Aug 9, 2017

Kevin Zegers: Former Teen Idol is Trans-Friendly

Only a few teen idols have achieved such fan accolades that there are websites devoted to detailed descriptions of every scene of every movie, tv, and theatrical appearance.  Luke Halpin of Flipper.  Jonathan Taylor Thomas of Home Improvement.  And Kevin Zegers.

Born in 1984, the Canadian actor didn't have a sitcom to bring him instant tween fame; he had to build a fanbase from movies: the boy-and-dog Air Bud series (1997, 1998, 2001, 2002); the boy-and-unicorn Nico the Unicorn (1998); the boy-and-monster Komodo (1999); the boy-and-chimp MVP: Most Valuable Primate (2000).  

By 2000, Kevin had muscled up and was thoroughly established as a teen beefcake star, in spite of the lack of a weekly series (not counting the teen soap Titans, which only lasted for 13 episodes).

Some by-the-book young-adult horror followed, such as Wrong Turn (2003), Fear of the Dark (2003), and Dawn of the Dead (2004).

But also serious dramatic roles about unconventional young men, sometimes with gender-atypical and trans interest.


The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie (2004): a troubled teen befriends an elderly woman and doesn't get a girl.








Transamerica (2005): a gay hustler goes on a road trip with his biological father, a MTF transwoman, and oddly enough gets a girl.  (Movie producers believe that gay men, like "all men," fall in love with women.)  But at least he gives a glimpse of some impressive frontal nudity.

It's a Boy-Girl Thing (2006): a boy and a girl, next door neighbors, swap bodies. Woody (Kevin Zegers), inhabited by a girl, likes boys, and is mistaken for gay.



Although he also plays a lot of heterosexual characters: his Damien in Gossip Girl (2009-2011) is into both Serena and Jenny, and his Vampire (2011) only drinks the blood of suicidal young women.

Not a lot of buddy-bonding roles, but The Colony (2012), about the survivors of a new Ice Age, is worth a look for the bond between two men (Kevin, Lawrence Fishburne) answering a distress call from another colony.

I haven't seen The Mortal Instrument: City of Bones (2013). In the original paranormal young-adult novel, Alex is gay.  But knowing Hollywood's skittishness about letting juveniles know that gay people exist, I wouldn't be surprised if in the movie version, he's gay-vague, or straight.

See also: Kevin Zegers: Teen Idol

1 comment:

  1. To be fair, that Navajo man seems interested in Felicity Huffman's character. Also, I don't remember him getting the girl: The girl is his father! He does, however, bleach his hair and star in the latest Blond Bottoms movie.

    ReplyDelete

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