The gay freestyle skier spoke with The New Yorker about his Winter Olympics comeback and the parallels between the queer hockey show and his own life.
Gus Kenworthy made history back in 2015 when he came out as the first out gay extreme sports competitor and is making his long-awaited comeback at this year's Winter Olympics. In a conversation withThe New Yorker, the freestyle skier shared that he was "moved" by Heated Rivalry and said that he understands what the closeted gay athletes had gone through.
When speaking with the publication, he brought up the show, and the interviewer asked whether he'd watched it, which Kenworthy said he had just finished — and he now understands the hype.
"At first, I didn’t understand the big deal. It was fun to watch, but it was sort of smut. I honestly thought, ‘All these thirsty gays! Y’all are just horny.’ Like, you could watch porn?" he said during the interview. " People kept telling me, ‘Just wait — it tugs on the heartstrings.’ And then it did."
He pointed out that the third episode was the turning point for him. "I actually wrote a message to the show’s creator [Jacob Tierney] because I was so moved, and didn’t expect to be," the Olympian said. "And I don’t think I’ve ever seen myself reflected onscreen like that, in such a substantial way. The parallels are kind of insane." He also said that, while in the closet, he had his own secret relationship and had secret meetings and hookups.
"And Miley Cyrus was my own Rose [the celebrity woman Shane Hollander was briefly in a public relationship with], this famous person that I was suddenly linked to, and as much as I kind of wanted it — because that’s the person you would want to be with if you’re straight, someone successful and beautiful and talented — it’s not the same as when you’re with a guy," he said. "And then the Scott Hunter character — I really related to him. He wanted to be out, but really, just truly felt like he couldn’t be, because of his circumstances. That was me for so many years. I had the same yearning — to be in love, to be public, and to not have to hide."
With a few acting credits under his belt, including Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story: 1984, Kenworthy he could probably get a Heated Rivalry role if he's interested, suggested The New Yorker. To which he responded, "You know, I played hockey through high school. I can skate, and I know how to handle a stick."
This article originally appeared on Out: Gus Kenworthy 'so moved' by 'Heated Rivalry'—Miley Cyrus was 'my own Rose'
Category: General Sports
