Meet Alex Landi: Grey's Anatomy's first gay male surgeon, Ni Kim |

is leo from grey's anatomy gay

The actor, who me out publicly around the same time as his character Levi a few years ago, is proud the show will she a light on the discrimatory polici around gay men and sex.

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JAKE BORELLI ON WHY GREY'S ANATOMY'S GAY BLOOD BAN STORY IS PERSONAL

Jt like Ellen’s g out on her ABC edy 1997 proved to be a landmark moment televisn and pop culture, transgenr characters have bee more mon on the small screen: Showtime’s Shamels featur trans actor Ellt Fletcher (who also played trans characters on Fakg It and The Fosters) a romantic storyle wh a gay character; Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox ma history last season as broadst’s first openly trans actrs playg a transgenr seri regular character (on CBS’ short-lived Doubt) and multiple trans actors have had rol on Amazon’s Transparent. And jt like the gay actors playg straight rol bate that has (thankfully) e and gone, Davis and Vernoff hope the next ontier is seeg trans actors playg characters which their genr is not the central storyle, as well as trans actors playg heterosexual characters where their trans-ns also has no impact on the role.

She poted to Grey’s creator Shonda Rhim addg characters like Arizona (Jsi Capshaw) and Callie (Sara Ramirez) at a time when was still nsired a rary to put gay or bisexual people on TV and havg dienc fall love wh them before revealg their sexualy. “When there’s bigotry the world, people n pot and say, ‘No, I have a iend who is gay and ’s someone you know’ — and you realize that ’s a character you love on TV. It's rare to see a gay relatnship between men shown on a televisn show of Grey's liber, and the normalcy and emotns showg the two's love for one another are rehg.

Callie Torr' father to Seattle Grace wh the pastor of their church and a plan to nvce his dghter she isn't gay this emotnal episo that shows a real look at how people of the LGBTQ+ muny n be treated by their own loved on. After she shouts at her father that he n't "pray away the gay, " Callie tells Arizona she don't need a fay who's not gog to accept her for who she is. " Kyle explas to Callie how all he wanted was to make the day feel special, as the state of Washgton didn't regnize gay marriage as a real marriage.

