The Obsession breakout star built his career playing queer characters before he fully accepted himself. Now, he is ready to lead an explicitly queer project on his own terms, and he’s promising audiences a “steamy” on-screen moment when it releases.
Michael Johnston discusses his upcoming queer story
Johnston grew up in North Carolina in a Southern Baptist family, attending church every Sunday and memorizing Bible verses. He realized he was attracted to men around age 11 or 12, and recalled the internal turmoil that followed. “All I had learned in church was that being gay was the worst thing that you could be, that you’d go straight to hell,” he told Attitude.
Everything shifted when Michael Johnston moved to Los Angeles at 18. Taking on gay roles early in his career, including openly gay character Corey Bryant on Teen Wolf, helped him confront his own feelings. “I used to think it was a weakness, and now I think it’s a strength because it’s just made me more empathetic,” Johnston said. Following his Teen Wolf run, the actor also appeared in the queer drama Slash. He recalled, “I got thousands of messages from people thanking me and telling me how they feel better about themselves. They were able to come out to their parents” (via Deadline).
Now, following his breakout performance as the toxically hopeless romantic Bear in Curry Barker’s Obsession, Johnston is ready for what’s next. He’s set to receive The Film Award at the Attitude Awards 2026 and has teased an upcoming queer project. “There will be a really incredible queer story in my future, and I’m so excited to play it and to have my steamy moment,” he shared.
Johnston hinted he might even take the reins himself, saying, “I don’t know, maybe I’ll write it myself.” The actor has most recently been in talks to join Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in the upcoming fourth installment of The Mummy.
