If you haven’t already, you need to follow Tom Swift star Tian Richards with a swiftness.
The sexy actor-on-the-rise is making waves in the titular role of the new CW mystery-drama, lauded as television’s “first gay Black lead.”
Related: A gay billionaire inventor sends sparks flying
A spin-off of the network’s supernatural take on Nancy Drew, Tom Swift is a modern-day update of the literary hero. Richards breathes new life into the classic character, reimagining him as young inventor-entrepreneur-billionaire-playboy who just so happens to be gay and very, very hot.
“What does a genius inventor do when he’s not inventing or genius-ing?,” one character quips. Well, see for yourself in this steamy scene (the clip is age-restricted on YouTube, so you’ll just have to click through yourself, but there’s a screenshot tease below):
Yes, we’re pleased to report that The CW series isn’t shy about giving us glimpses into Tom’s sex life. You might think of network drama’ as being pretty chaste, but in the five episodes that have aired thus far, Tom Swift has given us plenty to swoon over.
And Richards, similarly, hasn’t been shy, posting a number of steamy pics on his Instagram that prove he’s just as suave and stylish even when he’s out of character.
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In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Richards opened up about what it’s meant to him to have his unabashedly queer, Black character out there in the world—during Pride Month, no less:
“To see that people have this reverence for something that I was a part of, that obviously feels amazing,” shares Richardson. “And to be airing during Pride Month has been such a highlight, because the show is so many different intersections and we get to talk about the queer experience, what it’s like to actually exist and not just to be entering that space by way of coming out or coming to terms with ourselves. And for it to be Juneteenth this month and with just how much Black excellence is highlighted in the show, and that it shows us freely in all spaces and fully, I love that the most.”
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Richards has been making the rounds in film and television these past few years—with roles in 24: Legacy, Being Mary Jane, and Netflix‘ Dumplin’, to name a few—but Tom Swift is undeniably his biggest breakout yet, and it’s something he’s determined to not take for granted.
Related: TV has gotten gay AF and it’s probably only going to get gayer
“It’s beautiful because you see a coming-of-age story in a different way with a different hero at the front of it, and finally see us in those spaces,” the actor says. “Queer people and Black queer people, we don’t get to see our story portrayed that way—it’s usually by way of trauma or grief or oppression. Even though Tom is of the one percent of the elite culture, he still has human issues. He’s having fun, he’s got the cars and the clothes and the cool tech inventions, but we’re rooted in this heartfelt place. Tom is central, taken seriously, and still fabulous, insecure, broken, messy, and chaotic.”
We’re grateful for all the Tom Swift represents. And we’re certainly grateful it’s brought Tian Richards into the limelight—and actor who hope to see a lot more of in the future.
Tian Richards ?? pic.twitter.com/xRzQWPC0In
— Fit Famous Males (@FitFamousMales) May 20, 2022
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Tom Swift airs Tuesdays on The CW—you can catch up now on The CW’s streaming website.
CatholicXXX
Cancelled. Just like that.
Kangol2
Gorgeous, but his character is too obnoxious on the show. They need to tone down the arrogance a few notches, ASAP. I’m not a fan of the wealth porn either, but I guess that’s integral to the storyline.
carterhunter
Definitely. I couldn’t make it through the first episode because he was so spoiled.
BaltoSteve
I’ve had problems getting into the show because of the writing. The basic premise and storyline of the show is very YA feeling and is written as if the cast should be tweens and early teens. However, they have a grown ass cast which just doesn’t work with writing. The cast is doing their best with what they are given, but there is just this big disconnect.
Ronbo
Isn’t Tyler Perry gay? Billy Porter? Jussie Smollett? Jessie Martin, Chi McBride and several other hotties give me the gay vibe.
Let’s say that Tian is the first OPENLY gay man in a lead role. We certainly don’t know the sexuality of all the others – and “IF” one looks, there are actually many black leaing men. Thank you Billy Porter for your cutting-edge bravery in the face of historic hostility.
It looks as if Queerty “editors” have not actually watched very many shows with queer black men serving up quality TV. Perhaps, Graham Gremore, ` the “editor” writer here, doesn’t see color or just refuses to watch shows with the draw of black men. White and slightly off-white are not the only colors of the rainbow, Graham.
jcool
all of the actors you mentioned played supporting roles on their respective shows, billy porter won the emmy for best supporting actor. this article cited tian richards as the first gay black lead.
MISTERJETT
Billy and Jussie are the only ones that have come out as gay. if Jessie or Chi are gay, i don’t recall them coming out yet. if Tyler Perry isn’t gay, i’m not gay and we all know just how gay i am.
Essie
This thing has been cancelled . . . and rightfully so. It was AWFUL!! You can’t just put a Black man in a show and expect it to be a hit, especially when the writing is so terrible. Also, gay or straight, this man is not a very good actor.
Kangol2
Tian Richards wasn’t bad, but the scripts weren’t great and his character’s arrogance became unbearable. Another major problem is that they tried to cram everything in the first episode, and viewed subsequent ones as cultural history lessons rather than just integrating all the show’s lore into the stream of the narrative. They filmed an entire season, so I hope someone else picks it up so that the rest of episodes are available. It was just starting to get interesting.