I remember being 13, secretly watching Passions after school — a show that, looking back, definitely wasn’t on my usual list. I was more of a Pokémon, Sailor Moon, anime-obsessed kid. But Passions? That show was a whole different world. Honestly, I was completely obsessed with Simone Russell. Like, I stanned her. Simone’s coming out in 2005 was the first time I’d ever seen a lesbian character with real depth on a soap. I remember the feeling of watching her story unfold — she wasn’t just a side character, or some throwaway storyline. She was a whole person, with complexities and relationships. For a show that often had ridiculous plots (I’m looking at you, evil dolls and witches), Passions brought something real and powerful to the table when it came to queer representation.
Fast forward to 2025, and The Bold and the Beautiful is finally giving us something that’s long overdue. The long running soap is introducing its first-ever gay male couple. And as a gay kid now an adult who’s watched soap operas since the 90s, this feels like a moment I’ve been waiting for forever. It’s a big deal to me — my gay television awakening was secretly watching Queer As Folk in the middle of the night, and while that was peak discovery at its finest, this would have helped me much more growing up.
The Bold and the Beautiful Finally Gets It Right: A Gay Male Couple
The Bold and the Beautiful has been an iconic part of television for nearly 40 years. With its family feuds, wild betrayals, and scandalous storylines, it’s the kind of over-the-top drama we can’t help but love. So, it’s no surprise that this legendary soap is stepping up to the plate by introducing its first-ever gay couple. Harrison Cone (yes, the one from Hacks and The Summer I Turned Pretty) is joining the cast to play a mysterious new character. He’ll be paired with Remy Pryce, an aspiring designer at Forrester Creations, portrayed by Christian Weissmann.
Being the first male couple to kiss on the show, this is bound to be a monumental moment for a series that’s been home to iconic love stories — and, let’s face it, plenty of messy love triangles. Maybe this is the start of some queer chaos we’ve all been waiting for. As a soap fan who’s watched the drama unfold for decades, this feels like the moment. It’s giving Willow and Tara, but a bit late to the party. Let’s just hope I didn’t just jinx one of these characters with that comparison. Spoilers… please no!
Who Is Harrison Cone?
Let’s start with Harrison Cone, who will play one half of the gay couple. You might recognize him from Hacks and The Summer I Turned Pretty, where he showed off charm, and was actually a fantastic actor. What will make his role on The Bold and the Beautiful especially exciting is that it marks a significant turning point for his career, as soap operas are no joke! He’s about to blow up to an entirely new audience.
About Harrison Cone
Harrison Cone has been steadily carving out his path in film and television. While his role on The Summer I Turned Pretty was brief, it was enough to grab the attention of both viewers and critics. If you’ve seen him in Hacks, you know he has a remarkable ability to move between quiet intensity and raw vulnerability, shifting seamlessly from one to the other. This kind of range is exactly what will bring a fresh depth to his character on The Bold and the Beautiful.
Though his character is still shrouded in mystery, Harrison’s previous roles give us a glimpse of what’s to come. Expect someone who won’t just be defined by their sexuality, but by a full spectrum of emotions: their ambitions, their struggles, and their desires. Based on what we’ve seen from Harrison so far, this isn’t just a one-note character — this is someone who’s going to challenge the Forrester Creations team and inject both passion and complexity into every scene. Whatever direction they take this storyline, it’s clear Harrison’s character won’t be easy to forget.
Is Harrison Cone Gay in Real Life?
Harrison Cone has kept his life pretty private, no one really knows his sexual orientation, and should they? In today’s world, while queer representation is obviously much needed, it’s important to remember that it’s okay to not know everything about an actor’s sexual orientation, it’s not up to them to announce their sexuality for the world. For older generations, not having representation was a big deal, but for Gen Z and beyond, just seeing diverse characters is such a step up from the way I was raised, and what I had access to.
When it comes right down to it, acting is about shaping yourself into a character, playing a role that isn’t you. While we absolutely need more queer artists in front of and behind the camera, that doesn’t mean every queer character has to be played by someone who’s out, or even queer. Would I personally prefer someone queer to be playing a queer character, yes? But I appreciate the representation, especially on daytime television.
Also by simply taking on the role of a queer character, Harrison’s performance will help to normalize this kind of representation to a whole new audience. It’s an important step forward, and we all should be excited!
Who Is Christian Weissmann?
Now let’s get into Christian Weissmann, who plays Remy Pryce, the love interest in this groundbreaking couple. Weissmann is no stranger to roles that require a deep emotional range, and if his past performances are any indication, this role will be one to watch.
About Christian Weissmann
Christian Weissmann is a rising star in the entertainment world. Before landing his role on The Bold and the Beautiful, he had roles in various indie projects and smaller TV appearances, which helped him develop a reputation for his raw, intense performances. Weissmann’s ability to bring a character to life with such authenticity will make Remy Pryce someone audiences can root for.
His role on The Bold and the Beautiful will be a game-changer for him — and for the soap opera world. While many soap characters are known for their high drama, Weissmann’s Remy will likely bring some much-needed depth to the often-over-the-top world of Forrester Creations.
Is Christian Weissmann Gay in Real Life?
