rising star

Lukas Gage came out after falling in love and deciding he didn’t want to hide it

By · Updated on January 26, 2024
Lukas Gage
Lukas Gage (Photo: Shutterstock)

Name: Lukas Gage, age 28

Bio: Gage was born in San Diego on May 28, 1995, and raised in the seaside enclave of Encinitas, California. He attended film camp during his teenage summers. At the age of 12, he began to write to directors he admired to ask them to consider working with him.

Gage began to pick up small roles around 10 years ago. His appearances in the 2016 series T@gged and in the 2017 Netflix show, American Vandal started to gain him attention. That was followed by the cult hit Euphoria and the TV version of Love, Victor.

Away from the screen, in November 2020 the then-struggling actor made headlines when he posted a clip of a Zoom audition he participated in. He performed for director Tristram Shapeero, who was caught making critical remarks about Gage’s “tiny” apartment, not realizing the Zoom call was being recorded.

Gage posted the clip to Twitter (now known as X), saying, “If you’re a shit-talking director make sure to mute ur shit on zoom meetings.”

Gage did not identify the director in his tweet. However, a few days later, Shapeero identified himself and issued a public apology.

“First and foremost I offer Mr. Gage a sincere and unvarnished apology for my offensive words, my unprofessional behaviour during the audition and for not giving him the focus and attention he deserved,” he wrote in an open letter to Deadline.

“My job is to evaluate performers against the part I am trying to cast. Lukas deserved better.”

Gage followed this audition with his most high-profile part to date in the acclaimed show, The White Lotus, in 2021, and then nine episodes of You.

This year, he co-wrote and starred in Down Low, opposite Zachary Quinto. In the dark comedy, Gage plays a confident young gay man who encourages a repressed older man (Quinto) to embrace his sexuality.

Coming out: Speculation around Gage’s sexuality began to swirl after his appearance in Euphoria and The White Lotus, both of which have big queer followings. Then in February of this year, Gage posted some vacation snaps to Instagram taken in Mexico over the President’s Day weekend. The pics featured Gage and celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton, who is gay.

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The sun-soaked vacation pics appear to be a hard launch for this cute couple.

Many wondered if the two were in a relationship and if this was Gage coming out.

In March, Gage addressed the rumors while talking to the New York Times.

“If [people] want to think that, they can. I’m a pretty open book about most things in my life, but I have a problem with the culture of everyone needing to know everybody’s business and nothing can be sacred. It’s a weird line that I’m still trying to figure out.”

Gage and Appleton posed for photos together on the red carpet of a Vanity Fair event on March 8. A week later, Appleton confirmed the relationship during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show.

“Listen, I’m very happy. Very much in love and I feel very grateful to be able to share my time with someone very special,” Appleton told Barrymore. Producers then flashed up a photo of Appleton and Gage from their vacation together, prompting Appleton to say, “Yeah, that’s Lukas. That’s in Mexico.”

With the cat out of the bag, the two men posted more photos of themselves together to social media.

Appearing on the Today show in late March, Gage said, “I feel very happy. And very lucky. And very much in love.”

After a picture of him and Appleton appeared on screen, Gage said, “We have fun together. We go on adventures. He’s the best.”

More recently, Appleton revealed he first encountered Gage at a party a few years ago. A drunken Gage made a comment to Appleton that irritated him.

“I met him at a party five years before,” the 40 year old told Bustle. “I had a partner at the time, and he said something to me drunk. I remember thinking like, ‘Oh, f*ck off.’”

However, the young upcoming actor made an impression on Appleton. Last winter, the hair stylist slid into Gage’s DMs.

“I just said, ‘Boo!’ Like the ghost emoji.’”

The two men were clearly smitten with one another. But still, no one expected their next move. In early April, Us Weekly revealed they’ve secretly become engaged. Later that month, it emerged they got married at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.

Kim Kardashian, a friend and client of Appleton’s, officiated the ceremony.

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Gage and Appleton then posed together in a Pride month campaign for John Hardy. Gage also became the poster boy for Armani Beauty’s new Acqua di Giò Parfum.

Professionally and personally, Gage’s career has come on leaps and bounds in the last 12 months. We’re excited to see what he does next.

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