly being accepted."
“For me, it was easier to not be ashamed about what I was going through. I was just instilled with this idea of acceptance for who I am."
“I owe that to the show, but also just the way that I’ve grown up and who I am and who I want to inspire people to be; to just be yourselves with no shame."
"I think that all played a part in that.”
Here is a TikTok clip of Posey expressing gratitude.
The comedy thriller gained a cult following, primarily among the LGBTQ+ community owing in part to the show's queer representation with out actors like Charlie Carver and LGBTQ+ characters.
In addition to the show's inclusiveness, Posey explained Teen Wolf :
“Didn’t shove the subject down everyone’s throat. It was just natural and normal."
At a time when numerous productions typically made closeted actors feel compelled to hide their sexual identity, Posey praised the show for normalizing LGBTQ+ culture.
“It was like what everyday life is like. You’re gay, you’re straight, whatever."
"These topics weren’t like, ‘Here’s gay! Here’s straight!’ It was all super normal."
"I think that’s what people really appreciated because we’re all normal."
He continued:
"There’s been weird stigmas put in the air for hundreds and thousands of years and we were sort of breaking that stigma of, ‘This is just how we are. This is everyday life. This is how people are and how they interact.’"
"We spotlighted it by taking the spotlight off, if that makes any sense. It was just normal and, for me, that’s what I loved about it.”
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Posey is looking forward to exploring how his character will navigate his life in a new era.
"There was so much relatable-ness with the show that I was really interested and excited to see how it was going to make Scott relatable again, but grown up.”
He also said the movie had to happen for the fans who “grew up and learned a lot of ideologies” from the popular series.
“I think they depend on Teen Wolf a little bit."
“I’ve met a lot of fans over the years and they say, ‘Your show saved my life. It really taught me how to be comfortable with myself,’ because we were very inclusive with every single type of person."
He added:
“The fact that we can expand upon that and come back for them is beautiful."
You can watch the trailer for the series continuation movie for Teen Wolf here.
The synopsis for Teen Wolf: The Movie on Paramount+ reads:
"The wolves are howling once again, calling for the return of banshees, werecoyotes, hellhounds, kitsunes and every other shapeshifter in the night."
“But only a werewolf like Scott McCall, no longer a teenager yet still an alpha, can both gather new allies and reunite trusted friends to fight back against what could be the most powerful and deadliest enemy they’ve ever faced.”
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