JSI {LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:600;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:0.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.25REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}} A{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;} A:HOVER{LOR:#A00000;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}ACTRS JSI CAPSHAW IS BT KNOWN FOR PLAYG LAWYER JAMIE STRGER ON 'THE PRACTICE' AND DOCTOR ARIZONA ROBBS ON THE POPULAR DRAMA 'GREY’S ANATOMY.'{LOR:#323232;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;MARG-LEFT:0.625REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}UPDATED: APR 12, {DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;}{MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 64REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(100VW - (1REM * 2));MARG-LEFT:1REM;MARG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(-1 * 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - (LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 2 * 1REM)) / -2);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 90REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / 2);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / -2) - 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 2);MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 + 1REM)) / -2) - LC(2 * 1REM));}[DATA-HAS-SPONSOR] {MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);MARG-RIGHT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);}}{JTIFY-SELF:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG-LEFT:-50VW;MARG-RIGHT:-50VW;WIDTH:100VW;LEFT:50%;RIGHT:50%;}}{HEIGHT:TO;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO LC(50% - 50VW);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO;}}{POSN:RELATIVE;HEIGHT:TO;}{POSN:RELATIVE;--POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} A{POSN:ABSOLUTE;}{POSN:RELATIVE;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;VERTIL-ALIGN:TOP;}{BACKGROUND:#C92228;BOTTOM:0;PADDG:.5REM;RIGHT:0;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG:0.39REM;}}{DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:1REM;WIDTH:1REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:1.063REM;HEIGHT:1.063REM;}}{LE-HEIGHT:1;MARG-TOP:0.3125REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0;}}{LOR:#595959;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}PHOTO: ALLEN BEREZOVSKY/WIREIMAGE FOR FASHN {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:3.5REM;PADDG-RIGHT:3.5REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MAX-WIDTH:45.25REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 100REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}{CLEAR:BOTH;NTENT:" ";DISPLAY:BLOCK;FONT-SIZE:0.7REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.5REM;HEIGHT:0REM;VISIBILY:HIDN;}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}(1976-){LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;MARG-TOP:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}WHO IS JSI CAPSHAW?ACTRS JSI CAPSHAW LAND HER FIRST MAJOR TV ROLE ON THE S ODD MAN OUT 1999. FROM 2002 TO 2004, SHE PLAYED A LAWYER ON THE PRACTICE. IN 2009, SHE EARNED THE ROLE OF DR. ARIZONA ROBBS ON GREY'S ANATOMY. FOR HER ROLE ON GREY'S ANATOMY AND HER EARLIER WORK ON THE L WORD, CAPSHAW HAS EARNED A LARGE FAN FOLLOWG THE GAY AND LBIAN MUNY.EARLY LIFECAPSHAW WAS BORN ON AUGT 9, 1976, COLUMBIA, MISSOURI, TO PARENTS ROBERT, A SAL MANAGER, AND KATE CAPSHAW, WHO LATER BEME A SUCCSFUL HOLLYWOOD ACTRS. HER PARENTS SPL WHEN CAPSHAW WAS 3 YEARS OLD. DURG THIS TIME, CAPSHAW MOVED WH HER MOTHER TO LOS ANGEL, WHERE KATE PURSUED AN ACTG REER. CAPSHAW SPENT HER CHILDHOOD ON HER MOTHER'S FILM SETS, OFTEN EXOTIC LOL SUCH AS SRI LANKA. KATE MET DIRECTOR {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}STEVEN SPIELBERG ON THE SET OF THE 1984 FILM INDIANA JON AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, WHICH CAPSHAW PLAYED WILLIE STT, THE FEMALE LEAD AND INDIANA JON' LOVE TERT. THE DIRECTOR AND HIS LEADG LADY FELL LOVE. THE UPLE MARRIED 1991, WHEN JSI WAS 15. SHE IS PART OF A LARGE MIXED FAY THAT CLUS FIVE HALF-SIBLGS AND ONE STEPBROTHER.INTERT SHOW BSDPE HEARG WARNGS OM HER MOTHER AND STEPFATHER ABOUT THE DIFFICULTI OF A SHOW BS REER, CAPSHAW WAS DRAWN TO THE DTRY AT A YOUNG AGE. WHILE STILL A HIGH SCHOOL STUNT AT THE PRTIG HARVARD-WTLAKE SCHOOL, SHE ASSISTED SPIELBERG AS AN TERN ON THE SET OF HIS AMY AWARD-WNG 1993 CLASSIC SCHDLER'S LIST. AFTER GRADUATG OM HIGH SCHOOL, SHE ATTEND BROWN UNIVERSY RHO ISLAND, EARNG AN ENGLISH GREE 1998. SHE ALSO ATTEND ACTG CLASS AT THE ROYAL AMY OF DRAMATIC ARTS LONDON.SMALL SCREEN ROLHER HOLLYWOOD PEDIGREE DID NOT GUARANTEE HER SUCCS THE BS. "I DON'T REMEMBER AT 19, SOMEONE GIVG ME A GOLN KEY AND SAYG, 'WELE TO HOLLYWOOD, WHICH JOB WOULD YOU LIKE?'" SHE SAID. "I'VE ALWAYS HAD TO WORK HARD FOR WHAT I'VE GOT AND TO STAY WHERE I WAS." AFTER TAKG A FEW PARTS OBSCURE FILMS AND APPEARG MOR GUT ROL ON TELEVISN SHOWS, CAPSHAW LAND HER FIRST MAJOR TV ROLE 1999 ON THE S ODD MAN OUT, PLAYG AUNT JORDAN, ONE OF FIVE WOMEN SHARG A HOE WH THE SHOW'S MA CHARACTER. THE SHOW LASTED JT ONE SEASON, BUT GAVE CAPSHAW'S REER A START. SHE LATER APPEARED SUPPORTG ROL SEVERAL MOVI, CLUDG THE TOM CISE PSYCHOLOGIL THRILLER MORY REPORT (2002), BEFORE LANDG A STARRG ROLE THE DRAMA SERI THE PRACTICE, PLAYG THE OVERSEXED ATTORNEY JAMIE STRGER. HER ROLE ON THE SHOW LASTED OM 2002 TO 2004. CAPSHAW FOLLOWED THAT WH A SERI OF VARIED FILM AND TELEVISN ROL, CLUDG THAT OF JENNIFER BEALS' LOVER ON THE SHOWTIME DRAMA THE L WORD.'GREY'S ANATOMY'IN 2009, CAPSHAW ACHIEVED A LONG-SIRED GOAL: A STARRG ROLE ON GREY'S ANATOMY, HER FAVORE SHOW ON TELEVISN. SHE DNED FOR THE SHOW TWICE, FIRST 2007 WHEN SHE WAS PREGNANT WH HER SON. WHEN SHE LEARNED, AFTER HER SEND DNG ATTEMPT, THAT SHE HAD BEEN ST THE RECURRG ROLE OF DR. ARIZONA ROBBS, " WAS A JUMP AND SCREAM MOMENT," CAPSHAW SAID. ON THE SHOW, CAPSHAW PLAYED A LBIAN DOCTOR WHO HAS A RELATNSHIP WH A FELLOW PHYSICIAN, MAKG GREY'S ANATOMY THE FIRST MASTREAM PRIME-TIME DRAMA WH AN ONGOG LBIAN STORYLE. CAPSHAW LEFT THE SHOW 2018. FOR HER ROLE ON GREY'S AND THE L WORD, CAPSHAW, HAS EARNED A LARGE FAN FOLLOWG THE GAY AND LBIAN MUNY. CAPSHAW HAS SAID SHE IS TOUCHED BY THE LETTERS SHE RECEIV OM LBIAN FANS TELLG HER HOW MUCH THE CHARACTER MEANS TO THEM. WHEN SHE IS ASKED WHAT 'S LIKE TO PLAY A GAY CHARACTER, SHE SAYS, "I ED TO ALWAYS SAY - BEE I FEEL THIS WAY - THAT I WASN'T PLAYG ANYTHG; WAS JT THIS RELATNSHIP THAT SEEMED TO MAKE SENSE AND THAT'S KD OF THE WAY I HOPE PEOPLE WOULD LOOK AT THGS THE WORLD."PERSONAL LIFECAPSHAW, WHO IS STRAIGHT REAL LIFE, MARRIED ENTREPRENR CHRISTOPHER GAVIGAN 2004. THE UPLE WELED THEIR FIRST SON 2007 AND A SEND CHILD THE FALL OF 2010. CAPSHAW'S SON - THEN 2 YEARS OLD - WAS ACTUALLY THE PERSON WHO FIRST REALIZED THAT A NEW BABY WAS ON THE WAY. "HE POTED TO MY STOMACH AND SAID, 'MOMMY, BABY YOUR TUMMY!' I WAS LIKE, 'WHAT DO THAT MEAN?'" CAPSHAW SAID. "TURNED OUT THAT I WAS [EXPECTG]."{BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK FACTS

