Coming of age as a young queer man of color, it was a rarity to see any reflections of myself portrayed in mainstream media. Turning on the television or going to the movies was an escape into the imagination, yet it did not allow me a place of true connection to what I was viewing on the screen in front of me.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

Sometimes in order for change to be made in a positive fashion, we must force ourselves to look unblinkingly at painful realities and reevaluate.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

So many of my friends and family will go to Palm Springs as their weekend getaway destination, but when I need a break from Los Angeles, I'll head to Joshua Tree instead. There's something so magical about the energy of the Mojave Desert.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

I never really felt like I quite fit in. Other boys were playing sports and into hunting and stereotypically masculine activities. I was always more attracted to the arts. I loved to dance, I loved to sing, and I always knew I would be an actor. I don't really know why.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

The history of slavery in this country has affected not only how black people see themselves, but how white people see black people as well, and the roles they're meant to play... I'm aware of it, as a person of color.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

I feel like, for so many years in the industry, LGBT-identifying actors were told to play small or water themselves down or 'butch it up,' whether you're a male and you're only going out for straight characters because gay characters aren't being written, or you're a woman and you're told to 'femme it up' to play the leading lady role.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

The very nature of 'UnREAL' is that we are provocative, uncensored, and brutally tactless.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

'UnREAL' has always been provocative and bitingly honest, which makes the show what it is.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

I feel like people are so eager and willing to accept the concept of females being bisexual and having it be a very natural thing, but as soon as a male proclaims himself as bisexual, we automatically dismiss it and say, 'No, he's just gay.'

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

People are scared of the unknown.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

It really is systematic oppression that is so deeply ingrained into the very fabric of American society... Shedding a light on it, in whatever way possible, is the only way to create change.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

I'm the type of person who far prefers a vacation filled with trips to museums and art galleries, shopping and exploring vintage flea markets, people-watching at cafes, and discovering delicious restaurants as opposed to lounging on a beach for days on end.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

I am a flea market junkie! Every city I go to, I'll be sure to look up when and where the biggest and best markets are nearby.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

From the most remote of villages to the largest metropolitan cities, we, as a species, have the same internal need to be seen, heard, and validated. It is the most human of traits that I have witnessed and experienced the world over.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

You can put an extra coat of paint on a jalopy, but it's still a jalopy.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

I knew that I wanted to primarily play queer characters.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

You know, in this industry, being an openly queer actor or entertainer, you can play the game your way, or you can play it the industry's way. And I decided to play it my way. I played it the industry's way far too long.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

I just never wanted to be in a position where I wouldn't be able to walk down the street holding my partner's hand.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

I had examples from a very young age of gay actors or personalities coming out in late '90s and early 2000s who faced a lot of backlash and didn't have a lot of support and risked ruining their careers.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

As an actor, it was important to me to play gay characters because, growing up, it was something I never really saw done on television and in film, and I was questioning why there weren't more people like me.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman Quotes

Sometimes in order for change to be made in a positive fashion, we must force ourselves to look unblinkingly at painful realities and reevaluate.

So many of my friends and family will go to Palm Springs as their weekend getaway destination, but when I need a break from Los Angeles, I'll head to Joshua Tree instead. There's something so magical about the energy of the Mojave Desert.

I never really felt like I quite fit in. Other boys were playing sports and into hunting and stereotypically masculine activities. I was always more attracted to the arts. I loved to dance, I loved to sing, and I always knew I would be an actor. I don't really know why.

The history of slavery in this country has affected not only how black people see themselves, but how white people see black people as well, and the roles they're meant to play... I'm aware of it, as a person of color.

The very nature of 'UnREAL' is that we are provocative, uncensored, and brutally tactless.

'UnREAL' has always been provocative and bitingly honest, which makes the show what it is.

I feel like people are so eager and willing to accept the concept of females being bisexual and having it be a very natural thing, but as soon as a male proclaims himself as bisexual, we automatically dismiss it and say, 'No, he's just gay.'

People are scared of the unknown.

It really is systematic oppression that is so deeply ingrained into the very fabric of American society... Shedding a light on it, in whatever way possible, is the only way to create change.

I'm the type of person who far prefers a vacation filled with trips to museums and art galleries, shopping and exploring vintage flea markets, people-watching at cafes, and discovering delicious restaurants as opposed to lounging on a beach for days on end.

I am a flea market junkie! Every city I go to, I'll be sure to look up when and where the biggest and best markets are nearby.

From the most remote of villages to the largest metropolitan cities, we, as a species, have the same internal need to be seen, heard, and validated. It is the most human of traits that I have witnessed and experienced the world over.

You can put an extra coat of paint on a jalopy, but it's still a jalopy.

I knew that I wanted to primarily play queer characters.

You know, in this industry, being an openly queer actor or entertainer, you can play the game your way, or you can play it the industry's way. And I decided to play it my way. I played it the industry's way far too long.

I just never wanted to be in a position where I wouldn't be able to walk down the street holding my partner's hand.

I had examples from a very young age of gay actors or personalities coming out in late '90s and early 2000s who faced a lot of backlash and didn't have a lot of support and risked ruining their careers.

As an actor, it was important to me to play gay characters because, growing up, it was something I never really saw done on television and in film, and I was questioning why there weren't more people like me.