Christian Weissmann has been relatively private about his personal life. There’s no official word on his sexual orientation, and in the entertainment industry, it’s important to remember that an actor’s personal identity doesn’t necessarily have to align with the roles they play. What matters is that Weissmann is committed to portraying a character that is authentic, layered, and representative of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s about the story, the portrayal, and the impact on the audience — not the actor’s personal identity.
Why It Took So Long for The Bold and the Beautiful to Introduce a Gay Male Couple
We’re talking about a soap that’s been on air for almost 40 years. It’s hard not to feel like The Bold and the Beautiful should’ve been ahead of the curve on this. I mean, Days of Our Lives had its first gay character (Will Horton) back in 2010, so why was it taking so long for B&B to follow suit? There’s a lot to unpack here — it’s not just about being progressive; it’s about a culture of soap operas that’s been slow to adapt.
The Traditional Demographic of Soap Operas
Here’s the thing about soap operas: they’ve always catered to a particular audience — mostly older, more conservative viewers who have been following the drama for decades. And change? That can be tough to pull off in that space. I mean, these are the same fans who have lived and breathed Ridge, Brooke, and the whole Forrester crew. Introducing a gay male couple, while necessary, could have felt jarring to some.
These loyal viewers are invested in their soap universes, and as much as they love a good plot twist, it’s tough to balance tradition with the need to evolve. It’s part of the reason why soap operas like The Bold and the Beautiful have been slow to take on major LGBTQ+ storylines — they were afraid of losing viewers who weren’t ready for those shifts.
The Risk of Alienating Longtime Fans
Soap operas live and die by their loyal audience. They can’t afford to alienate fans who have stuck with them for decades. And while that’s understandable, it’s also been a bit frustrating. For years, we watched queer characters pop up as side plots or background storylines, but not really as the central characters we needed them to be. So when B&B finally made the decision to introduce a gay male couple, it felt like they were finally saying, “Hey, this is the story we want to tell.” And I’m all for it.
LGBTQ+ Characters in Soap Operas: A Brief History
Even though it’s taken some time for major soaps like The Bold and the Beautiful to catch up with LGBTQ+ representation, there have been important steps taken in the right direction. Let’s take a look back at some of the biggest moments.
Will Horton on Days of Our Lives
Days of Our Lives was a pioneer when it comes to queer representation. When they introduced Will Horton (Chandler Massey) in 2010 as their first openly gay character, it was a game-changer for daytime TV. His coming-out story wasn’t just important for DOOL; it set the stage for a whole generation of LGBTQ+ viewers to see themselves on-screen in a real, meaningful way. Will’s relationship with Sonny Kiriakis (Freddie Smith) became one of daytime’s most beloved love stories, and their 2014 wedding was the first same-sex wedding on a daytime soap.
As a long-time soap watcher, I remember feeling emotional during that wedding — not because it was a soap wedding (we’ve all seen plenty of those), but because it felt like a real step forward. It was a love story that wasn’t just about a couple — it was about validation for LGBTQ+ viewers who had long been sidelined.
Maya Avant on The Bold and the Beautiful
Now, The Bold and the Beautiful isn’t new to breaking ground. In 2015, they introduced Maya Avant, portrayed by Karla Mosley, as a transgender character. Maya’s story wasn’t just about being a transgender woman — it was about love, family, and identity. When Maya became the first transgender bride in soap opera history, it was a monumental moment that showcased the power of representation. Though Mosley is not a transgender woman, the character was a groundbreaking portrayal of what it means to be trans in a world that often wants to erase or ignore your existence.
Maya’s storyline wasn’t perfect, and it sparked debate, but it was also a crucial turning point. The Bold and the Beautiful was, for the first time, showing us a trans character as a full, complex person — not just a side story or a plot device. It felt like a win, even if it was bittersweet knowing how much longer it had taken to get there.
Simone Russell on Passions
Ah, Passions — the show that truly made me fall in love with soap operas. Simone Russell (Cathy Jeneen Doe) was one of the first LGBTQ+ characters I truly adored. I liked her prior to her queer revelation, she was such a force within the narrative of the stories within the show. When Simone came out on NBC in 2005, it was like the soap opera world was suddenly opening up to more diverse, complex stories. Simone’s relationship with Rae Thomas (Kimberly J. Brown) was one of the first real depictions of a lesbian couple in daytime TV, it wasn’t since 2000 with Willow (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) that we had such a strong pre-existing character come out as gay. Funny enough both shows had witches, so maybe we just had writers that were before their time.
However, the fact Simone wasn’t just a background character or someone you forgot about after a week, is why this was such a powerful decision! Even though Passions was known for the wild and over-the-top plots. (do you remember Timmy and Tabatha???) Simone’s story grounded the show in a way that made it feel important.
What Does This Mean for the Future of Soap Operas?
This introduction of a gay male couple on The Bold and the Beautiful is a milestone in daytime TV history, but it also shows us that the fight for LGBTQ+ representation is far from over. The reality is, we’re just getting started. While B&B is making strides, it’s going to take a lot more than one couple to make a difference across the genre of soaps. It is 2025, and we’re still trailblazing television with queer inclusion.
But this moment? It’s proof that there’s room for everyone in the soap universe — and that queer love stories have just as much value and drama