Gay marriage fally beme legal jt 10 years ago Washgton, 2012, one year after this episo aired. The beloved character, who me out as gay at the same time Jake Borelli, who portrays him, me out publicly, worked amid the trma of early COVID-19 last season, and suffered full-on burnout after losg his first patient unr the hospal's new trag method this season. But for Borelli, a gay blood ban story that volv Levi Grey's Anatomy's 18th season fale (also the show's whoppg 400th episo), is eply personal.

'GREY'S ANATOMY' ACTOR OUT AS GAY

"In preparg for the episo and talkg to people about this, I found that pecially om the straight muny, that there's this ia that oh, well, the blood ban is now no longer a lifetime blood ban for gay men, " he adds. "You're fe as long as you don't have sex, as long as you don't partake sodomy, or if you don't get married, " Borelli says of ndnal acceptance of gay and bi men. "Borelli, 31, joed ABC's long-nng medil drama 2018, g out publicly as his character's gay storyle unfold not long after.

I uldn't bee I knew that I was gay, " Borelli says. THEIR IMPACT: When Abishola’s niece me out as a lbian November 2021, the CBS edy began a nversatn about the pervasivens of homophobia Nigerian culture. “Bee I’m gay and my fay is Nigerian, I know what ’s like, ” seri -creator Ga Yashere told TVLe at the time.

“I’m lucky I was born outsi of Nigeria, so I haven’t had the same stggl that my gay brothers and sisters have had wh Nigeria, and the problems that they’re havg: beg arrted all the time, beg harassed when they go out [and] beg thrown out of their fai.

MEET ALEX LANDI, THE ACTOR PLAYG GREY'S ANATOMY'S FIRST GAY MALE SURGEON

THEIR IMPACT: In this age of “Don’t Say Gay” bills and other forms of blatant homophobia, this Netflix seri — and the romance between lead characters Nick (Connor) and Charlie (Locke) — wasn’t jt enarg but val lettg kids know that if they’re non-straight, don’t mean they’re bad or wrong. 1 on the ll sheet — is a Black gay man, ” says seri -creator Cameron Johnson, who also acknowledg the rary of beg able to tell stori about a gay man who isn’t a TV show’s “addnal character. For her role on Grey's Anatomy and her earlier work on The L Word, Capshaw has earned a large fan followg the gay and lbian LifeCapshaw was born on Augt 9, 1976, Columbia, Missouri, to parents Robert, a sal manager, and Kate Capshaw, who later beme a succsful Hollywood actrs.

GREY'S ANATOMY CHARACTER LAMENTS YEARS 'WASTED' TO GAY SHAME

For her role on Grey's and The L Word, Capshaw, has earned a large fan followg the gay and lbian muny. When she is asked what 's like to play a gay character, she says, "I ed to always say - bee I feel this way - that I wasn't playg anythg; was jt this relatnship that seemed to make sense and that's kd of the way I hope people would look at thgs the world. Jake Borelli, the actor who plays him, did, Thursday, after the long-nng medil drama troduced s first-ever gay romance and male-on-male kiss between Schmt and new character Ni Kim (Alex Landi), Borelli celebrated the landmark moment on Instagram.

“As a gay guy myself, tonight’s episo was so special to me, " the 27-year-old wrote. "This is exactly the kd of story I craved as a young gay kid growg up Oh, and blows my md that I’m able to brg life to Dr.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* IS LEO FROM GREY'S ANATOMY GAY

Jake Borelli on Why Grey's Anatomy's Gay Blood Ban Story Is Personal .

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